Novu DESIGN.md

Open-source notification infrastructure with a dark developer aesthetic — deep surfaces, electric indigo accents, and workflow-driven UI.

1. Visual Theme & Atmosphere

Novu's design language is built for engineers. Dark backgrounds dominate, keeping focus on the notification workflow graph and code-adjacent content. Indigo and electric blue accents energize the interface and guide users through complex notification pipelines. The aesthetic is precise, technical, and modern — a tool that developers trust because it looks like it was built by developers.

2. Color Palette & Roles

3. Typography Rules

css--font-sans: 'Inter', -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, sans-serif;
--font-mono: 'JetBrains Mono', 'Fira Code', monospace;
--font-size-xs: 11px;
--font-size-sm: 13px;
--font-size-base: 14px;
--font-size-md: 16px;
--font-size-lg: 20px;
--font-size-xl: 24px;
--font-size-2xl: 32px;
--font-weight-regular: 400;
--font-weight-medium: 500;
--font-weight-semibold: 600;
--font-weight-bold: 700;
--line-height-tight: 1.25;
--line-height-base: 1.5;

4. Component Stylings

css/* Primary Button */
.button-primary {
  background: #7C3AED;
  color: #FFFFFF;
  border: none;
  border-radius: 8px;
  padding: 9px 18px;
  font-size: 14px;
  font-weight: 600;
  cursor: pointer;
  transition: background 0.15s ease;
}
.button-primary:hover { background: #6D28D9; }

/* Workflow Node */
.workflow-node {
  background: #1A1A24;
  border: 1.5px solid #2D2D45;
  border-radius: 10px;
  padding: 12px 16px;
  min-width: 160px;
  cursor: pointer;
  transition: border-color 0.15s ease;
}
.workflow-node:hover { border-color: #7C3AED; }
.workflow-node--active { border-color: #7C3AED; }
.workflow-node__icon {
  width: 32px;
  height: 32px;
  border-radius: 8px;
  background: rgba(124,58,237,0.2);
  display: flex;
  align-items: center;
  justify-content: center;
  margin-bottom: 8px;
}

/* Channel Badge */
.channel-badge {
  display: inline-flex;
  align-items: center;
  gap: 6px;
  padding: 4px 10px;
  border-radius: 100px;
  font-size: 12px;
  font-weight: 600;
  border: 1px solid #2D2D45;
  background: #24243A;
  color: #9090B0;
}
.channel-badge--active {
  border-color: #34D399;
  color: #34D399;
  background: rgba(52,211,153,0.1);
}

/* Code Block */
.code-block {
  background: #0F0F12;
  border: 1px solid #2D2D45;
  border-radius: 8px;
  padding: 16px;
  font-family: var(--font-mono);
  font-size: 13px;
  color: #F4F4F8;
  overflow-x: auto;
}

/* Input */
.input {
  background: #1A1A24;
  border: 1.5px solid #2D2D45;
  border-radius: 8px;
  padding: 9px 14px;
  font-size: 14px;
  color: #F4F4F8;
  transition: border-color 0.15s;
}
.input:focus {
  outline: none;
  border-color: #7C3AED;
  box-shadow: 0 0 0 3px rgba(124,58,237,0.2);
}

5. Layout Principles

6. Depth & Elevation

css.shadow-sm { box-shadow: 0 1px 4px rgba(0,0,0,0.5); }
.shadow-card { box-shadow: 0 4px 12px rgba(0,0,0,0.6); }
.shadow-modal { box-shadow: 0 16px 48px rgba(0,0,0,0.7); }
.shadow-node-active { box-shadow: 0 0 0 2px #7C3AED, 0 4px 12px rgba(124,58,237,0.3); }

7. Do's and Don'ts

Do:

• Keep the workflow canvas dark and uncluttered — let edges and nodes carry the hierarchy
• Use channel-specific icons (email, SMS, push, in-app) consistently in workflow nodes
• Surface delivery status with semantic colors: green=delivered, yellow=pending, red=failed
• Monospace font for all code snippets, API keys, and template variables

Don't:

• Don't use light backgrounds in the workflow canvas — it breaks the developer aesthetic
• Don't label workflow edges with more than 3 words
• Don't mix rounded and square elements in the same context

8. Responsive Behavior

9. Agent Prompt Guide

You are designing for Novu — open-source notification infrastructure.
Use a deep dark background (#0F0F12) with card surfaces at #1A1A24.
Primary brand color is violet (#7C3AED); use for CTAs, active nodes, and focus rings.
Workflow nodes are rounded rectangles with icon blocks and subtle hover borders.
Channel status badges use semantic colors: green for active, yellow for pending, red for failed.
Typography is Inter at 14px, monospace for code and template content.
Tone is technical, dark, and workflow-first.