Principles
The foundational philosophy behind every Cenpact design decision.
01
Dense but Breathable
Pack information tightly while maintaining visual hierarchy through whitespace. Every pixel should earn its place, but never at the cost of clarity.
Do
- •Use tight spacing within components
- •Maintain generous margins between sections
- •Rely on visual hierarchy over spacing
Don't
- •Cramming elements without rhythm
- •Using uniform spacing everywhere
- •Sacrificing readability for density
02
Subtle Sophistication
Prefer muted colors, soft borders, and understated hover effects. Let the content shine, not the chrome.
Do
- •Use border-border/50 for soft separation
- •Apply hover effects that enhance, not distract
- •Choose muted accent colors
Don't
- •Bold, attention-grabbing UI elements
- •Harsh color contrasts for decoration
- •Overusing animations or transitions
03
Developer-First
Design for power users who value efficiency over hand-holding. Optimize for keyboard navigation and information density.
Do
- •Provide keyboard shortcuts where possible
- •Show technical details (IDs, timestamps)
- •Enable bulk actions and quick filters
Don't
- •Hiding useful information behind clicks
- •Dumbing down interfaces for 'simplicity'
- •Forcing multi-step wizards for simple tasks
04
Dark Mode Native
Design in dark mode first, then adapt for light. The dark experience is never an afterthought.
Do
- •Test dark mode before light mode
- •Use semantic color tokens
- •Ensure sufficient contrast in both modes
Don't
- •Adding dark mode as an afterthought
- •Using raw color values (white, black)
- •Assuming light mode is the default