# Design System: NVIDIA ## 1. Visual Theme & Atmosphere NVIDIA's website is a high-contrast, technology-forward experience that communicates raw computational power through design restraint. The page is built on a stark black (`#000000`) and white (`#ffffff`) foundation, punctuated by NVIDIA's signature green (`#76b900`) -- a color so specific it functions as a brand fingerprint. This is not the lush green of nature; it's the electric, lime-shifted green of GPU-rendered light, a color that sits between chartreuse and kelly green and immediately signals "NVIDIA" to anyone in technology. The custom NVIDIA-EMEA font family (with Arial and Helvetica fallbacks) creates a clean, industrial typographic voice. Headings at 36px bold with tight 1.25 line-height create dense, authoritative blocks of text. The font lacks the geometric playfulness of Silicon Valley sans-serifs -- it's European, pragmatic, and engineering-focused. Body text runs at 15-16px, comfortable for reading but not generous, maintaining the sense that screen real estate is optimized like GPU memory. What distinguishes NVIDIA's design from other dark-background tech sites is the disciplined use of the green accent. The `#76b900` appears in borders (`2px solid #76b900`), link underlines (`underline 2px rgb(118, 185, 0)`), and CTAs -- but never as backgrounds or large surface areas on the main content. The green is a signal, not a surface. Combined with a deep shadow system (`rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.3) 0px 0px 5px`) and minimal border radius (1-2px), the overall effect is of precision engineering hardware rendered in pixels. **Key Characteristics:** - NVIDIA Green (`#76b900`) as pure accent -- borders, underlines, and interactive highlights only - Black (`#000000`) dominant background with white (`#ffffff`) text on dark sections - NVIDIA-EMEA custom font with Arial/Helvetica fallback -- industrial, European, clean - Tight line-heights (1.25 for headings) creating dense, authoritative text blocks - Minimal border radius (1-2px) -- sharp, engineered corners throughout - Green-bordered buttons (`2px solid #76b900`) as primary interactive pattern - Font Awesome 6 Pro/Sharp icon system at weight 900 for sharp iconography - Multi-framework architecture (PrimeReact, Fluent UI, Element Plus) enabling rich interactive components ## 2. Color Palette & Roles ### Primary Brand - **NVIDIA Green** (`#76b900`): The signature -- borders, link underlines, CTA outlines, active indicators. Never used as large surface fills. - **True Black** (`#000000`): Primary page background, text on light surfaces, dominant tone. - **Pure White** (`#ffffff`): Text on dark backgrounds, light section backgrounds, card surfaces. ### Extended Brand Palette - **NVIDIA Green Light** (`#bff230`): Bright lime accent for highlights and hover states. - **Orange 400** (`#df6500`): Warm accent for alerts, featured badges, or energy-related contexts. - **Yellow 300** (`#ef9100`): Secondary warm accent, product category highlights. - **Yellow 050** (`#feeeb2`): Light warm surface for callout backgrounds. ### Status & Semantic - **Red 500** (`#e52020`): Error states, destructive actions, critical alerts. - **Red 800** (`#650b0b`): Deep red for severe warning backgrounds. - **Green 500** (`#3f8500`): Success states, positive indicators (darker than brand green). - **Blue 700** (`#0046a4`): Informational accents, link hover alternative. ### Decorative - **Purple 800** (`#4d1368`): Deep purple for gradient ends, premium/AI contexts. - **Purple 100** (`#f9d4ff`): Light purple surface tint. - **Fuchsia 700** (`#8c1c55`): Rich accent for special promotions or featured content. ### Neutral Scale - **Gray 300** (`#a7a7a7`): Muted text, disabled labels. - **Gray 400** (`#898989`): Secondary text, metadata. - **Gray 500** (`#757575`): Tertiary text, placeholders, footers. - **Gray Border** (`#5e5e5e`): Subtle borders, divider lines. - **Near Black** (`#1a1a1a`): Dark surfaces, card backgrounds on black pages. ### Interactive States - **Link Default (dark bg)** (`#ffffff`): White links on dark backgrounds. - **Link Default (light bg)** (`#000000`): Black links with green underline on light backgrounds. - **Link Hover** (`#3860be`): Blue shift on hover across all link variants. - **Button Hover** (`#1eaedb`): Teal highlight for button hover states. - **Button Active** (`#007fff`): Bright blue for active/pressed button states. - **Focus Ring** (`#000000 solid 2px`): Black outline for keyboard focus. ### Shadows & Depth - **Card Shadow** (`rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.3) 0px 0px 5px 0px`): Subtle ambient shadow for elevated cards. ## 3. Typography Rules ### Font Family - **Primary**: `NVIDIA-EMEA`, with fallbacks: `Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif` - **Icon Font**: `Font Awesome 6 Pro` (weight 900 for solid icons, 700 for regular) - **Icon Sharp**: `Font Awesome 6 Sharp` (weight 300 for light icons, 400 for regular) ### Hierarchy | Role | Font | Size | Weight | Line Height | Letter Spacing | Notes | |------|------|------|--------|-------------|----------------|-------| | Display Hero | NVIDIA-EMEA | 36px (2.25rem) | 700 | 1.25 (tight) | normal | Maximum impact headlines | | Section Heading | NVIDIA-EMEA | 24px (1.50rem) | 700 | 1.25 (tight) | normal | Section titles, card headings | | Sub-heading | NVIDIA-EMEA | 22px (1.38rem) | 400 | 1.75 (relaxed) | normal | Feature descriptions, subtitles | | Card Title | NVIDIA-EMEA | 20px (1.25rem) | 700 | 1.25 (tight) | normal | Card and module headings | | Body Large | NVIDIA-EMEA | 18px (1.13rem) | 700 | 1.67 (relaxed) | normal | Emphasized body, lead paragraphs | | Body | NVIDIA-EMEA | 16px (1.00rem) | 400 | 1.50 | normal | Standard reading text | | Body Bold | NVIDIA-EMEA | 16px (1.00rem) | 700 | 1.50 | normal | Strong labels, nav items | | Body Small | NVIDIA-EMEA | 15px (0.94rem) | 400 | 1.67 (relaxed) | normal | Secondary content, descriptions | | Body Small Bold | NVIDIA-EMEA | 15px (0.94rem) | 700 | 1.50 | normal | Emphasized secondary content | | Button Large | NVIDIA-EMEA | 18px (1.13rem) | 700 | 1.25 (tight) | normal | Primary CTA buttons | | Button | NVIDIA-EMEA | 16px (1.00rem) | 700 | 1.25 (tight) | normal | Standard buttons | | Button Compact | NVIDIA-EMEA | 14.4px (0.90rem) | 700 | 1.00 (tight) | 0.144px | Small/compact buttons | | Link | NVIDIA-EMEA | 14px (0.88rem) | 700 | 1.43 | normal | Navigation links | | Link Uppercase | NVIDIA-EMEA | 14px (0.88rem) | 700 | 1.43 | normal | `text-transform: uppercase`, nav labels | | Caption | NVIDIA-EMEA | 14px (0.88rem) | 600 | 1.50 | normal | Metadata, timestamps | | Caption Small | NVIDIA-EMEA | 12px (0.75rem) | 400 | 1.25 (tight) | normal | Fine print, legal | | Micro Label | NVIDIA-EMEA | 10px (0.63rem) | 700 | 1.50 | normal | `text-transform: uppercase`, tiny badges | | Micro | NVIDIA-EMEA | 11px (0.69rem) | 700 | 1.00 (tight) | normal | Smallest UI text | ### Principles - **Bold as the default voice**: NVIDIA leans heavily on weight 700 for headings, buttons, links, and labels. The 400 weight is reserved for body text and descriptions -- everything else is bold, projecting confidence and authority. - **Tight headings, relaxed body**: Heading line-height is consistently 1.25 (tight), while body text relaxes to 1.50-1.67. This contrast creates visual density at the top of content blocks and comfortable readability in paragraphs. - **Uppercase for navigation**: Link labels use `text-transform: uppercase` with weight 700, creating a navigation voice that reads like hardware specification labels. - **No decorative tracking**: Letter-spacing is normal throughout, except for compact buttons (0.144px). The font itself carries the industrial character without manipulation. ## 4. Component Stylings ### Buttons **Primary (Green Border)** - Background: `transparent` - Text: `#000000` - Padding: 11px 13px - Border: `2px solid #76b900` - Radius: 2px - Font: 16px weight 700 - Hover: background `#1eaedb`, text `#ffffff` - Active: background `#007fff`, text `#ffffff`, border `1px solid #003eff`, scale(1) - Focus: background `#1eaedb`, text `#ffffff`, outline `#000000 solid 2px`, opacity 0.9 - Use: Primary CTA ("Learn More", "Explore Solutions") **Secondary (Green Border Thin)** - Background: transparent - Border: `1px solid #76b900` - Radius: 2px - Use: Secondary actions, alternative CTAs **Compact / Inline** - Font: 14.4px weight 700 - Letter-spacing: 0.144px - Line-height: 1.00 - Use: Inline CTAs, compact navigation ### Cards & Containers - Background: `#ffffff` (light) or `#1a1a1a` (dark sections) - Border: none (clean edges) or `1px solid #5e5e5e` - Radius: 2px - Shadow: `rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.3) 0px 0px 5px 0px` for elevated cards - Hover: shadow intensification - Padding: 16-24px internal ### Links - **On Dark Background**: `#ffffff`, no underline, hover shifts to `#3860be` - **On Light Background**: `#000000` or `#1a1a1a`, underline `2px solid #76b900`, hover shifts to `#3860be`, underline removed - **Green Links**: `#76b900`, hover shifts to `#3860be` - **Muted Links**: `#666666`, hover shifts to `#3860be` ### Navigation - Dark black background (`#000000`) - Logo left-aligned, prominent NVIDIA wordmark - Links: NVIDIA-EMEA 14px weight 700 uppercase, `#ffffff` - Hover: color shift, no underline change - Mega-menu dropdowns for product categories - Sticky on scroll with backdrop ### Image Treatment - Product/GPU renders as hero images, often full-width - Screenshot images with subtle shadow for depth - Green gradient overlays on dark hero sections - Circular avatar containers with 50% radius ### Distinctive Components **Product Cards** - Clean white or dark card with minimal radius (2px) - Green accent border or underline on title - Bold heading + lighter description pattern - CTA with green border at bottom **Tech Spec Tables** - Industrial grid layouts - Alternating row backgrounds (subtle gray shift) - Bold labels, regular values - Green highlights for key metrics **Cookie/Consent Banner** - Fixed bottom positioning - Rounded buttons (2px radius) - Gray border treatments ## 5. Layout Principles ### Spacing System - Base unit: 8px - Scale: 1px, 2px, 3px, 4px, 5px, 6px, 7px, 8px, 9px, 10px, 11px, 12px, 13px, 15px - Primary padding values: 8px, 11px, 13px, 16px, 24px, 32px - Section spacing: 48-80px vertical padding ### Grid & Container - Max content width: approximately 1200px (contained) - Full-width hero sections with contained text - Feature sections: 2-3 column grids for product cards - Single-column for article/blog content - Sidebar layouts for documentation ### Whitespace Philosophy - **Purposeful density**: NVIDIA uses tighter spacing than typical SaaS sites, reflecting the density of technical content. White space exists to separate concepts, not to create luxury emptiness. - **Section rhythm**: Dark sections alternate with white sections, using background color (not just spacing) to separate content blocks. - **Card density**: Product cards sit close together with 16-20px gaps, creating a catalog feel rather than a gallery feel. ### Border Radius Scale - Micro (1px): Inline spans, tiny elements - Standard (2px): Buttons, cards, containers, inputs -- the default for nearly everything - Circle (50%): Avatar images, circular tab indicators ## 6. Depth & Elevation | Level | Treatment | Use | |-------|-----------|-----| | Flat (Level 0) | No shadow | Page backgrounds, inline text | | Subtle (Level 1) | `rgba(0,0,0,0.3) 0px 0px 5px 0px` | Standard cards, modals | | Border (Level 1b) | `1px solid #5e5e5e` | Content dividers, section borders | | Green accent (Level 2) | `2px solid #76b900` | Active elements, CTAs, selected items | | Focus (Accessibility) | `2px solid #000000` outline | Keyboard focus ring | **Shadow Philosophy**: NVIDIA's depth system is minimal and utilitarian. There is essentially one shadow value -- a 5px ambient blur at 30% opacity -- used sparingly for cards and modals. The primary depth signal is not shadow but _color contrast_: black backgrounds next to white sections, green borders on black surfaces. This creates hardware-like visual layering where depth comes from material difference, not simulated light. ### Decorative Depth - Green gradient washes behind hero content - Dark-to-darker gradients (black to near-black) for section transitions - No glassmorphism or blur effects -- clarity over atmosphere ## 7. Responsive Behavior ### Breakpoints | Name | Width | Key Changes | |------|-------|-------------| | Mobile Small | <375px | Compact single column, reduced padding | | Mobile | 375-425px | Standard mobile layout | | Mobile Large | 425-600px | Wider mobile, some 2-col hints | | Tablet Small | 600-768px | 2-column grids begin | | Tablet | 768-1024px | Full card grids, expanded nav | | Desktop | 1024-1350px | Standard desktop layout | | Large Desktop | >1350px | Maximum content width, generous margins | ### Touch Targets - Buttons use 11px 13px padding for comfortable tap targets - Navigation links at 14px uppercase with adequate spacing - Green-bordered buttons provide high-contrast touch targets on dark backgrounds - Mobile: hamburger menu collapse with full-screen overlay ### Collapsing Strategy - Hero: 36px heading scales down proportionally - Navigation: full horizontal nav collapses to hamburger menu at ~1024px - Product cards: 3-column to 2-column to single column stacked - Footer: multi-column grid collapses to single stacked column - Section spacing: 64-80px reduces to 32-48px on mobile - Images: maintain aspect ratio, scale to container width ### Image Behavior - GPU/product renders maintain high resolution at all sizes - Hero images scale proportionally with viewport - Card images use consistent aspect ratios - Full-bleed dark sections maintain edge-to-edge treatment ## 8. Responsive Behavior (Extended) ### Typography Scaling - Display 36px scales to ~24px on mobile - Section headings 24px scale to ~20px on mobile - Body text maintains 15-16px across all breakpoints - Button text maintains 16px for consistent tap targets ### Dark/Light Section Strategy - Dark sections (black bg, white text) alternate with light sections (white bg, black text) - The green accent remains consistent across both surface types - On dark: links are white, underlines are green - On light: links are black, underlines are green - This alternation creates natural scroll rhythm and content grouping ## 9. Agent Prompt Guide ### Quick Color Reference - Primary accent: NVIDIA Green (`#76b900`) - Background dark: True Black (`#000000`) - Background light: Pure White (`#ffffff`) - Heading text (dark bg): White (`#ffffff`) - Heading text (light bg): Black (`#000000`) - Body text (light bg): Black (`#000000`) or Near Black (`#1a1a1a`) - Body text (dark bg): White (`#ffffff`) or Gray 300 (`#a7a7a7`) - Link hover: Blue (`#3860be`) - Border accent: `2px solid #76b900` - Button hover: Teal (`#1eaedb`) ### Example Component Prompts - "Create a hero section on black background. Headline at 36px NVIDIA-EMEA weight 700, line-height 1.25, color #ffffff. Subtitle at 18px weight 400, line-height 1.67, color #a7a7a7. CTA button with transparent background, 2px solid #76b900 border, 2px radius, 11px 13px padding, text #ffffff. Hover: background #1eaedb, text white." - "Design a product card: white background, 2px border-radius, box-shadow rgba(0,0,0,0.3) 0px 0px 5px. Title at 20px NVIDIA-EMEA weight 700, line-height 1.25, color #000000. Body at 15px weight 400, line-height 1.67, color #757575. Green underline accent on title: border-bottom 2px solid #76b900." - "Build a navigation bar: #000000 background, sticky top. NVIDIA logo left-aligned. Links at 14px NVIDIA-EMEA weight 700 uppercase, color #ffffff. Hover: color #3860be. Green-bordered CTA button right-aligned." - "Create a dark feature section: #000000 background. Section label at 14px weight 700 uppercase, color #76b900. Heading at 24px weight 700, color #ffffff. Description at 16px weight 400, color #a7a7a7. Three product cards in a row with 20px gap." - "Design a footer: #000000 background. Multi-column layout with link groups. Links at 14px weight 400, color #a7a7a7. Hover: color #76b900. Bottom bar with legal text at 12px, color #757575." ### Iteration Guide 1. Always use `#76b900` as accent, never as a background fill -- it's a signal color for borders, underlines, and highlights 2. Buttons are transparent with green borders by default -- filled backgrounds appear only on hover/active states 3. Weight 700 is the dominant voice for all interactive and heading elements; 400 is only for body paragraphs 4. Border radius is 2px for everything -- this sharp, minimal rounding is core to the industrial aesthetic 5. Dark sections use white text; light sections use black text -- green accent works identically on both 6. Link hover is always `#3860be` (blue) regardless of the link's default color 7. Line-height 1.25 for headings, 1.50-1.67 for body text -- maintain this contrast for visual hierarchy 8. Navigation uses uppercase 14px bold -- this hardware-label typography is part of the brand voice