<!-- SPDX-License-Identifier: MIT -->
<!-- SPDX-FileCopyrightText: 2025-2026 Marcus Quinn -->

# Design System: Claude — Color Palette & Roles

## Primary

- **Anthropic Near Black** (`#141413`): The primary text color and dark-theme surface — not pure black but a warm, almost olive-tinted dark that's gentler on the eyes. The warmest "black" in any major tech brand.
- **Terracotta Brand** (`#c96442`): The core brand color — a burnt orange-brown used for primary CTA buttons, brand moments, and the signature accent. Deliberately earthy and un-tech.
- **Coral Accent** (`#d97757`): A lighter, warmer variant of the brand color used for text accents, links on dark surfaces, and secondary emphasis.

## Secondary & Accent

- **Error Crimson** (`#b53333`): A deep, warm red for error states — serious without being alarming.
- **Focus Blue** (`#3898ec`): Standard blue for input focus rings — the only cool color in the entire system, used purely for accessibility.

## Surface & Background

- **Parchment** (`#f5f4ed`): The primary page background — a warm cream with a yellow-green tint that feels like aged paper. The emotional foundation of the entire design.
- **Ivory** (`#faf9f5`): The lightest surface — used for cards and elevated containers on the Parchment background. Barely distinguishable but creates subtle layering.
- **Pure White** (`#ffffff`): Reserved for specific button surfaces and maximum-contrast elements.
- **Warm Sand** (`#e8e6dc`): Button backgrounds and prominent interactive surfaces — a noticeably warm light gray.
- **Dark Surface** (`#30302e`): Dark-theme containers, nav borders, and elevated dark elements — warm charcoal.
- **Deep Dark** (`#141413`): Dark-theme page background and primary dark surface.

## Neutrals & Text

- **Charcoal Warm** (`#4d4c48`): Button text on light warm surfaces — the go-to dark-on-light text.
- **Olive Gray** (`#5e5d59`): Secondary body text — a distinctly warm medium-dark gray.
- **Stone Gray** (`#87867f`): Tertiary text, footnotes, and de-emphasized metadata.
- **Dark Warm** (`#3d3d3a`): Dark text links and emphasized secondary text.
- **Warm Silver** (`#b0aea5`): Text on dark surfaces — a warm, parchment-tinted light gray.

## Semantic & Accent

- **Border Cream** (`#f0eee6`): Standard light-theme border — barely visible warm cream, creating the gentlest possible containment.
- **Border Warm** (`#e8e6dc`): Prominent borders, section dividers, and emphasized containment on light surfaces.
- **Border Dark** (`#30302e`): Standard border on dark surfaces — maintains the warm tone.
- **Ring Warm** (`#d1cfc5`): Shadow ring color for button hover/focus states.
- **Ring Subtle** (`#dedc01`): Secondary ring variant for lighter interactive surfaces.
- **Ring Deep** (`#c2c0b6`): Deeper ring for active/pressed states.

## Gradient System

Claude's design is **gradient-free** in the traditional sense. Depth and visual richness come from the interplay of warm surface tones, organic illustrations, and light/dark section alternation. The warm palette itself creates a "gradient" effect as the eye moves through cream → sand → stone → charcoal → black sections.
