Public vault · the index · compare

Compare families & landscape

Put any two of the 40 populated aesthetic families side by side to inspect their typefaces, open-source font stand-ins, measured WCAG contrast pairs, and move-by-move steal-notes — then synthesize a working DESIGN.md brief or CSS :root sheet, or benchmark how Trova compares to peer platforms.

Aesthetic Differential Workbench

Select two families to compare side by side

Primary Architecture (80% Foundation)

Counterpoint / Comparison Family (20% Tension)

Curated Synthesis Presets

01 · Structural & Chromatic Anatomy

Neumorphism / Soft Dual Emboss vs. Dark Premium

Primary Architecture (80%)3 curated references

Neumorphism / Soft Dual Emboss

Low-contrast plastic surfaces where elements pop out or press in using paired light and dark drop shadows.

Observed Typefaces (5)

Free Loadable Stand-Ins

Akzidenz-Grotesk (licensed) → Archivo
Neue Haas Grotesk (licensed) → Inter
Universal Sans (licensed) → Josefin Sans

Captured Palette Chromatography

#1f2328
dark neutral
#f4f4f0
light neutral
#181818
dark neutral
#4b3621
dark neutral
#3b82f6
chromatic

Verified WCAG Readable Pairs

Steal this.#1f2328 on #f4f4f0 · 14.3:1
Steal this.#181818 on #f4f4f0 · 16.1:1

Anchor References

Counterpoint Family (20%)8 curated references

Dark Premium

Near-black fields, hairline gradients, one metallic or electric accent, understated serif. Whispers expensive; the restraint is the flex.

Observed Typefaces (10)

Free Loadable Stand-Ins

Berkeley Mono (licensed) → JetBrains Mono
Söhne (licensed) → Inter

Captured Palette Chromatography

#08090a
dark neutral
#f7f8f8
light neutral
#e5e5e5
light neutral
#201819
dark neutral
#26283b
dark neutral

Verified WCAG Readable Pairs

Steal this.#08090a on #f7f8f8 · 18.7:1
Steal this.#08090a on #e5e5e5 · 15.8:1

Anchor References

02 · Mechanism Comparison by Move Type

Move-by-move steal-note matrix

How Neumorphism / Soft Dual Emboss and Dark Premium solve the same 7 structural design dimensions differently. Every observation is cited to a specific captured specimen in the vault.

typography1 vs. 3 notes

Neumorphism / Soft Dual Emboss

Center the current decibel level (`-18.5 dB`) inside the rotary well in `tabular-nums` grotesk so the finger never occludes the numeric readout during adjustment.
189-devialet-controller-study-matte-ceramic-volume-wheel-dual-light-well · Devialet Controller Study — Matte Ceramic Volume Wheel & Dual-Light Well

Dark Premium

Tiempos Headline / Söhne pairing: old-money serif for claims, neutral grotesque for evidence. Finance gravitas without cliché.
18-endex · Endex
The upper-left brand lockup uses serif type, while each book retains its own cover typography. Keep the interface restrained when the collection already contains many visual voices.
109-stripe-press-a-catalogue-composed-from-book-spines · Stripe Press — a catalogue composed from book spines · model draft

grid/layout1 vs. 5 notes

Neumorphism / Soft Dual Emboss

Recess the numeric readout inside a deep inner-shadow bezel (`inset 0 3px 6px rgba(0,0,0,0.65)`) separated from the keypad matrix by an explicit horizontal chassis seam.
188-braun-et66-calculator-study-convex-domed-polymer-keys-recessed-lcd-well · Braun ET66 Calculator Study — Convex Domed Polymer Keys & Recessed LCD Well

Dark Premium

Hairline borders at 8% white opacity define all structure; no shadows anywhere in dark mode.
16-linear · Linear
The captured catalogue centers a vertical stack of book spines on a dark field, with generous space around the stack. The physical objects become the organizing structure rather than sitting inside a conventional product-card grid.
109-stripe-press-a-catalogue-composed-from-book-spines · Stripe Press — a catalogue composed from book spines · model draft

color1 vs. 4 notes

Neumorphism / Soft Dual Emboss

Color-code the four physical rotary encoders with strict functional semantics (Blue = pitch/frequency, Green = envelope, White = sustain/balance, Orange `#ff4f00` = modulation/grid).
187-teenage-engineering-op-1-field-extruded-aluminum-soft-shadow-rotary-dials · Teenage Engineering OP-1 Field — Extruded Aluminum Soft-Shadow Rotary Dials

Dark Premium

Purple accent appears ONLY in glows and gradients, never as flat fill — light, not paint.
16-linear · Linear
Most of the visible color belongs to the book spines against the dark background. Let the objects supply variety while the surrounding interface stays quiet; this observation does not establish keyboard or motion behavior.
109-stripe-press-a-catalogue-composed-from-book-spines · Stripe Press — a catalogue composed from book spines · model draft

motion/interaction1 vs. 1 notes

Neumorphism / Soft Dual Emboss

Surround the central extruded volume wheel with 60 radial tick marks that sequentially illuminate in warm champagne gold (`#c5a059`) as the user drags circularly.
189-devialet-controller-study-matte-ceramic-volume-wheel-dual-light-well · Devialet Controller Study — Matte Ceramic Volume Wheel & Dual-Light Well

Dark Premium

Feature cards tilt ≤2° on hover with a 400ms ease — motion you sense rather than watch.
16-linear · Linear

component pattern1 vs. 5 notes

Neumorphism / Soft Dual Emboss

Circular calculator buttons use a subtle radial highlight (`radial-gradient(circle at 35% 30%, #3a3d42, #1e1f22)`) to convey a convex thumb dome, reserving the single `#d97706` ochre cap exclusively for the `=` execution key.
188-braun-et66-calculator-study-convex-domed-polymer-keys-recessed-lcd-well · Braun ET66 Calculator Study — Convex Domed Polymer Keys & Recessed LCD Well

Dark Premium

Pricing table where the free tier is visually equal to paid — confidence signaling that converts better than dark-patterning.
17-raycast · Raycast
There is no global monthly/yearly switch: a "Billed yearly" toggle appears only in the Basic and Business columns, while the same row reads "Free for everyone" under Free and "Annual billing only" under Enterprise. Steal the per-plan billing row, which places a toggle only where it changes a price and uses the slot to state terms everywhere else.
81-linear-pricing · Linear — pricing · model draft

texture/material1 vs. 3 notes

Neumorphism / Soft Dual Emboss

Avoid low-contrast neumorphic mush by pairing a soft dual-shadow extruded keywell (`6px 6px 12px #bec1c6, -6px -6px 12px #ffffff`) with a crisp `1px solid rgba(31,35,40,0.18)` machined parting line and high-contrast `#1f2328` legends.
187-teenage-engineering-op-1-field-extruded-aluminum-soft-shadow-rotary-dials · Teenage Engineering OP-1 Field — Extruded Aluminum Soft-Shadow Rotary Dials

Dark Premium

Subtle noise grain over every gradient stops the banding AND adds materiality at 2% opacity.
17-raycast · Raycast
The right half holds a single 3D cube of near-black facets in mixed finishes (matte, perforated, speckled), lit from above, with one pale light band sweeping diagonally across the lower third of the black ground. Steal one monochrome rendered object as the hero image, giving depth without adding a color.
78-resend-homepage-hero · Resend — homepage hero · model draft

copywriting0 vs. 1 notes

Neumorphism / Soft Dual Emboss

No recorded copywriting notes in this slice.

Dark Premium

Six words on the entire first viewport. Institutional confidence = information withheld.
18-endex · Endex

03 · Executable Output · DESIGN.md, Agent Harness Rules & CSS Tokens

Synthesize a working system brief, `.cursorrules` / `CLAUDE.md`, or CSS tokens

Moodboards stall when it is time to open an editor. Export a cited DESIGN.md brief combining Neumorphism / Soft Dual Emboss (80% primary architecture) with Dark Premium (20% counterpoint), drop a ready-made .cursorrules / CLAUDE.md harness file into your repository, or copy Tailwind v4 @theme and CSS :root tokens mapped to open-source stand-in fonts.

Live Token Stage · 80% Neumorphism / Soft Dual Emboss × 20% Dark Premium14.3:1 WCAG Contrast · Paper Ground

Display: IBM Plex Mono · Body: Archivo

Neumorphism / Soft Dual Emboss Architecture with Dark Premium Counterpoint

Avoid low-contrast neumorphic mush by pairing a soft dual-shadow extruded keywell (`6px 6px 12px #bec1c6, -6px -6px 12px #ffffff`) with a crisp `1px solid rgba(31,35,40,0.18)` machined parting line and high-contrast `#1f2328` legends.

Primary Action (#181818)Counterpoint (#08090a)

20% Counterpoint Telemetry (JetBrains Mono)

--surface-ground: #f4f4f0
--text-primary: #1f2328
--accent-primary: #181818
--accent-counter: #08090a

# DESIGN.md — Neumorphism / Soft Dual Emboss × Dark Premium Synthesis

> **80% Primary Architecture:** Neumorphism / Soft Dual Emboss (`neumorphism-soft-emboss`, 3 refs)
> **20% Counterpoint / Accent:** Dark Premium (`dark-premium`, 8 refs)

## 1. Visual Direction & Thesis
- **Primary Foundation (Neumorphism / Soft Dual Emboss):** Low-contrast plastic surfaces where elements pop out or press in using paired light and dark drop shadows.
- **Secondary Counterpoint (Dark Premium):** Borrow selective tension from Dark Premium — Near-black fields, hairline gradients, one metallic or electric accent, understated serif. Whispers expensive; the restraint is the flex.

## 2. Typography & Loadable Stand-Ins
- **Primary Display & Body (Neumorphism / Soft Dual Emboss):** IBM Plex Mono (2/3), Akzidenz-Grotesk (1/3), Helvetica Neue (1/3), Neue Haas Grotesk (1/3)
- **Counterpoint / Accent Face (Dark Premium):** Inter (2/8), Berkeley Mono (1/8), Domaine (1/8)
- **Free Loadable Stand-Ins:**
  - Akzidenz-Grotesk (licensed) → Archivo
  - Neue Haas Grotesk (licensed) → Inter
  - Universal Sans (licensed) → Josefin Sans
  - Berkeley Mono (licensed) → JetBrains Mono
  - Söhne (licensed) → Inter

## 3. Chromatic Polarity & Verified Contrast
- **Primary Surface Pair (Neumorphism / Soft Dual Emboss):** `#1f2328` on `#f4f4f0` (14.3:1 WCAG contrast)
- **Counterpoint Signal Color (Dark Premium):** `#08090a` (reserve for active state, focus ring, or single focal callout)

## 4. Structural Moves to Steal
- **[Primary · texture/material]** Avoid low-contrast neumorphic mush by pairing a soft dual-shadow extruded keywell (`6px 6px 12px #bec1c6, -6px -6px 12px #ffffff`) with a crisp `1px solid rgba(31,35,40,0.18)` machined parting line and high-contrast `#1f2328` legends. _(187-teenage-engineering-op-1-field-extruded-aluminum-soft-shadow-rotary-dials Teenage Engineering OP-1 Field — Extruded Aluminum Soft-Shadow Rotary Dials)_
- **[Primary · color]** Color-code the four physical rotary encoders with strict functional semantics (Blue = pitch/frequency, Green = envelope, White = sustain/balance, Orange `#ff4f00` = modulation/grid). _(187-teenage-engineering-op-1-field-extruded-aluminum-soft-shadow-rotary-dials Teenage Engineering OP-1 Field — Extruded Aluminum Soft-Shadow Rotary Dials)_
- **[Primary · component pattern]** Circular calculator buttons use a subtle radial highlight (`radial-gradient(circle at 35% 30%, #3a3d42, #1e1f22)`) to convey a convex thumb dome, reserving the single `#d97706` ochre cap exclusively for the `=` execution key. _(188-braun-et66-calculator-study-convex-domed-polymer-keys-recessed-lcd-well Braun ET66 Calculator Study — Convex Domed Polymer Keys & Recessed LCD Well)_
- **[Primary · grid/layout]** Recess the numeric readout inside a deep inner-shadow bezel (`inset 0 3px 6px rgba(0,0,0,0.65)`) separated from the keypad matrix by an explicit horizontal chassis seam. _(188-braun-et66-calculator-study-convex-domed-polymer-keys-recessed-lcd-well Braun ET66 Calculator Study — Convex Domed Polymer Keys & Recessed LCD Well)_
- **[Counterpoint · grid/layout]** Hairline borders at 8% white opacity define all structure; no shadows anywhere in dark mode. _(16-linear Linear)_
- **[Counterpoint · component pattern]** Pricing table where the free tier is visually equal to paid — confidence signaling that converts better than dark-patterning. _(17-raycast Raycast)_
- **[Counterpoint · color]** Purple accent appears ONLY in glows and gradients, never as flat fill — light, not paint. _(16-linear Linear)_

## 5. Cited Reference Anchors
- **Primary (Neumorphism / Soft Dual Emboss):** 187-teenage-engineering-op-1-field-extruded-aluminum-soft-shadow-rotary-dials Teenage Engineering OP-1 Field — Extruded Aluminum Soft-Shadow Rotary Dials ★ canonical
- **Primary (Neumorphism / Soft Dual Emboss):** 188-braun-et66-calculator-study-convex-domed-polymer-keys-recessed-lcd-well Braun ET66 Calculator Study — Convex Domed Polymer Keys & Recessed LCD Well
- **Primary (Neumorphism / Soft Dual Emboss):** 189-devialet-controller-study-matte-ceramic-volume-wheel-dual-light-well Devialet Controller Study — Matte Ceramic Volume Wheel & Dual-Light Well
- **Counterpoint (Dark Premium):** 16-linear Linear ★ canonical
- **Counterpoint (Dark Premium):** 109-stripe-press-a-catalogue-composed-from-book-spines Stripe Press — a catalogue composed from book spines

Automate in CI & Your Repo · Full-Depth CLI + Headless Chromium Audit

Get a full-corpus key (27 families · 500 calls/day) →

The browser workbench above synthesizes a starter preview from the top notes in each move. With a Trova access key, drop the complete 3-reference Neumorphism / Soft Dual Emboss Trovafileinto your repository and run a real headless Chromium DOM & WCAG contrast audit against your local dev server:

npx trova init --family neumorphism-soft-emboss --token $TROVA_TOKEN
npx trova audit http://localhost:3000 --family neumorphism-soft-emboss

04 · Pre-Flight Verification · UI Code & Anti-Slop Auditor

Audit JSX / Tailwind / CSS against Neumorphism / Soft Dual Emboss

Taste Alignment Score0/100 · AI Slop Detected

Paste any React, HTML, Tailwind, or CSS component snippet below (or load a sample) to verify its geometry, chromatic tokens, type scale, tabular numerals, and hit targets against Neumorphism / Soft Dual Emboss. Copy the generated refactor prompt at the bottom to hand directly to Claude Code or Cursor.

Component Snippet (JSX / HTML / Tailwind / CSS)

Diagnostic Findings (6)

✗ Violation · Structural GeometryRef #188 ↗
Detected oversized border-radius (`rounded-xl`/`2xl`/`3xl` or >=12px radius) that softens structural grid cells into generic SaaS bubbles.
→ Replace rounded card wrappers with `rounded-none` (`0px`) and exposed `1px solid` hairline borders aligned to Neumorphism / Soft Dual Emboss.
✗ Violation · Surface ElevationRef #188 ↗
Detected heavy drop-shadow (`shadow-lg`/`xl`/`2xl` or blurred `box-shadow`) simulating floating cards instead of tonal surface steps.
→ Remove drop shadows (`shadow-none`) and separate elevation through `--surface-ground` vs. `--surface-elevated` plus `1px` borders.
✗ Violation · Chromatic PolarityRef #187 ↗
Detected generic AI-slop indigo/purple/pink gradient classes unrelated to the family's captured chromatography.
→ Strip synthetic gradients and bind surfaces to Neumorphism / Soft Dual Emboss verified tokens (`#1f2328` on `#f4f4f0` (14.3:1)).
✗ Violation · Typographic HierarchyRef #189 ↗
Detected sub-13px micro-copy (`text-xs` or `10px–12px`), which degrades legibility and breaks archival hierarchy.
→ Raise small metadata to `text-[0.8125rem]` (13px) and differentiate with `font-mono uppercase tracking-[0.12em]`.
△ Warning · Numeric DisciplineRef #189 ↗
Detected numeric figures, prices, or metrics without `tabular-nums` (`font-variant-numeric: tabular-nums`).
→ Add `tabular-nums` (or `.tnum`) so numerals align vertically across rows and live updates.
△ Warning · Interactive ErgonomicsRef #188 ↗
Interactive element (`<button>`, `<a>`, `<select>`) lacks an explicit >=44px (`min-h-11`) touch/click target.
→ Add `min-h-11 inline-flex items-center` to interactive controls.

Ready-to-Paste Agent Refactor Prompt (Neumorphism / Soft Dual Emboss × Dark Premium)

Refactor the following UI component to strictly adhere to the Trova Neumorphism / Soft Dual Emboss × Dark Premium design system (Score: 0/100 · AI Slop Detected).

### Required Aesthetic Corrections
1. [Structural Geometry] Detected oversized border-radius (`rounded-xl`/`2xl`/`3xl` or >=12px radius) that softens structural grid cells into generic SaaS bubbles.
   → Fix: Replace rounded card wrappers with `rounded-none` (`0px`) and exposed `1px solid` hairline borders aligned to Neumorphism / Soft Dual Emboss. (Trova ref: 188-braun-et66-calculator-study-convex-domed-polymer-keys-recessed-lcd-well)
2. [Surface Elevation] Detected heavy drop-shadow (`shadow-lg`/`xl`/`2xl` or blurred `box-shadow`) simulating floating cards instead of tonal surface steps.
   → Fix: Remove drop shadows (`shadow-none`) and separate elevation through `--surface-ground` vs. `--surface-elevated` plus `1px` borders. (Trova ref: 188-braun-et66-calculator-study-convex-domed-polymer-keys-recessed-lcd-well)
3. [Chromatic Polarity] Detected generic AI-slop indigo/purple/pink gradient classes unrelated to the family's captured chromatography.
   → Fix: Strip synthetic gradients and bind surfaces to Neumorphism / Soft Dual Emboss verified tokens (`#1f2328` on `#f4f4f0` (14.3:1)). (Trova ref: 187-teenage-engineering-op-1-field-extruded-aluminum-soft-shadow-rotary-dials)
4. [Typographic Hierarchy] Detected sub-13px micro-copy (`text-xs` or `10px–12px`), which degrades legibility and breaks archival hierarchy.
   → Fix: Raise small metadata to `text-[0.8125rem]` (13px) and differentiate with `font-mono uppercase tracking-[0.12em]`. (Trova ref: 189-devialet-controller-study-matte-ceramic-volume-wheel-dual-light-well)
5. [Numeric Discipline] Detected numeric figures, prices, or metrics without `tabular-nums` (`font-variant-numeric: tabular-nums`).
   → Fix: Add `tabular-nums` (or `.tnum`) so numerals align vertically across rows and live updates. (Trova ref: 189-devialet-controller-study-matte-ceramic-volume-wheel-dual-light-well)
6. [Interactive Ergonomics] Interactive element (`<button>`, `<a>`, `<select>`) lacks an explicit >=44px (`min-h-11`) touch/click target.
   → Fix: Add `min-h-11 inline-flex items-center` to interactive controls. (Trova ref: 188-braun-et66-calculator-study-convex-domed-polymer-keys-recessed-lcd-well)

### Target CSS Custom Properties
/* Synthesized from Trova family: Neumorphism / Soft Dual Emboss (neumorphism-soft-emboss) */
/* Evidence base: 3 curated reference(s) · Primary contrast 14.3:1 */
:root {
  /* Surface & Polarity (Daylight-paper dominant) */
  --surface-ground: #f4f4f0;
  --surface-elevated: #4b3621;
  --text-primary: #1f2328;
  --accent-primary: #181818;
  --border-hairline: color-mix(in srgb, #1f2328 16%, transparent);

  /* Typography (Loadable open-source stack mapped from observed specimens) */
  --font-display: "IBM Plex Mono", system-ui, sans-serif;
  --font-body: "Archivo", system-ui, sans-serif;
  --font-mono: "IBM Plex Mono", ui-monospace, monospace;

  /* Structural Geometry */
  --radius-surface: 0px;
  --measure-body: 62ch;
}

### Component Code to Refactor
```tsx
<div className="rounded-3xl shadow-2xl bg-gradient-to-br from-indigo-500 via-purple-500 to-pink-500 p-6">
  <span className="text-[10px] uppercase text-white/70">Pro Plan</span>
  <h3 className="text-2xl font-bold text-white">$49/mo</h3>
  <p className="text-xs text-white/80">99.98% uptime across 12,450 nodes</p>
  <button className="rounded-full bg-white px-3 py-1 text-xs text-indigo-600">
    Upgrade Now
  </button>
</div>
```

05 · Category Benchmark · Design Reference Landscape

How Trova compares to other design reference platforms

Visual galleries (Godly, SiteInspire, Refero), product screen trees (Mobbin, Page Flows), typographic archives (Fonts In Use), and associative graphs (Are.na) each solve one slice of research. Trova is built around the missing link between seeing a reference and shipping an interface: named, testable steal-notes (447 notes across 201 references and 12 multi-step flows), verified open-source font stand-ins, measured WCAG contrast pairs, and a 6-tool MCP server for AI coding agents.

Platform	Unit of Curation	Why-It-Works Notes	Multi-Step Flows	Type & Contrast Verification	Agent MCP & Plain-Text Export
TrovaAnnotated Design Library & Agent MCP	Named steal-note (201 references, 447 concrete mechanism notes across 40 populated families in a 1,000-family taxonomy)	Mandatory: every reference carries 1–3 typed steal-notes (typography, grid/layout, color, motion, component pattern, texture, copywriting)	12 step-ordered public product flows (Stripe, Linear, Raycast, Vercel, Cal.com, Plausible, Excalidraw, Squoosh, Stripe Press, iOS Dynamic Island, PostHog OS, SSENSE)	Observed typefaces + free Google Font stand-ins (`fontStandIns`) + live WCAG contrast pairs (`readablePalettePairs`)	Native 6-tool MCP server (`trova-mcp` stdio + `/api/mcp` HTTP) with surface-ranked briefsExport: `Trovafile.md`, per-family `DESIGN.md` sheets, dual-family synthesis briefs, `.cursorrules` / `CLAUDE.md`, Tailwind v4 `@theme`, and CSS `:root` tokens
MobbinMobile & Web Product Screen Archive	Authenticated mobile & web app screenshot trees	None — tags and screen categories without explanatory prose	Deep authenticated onboarding, checkout & settings trees	Visual inspection only; no extracted contrast pairs or font fallback mapping	None (Figma plugin & web search only)Export: None (image/Figma copy only)
Godly.websiteMotion-First Web Design Gallery	Short looping viewport video capture of marketing sites	None — visual browsing and tag pills only	Single marketing page scroll captures only	Lists font names and framework tags; no contrast or open-source stand-ins	NoneExport: None
SiteInspireEditorial Web Design Directory	Desktop landing page screenshot indexed by style/subject	None — taxonomy tags without mechanism notes	Single-screen index only	Subject/style tags only; no font or hex extraction	NoneExport: None
Refero.designWeb Page & UI Component Search	Full-page web screenshots and isolated UI section crops	None — visual search and bookmarking	Page collections by product, minimal step annotation	Color filter search; no computed WCAG readable pairs	NoneExport: None
Fonts In UseArchival Typographic Specimen Index	Print, identity, and web artifacts indexed by typeface family	Contributor commentary on historical & typographic context	Not applicable (static artifacts & specimens)	Gold-standard typeface identification; no web CSS tokens or color contrast pairs	NoneExport: None
Page FlowsRecorded User Flow Video Library	Screen-recorded walkthrough videos with step markers	Timestamped step labels without typographic/CSS analysis	High (video recordings of SaaS onboarding, upgrade, and churn flows)	None	NoneExport: None
Are.na / CosmosAssociative Cultural Research Graph	User-curated blocks connected across open-ended channels	Optional user block descriptions; unstructured	None	None	Public REST API (Are.na); no design-brief MCPExport: Channel JSON/Markdown export
Curated.designCraft-Focused Web Inspiration Catalog	Full-bleed landing page captures with category pills	None — visual bookmarking only	Single-page marketing captures only	Category tags only; no font or WCAG extraction	NoneExport: None
Lapa Ninja / Land-bookFull-Height SaaS Landing Page Directory	Full-height vertical desktop landing page screenshots	None	Single landing page only	Coarse color filter buckets only	NoneExport: None