Scandinavian Minimalism

STYLEKIT_STYLE_REFERENCE
style_name: Scandinavian Minimalism
style_slug: scandinavian
style_source: /styles/scandinavian

# Hard Prompt

## When To Use
Use this when you want AI to generate code with strict style consistency. It is the safest default for production UI.

## How To Use
- Copy the full prompt into ChatGPT, Claude, Cursor, or another coding assistant.
- Append the concrete product/page requirement after the prompt.
- After generation, check the forbidden rules and interaction states before accepting the output.

Strictly follow the style rules below and maintain consistency. No style drift allowed.

## Requirements

- Prioritize style consistency first, then creative extension.
- When conflicts arise, treat prohibitions as the highest priority.
- Self-check before output: verify colors, typography, spacing, and interactions still match this style.

## Style Rules

You are designing in Scandinavian Minimalism style.
- Use warm neutral tones: birch white #f5f0eb, charcoal #3d3d3d, wool gray #d4cdc5
- Accent with natural colors: pine green #5a7a6b, fjord blue #7ba0b8
- Font weights: extralight and light only
- Generous whitespace and breathing room
- Subtle borders and transitions
- No bright colors, no heavy shadows
- Lowercase text for a calm, approachable feel

Animation & Interaction Rules:
- Warm Texture: Animations should convey natural material touch, prioritizing brightness/color temperature adjustments over bouncing and scaling.
- Morning Fog: Transitions should use duration-700 + ease-in-out, revealing slowly like morning mist dissipating.
- Silent Elevation: Hover hints should prioritize subtle border and background changes, keeping shadows extremely light or omitted.
- No Impact: Active state should only provide slight brightness feedback, with no noticeable deformation.

---

# Scandinavian Minimalism Design System

> Warm minimalist design rooted in Scandinavian tradition, emphasizing natural materials, generous whitespace, wood tones, and Hygge living aesthetics for a serene, cozy visual experience.

## Design Philosophy

Scandinavian Minimalism originates from the design traditions of Nordic countries such as Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Finland.

Core principles:
- Less is more: every element has a reason to exist
- Connection to nature: using tones of natural materials like wood and linen
- Hygge spirit: creating a warm, comfortable, and happy atmosphere
- Beauty in function: a perfect balance of utility and aesthetics
- Worship of light: generous whitespace simulates Nordic natural light

---

## Token Dictionary (exact class mapping)

### Border
```
Width: border
Color: border-[#d4cdc5]/40
Radius: rounded-sm
```

### Shadow
```
sm: shadow-sm
md: shadow-md
lg: shadow-lg
hover: hover:shadow-md
focus: focus:ring-2 focus:ring-[#5a7a6b]/30
```

### Interaction
```
Hover translate: (none)
Hover scale: (none)
Hover opacity: (none)
Transition: transition-colors duration-500
Active: active:scale-[0.98]
```

### Typefaces
```
Heading: font-light tracking-wide
Body: font-light
Mono: font-mono font-light
```

### Type scale
```
Hero: text-3xl md:text-5xl lg:text-7xl
H1: text-2xl md:text-4xl
H2: text-xl md:text-3xl
H3: text-lg md:text-xl
Body: text-sm md:text-base
Small: text-xs
```

### Spacing
```
Section: py-20 md:py-28 lg:py-36
Container: px-6 md:px-12 lg:px-20
Card: p-6 md:p-8
Gap sm: gap-4
Gap md: gap-8
Gap lg: gap-12
```

### Color roles
```
Background primary: bg-[#f5f0eb]
Background secondary: bg-white/60
Background accent: bg-[#5a7a6b]/10, bg-[#7ba0b8]/10, bg-[#c9a88c]/10
Text primary: text-[#3d3d3d]
Text secondary: text-[#a89279]
Text muted: text-[#d4cdc5]
Button primary: bg-[#3d3d3d] text-[#f5f0eb]
Button secondary: bg-transparent border border-[#d4cdc5] text-[#3d3d3d]
```

---

## [FORBIDDEN]

These classes are banned in this style. Check for them before returning code:

### Banned classes
- `bg-black`
- `bg-gray-900`
- `bg-slate-900`
- `font-black`
- `font-extrabold`
- `font-bold`
- `border-4`
- `border-[3px]`
- `border-[4px]`
- `shadow-[4px_4px`
- `shadow-[8px_8px`
- `rounded-none`
- `rounded-3xl`
- `rounded-full`
- `text-5xl`
- `text-6xl`
- `text-7xl`
- `text-8xl`

### Banned patterns
- matches `^bg-(?:black|gray-9|slate-9)`
- matches `^font-(?:black|extrabold|bold)$`
- matches `^border-(?:[3-9]|\d{2})`
- matches `^shadow-\[\d+px_\d+px_0`

### Why they are banned
- `bg-black`: Scandinavian style uses warm neutral backgrounds, not pure black
- `font-black`: Only light and extralight font weights allowed for calm aesthetic
- `border-4`: Borders must be subtle and thin
- `rounded-none`: Use rounded-sm for gentle softness

> WARNING: if your code contains any of the above, replace it before shipping.

---

## [REQUIRED]

### Every button must include
```
transition-colors
duration-300
```

### Every card must include
```
rounded-sm
transition-colors
```

### Every input must include
```
bg-transparent
focus:outline-none
```

---

## [COMPARE] Scandinavian Minimalism wrong vs right

The wrong examples below stand for generic library defaults that were never adapted to this style. Do not read them as visual suggestions.

### Button

[WRONG] **Wrong** (generic component library default, do not copy):
```html
<button class="{GENERIC_LIBRARY_BUTTON_DEFAULT}">
  Click me
</button>
```

[CORRECT] **Right** (uses this style's tokens):
```html
<button class="transition-colors duration-300 bg-[#3d3d3d] text-[#f5f0eb]">
  Click me
</button>
```

### Card

[WRONG] **Wrong** (generic card, not adapted to this style):
```html
<div class="{GENERIC_LIBRARY_CARD_DEFAULT}">
  <h3>{TITLE}</h3>
</div>
```

[CORRECT] **Right** (uses this style's card tokens):
```html
<div class="rounded-sm transition-colors p-6 md:p-8">
  <h3 class="font-light tracking-wide text-lg md:text-xl">{TITLE}</h3>
</div>
```

### Input

[WRONG] **Wrong** (generic input, not adapted to this style):
```html
<input class="{GENERIC_LIBRARY_INPUT_DEFAULT}" />
```

[CORRECT] **Right** (uses this style's input tokens):
```html
<input class="bg-transparent focus:outline-none" placeholder="{PLACEHOLDER}" />
```

---

## [TEMPLATES] Scandinavian Minimalism page skeletons

These skeletons use this style's tokens only. Replace `{PLACEHOLDER}` values, but keep every token in place:

### Navigation
```html
<nav class="bg-[#f5f0eb] text-[#3d3d3d] border border-[#d4cdc5]/40 px-6 md:px-12 lg:px-20">
  <div class="flex items-center justify-between max-w-6xl mx-auto gap-8">
    <a href="/" class="font-light tracking-wide text-lg md:text-xl">
      {LOGO_TEXT}
    </a>
    <div class="flex gap-8 font-light text-xs">
      {NAV_LINKS}
    </div>
  </div>
</nav>
```

### Hero section
```html
<section class="bg-[#5a7a6b]/10 text-[#3d3d3d] py-20 md:py-28 lg:py-36 px-6 md:px-12 lg:px-20">
  <div class="max-w-4xl mx-auto">
    <h1 class="font-light tracking-wide text-3xl md:text-5xl lg:text-7xl">
      {HEADLINE}
    </h1>
    <p class="font-light text-sm md:text-base max-w-xl">
      {SUBHEADLINE}
    </p>
    <button class="transition-colors duration-300 bg-[#3d3d3d] text-[#f5f0eb]">
      {CTA_TEXT}
    </button>
  </div>
</section>
```

### Card grid
```html
<section class="bg-[#f5f0eb] text-[#3d3d3d] py-20 md:py-28 lg:py-36 px-6 md:px-12 lg:px-20">
  <div class="max-w-6xl mx-auto">
    <h2 class="font-light tracking-wide text-xl md:text-3xl">{SECTION_TITLE}</h2>
    <div class="grid grid-cols-1 md:grid-cols-2 lg:grid-cols-3 gap-8">
      <!-- Card template - repeat for each card -->
      <div class="rounded-sm transition-colors p-6 md:p-8">
        <h3 class="font-light tracking-wide text-lg md:text-xl">{CARD_TITLE}</h3>
        <p class="font-light text-sm md:text-base text-[#d4cdc5]">{CARD_DESCRIPTION}</p>
      </div>
    </div>
  </div>
</section>
```

### Form input
```html
<input class="bg-transparent focus:outline-none" placeholder="{PLACEHOLDER}" />
```

### Footer
```html
<footer class="bg-white/60 text-[#a89279] py-20 md:py-28 lg:py-36 px-6 md:px-12 lg:px-20">
  <div class="max-w-6xl mx-auto">
    <div class="grid grid-cols-1 md:grid-cols-3 gap-12">
      <div>
        <span class="font-light tracking-wide text-lg md:text-xl">{LOGO_TEXT}</span>
        <p class="font-light text-xs">{TAGLINE}</p>
      </div>
      <div>
        <h4 class="font-light tracking-wide text-lg md:text-xl">{COLUMN_TITLE}</h4>
        <ul class="font-light text-xs">
          {FOOTER_LINKS}
        </ul>
      </div>
    </div>
  </div>
</footer>
```

---

## [CHECKLIST] Scandinavian Minimalism post-generation self check

**Before returning code, verify every token and rule below. Fix any violation before delivering:**

### Token check
- [ ] Button includes: `transition-colors duration-300`
- [ ] Card includes: `rounded-sm transition-colors`
- [ ] Input includes: `bg-transparent focus:outline-none`

### Forbidden check
- [ ] Not using `bg-black`
- [ ] Not using `bg-gray-900`
- [ ] Not using `bg-slate-900`
- [ ] Not using `font-black`
- [ ] Not using `font-extrabold`
- [ ] Not using `font-bold`
- [ ] Not using `border-4`
- [ ] Not using `border-[3px]`

### Style rule check
- [ ] Use warm gray-white backgrounds bg-[#f5f0eb]
- [ ] Choose natural wood tone colors text-[#a89279]
- [ ] Create breathing room with generous whitespace py-28 px-6
- [ ] Use delicate font weights font-extralight font-light
- [ ] Minimal borders and dividers border-[#d4cdc5]/40

### Style drift check
- [ ] Does not violate: Do not use highly saturated vivid colors
- [ ] Does not violate: Do not use heavy borders and shadows
- [ ] Does not violate: Do not densely arrange elements -- maintain ample whitespace
- [ ] Does not violate: Do not use decorative fonts or oversized type
- [ ] Does not violate: Do not use bounce, spring, or fast scale animations

### Delivery check
- [ ] Responsive layout holds on phone, tablet and desktop with no horizontal overflow
- [ ] Every interactive element has a visible focus state, an accessible name and a reduced-motion path
- [ ] Text contrast meets WCAG AA and colour alone never carries state
- [ ] The result is still recognizable at a glance as Scandinavian Minimalism

## Absolute Bans (Match and Refuse)

If any of the following patterns appear, it is a style violation — rewrite without exception.

- use highly saturated vivid colors
- use heavy borders and shadows
- densely arrange elements -- maintain ample whitespace
- use decorative fonts or oversized type
- use bounce, spring, or fast scale animations
- use strong press feedback (active state allows only subtle brightness changes)

## Self-Check (Verify Before Shipping)

If any item fails, the style has drifted — fix before shipping.

- [ ] No purple-to-blue gradients
- [ ] No overused fonts (Inter, Roboto, Geist, Fraunces, Plus Jakarta Sans)
- [ ] No nested cards (cards inside cards)
- [ ] No gray text on colored backgrounds
- [ ] Body text contrast meets WCAG AA (>= 4.5:1)
- [ ] No bounce or elastic easing curves
- [ ] Animations have a prefers-reduced-motion fallback
- [ ] Body text line length capped at 65-75 characters
- [ ] No side-stripe accent borders (border-left/right > 1px)
- [ ] No gradient text (background-clip: text)
- [ ] No glassmorphism used as the default surface treatment
- [ ] No tiny uppercase tracked eyebrow labels above every section heading
- [ ] do not use highly saturated vivid colors
- [ ] do not use heavy borders and shadows
- [ ] do not densely arrange elements -- maintain ample whitespace
- [ ] do not use decorative fonts or oversized type
- [ ] do not use bounce, spring, or fast scale animations