# Soft minimal — style recipe

## The idea
- Calm and airy: lots of space, soft neutral colours, gentle rounded corners and one quiet accent.

## Use it when
- Wellness, lifestyle and calm products
- Apps that want to feel simple
- Brands that want to feel gentle and modern

## Avoid it when
- The brand needs energy or loudness
- Pages must show a lot of information at once

## Principles
- Generous white space around everything
- Off-white and soft grey surfaces instead of pure white
- Gentle radius on cards and buttons
- One muted accent colour, used for actions only
- Medium-weight sans type, never heavy
- Few elements per screen; one message at a time

## Colour
- Mist (background): #f7f7f5
- White (surface): #ffffff
- Soft black (text): #2b2b2b
- Stone (muted): #5f5f5f
- Sage (accent): #4e7166
- Haze (border): #e4e4e0
- Text on background contrast: 13.20:1 — passes AA

## Type
- Headings: Manrope, weights 600 — Medium-bold, generous tracking at small sizes
- Body: Manrope, weights 400 — Light grey-black, roomy line height
- Scale: 14px, 16px, 18px, 24px, 36px, 52px
- One friendly geometric sans; small steps between sizes.

## Spacing and shape
- Base unit: 8px
- Spacing steps: 8px, 16px, 32px, 64px, 128px
- Big, consistent gaps; sections breathe.
- Corner radii: 12px, 20px
- Borders: 1 px haze borders or none
- Shadows: Very soft and wide, low opacity

## Imagery and motion
- Imagery: Soft photography or simple abstract shapes in muted tones.
- Motion: Slow, eased fades and gentle rises.

## Do
- Leave more space than feels necessary
- Use the accent only for the main action
- Keep each section to one idea

## Don't
- No heavy black type
- No sharp corners next to round ones
- No more than one accent