ClickHouse

Overview

ClickHouse's marketing surface is the highest-contrast interface in the database / data-platform category. The base atmosphere is **near-pure black canvas** (`{colors.canvas}` — #0a0a0a) with **electric yellow** (`{colors.primary}` — #faff69) as the singular brand voltage. The yellow handles every primary CTA, every stat-callout number, every "GET STARTED" badge — used scarcely on individual elements but generously on full-bleed yellow CTA cards. White typography in confident weight-700 sans-serif anchors the editorial body.

The yellow + black pairing is what makes ClickHouse instantly recognizable. Where Snowflake uses cool blue gradients and Databricks uses red + slate, ClickHouse leans hard into one electric yellow that does all the brand work. Code blocks, terminal output, and product UI fragments embed directly in dark `{colors.surface-card}` (#1a1a1a) cards across every page.

Type voice runs **Inter** at confident weights — 700 for display headlines (with negative letter-spacing -1 to -2.5px), 600 for sub-titles and buttons, 400 for body. The system has no display-serif counter-voice; everything is one geometric humanist sans, scaled and weighted for hierarchy.

**Key Characteristics:**

• Near-pure black canvas (`{colors.canvas}` — #0a0a0a) with white type. The system has no light-mode marketing surface.
• Electric yellow primary (`{colors.primary}` — #faff69). Used on primary CTAs, large stat-callout numbers ("2.8k+", "74k+"), and full-bleed yellow CTA bands.
• Inter at weight 700 for display, weight 600 for sub-titles + buttons, weight 400 for body. No serif counterpoint.
• Dark surface cards (`{colors.surface-card}` — #1a1a1a) for feature cards, code windows, and product mockups. Cards barely lighter than canvas — color-block contrast is subtle.
• Code blocks render in JetBrains Mono inside `{colors.surface-card}`. SQL syntax-highlighted in muted blues / yellows / grays.
• Stat numbers in yellow + sans-700 + huge size carry the credibility moment ("779+", "2.8k+", "47k+" community / contributor / star counts).
• Border radius is hierarchical: `{rounded.md}` (8px) for buttons, `{rounded.lg}` (12px) for content cards. No pill except in tag badges.
• Section rhythm `{spacing.section}` (96px) between major editorial bands.

Colors

Brand & Accent

• **Primary (Electric Yellow)** (`{colors.primary}` — #faff69): The signature brand color. All primary CTA backgrounds, large stat-callout numbers, full-bleed yellow CTA cards. The yellow is the brand.
• **Primary Active** (`{colors.primary-active}` — #e6eb52): Press / hover-darker variant.
• **Primary Disabled** (`{colors.primary-disabled}` — #3a3a1f): Desaturated dark-yellow on dark canvas.

Surface

• **Canvas** (`{colors.canvas}` — #0a0a0a): The default page floor. Near-pure black.
• **Surface Soft** (`{colors.surface-soft}` — #121212): Section dividers, very-soft band tints.
• **Surface Card** (`{colors.surface-card}` — #1a1a1a): Feature cards, code windows, product mockups, pricing tier cards.
• **Surface Elevated** (`{colors.surface-elevated}` — #242424): Nested cards inside larger dark cards.
• **Surface Yellow Band** (`{colors.surface-yellow-band}` — #faff69): The yellow CTA card / band fill — same hex as primary.
• **Hairline** (`{colors.hairline}` — #2a2a2a): 1px borders on cards.
• **Hairline Strong** (`{colors.hairline-strong}` — #3a3a3a): Heavier divider on input underlines and emphasis.

Text

• **Ink / On Dark** (`{colors.on-dark}` — #ffffff): All headline and primary text.
• **Body** (`{colors.body}` — #cccccc): Default running-text color.
• **Body Strong** (`{colors.body-strong}` — #e6e6e6): Emphasized paragraphs.
• **Muted** (`{colors.muted}` — #888888): Footer links, captions, breadcrumbs.
• **Muted Soft** (`{colors.muted-soft}` — #5a5a5a): Tertiary text — fine print.
• **On Primary / On Yellow** (`{colors.on-primary}` / `{colors.on-yellow}` — #0a0a0a): Black text on yellow CTAs and yellow CTA bands. The high-contrast yellow + black combo is the brand action signal.

Semantic / Accent

• **Accent Emerald** (`{colors.accent-emerald}` — #22c55e): Success states, "active" status indicators in product UI.
• **Accent Rose** (`{colors.accent-rose}` — #ef4444): Error states, "down" indicators.
• **Accent Blue** (`{colors.accent-blue}` — #3b82f6): Info states, code-syntax highlighting.

Typography

Font Family

The system runs **Inter** for everything — display, body, navigation, buttons, captions. **JetBrains Mono** handles code blocks. The fallback stack walks `-apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, sans-serif`.

The single-family approach is deliberate: Inter at weight 700 + 600 + 400 covers the entire hierarchy without needing a serif or display counter-voice. The geometric humanist character of Inter at confident bold weight gives ClickHouse a precise, engineered feel that matches the database's performance-first positioning.

Hierarchy

| Token | Size | Weight | Line Height | Letter Spacing | Use |

|---|---|---|---|---|---|

| `{typography.display-xl}` | 72px | 700 | 1.05 | -2.5px | Homepage h1 ("The leading database for AI") |

| `{typography.display-lg}` | 56px | 700 | 1.1 | -2px | Section heads |

| `{typography.display-md}` | 40px | 700 | 1.15 | -1.5px | Sub-section heads, CTA-band heads |

| `{typography.display-sm}` | 32px | 700 | 1.2 | -1px | Card titles, pricing tier prices |

| `{typography.title-lg}` | 24px | 700 | 1.3 | -0.3px | Pricing plan names, larger feature titles |

| `{typography.title-md}` | 18px | 600 | 1.4 | 0 | Card titles, intro paragraphs |

| `{typography.title-sm}` | 16px | 600 | 1.4 | 0 | Small card titles, list labels |

| `{typography.stat-display}` | 56px | 700 | 1.0 | -1.5px | Stat callouts ("779+", "47k+") — ALWAYS yellow |

| `{typography.body-md}` | 16px | 400 | 1.55 | 0 | Default running-text |

| `{typography.body-sm}` | 14px | 400 | 1.55 | 0 | Footer body, fine-print |

| `{typography.caption}` | 13px | 500 | 1.4 | 0 | Badge labels, captions |

| `{typography.caption-uppercase}` | 12px | 600 | 1.4 | 1.5px | Section labels, "NEW" badges |

| `{typography.code}` | 14px | 400 | 1.55 | 0 | Code blocks — JetBrains Mono |

| `{typography.button}` | 14px | 600 | 1.0 | 0 | Standard button labels |

| `{typography.nav-link}` | 14px | 500 | 1.4 | 0 | Top-nav menu items |

Principles

Display weights stay at 700 across all sizes. Negative letter-spacing (-1 to -2.5px) is essential — Inter at weight 700 without negative tracking reads as too wide / Apple-marketing. The tightened tracking gives ClickHouse the precise, engineered feel.

Body and labels stay at weights 400 / 500 / 600. The hierarchy is built on size + weight, not on family contrast.

Note on Font Substitutes

Inter is open-source and the documented choice. **Söhne** is a close commercial alternative if licensed. **Geist** is another modern alternative.

Layout

Spacing System

• **Base unit:** 4px.
• **Tokens:** `{spacing.xxs}` 4px · `{spacing.xs}` 8px · `{spacing.sm}` 12px · `{spacing.md}` 16px · `{spacing.lg}` 24px · `{spacing.xl}` 32px · `{spacing.xxl}` 48px · `{spacing.section}` 96px.
• **Section padding:** `{spacing.section}` (96px) between major bands.
• **Card internal padding:** `{spacing.xl}` (32px) for feature cards, pricing tiers; `{spacing.lg}` (24px) for code-window cards and event cards.

Grid & Container

• **Max content width:** ~1280px centered.
• **Editorial body:** Single 12-column grid; hero often uses 7/5 split (h1 left, code mockup right).
• **Feature card grids:** 3-up at desktop, 2-up at tablet, 1-up at mobile.
• **Pricing grid:** 3-4 up at desktop, 1-up at mobile.

Whitespace Philosophy

ClickHouse uses dense, slightly-compressed whitespace appropriate for a developer-tooling brand — generous enough to read editorially, tight enough to feel "engineering-grade" rather than "marketing-soft." Section rhythm at 96px is standard; card internal padding stays at 32px for feature cards.

Elevation & Depth

| Level | Treatment | Use |

|---|---|---|

| Flat | No shadow, no border | Body sections, top nav, hero |

| Soft hairline | 1px `{colors.hairline}` border | Code-window cards, content cards |

| Surface card | `{colors.surface-card}` background — no shadow | Feature cards, pricing tiers, event cards |

| Yellow band | `{colors.primary}` background — no shadow | Full-bleed yellow CTA cards / bands |

The system uses no drop shadows. Depth comes from the contrast between black canvas and `{colors.surface-card}` (a barely-lighter-than-canvas tone) — the contrast is subtle, more like an "engineering-grade dim panel" than an "elevated card."

Decorative Depth

• Code-window cards carry their own internal product chrome — line numbers, syntax highlighting, status bars at the bottom — adding visual density without external shadows.
• The yellow-on-black contrast does most of the elevation work for CTAs.

Shapes

Border Radius Scale

| Token | Value | Use |

|---|---|---|

| `{rounded.xs}` | 4px | Reserved for badge accents |

| `{rounded.sm}` | 6px | Small inline buttons |

| `{rounded.md}` | 8px | Standard CTA buttons, text inputs |

| `{rounded.lg}` | 12px | Content cards, code-window cards, pricing tiers |

| `{rounded.pill}` | 9999px | Badge pills |

| `{rounded.full}` | 9999px / 50% | Avatars, icon buttons |

Components

Top Navigation

**`top-nav`** — Black nav bar pinned to top. 64px tall, `{colors.canvas}` background. Carries the ClickHouse logo + wordmark at left, primary horizontal menu (Product, Use Cases, Pricing, Resources, Customers) center-left, right-side cluster with "Sign in" + "Get Started" `{component.button-primary}` (yellow). Menu items in `{typography.nav-link}` (Inter 14px / 500).

Buttons

**`button-primary`** — The signature yellow CTA. Background `{colors.primary}` (#faff69), text `{colors.on-primary}` (black), type `{typography.button}` (Inter 14px / 600), padding 12px × 20px, height 40px, rounded `{rounded.md}` (8px). The yellow + black combination is iconic.

**`button-secondary`** — Dark surface card button. Background `{colors.surface-card}`, text `{colors.on-dark}`, same shape as primary.

**`button-text-link`** — Inline text button, no background. Used for "Sign in" and inline link CTAs.

**`text-link`** — Inline body links in `{colors.primary}` (yellow on dark). Underlined.

**`button-icon-circular`** — 36 × 36 circular icon button on dark.

Cards & Containers

**`hero-band`** — Black-canvas hero with 7-5 grid: h1 + sub-headline + button row on the left, code-window or product mockup on the right. Vertical padding `{spacing.section}` (96px).

**`hero-stat-card`** — Yellow stat-display numbers ("779+", "47k+") inline on the canvas. No card surface — just yellow text in `{typography.stat-display}` (56px / 700).

**`feature-card-yellow`** — Full-bleed yellow card ("Built for every modern data challenge"). Background `{colors.primary}`, text `{colors.on-yellow}` (black), rounded `{rounded.lg}` (12px), padding `{spacing.xl}` (32px). The yellow card IS the visual emphasis.

**`feature-card-dark`** — Standard dark feature card. Background `{colors.surface-card}`, text `{colors.on-dark}`, rounded `{rounded.lg}`, padding `{spacing.xl}` (32px).

**`code-window-card`** — Dark card showing a SQL code block. Background `{colors.surface-card}`, code in JetBrains Mono with syntax highlighting, rounded `{rounded.lg}`, padding `{spacing.lg}` (24px). Often the hero's right-side artifact on developer-focused pages.

**`product-mockup-card`** — Card showing actual ClickHouse product UI (query editor, dashboard, monitoring panel). Same shape as `{component.feature-card-dark}` but with embedded product chrome inside.

**`pricing-tier-card`** — Standard tier card. Background `{colors.surface-card}`, rounded `{rounded.lg}`, padding `{spacing.xl}` (32px).

**`pricing-tier-card-featured`** — The featured tier flips to `{colors.primary}` (yellow). The yellow surface IS the featured signal.

**`stat-callout`** — Inline yellow stat numbers ("779+", "2.8k+", "47k+"). Transparent background, text `{colors.primary}`, type `{typography.stat-display}`. Used as a flat layout block, not a card with surface.

**`events-card`** — Used on /company/events. Dark card with event title, date in `{typography.caption-uppercase}`, location, and a "Register" CTA. Rounded `{rounded.lg}`, padding `{spacing.lg}`.

**`customer-logo-strip`** — Horizontal monochrome customer-logo strip. Background `{colors.canvas}`, logos in `{colors.muted}`, vertical padding `{spacing.xl}` (32px).

Inputs & Forms

**`text-input`** — Dark text input. Background `{colors.surface-card}`, text `{colors.on-dark}`, rounded `{rounded.md}` (8px), padding 10px × 14px, height 40px.

**`text-input-focused`** — Border thickens to `{colors.primary}` (yellow) for emphasis.

Tags / Badges

**`badge-pill`** — Small dark pill label. Background `{colors.surface-card}`, text `{colors.on-dark}`, type `{typography.caption}`, rounded `{rounded.pill}`.

**`badge-yellow`** — Yellow pill for "NEW", "GET STARTED" emphasis. Background `{colors.primary}`, text `{colors.on-primary}`, type `{typography.caption-uppercase}`, rounded `{rounded.pill}`.

Tab / Filter

**`category-tab`** + **`category-tab-active`** — Dark tab navigation. Inactive: transparent + muted text. Active: surface-card background + on-dark text. Padding 8px × 14px, rounded `{rounded.md}`.

CTA / Footer

**`cta-band-yellow`** — A pre-footer "Deploy your way" CTA band. Full yellow fill, black type, rounded `{rounded.lg}`, padding 64px. Carries an h2 in `{typography.display-md}` and a CTA — usually a black-button on the yellow surface.

**`footer`** — Black footer that closes every page. Background `{colors.canvas}`, text `{colors.muted}`. 4-column link list at desktop covering Product / Use Cases / Resources / Company. Vertical padding 64px. The ClickHouse wordmark sits at the top in `{colors.on-dark}`.

Do's and Don'ts

Do

• Anchor every page on the black canvas. The yellow + black pairing is the brand voltage.
• Reserve `{colors.primary}` (yellow) for primary CTAs, stat-callout numbers, and full-bleed yellow CTA bands. The yellow's scarcity at the element level + abundance at the band level is what makes it powerful.
• Use Inter at weight 700 for every display headline, with -1 to -2.5px letter-spacing.
• Show actual SQL code blocks inside `{component.code-window-card}` — ClickHouse is a database; show the query, don't paint marketing illustrations of queries.
• Use `{component.stat-callout}` numbers to establish credibility (community size, contributors, performance benchmarks). The yellow stat numbers are signature.
• Anchor every band with `{spacing.section}` (96px) vertical rhythm.

Don't

• Don't introduce a second brand color. ClickHouse is monochromatic + yellow.
• Don't bold display weight beyond 700 or use weight 500 for headlines. The hierarchy depends on size, not on weight gradation.
• Don't use yellow for body text or large surface fills outside of intentional yellow cards.
• Don't use rounded buttons / pills outside of small badges. The standard button radius is 8px (md).
• Don't repeat the same surface mode in two consecutive bands. Black canvas → dark feature card → yellow CTA card → black canvas → code-window card.
• Don't replace SQL code mockups with abstract illustrations. The code IS the marketing voltage.
• Don't add hover state styling beyond what the system already encodes.

Responsive Behavior

Breakpoints

| Name | Width | Key Changes |

|---|---|---|

| Mobile | < 768px | Hamburger nav; hero h1 72→36px; code-window-card stacks below; feature grids 1-up; pricing 1-up |

| Tablet | 768–1024px | Top nav tightens; feature cards 2-up; pricing 2-up |

| Desktop | 1024–1440px | Full top-nav; 3-up feature cards; 3-4 up pricing tiers |

| Wide | > 1440px | Same as desktop with more breathing room; max content 1280px |

Touch Targets

• `{component.button-primary}` at minimum 40 × 40px.
• `{component.button-icon-circular}` at exactly 36 × 36 — slightly under WCAG 44, visually centered.
• `{component.text-input}` height is 40px.

Collapsing Strategy

• Top nav collapses to hamburger at < 768px.
• Hero 7-5 grid → single-column on mobile.
• Feature card grids reduce columns rather than scaling.
• Code-window cards retain font-size; horizontal scroll inside the card on mobile.
• Pricing tier cards collapse 4 → 2 → 1; featured tier yellow stays distinct.

Image Behavior

• Code blocks inside dark mockups stay at fixed font-size; horizontal scroll on mobile rather than wrapping.
• Customer logos in monochrome strip retain native widths; row wraps on mobile.

Iteration Guide

1. Focus on ONE component at a time. Reference its YAML key (`{component.code-window-card}`, `{component.pricing-tier-card-featured}`).

2. Variants of an existing component (`-active`, `-disabled`, `-focused`) live as separate entries.

3. Use `{token.refs}` everywhere — never inline hex.

4. Never document hover. Default and Active/Pressed states only.

5. Display headlines stay Inter 700 with negative letter-spacing. Body stays Inter 400.

6. The yellow + black pairing is the brand contract. Don't soften with secondary accents.

7. When in doubt about emphasis: bigger Inter 700 before adding color.

Known Gaps

• The exact yellow hex (#faff69) was sampled from the screenshot; ClickHouse may publish an official brand color slightly differently.
• Inter weight axis values beyond 400 / 500 / 600 / 700 are not formalized — only the static weights observed are documented.
• Animation and transition timings (code typewriter effects, stat counter animations) are not in scope.
• Form validation states beyond `{component.text-input-focused}` are not extracted.
• The actual ClickHouse Cloud product surface (query console, monitoring dashboards, table browser) shares some tokens with the marketing site but adds many product-specific components that are out of scope.
• The customer logo strip's exact opacity / treatment varies — the muted gray is approximate.