ElevenLabs

Overview

ElevenLabs reads like a quietly editorial print magazine that happens to be a voice-AI product. The base canvas is off-white `{colors.canvas}` (#f5f5f5) holding warm near-black ink `{colors.ink}` (#0c0a09). The brand voltage is **photographic, not chromatic**: soft pastel atmospheric gradient orbs (mint, peach, lavender, sky, rose) drift through the page as the only "color" moments. There is no neon accent, no saturated CTA color, no dark-canvas dev-tools atmosphere.

Type pairs **Waldenburg Light** (custom serif at weight 300) for display with **Inter** for body, navigation, captions. The display weight at 300 is the editorial signature — never bold, never heavy.

CTAs are subtle: a near-black ink pill (`{component.button-primary}`) is the primary, a transparent outline (`{component.button-outline}`) is the secondary. The brand trusts atmospheric photography and modest type weights to carry brand work.

**Key Characteristics:**

• Off-white canvas, warm near-black ink. No saturated CTA color.
• Single primary action: ink pill at `{rounded.pill}`. Atmospheric gradients carry visual brand voltage.
• Display runs Waldenburg Light at weight 300 — editorial magazine voice.
• Body runs Inter at 400 with subtle letter-spacing (+0.15-0.18px).
• Pastel gradient orbs (5 tokens: mint, peach, lavender, sky, rose) used as atmospheric brand decoration only.
• Soft pill geometry (`{rounded.pill}` for CTAs, `{rounded.xl}` for cards).
• 96px section rhythm.

Colors

Brand & Accent

• **Ink Primary** (`{colors.primary}` — #292524): The primary action color — warm near-black pill. Used scarcely.
• **Ink Primary Active** (`{colors.primary-active}` — #0c0a09): Press state.

Surface

• **Canvas** (`{colors.canvas}` — #f5f5f5): Off-white page floor.
• **Canvas Soft** (`{colors.canvas-soft}` — #fafafa): Lighter band for subtle alternating sections.
• **Canvas Deep** (`{colors.canvas-deep}` — #0c0a09): Same as ink — used for the rare dark-mode hero (Agents page).
• **Surface Card** (`{colors.surface-card}` — #ffffff): Pure white card.
• **Surface Strong** (`{colors.surface-strong}` — #f0efed): Badges, voice-icon plates.
• **Surface Dark** (`{colors.surface-dark}` — #0c0a09): Dark hero/CTA band canvas.
• **Surface Dark Elevated** (`{colors.surface-dark-elevated}` — #1c1917): Cards on dark canvas.

Hairlines

• **Hairline** (`{colors.hairline}` — #e7e5e4): Default 1px divider.
• **Hairline Soft** (`{colors.hairline-soft}` — #f0efed): Lighter divider.
• **Hairline Strong** (`{colors.hairline-strong}` — #d6d3d1): Stronger panel outline.

Text

• **Ink** (`{colors.ink}` — #0c0a09): Display, primary text.
• **Body** (`{colors.body}` — #4e4e4e): Default running-text.
• **Body Strong** (`{colors.body-strong}` — #292524): Same as primary — emphasis.
• **Muted** (`{colors.muted}` — #777169): Sub-titles.
• **Muted Soft** (`{colors.muted-soft}` — #a8a29e): Disabled text.
• **On Primary** (`{colors.on-primary}` — #ffffff): White text on ink pill.
• **On Dark** (`{colors.on-dark}` — #ffffff): White text on dark hero.
• **On Dark Soft** (`{colors.on-dark-soft}` — #a8a29e): Muted off-white on dark.

Atmospheric Gradient Stops (signature)

• **Gradient Mint** (`{colors.gradient-mint}` — #a7e5d3): Mint green orb.
• **Gradient Peach** (`{colors.gradient-peach}` — #f4c5a8): Peach orb.
• **Gradient Lavender** (`{colors.gradient-lavender}` — #c8b8e0): Lavender orb.
• **Gradient Sky** (`{colors.gradient-sky}` — #a8c8e8): Sky-blue orb.
• **Gradient Rose** (`{colors.gradient-rose}` — #e8b8c4): Rose orb.

These appear ONLY as soft radial-gradient atmospheric orbs inside `{component.gradient-orb-card}` and as background atmospheric blooms behind hero copy. Never as button fills, never as text colors.

Semantic

• **Success** (`{colors.semantic-success}` — #16a34a): Confirmation.
• **Error** (`{colors.semantic-error}` — #dc2626): Validation errors.

Typography

Font Family

**Waldenburg Light** is the licensed display serif at weight 300. **Inter** carries body, navigation, captions, and buttons. Fallback: `'Times New Roman', serif` for Waldenburg, `sans-serif` for Inter.

Hierarchy

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

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

| `{typography.display-mega}` | 64px | 300 | 1.05 | -1.92px | Homepage hero h1 |

| `{typography.display-xl}` | 48px | 300 | 1.08 | -0.96px | Subsidiary heroes |

| `{typography.display-lg}` | 36px | 300 | 1.17 | -0.36px | Section heads |

| `{typography.display-md}` | 32px | 300 | 1.13 | -0.32px | Sub-section heads |

| `{typography.display-sm}` | 24px | 300 | 1.2 | 0 | Card group titles |

| `{typography.title-md}` | 20px | 500 | 1.35 | 0 | Component titles — Inter |

| `{typography.title-sm}` | 18px | 500 | 1.44 | 0.18px | List labels |

| `{typography.body-md}` | 16px | 400 | 1.5 | 0.16px | Default body — Inter |

| `{typography.body-strong}` | 16px | 500 | 1.5 | 0.16px | Emphasized body |

| `{typography.body-sm}` | 15px | 400 | 1.47 | 0.15px | Footer body |

| `{typography.caption}` | 14px | 400 | 1.5 | 0 | Photo captions |

| `{typography.caption-uppercase}` | 12px | 600 | 1.4 | 0.96px | Section labels, badges |

| `{typography.button}` | 15px | 500 | 1.0 | 0 | CTA pill |

| `{typography.nav-link}` | 15px | 500 | 1.4 | 0 | Top-nav menu |

Principles

• **Display weight stays at 300.** Waldenburg Light is the editorial signature. Never bold display copy.
• **Subtle letter-spacing on body.** Inter at +0.15-0.18px tracking — slightly looser than default Inter for a more editorial feel.
• **Negative letter-spacing on display.** Waldenburg pulls -0.32px to -1.92px tighter on display sizes.

Note on Font Substitutes

Waldenburg is licensed. Open-source substitute: **EB Garamond** at weight 300 (slightly more humanist) or **GT Sectra** (closer to Waldenburg's modernity). Use Inter directly for body — it's the same family ElevenLabs uses.

Layout

Spacing System

• **Base unit:** 4px.
• **Tokens:** `{spacing.xxs}` 4px · `{spacing.xs}` 8px · `{spacing.sm}` 12px · `{spacing.base}` 16px · `{spacing.md}` 20px · `{spacing.lg}` 24px · `{spacing.xl}` 32px · `{spacing.xxl}` 48px · `{spacing.section}` 96px.
• **Section padding:** 96px.

Grid & Container

• Max content width: ~1200px.
• Editorial body: 12-column grid.
• Feature card grids: 2-up at desktop for hero splits, 3-up for benefit grids.
• Footer: 5-column at desktop.

Whitespace Philosophy

Generous editorial pacing — print-magazine feel. 96px between bands; cards inside bands sit close (16-24px gap). The atmospheric gradient orbs occupy generous breathing space without competing with copy.

Elevation & Depth

The system uses **hairline + soft drop**. Cards float above the off-white canvas via 1px hairlines and a single subtle shadow tier. Atmospheric depth comes from gradient orbs.

| Level | Treatment | Use |

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

| Flat (canvas) | `{colors.canvas}` (#f5f5f5) | Body bands, footer |

| Card | `{colors.surface-card}` (#ffffff) | Content cards |

| Hairline border | 1px `{colors.hairline}` | Card outlines |

| Soft drop | `0 4px 16px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.04)` | Hovered cards (single shadow tier) |

| Gradient orb | Radial gradient with one of `{colors.gradient-*}` | Atmospheric depth — never a card surface |

Decorative Depth

• **Pastel gradient orbs** are the brand's strongest atmospheric pattern. Soft radial blooms in mint, peach, lavender, sky, or rose drift through hero bands and feature sections without containing any content — they are pure atmosphere.

Shapes

Border Radius Scale

| Token | Value | Use |

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

| `{rounded.none}` | 0px | Reserved |

| `{rounded.xs}` | 4px | Inline tags |

| `{rounded.sm}` | 6px | Compact rows |

| `{rounded.md}` | 8px | Form inputs |

| `{rounded.lg}` | 12px | Compact cards |

| `{rounded.xl}` | 16px | Feature cards, pricing tiers |

| `{rounded.xxl}` | 24px | Gradient orb cards (extra-soft) |

| `{rounded.pill}` | 9999px | All CTA buttons, badges |

| `{rounded.full}` | 9999px | Voice icon circles, avatars |

Components

Top Navigation

**`top-nav`** — Background `{colors.canvas}`, text `{colors.ink}`, height 64px. Layout: ElevenLabs wordmark left, primary horizontal menu (Creative / Agents / Video / Pricing / Enterprise / Docs), Sign In + "Try free" primary CTA right.

Buttons

**`button-primary`** — Near-black ink pill. Background `{colors.primary}`, text `{colors.on-primary}`, type `{typography.button}` (15px / 500), padding 10px × 20px, height 40px, rounded `{rounded.pill}`.

**`button-primary-active`** — Press state. Background `{colors.primary-active}`.

**`button-outline`** — Transparent pill with 1px ink border. Background transparent, text `{colors.ink}`, 1px `{colors.hairline-strong}` border.

**`button-tertiary-text`** — Inline ink text link.

Hero & Atmospheric

**`hero-band`** — Background `{colors.canvas}`, full-width display headline in `{typography.display-mega}` (64px / 300 / -1.92px), subhead in `{typography.body-md}`, two CTAs, and an atmospheric gradient orb behind the centered headline.

**`gradient-orb-card`** — A large card with a soft radial-gradient orb behind centered display copy. Background `{colors.canvas-soft}`, rounded `{rounded.xxl}` (24px), padding 32px. Each variant uses one of the five gradient tokens (`gradient-mint`, `gradient-peach`, `gradient-lavender`, `gradient-sky`, `gradient-rose`).

**`audio-waveform-card`** — A waveform visualization card. Background `{colors.surface-card}`, rounded `{rounded.xl}`, padding 24px. Holds a play button + waveform glyph + voice metadata.

Cards

**`feature-card`** — 2-up or 3-up grids. Background `{colors.surface-card}`, text `{colors.ink}`, rounded `{rounded.xl}`, padding 24px, 1px hairline border.

**`product-card-stack`** — Stacked product preview cards. Background `{colors.surface-card}`, rounded `{rounded.xl}`, no padding (children fill the card edge-to-edge).

**`testimonial-card`** — Quote card. Background `{colors.surface-card}`, text `{colors.body}`, rounded `{rounded.xl}`, padding 32px.

Voice Library

**`voice-row`** — Horizontal row in voice list. Background transparent, 1px hairline divider. Layout: 32px circular voice icon (`{component.voice-icon-circular}`) left, voice name + accent stack, optional preview button right.

**`voice-icon-circular`** — Background `{colors.surface-strong}`, rounded `{rounded.full}`, 32px diameter. Holds initials or voice glyph.

Pricing

**`pricing-tier-card`** — Background `{colors.surface-card}`, rounded `{rounded.xl}`, padding 32px, 1px hairline border.

**`pricing-tier-featured`** — Featured tier inverts. Background `{colors.surface-dark}`, text `{colors.on-dark}`. Same shape, dark inversion.

Forms & Tags

**`text-input`** — Background `{colors.surface-card}`, text `{colors.ink}`, rounded `{rounded.md}` (8px), padding 12px × 16px, height 44px, 1px `{colors.hairline-strong}` border. On focus, border thickens to 2px ink.

**`badge-pill`** — Background `{colors.surface-strong}`, text `{colors.ink}`, type `{typography.caption-uppercase}`, rounded `{rounded.pill}`, padding 4px × 10px.

CTA / Footer

**`cta-band`** — Pre-footer. Background `{colors.canvas}`, centered display headline in `{typography.display-lg}`, single ink pill CTA. 96px padding.

**`footer`** — Closing footer. Background `{colors.canvas}`, text `{colors.body}`. 5-column link list. 64×48px padding.

**`footer-link`** — Background transparent, text `{colors.body}`, type `{typography.body-sm}`.

Do's and Don'ts

Do

• Reserve `{colors.primary}` (ink pill) for primary CTAs.
• Use Waldenburg Light at weight 300 for every display headline. Never bold.
• Use Inter at +0.15-0.18px tracking for body — the editorial dialect.
• Use atmospheric gradient orbs (mint/peach/lavender/sky/rose) as decoration only.
• Use the pill shape for every CTA and badge.

Don't

• Don't introduce a saturated brand action color. Ink pill is the only CTA color.
• Don't bold display copy. Display sits at weight 300 — bolding shifts the brand voice from editorial to consumer-marketing.
• Don't use gradient orbs as button fills, text colors, or component backgrounds. They are pure atmosphere.
• Don't use sharp `{rounded.none}` (0px) on CTAs. Pill geometry is the brand button.
• Don't drop body Inter to weight 300 to match Waldenburg — body stays at 400/500 for legibility.
• Don't extract a CTA color from a third-party widget (cookie consent, OneTrust). The brand's CTA color is what appears on actual product CTAs.

Responsive Behavior

Breakpoints

| Name | Width | Key Changes |

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

| Mobile | < 640px | Hero h1 64→32px; feature cards 1-up; nav hamburger; gradient orbs shrink. |

| Tablet | 640–1024px | Hero h1 48px; feature cards 2-up. |

| Desktop | 1024–1280px | Full hero h1 64px; feature cards 3-up. |

| Wide | > 1280px | Content caps at 1200px. |

Touch Targets

• Primary pill at 40px height — at WCAG AA, padded for AAA.
• Voice icon circles 32px — padded row creates effective 48px tap zone.

Collapsing Strategy

• Top nav switches to hamburger below 768px.
• Feature grid: 3-up → 2-up → 1-up.
• Gradient orbs reduce diameter at every breakpoint but never disappear.

Iteration Guide

1. Focus on a single component at a time.

2. CTAs default to `{rounded.pill}`. Cards use `{rounded.xl}` (16px).

3. Variants live as separate entries.

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

5. Hover state never documented.

6. Waldenburg 300 for display, Inter 400/500 for body.

7. Gradient orbs scoped to atmospheric decoration.

Known Gaps

• Waldenburg is a licensed typeface; EB Garamond / GT Sectra are documented substitutes.
• Animation timings (orb drift, waveform pulse, hero entrance) out of scope.
• In-product surfaces (voice library editor, agent playground) only partially captured via marketing mockups.
• Form validation states beyond focus not visible on captured surfaces.