Notion

Overview

Notion presents itself as the all-in-one workspace through a confident, illustration-rich brand voice. The homepage opens with **"Meet the night shift."** rendered centered over a deep navy hero band ({colors.brand-navy}), decorated with brand-colored sticky-note dots and mesh wire illustrations scattered around the headline. The signature **purple pill primary CTA** ({colors.primary}) "Get Notion free" sits at the visual center, paired with an outlined "Request a demo" secondary. Below the buttons, a real Notion workspace UI mockup card (the "Ramp HQ" kanban board) breaks out of the hero band with a deep diffuse drop shadow.

Below the hero, the page cycles through a distinctive sequence of feature sections: a dense sticky-note "Keep work moving 24/7" panel with red/blue/green/purple/teal status icons; a **bold yellow** ({colors.card-tint-yellow-bold}) "Ask your on-demand assistants" banner card flanked by orange/rose/mint pastel feature tiles showing assistant UI mockups; and a "Bring all your work together" 3-column grid with brand-colored mockups (sky-blue tutorial card, light Notion calendar, brown/rust testimonial slate). The pricing page renders 4 tiers (Free / Plus / Business / Enterprise) horizontally with one tier featured (purple-bordered) and a dense feature comparison table running below.

The system uses a Notion-Sans typeface (Inter-based) across every UI surface — humanist-geometric character that pairs naturally with the colorful illustrations. Buttons are `{rounded.md}` (8px) rectangles, NOT pills — distinguishing Notion's sober rectangular geometry from competitors that use pills universally. Cards use `{rounded.lg}` (12px) consistently.

**Key Characteristics:**

• Deep navy hero band ({colors.brand-navy}) with scattered sticky-note dots + mesh wire decorative illustrations
• **Signature purple pill** ({colors.primary}) primary CTA — Notion's recognizable "Get Notion free" button color
• Real Notion workspace UI mockup card embedded in the hero with deep drop shadow
• Bold yellow feature banner ({colors.card-tint-yellow-bold}) for high-emphasis content sections
• Pastel feature card palette (peach, rose, mint, lavender, sky, yellow) echoing the live product database properties
• Notion-Sans (Inter-based) across every UI surface
• 8px-rounded buttons (NOT pills), 12px-rounded cards — sober editorial geometry
• 4-tier pricing comparison with dense feature table
• Centered hero layout (different from the left-aligned norm of most B2B SaaS)

Colors

> Source pages: notion.com/ (homepage), /enterprise, /product/ai, /product/agents, /startups, /pricing. Token coverage was identical across all six pages.

Brand & Primary

• **Notion Purple** ({colors.primary}): Signature primary CTA color — the unmistakable "Get Notion free" pill button. Reserved for the dominant CTA only.
• **Purple Pressed** ({colors.primary-pressed}): Pressed-state variant
• **Purple Deep** ({colors.primary-deep}): Deeper variant for emphasis
• **Brand Navy** ({colors.brand-navy}): Hero band background — deep navy
• **Brand Navy Deep** ({colors.brand-navy-deep}): Deeper navy for promo banner
• **Brand Navy Mid** ({colors.brand-navy-mid}): Mid-spectrum navy
• **Link Blue** ({colors.link-blue}): Inline text link blue (NOT primary CTA)
• **Link Blue Pressed** ({colors.link-blue-pressed}): Pressed-state link blue

Brand Color Spectrum (echoes live product database properties)

• **Brand Pink** ({colors.brand-pink}): Pink accent
• **Brand Pink Deep** ({colors.brand-pink-deep}): Deeper pink
• **Brand Orange** ({colors.brand-orange}): Orange accent
• **Brand Orange Deep** ({colors.brand-orange-deep}): Deeper orange-rust
• **Brand Purple** ({colors.brand-purple}): Purple accent variant
• **Brand Purple 300** ({colors.brand-purple-300}): Light purple
• **Brand Purple 800** ({colors.brand-purple-800}): Deep purple for tag text
• **Brand Teal** ({colors.brand-teal}): Teal accent
• **Brand Green** ({colors.brand-green}): Bright green
• **Brand Yellow** ({colors.brand-yellow}): Soft yellow
• **Brand Brown** ({colors.brand-brown}): Brand brown for "earthy" tints

Card Tints (Pastel Feature Card Backgrounds)

• **Tint Peach** ({colors.card-tint-peach}): Pale peach
• **Tint Rose** ({colors.card-tint-rose}): Pale rose-pink
• **Tint Mint** ({colors.card-tint-mint}): Pale mint-green
• **Tint Lavender** ({colors.card-tint-lavender}): Pale lavender
• **Tint Sky** ({colors.card-tint-sky}): Pale sky-blue
• **Tint Yellow** ({colors.card-tint-yellow}): Pale yellow
• **Tint Yellow Bold** ({colors.card-tint-yellow-bold}): Bold yellow for high-emphasis feature banners ("Ask your on-demand assistants")
• **Tint Cream** ({colors.card-tint-cream}): Cream tint
• **Tint Gray** ({colors.card-tint-gray}): Neutral surface

Surface

• **Canvas White** ({colors.canvas}): Page background and primary card surface
• **Surface** ({colors.surface}): Subtle section backgrounds, search-pill rest, featured pricing tier
• **Surface Soft** ({colors.surface-soft}): Quieter section divisions
• **Hairline** ({colors.hairline}): 1px borders and primary dividers
• **Hairline Soft** ({colors.hairline-soft}): Quieter dividers
• **Hairline Strong** ({colors.hairline-strong}): Stronger 1px border for inputs

Text

• **Ink Deep** ({colors.ink-deep}): Pure black for emphasis
• **Ink** ({colors.ink}): Primary headlines and body text
• **Charcoal** ({colors.charcoal}): Body emphasis (Notion's signature warm-charcoal)
• **Slate** ({colors.slate}): Secondary text
• **Steel** ({colors.steel}): Tertiary, footer links
• **Stone** ({colors.stone}): Muted labels
• **Muted** ({colors.muted}): Disabled, placeholders
• **On Dark** ({colors.on-dark}): White text on dark surfaces
• **On Dark Muted** ({colors.on-dark-muted}): Reduced-opacity white

Semantic

• **Success** ({colors.semantic-success}): Confirmation green
• **Warning** ({colors.semantic-warning}): Mid-priority alerts (orange)
• **Error** ({colors.semantic-error}): Validation errors (red)

Typography

Font Family

**Notion Sans** (primary): Notion's custom Inter-based variable typeface. Fallbacks: Inter, -apple-system, system-ui, 'Segoe UI', Helvetica, sans-serif. Humanist-geometric character used across every UI surface.

Hierarchy

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

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

| `{typography.hero-display}` | 80px | 600 | 1.05 | -2px | Hero ("Meet the night shift") |

| `{typography.display-lg}` | 56px | 600 | 1.10 | -1px | Section openers |

| `{typography.heading-1}` | 48px | 600 | 1.15 | -0.5px | Page-level headlines ("Try for free") |

| `{typography.heading-2}` | 36px | 600 | 1.20 | -0.5px | Subsection headlines ("Keep work moving 24/7") |

| `{typography.heading-3}` | 28px | 600 | 1.25 | 0 | Card titles |

| `{typography.heading-4}` | 22px | 600 | 1.30 | 0 | Feature tile titles |

| `{typography.heading-5}` | 18px | 600 | 1.40 | 0 | FAQ questions |

| `{typography.subtitle}` | 18px | 400 | 1.50 | 0 | Hero subtitle |

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

| `{typography.body-md-medium}` | 16px | 500 | 1.55 | 0 | Body emphasis |

| `{typography.body-sm}` | 14px | 400 | 1.50 | 0 | Secondary body |

| `{typography.body-sm-medium}` | 14px | 500 | 1.50 | 0 | Active sidebar, button labels |

| `{typography.caption-bold}` | 13px | 600 | 1.40 | 0 | Badge labels |

| `{typography.button-md}` | 14px | 500 | 1.30 | 0 | Button labels |

Principles

• Tight hero leading (1.05) on 80px display
• Negative letter-spacing on display sizes (-2px to -0.5px)
• Generous body leading (1.55) for documentation readability
• 600 weight for headlines + 500 for buttons; 400 body

Layout

Spacing System

• **Base unit**: 4px (8px primary increment)
• **Tokens**: `{spacing.xxs}` (4px) through `{spacing.hero}` (120px)
• **Section rhythm**: Marketing pages use `{spacing.section-lg}` (96px); pricing tightens to `{spacing.section}` (64px)

Grid & Container

• 1280px max-width with 32px gutters
• Pricing: 4-tier card row at desktop with dense comparison table
• Homepage: centered hero with workspace mockup below buttons; alternating colorful feature card sections

Whitespace Philosophy

Marketing surfaces use generous breathing room between feature card bands. Workspace mockup card on hero gets full-width treatment with deep drop shadow.

Elevation & Depth

| Level | Treatment | Use |

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

| 0 (flat) | No shadow; `{colors.hairline}` border | Default cards, table rows |

| 1 (subtle) | `rgba(15, 15, 15, 0.04) 0px 1px 2px 0px` | Hover-elevated tiles |

| 2 (card) | `rgba(15, 15, 15, 0.08) 0px 4px 12px 0px` | Feature cards |

| 3 (mockup) | `rgba(15, 15, 15, 0.20) 0px 24px 48px -8px` | Hero workspace mockup card |

| 4 (modal) | `rgba(15, 15, 15, 0.16) 0px 16px 48px -8px` | Modals, dropdowns |

Decorative Depth

• Hero workspace mockup card uses deep diffuse drop shadow (Level 3) — significant elevation against the navy band
• Pastel feature cards carry their own visual weight via tint backgrounds
• Sticky-note dot illustrations and mesh wires add atmospheric decoration to navy hero

Shapes

Border Radius Scale

| Token | Value | Use |

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

| `{rounded.xs}` | 4px | Tag chips |

| `{rounded.sm}` | 6px | Type badges |

| `{rounded.md}` | 8px | Buttons, inputs, search-pill |

| `{rounded.lg}` | 12px | Cards, pricing tiers, agent tiles, workspace mockup |

| `{rounded.xl}` | 16px | Larger feature panels |

| `{rounded.xxl}` | 20px | Featured product showcases |

| `{rounded.xxxl}` | 24px | Larger feature cards |

| `{rounded.full}` | 9999px | Status badges, pill tabs (NOT regular buttons) |

Notion's geometry is sober-editorial — `{rounded.md}` (8px) buttons distinguish it from pill-button-everywhere brands.

Components

> Per the no-hover policy, hover states are NOT documented.

Buttons

**`button-primary`** — Signature purple rectangular primary CTA, the dominant action.

• Background `{colors.primary}`, text `{colors.on-primary}`, typography `{typography.button-md}`, padding `10px 18px`, rounded `{rounded.md}`.
• Pressed state `button-primary-pressed` deepens to `{colors.primary-pressed}`.
• Disabled state uses `{colors.hairline}` background.

**`button-dark`** — Black rectangular CTA on light backgrounds.

• Background `{colors.ink-deep}`, text `{colors.on-dark}`, typography `{typography.button-md}`, padding `10px 18px`, rounded `{rounded.md}`.

**`button-secondary`** — Outlined rectangular for secondary actions ("Request a demo").

• Background transparent, text `{colors.ink}`, border `1px solid {colors.hairline-strong}`, typography `{typography.button-md}`, padding `10px 18px`, rounded `{rounded.md}`.

**`button-on-dark`** — White button on dark hero bands.

• Background `{colors.on-dark}`, text `{colors.ink}`, typography `{typography.button-md}`, padding `10px 18px`, rounded `{rounded.md}`.

**`button-secondary-on-dark`** — Outlined button on dark.

• Background transparent, text `{colors.on-dark}`, border `1px solid {colors.on-dark-muted}`, typography `{typography.button-md}`, padding `10px 18px`, rounded `{rounded.md}`.

**`button-ghost`** — Quieter ghost button.

• Background transparent, text `{colors.ink}`, typography `{typography.button-md}`, padding `8px 12px`, rounded `{rounded.sm}`.

**`button-link`** — Inline blue text link (NOT primary purple).

• Background transparent, text `{colors.link-blue}`, typography `{typography.body-sm-medium}`, padding `0`.

Cards & Containers

**`card-base`** — Standard content card.

• Background `{colors.canvas}`, rounded `{rounded.lg}`, padding `{spacing.xl}`, border `1px solid {colors.hairline}`.

**`card-feature`** — Feature card with larger padding.

• Background `{colors.canvas}`, rounded `{rounded.lg}`, padding `{spacing.xxl}`, border `1px solid {colors.hairline}`.

**`card-feature-yellow-bold`** — Bold yellow feature banner for high-emphasis content ("Ask your on-demand assistants").

• Background `{colors.card-tint-yellow-bold}`, text `{colors.charcoal}`, rounded `{rounded.lg}`, padding `{spacing.xxl}`.

**`card-feature-peach`** + **`card-feature-rose`** + **`card-feature-mint`** + **`card-feature-sky`** + **`card-feature-lavender`** + **`card-feature-yellow`** + **`card-feature-cream`** — Pastel-tinted feature cards.

• Each variant uses its corresponding `card-tint-*` color as background, text `{colors.charcoal}`, rounded `{rounded.lg}`, padding `{spacing.xxl}`.

**`card-agent-tile`** — Agent assistant tile.

• Background `{colors.canvas}`, rounded `{rounded.lg}`, padding `{spacing.xl}`, border `1px solid {colors.hairline}`.

**`card-template`** — Template thumbnail card.

• Background `{colors.canvas}`, rounded `{rounded.lg}`, padding `{spacing.lg}`, border `1px solid {colors.hairline}`.

**`card-startup-perk`** — Startup-program perk grid item.

• Background `{colors.canvas}`, rounded `{rounded.lg}`, padding `{spacing.xl}`, border `1px solid {colors.hairline}`.

**`pricing-card`** — Standard pricing tier card.

• Background `{colors.canvas}`, rounded `{rounded.lg}`, padding `{spacing.xxl}`, border `1px solid {colors.hairline}`.

**`pricing-card-featured`** — Featured pricing tier (Plus or Business — purple-bordered).

• Background `{colors.surface}`, rounded `{rounded.lg}`, padding `{spacing.xxl}`, border `2px solid {colors.primary}`.

Inputs & Forms

**`text-input`** — Standard text field.

• Background `{colors.canvas}`, text `{colors.ink}`, border `1px solid {colors.hairline-strong}`, rounded `{rounded.md}`, padding `{spacing.sm} {spacing.md}`, height 44px.

**`text-input-focused`** — Activated state.

• Border switches to `2px solid {colors.primary}` (purple).

**`search-pill`** — Search bar.

• Background `{colors.surface}`, text `{colors.steel}`, typography `{typography.body-md}`, rounded `{rounded.md}`, height 44px, border `1px solid {colors.hairline}`.

Tabs

**`pill-tab`** + **`pill-tab-active`** — Pill-style tab nav for top-level switching.

• Inactive: text `{colors.steel}`, border `1px solid {colors.hairline}`, padding `{spacing.xs} {spacing.md}`, rounded `{rounded.full}`.
• Active: background `{colors.ink-deep}`, text `{colors.on-dark}`.

**`segmented-tab`** + **`segmented-tab-active`** — Underline-style tab navigation.

• Inactive: text `{colors.steel}`, no border. Active: text `{colors.ink}`, 2px bottom border in `{colors.ink}`.

Badges & Status

**`badge-purple`** — Purple status badge (matches primary CTA).

• Background `{colors.primary}`, text `{colors.on-primary}`, typography `{typography.caption-bold}`, rounded `{rounded.full}`, padding `4px 10px`.

**`badge-pink`** — Pink accent badge.

• Background `{colors.brand-pink}`, text `{colors.on-primary}`, typography `{typography.caption-bold}`, rounded `{rounded.full}`, padding `4px 10px`.

**`badge-orange`** — Orange accent badge.

• Background `{colors.brand-orange}`, text `{colors.on-primary}`, typography `{typography.caption-bold}`, rounded `{rounded.full}`, padding `4px 10px`.

**`badge-tag-purple`** — Soft-purple feature tag chip.

• Background `{colors.card-tint-lavender}`, text `{colors.brand-purple-800}`, typography `{typography.caption-bold}`, rounded `{rounded.sm}`, padding `2px 8px`.

**`badge-tag-orange`** — Soft-orange feature tag.

• Background `{colors.card-tint-peach}`, text `{colors.brand-orange-deep}`, typography `{typography.caption-bold}`, rounded `{rounded.sm}`, padding `2px 8px`.

**`badge-tag-green`** — Soft-mint feature tag.

• Background `{colors.card-tint-mint}`, text `{colors.brand-green}`, typography `{typography.caption-bold}`, rounded `{rounded.sm}`, padding `2px 8px`.

**`badge-popular`** — "Most Popular" tier indicator.

• Background `{colors.primary}`, text `{colors.on-primary}`, typography `{typography.caption-bold}`, rounded `{rounded.full}`, padding `4px 10px`.

**`promo-banner`** — Light surface promo strip ABOVE the top nav.

• Background `{colors.surface}`, text `{colors.ink}`, typography `{typography.body-sm-medium}`, padding `{spacing.sm} {spacing.md}`. ("Developers: Get a first look at our new Developer Platform on May 13.")

Tables

**`comparison-table`** — Pricing feature comparison table.

• Background `{colors.canvas}`, text `{colors.ink}`, typography `{typography.body-sm}`, rounded `{rounded.md}`, border `1px solid {colors.hairline}`.

**`comparison-row`** — Individual feature row.

• Background `{colors.canvas}`, text `{colors.ink}`, padding `{spacing.md} {spacing.lg}`, bottom border `1px solid {colors.hairline-soft}`.

Documentation Components

**`workspace-mockup-card`** — Embedded Notion workspace UI mockup on hero band ("Ramp HQ" kanban board).

• Background `{colors.canvas}`, rounded `{rounded.lg}`, border `1px solid {colors.hairline}`, deep shadow `rgba(15, 15, 15, 0.20) 0px 24px 48px -8px`. Carries actual Notion product UI mock.

**`testimonial-card`** — Customer testimonial card.

• Background `{colors.canvas}`, rounded `{rounded.lg}`, padding `{spacing.xxl}`, border `1px solid {colors.hairline}`.

**`logo-wall-item`** — Customer logo wordmark cell.

• Background transparent, text `{colors.steel}`, typography `{typography.body-md-medium}`, padding `{spacing.lg}`.

**`faq-accordion-item`** — FAQ panel.

• Background `{colors.canvas}`, rounded `{rounded.md}`, padding `{spacing.xl}`, bottom border `1px solid {colors.hairline}`.

**`stat-row`** — Stats strip with bar chart visualization ("More productivity. Fewer tools.").

• Background `{colors.surface}`, text `{colors.ink}`, rounded `{rounded.lg}`, padding `{spacing.section-sm}`.

**`cta-banner-light`** — Light surface CTA banner.

• Background `{colors.surface}`, text `{colors.ink}`, rounded `{rounded.lg}`, padding `{spacing.section}`.

Navigation

**Top Navigation (Marketing)** — Sticky white bar.

• Background `{colors.canvas}`, height ~64px, bottom border `1px solid {colors.hairline}`.
• Left: Notion "N" logo + "Product / AI / Solutions / Resources / Enterprise / Pricing / Request a demo" links.
• Right: "Get Notion free" purple button + "Log in" link.

Signature Components

**`hero-band-dark`** — Deep navy hero band with embedded workspace mockup and decorative dots/wires.

• Background `{colors.brand-navy}`, text `{colors.on-dark}`, padding `{spacing.hero}`.
• Layout: centered headline `{typography.hero-display}`, subtitle, button row (`button-primary` purple + `button-secondary-on-dark`), `workspace-mockup-card` below.
• Atmospheric decoration: scattered colorful sticky-note dots and mesh wire illustrations around the hero content (NOT a literal pattern fill — handled per-page via SVG/illustration).

**`footer-region`** — Multi-column light footer.

• Background `{colors.canvas}`, padding `{spacing.section} {spacing.xxl}`, top border `1px solid {colors.hairline}`.
• 6-column link grid (Product / Download / Resources / Notion for / Company / Legal).

**`footer-link`** — Individual footer link.

• Background transparent, text `{colors.steel}`, typography `{typography.body-sm}`, padding `{spacing.xxs} 0`.

Do's and Don'ts

Do

• Use `{colors.primary}` (purple) as the dominant CTA across all surfaces — it's the brand's recognizable signal
• Pair deep navy hero bands ({colors.brand-navy}) with the purple button + decorative sticky-note dots
• Use pastel feature card tints (peach, rose, mint, lavender, sky, yellow) generously
• Use `{colors.card-tint-yellow-bold}` for high-emphasis "Ask the assistant"-style banner cards
• Apply `{rounded.md}` (8px) to buttons consistently — Notion uses rectangles, not pills
• Apply `{rounded.lg}` (12px) to all card families
• Maintain Notion-Sans across every UI surface
• Use the workspace mockup card on hero bands to show actual product UI

Don't

• Don't use the purple for body text or large background surfaces
• Don't use pill-shaped buttons; Notion's geometry is rectangular-sober
• Don't mix link-blue ({colors.link-blue}) with primary-purple ({colors.primary}) — they have distinct roles
• Don't apply heavy shadows on flat documentation cards
• Don't replace Notion-Sans with a generic Inter

Responsive Behavior

Breakpoints

| Name | Width | Key Changes |

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

| Mobile (small) | < 480px | Single column. Hero 36px. Pricing 1-up. |

| Mobile (large) | 480 – 767px | Feature cards 2-up. Hero 48px. |

| Tablet | 768 – 1023px | 2-column feature grids. Hero 56px. |

| Desktop | 1024 – 1279px | 4-tier pricing card row. Hero 72px. |

| Wide Desktop | ≥ 1280px | Full 80px hero presentation. |

Touch Targets

• Buttons render at 40–44px effective height
• Form inputs render at 44px height
• Pill tabs ~32px → 44px on mobile

Collapsing Strategy

• **Promo banner** stays full-width; truncates at < 480px
• **Top nav** below 1024px collapses to hamburger
• **Hero band**: workspace mockup card moves below text/buttons on mobile
• **Pricing tiers**: 4-column → 2-column tablet → 1-column mobile
• **Feature cards**: 3-up desktop → 2-up tablet → 1-up mobile
• **Hero typography**: 80px → 56px → 48px → 36px
• **Footer**: 6-column desktop → 3-column tablet → accordion mobile

Image Behavior

• Workspace mockup card maintains aspect ratio
• Pastel illustrations inside feature cards scale proportionally
• Customer logo wall: wordmarks at consistent 60–80px height

Iteration Guide

1. Focus on ONE component at a time

2. Reference component names and tokens directly

3. Run `npx @google/design.md lint DESIGN.md` after edits

4. Add new variants as separate `components:` entries

5. Default to `{typography.body-md}` for body

6. Keep `{colors.primary}` (purple) as the primary CTA — distinct from `{colors.link-blue}` for inline links

7. Use `{rounded.md}` for buttons (rectangles), `{rounded.lg}` for cards, `{rounded.full}` for pill tabs/badges only

Known Gaps

• Specific dark-mode token values not surfaced beyond hero bands
• Animation/transition timings not extracted; recommend 150–200ms ease
• Form validation success state not explicitly captured
• Pastel-tint mapping (which feature uses which tint) is observation-based — the actual brand library may have more entries