# Principles

## Purpose

The core beliefs every other decision is checked against.

## Decisions

### Principles

The ten principles are checked in this order when they conflict: **clarity and usability first, then consistency, then personality.**

1. **Few tiers, not many shades.** Three background tiers plus one pressed tier, one grey for text, one set of signature colours.
2. **Colour carries meaning on the icon and border, and may also colour text for emphasis.** Colour is not limited to icons and borders: text may take a colour when it needs to stand out. Running text stays soft white or grey.
3. **Shapes follow one rule.** Touching elements are square where they meet, nested corners are concentric, and rounded shapes are part of the identity.
4. **Flat by default, depth only when something floats.**
5. **Do not waste space.** Compact controls and a thin top bar.
6. **Quiet and non-intrusive.** Sound only for errors and notifications at a low level, tooltips wait before showing, reduced motion is respected.
7. **Say what is actually happening.** Specific labels, never a generic "Working..."; loading, empty and error states explain themselves.
8. **Systems that line up.** Sizes, spacing and timings come from one scale, not one-off numbers.
9. **Dark first, light for everyone.**
10. **Specific rules, with exceptions written down.**