Design Philosophy
The Scouts ACT design system embodies the spirit of adventure, community, and growth. Our primary color #262661 represents trust, reliability, and the night sky under which many scouting adventures take place.
Color Palette
Our color system is built around the primary color #262661, complemented by vibrant accents that reflect the energy and diversity of scouting.
Primary Colors
Our foundational color palette built around #262661
Secondary & Accent Colors
Complementary colors that add vibrancy and visual interest
Neutral Colors
Grayscale palette for backgrounds, text, and UI elements
Semantic Colors
Colors that communicate meaning and system status
CSS Variables Reference
Copy these CSS variables to your theme for consistent color usage
:root {
/* Primary Colors */
--primary: #262661;
--primary-light: #3d3d8a;
--primary-dark: #1a1a44;
--primary-50: rgba(38, 38, 97, 0.05);
--primary-100: rgba(38, 38, 97, 0.1);
--primary-200: rgba(38, 38, 97, 0.2);
/* Secondary & Accent Colors */
--secondary: #5B5FAD;
--secondary-light: #7A7ECA;
--secondary-dark: #464A8A;
--accent-green: #4CAF50;
--accent-yellow: #FFB703;
--accent-blue: #219EBC;
/* Neutral Colors */
--white: #FFFFFF;
--off-white: #F8F9FA;
--gray-50: #F5F5F7;
--gray-100: #E8E9ED;
--gray-200: #D1D3DB;
--gray-300: #B4B7C3;
--gray-400: #8E92A3;
--gray-500: #6B6F82;
--gray-600: #4D5161;
--gray-700: #31343F;
--gray-800: #1E2029;
--gray-900: #121318;
--black: #0A0A0C;
/* Semantic Colors */
--success: #4CAF50;
--warning: #FFB703;
--error: #F44336;
--info: #219EBC;
}
/* Usage Examples */
.primary-button {
background: var(--primary);
color: var(--white);
}
.secondary-button {
background: var(--secondary);
color: var(--white);
}
.success-message {
background: var(--success);
color: var(--white);
}
Typography
DISPLAY XL - OUTFIT 800 - 4rem
Display LG - Outfit 700 - 3rem
Display MD - Outfit 600 - 2.25rem
Heading XL - Outfit 600 - 2rem
Heading LG - Outfit 600 - 1.5rem
Heading MD - Outfit 600 - 1.25rem
Body LG - DM Sans 400 - 1.125rem
Body MD - DM Sans 400 (DEFAULT) - 1rem
Body SM - DM Sans 400 - 0.875rem
Typography Guidelines
- Display fonts are reserved for hero sections and major page titles
- Headings establish content hierarchy and section breaks
- Body text should maintain 1.6 line-height for optimal readability
- Use font-weight: 600-700 for emphasis rather than bold (900)
- Maintain at least 16px font size for body text on mobile devices
- Keep line length between 60-75 characters for optimal reading
Spacing System
An 8px-based spacing scale creates visual rhythm and consistent breathing room throughout the interface.
Spacing Applications
| Token | Value | Common Uses |
|---|---|---|
--space-xs |
4px | Tight spacing, icon-text gaps, badges |
--space-sm |
8px | Form field internal padding, button icons |
--space-md |
16px | Standard spacing, paragraph margins, button padding |
--space-lg |
24px | Section spacing, card padding, list items |
--space-xl |
32px | Component spacing, card margins |
--space-2xl |
48px | Large section spacing, layout gaps |
--space-3xl |
64px | Section headers, hero spacing |
--space-4xl |
96px | Major section dividers |
Buttons & Actions
Button styles for different contexts and emphasis levels, from primary calls-to-action to subtle ghost buttons.
Button Variants
Button Sizes
Usage Guidelines
- Primary: Main Call to Action (CTA), one per section
- Secondary: Supporting actions
- Outline: Alternative actions
- Ghost: Tertiary or inline actions
Best Practices
- Use clear, action-oriented labels
- Maintain consistent padding across buttons
- Ensure 44x44px minimum touch target
- Include hover and active states
Badges & Tags
Small components for labeling and categorization
Alerts & Messages
Feedback messages for different states
Form Elements
Accessible, user-friendly form components with clear feedback states.
Form States
Visual feedback for different input states
✓ Email is valid
✕ Please enter a valid email address
Border Radius Scale
Consistent corner rounding creates visual harmony across components.
Usage Guidelines
Accessibility
All color combinations meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards, ensuring content is readable for users with various visual abilities.
Color Contrast Ratios
Testing our color palette against accessibility standards
Sample text for readability testing at various sizes.
Sample text for readability testing at various sizes.
Sample text for readability testing at various sizes.
Sample text for readability testing at various sizes.
Accessibility Checklist
Testing Tools & Resources
🔍 Contrast Checkers
- WebAIM Contrast Checker
- Coolors Contrast Checker
- Adobe Color Accessibility Tools
♿ Screen Readers
- NVDA (Windows - Free)
- JAWS (Windows)
- VoiceOver (Mac/iOS - Built-in)
🛠️ Browser Extensions
- WAVE Web Accessibility Tool
- axe DevTools
- Lighthouse (Chrome DevTools)
Implementation Guidelines
Best practices and code examples for implementing the Scouts ACT design system.
CSS Variables
Use CSS custom properties for consistent styling across your project
:root {
/* Colors */
--primary: #262661;
--secondary: #5B5FAD;
/* Spacing */
--space-md: 1rem;
--space-lg: 1.5rem;
/* Radius */
--radius-md: 8px;
}
.button {
background: var(--primary);
padding: var(--space-md);
border-radius: var(--radius-md);
}
Layout Principles
- Use a max-width of 1400px for main content
- Apply consistent horizontal padding (24px mobile, 32px+ desktop)
- Maintain vertical rhythm with 8px-based spacing
- Use grid systems for responsive layouts
- Ensure generous white space between sections
Component Building
- Build components mobile-first
- Use semantic HTML elements
- Include ARIA labels where necessary
- Test with keyboard navigation
- Optimize images and assets
- Ensure consistent hover and focus states
Typography Best Practices
- Use Outfit for headings and display text
- Use DM Sans for body copy and UI elements
- Maintain 1.6 line-height for body text
- Keep line length 60-75 characters optimal
- Use font-weight 600-700 for emphasis
- Ensure minimum 16px font size on mobile
Brand Voice & Tone
Do
- Use active, encouraging language
- Be welcoming and inclusive
- Focus on growth and development
- Highlight adventure and community
- Use "we" and "our" to build connection
- Be authentic and relatable
Don't
- Use overly formal or corporate language
- Make assumptions about abilities
- Focus on limitations or barriers
- Use jargon without explanation
- Be condescending or patronizing
- Create exclusive or alienating content
Responsive Breakpoints
Mobile-first approach with consistent breakpoints for all screen sizes.
Mobile
Single column layouts, larger touch targets, simplified navigation
Key Considerations:
- Stack all content vertically
- Minimum 44x44px touch targets
- Larger fonts for readability
- Hamburger navigation menu
- Full-width buttons
Tablet
2-column grids, collapsible navigation, balanced layouts
Key Considerations:
- 2-column grid layouts
- Expandable navigation options
- Medium-sized imagery
- Flexible card arrangements
- Optimized whitespace
Desktop
Multi-column layouts, expanded navigation, full feature set
Key Considerations:
- 3-4 column grid layouts
- Full horizontal navigation
- Larger imagery and media
- Hover interactions
- Optimal line lengths
Wide Screen
Max-width constraint, generous spacing, enhanced experience
Key Considerations:
- Content max-width 1400px
- Increased whitespace
- Larger grid gaps
- Enhanced visual hierarchy
- Additional content areas
Media Query Examples
/* Mobile First Approach */
/* Base styles (mobile) */
.container {
padding: 16px;
width: 100%;
}
/* Tablet and up */
@media (min-width: 640px) {
.container {
padding: 24px;
}
.grid {
grid-template-columns: repeat(2, 1fr);
}
}
/* Desktop and up */
@media (min-width: 1024px) {
.container {
padding: 32px;
max-width: 1400px;
margin: 0 auto;
}
.grid {
grid-template-columns: repeat(3, 1fr);
}
}
/* Wide screens */
@media (min-width: 1400px) {
.grid {
grid-template-columns: repeat(4, 1fr);
gap: 32px;
}
}
