Design Principles
Six core principles guide every design decision in Ledger UI.
1. Trust First
Every interface should communicate trustworthiness. This means:
- Audit trails and timestamps are visible, not hidden
- Status indicators are clear and unambiguous
- Error states are honest and actionable
- Data sources are traceable
2. Clarity Over Cleverness
When in doubt, be explicit. This means:
- Labels over icons alone
- Full words over abbreviations
- Visible states over hidden menus
- Consistent patterns over novel interactions
3. Proof-Forward Design
Evidence and verification should be prominent, not buried. This means:
- Audit drawers accessible from detail views
- Evidence panels alongside decision points
- Timestamps and attribution on all records
- Chain of custody visible in workflows
4. Accessibility by Default
Accessibility is not a feature — it's a requirement. This means:
- WCAG AA contrast ratios on all text (4.5:1 minimum)
- Keyboard navigation for every interactive element
- Screen reader support with proper ARIA attributes
- Large touch targets (44px minimum on mobile)
- No information conveyed by color alone
5. Offline-Aware UX
Interfaces should degrade gracefully when connectivity is limited. This means:
- Optimistic UI with queue-and-sync for mutations
- Clear connectivity status indicators
- Cached data with freshness indicators
- No blank screens — always show the last known state
6. Configuration Over Code
Platform-specific customization should be achieved through configuration, not code forks. This means:
- Token overrides for visual identity
- Template props for content structure
- Theme modes for dark/light/compact
- No CSS overrides in consuming applications
These principles map to the broader organizational principles of Trust, Sovereignty, Architecture, Frontier, Scale, and Craft.