Design Vision
Sovereign Minimalism
The design north star for Ledger UI is Sovereign Minimalism — calm, authoritative interfaces that communicate trust through clarity and restraint.
What This Means
- Calm: No visual noise. Every element earns its place. White space is a feature, not a gap.
- Authoritative: The interface communicates competence and reliability. Professional typography, consistent spacing, and clear hierarchy signal trustworthiness.
- Proof-forward: Evidence, audit trails, and verification are first-class UI surfaces — not hidden in submenus.
What This Isn't
- Not flashy or trendy — stability over novelty
- Not minimal to the point of ambiguity — clear over clever
- Not dense for density's sake — readable at every viewport
Design Language
Color Philosophy
Muted, professional base palette. Color is reserved for semantic meaning — success (green), warning (amber), error (red), info (blue). The primary brand color is subtle, not dominant.
Typography Philosophy
Clean, legible, and data-optimized. Inter typeface for screen readability. 14px base size for data-dense screens. Weight is used sparingly — 400 for body, 600 for headings.
Spacing Philosophy
Generous page margins. Tight component internals. Clear section boundaries. The 4px base unit creates consistent rhythm without rigidity.
Surface Philosophy
Layered cards with subtle borders and shadows create depth without distraction. White surfaces on muted backgrounds. Rounded corners (6px default) soften the interface without appearing casual.
The Trust Gradient
Interfaces communicate trust through progressive disclosure:
- Overview — KPIs, summaries, status at a glance
- Evidence — Supporting data, audit trails, timestamps
- Verification — Source documents, signatures, chain of custody
- Raw data — Underlying records for technical users
Each level is accessible from the one above — users can drill down as deep as they need to build confidence in what they're seeing.