# House Style

Creative direction for compositions when no `design.md` is provided. These are starting points — override anything that doesn't serve the content. When a `design.md` exists, its brand values take precedence; house-style fills gaps.

## Before Writing HTML

1. **Interpret the prompt.** Generate real content. A recipe lists real ingredients. A HUD has real readouts.
2. **Pick a palette.** Light or dark? Declare bg, fg, accent before writing code.
3. **Pick typefaces.** Run the font discovery script in [references/typography.md](references/typography.md) — or pick a font you already know that fits the theme. The script broadens your options; it's not the only source.

## Lazy Defaults to Question

These patterns are AI design tells — the first thing every LLM reaches for. If you're about to use one, pause and ask: is this a deliberate choice for THIS content, or am I defaulting?

- Gradient text (`background-clip: text` + gradient)
- Left-edge accent stripes on cards/callouts
- Cyan-on-dark / purple-to-blue gradients / neon accents
- Pure `#000` or `#fff` (tint toward your accent hue instead)
- Identical card grids (same-size cards repeated)
- Everything centered with equal weight (lead the eye somewhere)
- Banned fonts (see [references/typography.md](references/typography.md) for full list)

If the content genuinely calls for one of these — centered layout for a solemn closing, cards for a real product UI mockup, a banned font because it's the perfect thematic match — use it. The goal is intentionality, not avoidance.

## Color

- Match light/dark to content: food, wellness, kids → light. Tech, cinema, finance → dark.
- One accent hue. Same background across all scenes.
- Tint neutrals toward your accent (even subtle warmth/coolness beats dead gray).
- **Contrast:** enforced by `hyperframes validate` (WCAG AA). Text must be readable with decoratives removed.
- Declare palette up front. Don't invent colors per-element.

## Background Layer

Every scene needs visual depth — persistent decorative elements that stay visible while content animates in. Without these, scenes feel empty during entrance staggering.

Ideas (mix and match, 2-5 per scene):

- Radial glows (accent-tinted, low opacity, breathing scale)
- Ghost text (theme words at 3-8% opacity, very large, slow drift)
- Accent lines (hairline rules, subtle pulse)
- Grain/noise overlay, geometric shapes, grid patterns
- Thematic decoratives (orbit rings for space, vinyl grooves for music, grid lines for data)

All decoratives should have slow ambient GSAP animation — breathing, drift, pulse. Static decoratives feel dead.

**Decorative count vs motion count.** The "2-5 per scene" count refers to decorative _elements_. If a project's `design.md` says "single ambient motion per scene", it means one looping motion applied to these decoratives (a shared breath/drift/pulse) — not one element total. A scene with 4 decoratives sharing one breathing motion is correct; a scene with 1 decorative is under-dressed.

## Motion

See [references/motion-principles.md](references/motion-principles.md) for full rules. Quick: 0.3–0.6s, vary eases, combine transforms on entrances, overlap entries.

## Typography

See [references/typography.md](references/typography.md) for full rules. Quick: 700-900 headlines / 300-400 body, serif + sans (not two sans), 60px+ headlines / 20px+ body.

## Palettes

Declare one background, one foreground, one accent before writing HTML.

| Category          | Use for                                       | File                                                       |
| ----------------- | --------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- |
| Bold / Energetic  | Product launches, social media, announcements | [palettes/bold-energetic.md](palettes/bold-energetic.md)   |
| Warm / Editorial  | Storytelling, documentaries, case studies     | [palettes/warm-editorial.md](palettes/warm-editorial.md)   |
| Dark / Premium    | Tech, finance, luxury, cinematic              | [palettes/dark-premium.md](palettes/dark-premium.md)       |
| Clean / Corporate | Explainers, tutorials, presentations          | [palettes/clean-corporate.md](palettes/clean-corporate.md) |
| Nature / Earth    | Sustainability, outdoor, organic              | [palettes/nature-earth.md](palettes/nature-earth.md)       |
| Neon / Electric   | Gaming, tech, nightlife                       | [palettes/neon-electric.md](palettes/neon-electric.md)     |
| Pastel / Soft     | Fashion, beauty, lifestyle, wellness          | [palettes/pastel-soft.md](palettes/pastel-soft.md)         |
| Jewel / Rich      | Luxury, events, sophisticated                 | [palettes/jewel-rich.md](palettes/jewel-rich.md)           |
| Monochrome        | Dramatic, typography-focused                  | [palettes/monochrome.md](palettes/monochrome.md)           |

Or derive from OKLCH — pick a hue, build bg/fg/accent at different lightnesses, tint everything toward that hue.
