11 KiB
11 KiB
Visual Design Guide - Neural Nexus
Design Philosophy
Neural Nexus employs a contemporary glassmorphism aesthetic combined with high-tech neural network themes to create a premium, engaging visual experience that feels both modern and accessible.
Color System
Primary Palette
:root {
/* Brand Colors */
--neural-cyan: #00d4ff; /* Primary brand, active connections */
--neural-magenta: #ff00ff; /* Secondary brand, UI accents */
--neural-white: #ffffff; /* Text, highlights */
/* Game Element Colors */
--source-green: #00ff64; /* Source nodes, success states */
--target-orange: #ff6400; /* Target nodes, warnings */
--normal-blue: #333366; /* Inactive normal nodes */
--connection-active: #00d4ff; /* Active connections */
/* UI Colors */
--background-dark: #0a0a0a; /* Deep background */
--background-mid: #1a1a2e; /* Mid-tone background */
--background-light: #16213e; /* Light background panels */
--surface-glass: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.1); /* Glassmorphism surfaces */
--text-primary: #ffffff; /* Primary text */
--text-secondary: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7); /* Secondary text */
/* Feedback Colors */
--success-glow: rgba(0, 255, 100, 0.6); /* Success particle effects */
--warning-pulse: rgba(255, 100, 0, 0.6); /* Warning animations */
--error-highlight: rgba(255, 0, 100, 0.6); /* Error feedback */
}
Color Usage Guidelines
Brand Colors
- Neural Cyan (#00d4ff): Primary brand color used for active game elements, connections, and key UI components
- Neural Magenta (#ff00ff): Secondary brand color for gradients, particle effects, and special states
Game Element Colors
- Source Green (#00ff64): Source nodes that typically begin connection patterns
- Target Orange (#ff6400): Target nodes that typically end connection patterns
- Normal Blue (#333366/#00d4ff): Standard nodes, inactive/active states
- Connection Active (#00d4ff): Successfully created connections between nodes
Accessibility Considerations
- Minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 for all text
- Color combinations tested for colorblind accessibility
- Important information never conveyed by color alone
- High contrast mode considerations for visual impairments
Typography
Font Stack
font-family: 'Segoe UI', Tahoma, Geneva, Verdana, sans-serif;
Rationale:
- Segoe UI: Modern, clean appearance on Windows
- Tahoma: Reliable fallback with good readability
- Geneva: Mac-specific clean sans-serif
- Verdana: Universal fallback with excellent screen readability
- sans-serif: System fallback
Typography Scale
/* Heading Hierarchy */
.game-title {
font-size: 2rem; /* 32px - Main game title */
font-weight: bold;
line-height: 1.2;
}
.section-heading {
font-size: 1.5rem; /* 24px - Section headers */
font-weight: 600;
line-height: 1.3;
}
.ui-heading {
font-size: 1.25rem; /* 20px - UI component headers */
font-weight: 600;
line-height: 1.4;
}
/* Body Text */
.body-large {
font-size: 1.1rem; /* 18px - Important body text */
line-height: 1.5;
}
.body-normal {
font-size: 1rem; /* 16px - Standard body text */
line-height: 1.6;
}
.body-small {
font-size: 0.875rem; /* 14px - Secondary information */
line-height: 1.4;
}
/* UI Elements */
.stat-label {
font-size: 0.8rem; /* 13px - Stat labels */
opacity: 0.7;
text-transform: uppercase;
letter-spacing: 0.05em;
}
.stat-value {
font-size: 1.1rem; /* 18px - Stat values */
font-weight: bold;
color: var(--neural-cyan);
}
Text Effects
/* Gradient Text Effect */
.gradient-text {
background: linear-gradient(45deg, var(--neural-cyan), var(--neural-magenta));
-webkit-background-clip: text;
-webkit-text-fill-color: transparent;
background-clip: text;
}
/* Glow Text Effect */
.glow-text {
text-shadow: 0 0 20px rgba(0, 212, 255, 0.5);
}
Layout System
Grid Structure
/* Game Container Layout */
.game-container {
display: flex;
flex-direction: column;
height: 100vh;
position: relative;
}
.game-header {
flex-shrink: 0; /* Fixed height header */
padding: 20px;
}
.game-canvas {
flex: 1; /* Expandable game area */
position: relative;
overflow: hidden;
}
Responsive Breakpoints
/* Mobile First Approach */
/* Base styles: Mobile (320px+) */
@media (min-width: 480px) {
/* Large mobile/small tablet */
.game-header {
padding: 24px;
}
}
@media (min-width: 768px) {
/* Tablet */
.game-title {
font-size: 2.5rem;
}
.game-stats {
gap: 40px;
}
}
@media (min-width: 1024px) {
/* Desktop */
.game-header {
padding: 30px;
}
.game-title {
font-size: 3rem;
}
}
@media (min-width: 1440px) {
/* Large desktop */
.game-container {
max-width: 1400px;
margin: 0 auto;
}
}
Component Design Patterns
Glassmorphism Cards
.glass-card {
background: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.3);
backdrop-filter: blur(10px);
border: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.1);
border-radius: 15px;
padding: 30px;
box-shadow: 0 8px 32px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.3);
}
.glass-card::before {
content: '';
position: absolute;
top: 0;
left: 0;
right: 0;
height: 1px;
background: linear-gradient(90deg,
transparent,
rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.2),
transparent
);
}
Interactive Buttons
.neural-button {
background: linear-gradient(45deg, var(--neural-cyan), var(--neural-magenta));
border: none;
padding: 12px 30px;
border-radius: 25px;
color: white;
font-weight: bold;
cursor: pointer;
transition: all 0.3s ease;
position: relative;
overflow: hidden;
}
.neural-button:hover {
transform: scale(1.05);
box-shadow: 0 5px 20px rgba(0, 212, 255, 0.4);
}
.neural-button:active {
transform: scale(0.98);
}
/* Hover shimmer effect */
.neural-button::before {
content: '';
position: absolute;
top: 0;
left: -100%;
width: 100%;
height: 100%;
background: linear-gradient(90deg,
transparent,
rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.3),
transparent
);
transition: left 0.5s ease;
}
.neural-button:hover::before {
left: 100%;
}
Game Node Styling
/* Base node appearance */
.game-node {
position: absolute;
border-radius: 50%;
cursor: pointer;
transition: all 0.2s ease;
}
/* Node type variations */
.node-source {
background: radial-gradient(circle, var(--source-green), transparent);
box-shadow: 0 0 20px rgba(0, 255, 100, 0.5);
}
.node-target {
background: radial-gradient(circle, var(--target-orange), transparent);
box-shadow: 0 0 20px rgba(255, 100, 0, 0.5);
}
.node-normal {
background: radial-gradient(circle, var(--normal-blue), transparent);
box-shadow: 0 0 15px rgba(51, 51, 102, 0.5);
}
.node-normal.active {
background: radial-gradient(circle, var(--neural-cyan), transparent);
box-shadow: 0 0 25px rgba(0, 212, 255, 0.6);
}
/* Node pulse animation */
@keyframes node-pulse {
0%, 100% {
transform: scale(1);
opacity: 1;
}
50% {
transform: scale(1.05);
opacity: 0.8;
}
}
.game-node {
animation: node-pulse 2s ease-in-out infinite;
}
Animation Guidelines
Micro-Interactions
/* Hover state transitions */
.interactive-element {
transition: all 0.2s ease;
}
.interactive-element:hover {
transform: translateY(-2px);
box-shadow: 0 4px 12px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15);
}
/* Button press feedback */
.button:active {
transform: translateY(1px);
transition-duration: 0.1s;
}
Level Complete Animation
@keyframes level-complete {
0% {
opacity: 0;
transform: translate(-50%, -50%) scale(0.8);
}
50% {
opacity: 1;
transform: translate(-50%, -50%) scale(1.05);
}
100% {
opacity: 1;
transform: translate(-50%, -50%) scale(1);
}
}
.level-complete {
animation: level-complete 0.5s ease-out;
}
Particle Effects
.particle {
position: absolute;
width: 2px;
height: 2px;
background: var(--neural-cyan);
border-radius: 50%;
pointer-events: none;
animation: particle-fade 1s ease-out forwards;
}
@keyframes particle-fade {
0% {
opacity: 1;
transform: scale(1);
}
100% {
opacity: 0;
transform: scale(0.5);
}
}
Mobile Design Considerations
Touch Target Sizing
/* Minimum touch target size: 44px */
.touch-target {
min-width: 44px;
min-height: 44px;
padding: 12px;
}
/* Game nodes on mobile */
@media (max-width: 768px) {
.game-node {
min-width: 44px;
min-height: 44px;
}
}
Mobile-Specific Adaptations
@media (max-width: 768px) {
/* Larger text for readability */
.game-title {
font-size: 1.8rem;
}
/* Increased spacing for touch */
.game-stats {
gap: 20px;
}
/* Simplified visual effects for performance */
.glass-card {
backdrop-filter: blur(5px);
}
}
Dark Mode Support
CSS Custom Properties Approach
/* Default dark theme (primary) */
:root {
--bg-primary: #0a0a0a;
--bg-secondary: #1a1a2e;
--text-primary: #ffffff;
--text-secondary: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);
}
/* Light theme override (future) */
@media (prefers-color-scheme: light) {
:root {
--bg-primary: #f5f5f5;
--bg-secondary: #ffffff;
--text-primary: #1a1a2e;
--text-secondary: rgba(26, 26, 46, 0.7);
}
}
Performance Optimizations
GPU Acceleration
/* Force GPU acceleration for smooth animations */
.gpu-accelerated {
transform: translateZ(0);
will-change: transform;
}
/* Optimize for 60fps animations */
@keyframes optimized-fade {
from { opacity: 0; transform: translateZ(0); }
to { opacity: 1; transform: translateZ(0); }
}
Reduced Motion Support
/* Respect user's motion preferences */
@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
*,
*::before,
*::after {
animation-duration: 0.01ms !important;
animation-iteration-count: 1 !important;
transition-duration: 0.01ms !important;
}
}
Design System Maintenance
Regular Review Process
- Monthly: Review color usage and consistency
- Quarterly: Assess animation performance impact
- Bi-annually: Update for new design trends
- Annually: Comprehensive accessibility audit
Design Token Updates
When updating design tokens:
- Test all visual states and components
- Verify accessibility requirements still met
- Check performance impact of changes
- Update documentation and examples
- Validate across all target devices
Version Control
- Tag visual design changes in git commits
- Maintain design decision documentation
- Screenshot key UI states for regression testing
- Document breaking changes that affect gameplay
Last Updated: June 2025 Next Review: July 2025 (Monthly visual design review)