Design Principles

The Everforth Design System is built on core principles that guide every design decision. These principles ensure consistency, usability, and delight across all our products.

Our Principles

01

Clarity First

Every interface element should have a clear purpose. Remove ambiguity, reduce cognitive load, and guide users toward their goals with confidence.

In Practice

• Use clear, descriptive labels over clever ones
• Show one primary action per screen
• Provide visual hierarchy through typography and spacing
• Eliminate unnecessary elements that don't serve user goals

02

Consistency Builds Trust

Familiar patterns reduce friction. When users know what to expect, they can focus on their tasks instead of learning the interface.

In Practice

• Use the same component for the same function
• Maintain consistent placement of navigation and actions
• Follow established interaction patterns
• Apply design tokens systematically

03

Accessible to All

Great design works for everyone. We build inclusive experiences that accommodate diverse abilities, devices, and contexts.

In Practice

• Meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards as a baseline
• Design for keyboard and screen reader users
• Ensure sufficient color contrast
• Don't rely on color alone to convey meaning

04

Purposeful Motion

Animation should inform, not distract. Use motion to guide attention, provide feedback, and create spatial understanding.

In Practice

• Animate state changes to maintain context
• Use consistent easing and duration
• Respect reduced motion preferences
• Keep animations brief (under 300ms for micro-interactions)

05

Content-Driven Design

Design serves content, not the other way around. Interfaces should showcase information clearly and let content breathe.

In Practice

• Design with real content, not lorem ipsum
• Ensure text remains readable at all sizes
• Use whitespace to create visual breathing room
• Prioritize information hierarchy

06

Responsive by Default

Every design must work across devices and contexts. Mobile-first isn't a feature—it's a fundamental requirement.

In Practice

• Start designs at mobile size, then scale up
• Touch targets must be at least 44px
• Test on real devices, not just browser simulators
• Consider offline and low-bandwidth scenarios

Applying the Principles

Decision Framework

When faced with design decisions, ask these questions in order:

1

Is it clear?

Can users understand what this element does and how to use it without explanation?

2

Is it consistent?

Does this follow existing patterns in the system? If not, is there a compelling reason to deviate?

3

Is it accessible?

Can all users, regardless of ability or device, accomplish their goals?

4

Is it necessary?

Does every element earn its place? Can anything be removed without losing functionality?

Common Trade-offs

Design often involves balancing competing concerns:

Trade-off	Guidance
Features vs. Simplicity	Start with the minimum viable feature set. Add complexity only when validated by user needs.
Consistency vs. Optimization	Prefer consistency. Optimize only when data shows a clear pattern-break provides significant value.
Aesthetics vs. Performance	Performance wins. A beautiful interface that loads slowly loses users.
Innovation vs. Convention	Follow conventions for core interactions. Save innovation for differentiating features.

Visual Design Fundamentals

Hierarchy

Establish clear visual hierarchy to guide user attention:

PrimaryPage titles, primary actions

SecondarySection headings, secondary actions

TertiaryBody content, supporting information

QuaternaryCaptions, metadata, timestamps

Spacing

Use consistent spacing to create rhythm and relationships:

• Tight spacing (4-8px): Related elements within a group
• Default spacing (12-16px): Elements within a section
• Loose spacing (24-32px): Separation between sections
• Extra spacing (48-64px): Major content divisions

Alignment

Alignment creates order and reduces visual noise:

• Use a consistent grid (12 columns for desktop, 4 for mobile)
• Align elements to a baseline grid for typography
• Left-align text in most cases (except for special treatments)
• Align form labels and inputs consistently

Component Design Guidelines

When to Create a New Component

Before creating a new component, verify:

No existing component solves this problem

The pattern will be used in at least 3 places

Existing components can't be combined to achieve the same result

The component follows all design principles

Component Variants

When designing variants, consider:

1. Size variants - sm, md, lg for different contexts
2. State variants - default, hover, active, focus, disabled
3. Style variants - primary, secondary, tertiary importance
4. Semantic variants - success, warning, error, info

Documentation Requirements

Every component needs:

• Clear description of purpose and use cases
• Live interactive examples
• All available props/variants
• Accessibility considerations
• Do's and Don'ts with examples

Measuring Success

Qualitative Metrics

• User feedback and satisfaction scores
• Usability testing success rates
• Accessibility audit results
• Design review pass rates

Quantitative Metrics

• Component adoption rate
• Time to complete common tasks
• Error rates and recovery time
• Page load and interaction performance