designmds
← all sites

!Boring Software

andy.works
mutedcoolplayfulvibrantpremiumcreativesoft-cornersdisplay-fonts
!Boring Software
Agent-readable design overview — paste into any LLM.
DESIGN.md

!Boring Software — Design System

North Star

Andy Allen's portfolio for Not Boring software — playful, sticker-rich, app icons as the heroes.

Theme: light Category: personal Tags: muted · cool · playful · vibrant · premium · creative · soft-corners · display-fonts

Description

Andy.works is a design playground built around hyper-detailed 3D-rendered app icons (weather, calculator, habits) on a soft pastel canvas. Massive sculpted display numerals like a 3D '2' anchor sections, and the whole page reads like a print magazine spread for a design studio. A signature yellow CTA strip ('Get Updates') hits midway. Type rotates between a confident editorial sans for headers and tight body copy. The personality is craft-obsessed and gleeful.

Colors

NameHexGroupRoleTailwind
neutral-950#000000neutralneutral step 950
neutral-700#333333neutralneutral step 700
neutral-800-1#232323neutralneutral step 800neutral-800 (Δ0.012)
neutral-50#ffffffneutralneutral step 50zinc-50 (Δ0.015)
blue-600#0000eeblueblue step 600
neutral-800-2#292929neutralneutral step 800zinc-800 (Δ0.009)

Surfaces (Elevation)

LevelNameHexPurpose
0background#ffffffPage background
1surface-1#333333Cards / elevated panels
2surface-2#292929Elevation tier 2
3surface-floor#000000Elevation tier 3

Elevation philosophy. Soft elevation throughout — drop shadows on every icon to give material presence. Section background colors create the canvas-tier elevation; the icons float gently above.

Typography

Arial — weight 400

body

Founders Grotesk — weight 700

display

Jet Brains — weight 400

link

Type Scale

RoleSizeLine-heightTracking
display76px1
h276px1
h344px1.2
link36px1
ui-input24px1.43
body14px1.43

Spacing & Radius

Radius

  • none: 0
  • sm: 4px
  • md: 8px

Spacing

  • base: 1px

Layout

Long vertical magazine layout — hero icon trio, big paragraph, sculpted numeral, more icons, yellow band, More posts grid. Each section is its own composition.

Imagery

3D-rendered app icons in dimensional, materially-rich detail (glass, foam, metal). Big sculpted typographic moments. A single illustrated photo at the bottom (a couch scene). Otherwise, all imagery is rendered icons.

Do

  • Make the app icons the heroes — render them in 3D at huge sizes against soft canvases
  • Use display-scale sculpted numerals as section dividers instead of headlines
  • Punch a single yellow CTA band into the editorial flow as a high-contrast moment
  • Mix soft pastel section backgrounds with white canvas to create rhythm

Don't

  • Don't flatten the icons — depth and material are the personality
  • Don't use a uniform card grid; mix featured, supporting, and trio layouts
  • Don't avoid color — every section should feel slightly different in tone
  • Don't lose the playfulness; technical perfection without joy is not the brand