Preview the prompt +
# Build brief — an original marketing website in the taste of Adam Wathan
> Reference: https://adamwathan.me · UIDiscovery: https://uidiscovery.com/sites/adam-wathan · captured 2026-09-22 at a 1440px desktop viewport (+ 390px iPhone shots) · [full page](https://uidiscovery.com/media/captures/adam-wathan/full.webp) · [scroll video](https://uidiscovery.com/media/captures/adam-wathan/preview.mp4)
## 1. Goal
Build an original marketing website for **[the user's brand]** that feels as considered as Adam Wathan — same structure, rhythm and polish, entirely new identity and content.
## 2. Originality rules
- Build an ORIGINAL design for the user's own brand in the same *taste* as Adam Wathan: structure, rhythm, hierarchy, palette mood and type pairing.
- Never reuse Adam Wathan's logo, name, product imagery, illustrations, icons, screenshots or copy. Write new copy for the user's product.
- If the user hasn't said what their product is, ask first (or use clearly marked placeholders like [Brand], [Product], [Audience]).
- Reference screenshots are for looking at, not for embedding or tracing.
## 3. The taste, in short
- Adam Wathan (adamwathan.me): Portfolio marketing website, dark.
- 1 section: About.
- Spacing: short, dense bands (median section ≈412px).
- Type: one family (system-ui). Imagery: mostly typography with little or no imagery.
## 4. Page structure (top to bottom)
### 1. About — tell the story or mission behind the brand.
- Layout: text block with a supporting image. Half to one screen (412px at 1440), page background; no images (type-led); 11 links (link lists / navigation).
- Slots: Heading (~5 words, like the reference); Body copy; Text link action.
- Topic (tone/length only — never reuse): “Who the hell am I?”
- [Screenshot](https://uidiscovery.com/media/captures/adam-wathan/s-01.webp) · imagery: slot 1
Inner pages also captured (Blog): https://uidiscovery.com/sites/adam-wathan?view=pages
## 5. Design system
### Colour
| Role | Hex | Use | Contrast on background |
|---|---|---|---|
| background | `#3d4852` | page background | — |
| foreground | `#22292f` | body text, headings | 1.6:1 ⚠ below AA — adjust |
| accent | `#22292f` | none captured — monochrome. Primary buttons invert (foreground fill, background text); add your brand colour only for small highlights | — |
| surface | `#3d4852` | cards, inputs, alternate bands | text on it 1.6:1 |
| muted | `#22292f` | secondary text, borders | 1.6:1 — borders / large text only |
Captured palette: `#3d4852` `#22292f`. Roles are assigned automatically — sanity-check them against the screenshot. Keep the palette's *mood* (dark, neutral, desaturated) and proportions; swap the accent for the user's brand colour.
### Tokens
```css
:root {
--background: #3d4852;
--foreground: #22292f;
--accent: #22292f;
--surface: #3d4852;
--muted: #22292f;
--font-heading: "Inter", ui-sans-serif, system-ui, sans-serif;
--font-body: "Inter", ui-sans-serif, system-ui, sans-serif;
--radius: 12px; /* calibrate from the screenshot */
}
/* Tailwind v4 — in globals.css after @import "tailwindcss"; */
@theme {
--color-background: var(--background);
--color-foreground: var(--foreground);
--color-accent: var(--accent);
--color-surface: var(--surface);
--color-muted: var(--muted);
--font-heading: var(--font-heading);
--font-sans: var(--font-body);
}
```
### Typography
- Headings: **Inter** (Google Fonts) — reference uses system-ui. “system-ui” is a licensed face — use Inter as the free stand-in, or license the original.
- Body: same family — a single-family system; create contrast with size and weight, not a second face.
- Scale (starting point, sizes weren't measured — calibrate against the 1440px screenshot): display clamp(2.5rem, 5vw, 4.25rem), h2 clamp(1.75rem, 3vw, 2.5rem), h3 1.25rem, body 1rem–1.125rem / 1.6, small 0.875rem. Headings: tight tracking (-0.02em), line-height 1.05–1.15.
### Spacing & rhythm
Sections run ≈412px tall at 1440 (median; range 412–412px, captures cap at 1700px) — short, dense bands. Start with 64–80px vertical padding per section on desktop and about two-thirds of that on mobile. One continuous background — separate sections with space and type, not colour bands. 8px spacing grid, 1200–1280px max content width, 24px (mobile) / 32–48px (desktop) gutters.
### Shape, depth & theme
Radii and shadows weren't measured. Read exact corner radius, border and shadow treatment from the screenshots. Dark-first; for a light mode swap background ↔ foreground, lighten the surface, keep the accent and re-check contrast.
## 6. Imagery plan
Best guess: mostly **typography with little or no imagery** (dark, neutral, desaturated, Portfolio). Inferred from element counts, colours and industry — not from the pixels — so open the linked screenshots and match the real style before sourcing anything.
### Slot 1 · About → no imagery (type-led)
- Type-led — no real imagery in the capture; colour, type and spacing carry it. (measured from the screenshot) Count: 1. Aspect: 4:5. Look first: [ref 1](https://uidiscovery.com/media/captures/adam-wathan/s-01.webp)
- No imagery needed — type, spacing and colour do the work. If the screenshot shows a background graphic, rebuild it in CSS (gradient, grid, noise) or a short muted video, not a stock photo.
### If the screenshots show a different style
Open the refs first and name what you actually see (photo / product UI / illustration / abstract gradient or 3D / type only). If it differs from the guess, switch routes — UI is built in code, type-only needs no image, otherwise:
- **photography** — generate `Photograph: design studio workspace. Composition: wide shot, subject off-centre to one side, generous clean negative space for the headline. Lighting: low-key, moody directional light with deep shadows. Neutral, desaturated colour grade that sits on #3d4852, #22292f. Photorealistic, natural textures, shallow depth of field, 35mm lens. Aspect ratio 3:2. No text, no letters, no logos, no watermarks, no brand marks or trademarked products, no recognisable real people.` · stock: [“design studio workspace dark” on Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/s/photos/design-studio-workspace-dark?orientation=landscape) (same query works on Pexels/Pixabay)
- **abstract 3D / gradient** — generate `Abstract 3D render: soft, glossy glass-like shapes and a smooth gradient in #22292f on a #3d4852 background. Lighting: low-key, moody directional light with deep shadows; neutral, desaturated tone. Minimal and calm, generous negative space on one side for text. Aspect ratio 3:2. No text, no letters, no logos, no watermarks, no brand marks or trademarked products, no recognisable real people.` · stock: [“abstract dark gradient 3d” on Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/s/photos/abstract-dark-gradient-3d?orientation=landscape) (same query works on Pexels/Pixabay)
- **illustration** — generate `Flat vector illustration: design studio workspace, friendly simplified shapes, limited palette of #3d4852, #22292f plus one soft neutral, plenty of empty background, consistent line weight, neutral, desaturated mood. Aspect ratio 3:2. No text, no letters, no logos, no watermarks, no brand marks or trademarked products, no recognisable real people.` · stock: [“lifestyle flat illustration” on Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/s/photos/lifestyle-flat-illustration?orientation=landscape) (same query works on Pexels/Pixabay)
- **Licences:** Unsplash and Pexels images are free for commercial use under their own licences; Pixabay under the Pixabay Content License. Check each image's page before use, credit the photographer when asked (good practice anyway), and skip images showing logos, trademarks, branded products or identifiable people without a release.
- **AI generation:** the prompts work with any image model (GPT Image, Imagen, Flux, Midjourney, Firefly, SDXL…) — check its commercial-use terms. Never put the reference brand's name or “in the style of <brand>” in a prompt.
- **Never** download, trace or re-host the reference's own images, illustrations, product shots or logos.
## 7. Build steps
1. Confirm brand, product, audience and the primary action with the user.
2. Set up the tokens (CSS variables / Tailwind @theme) and load the fonts.
3. Build the sections in order, mobile-first, with each reference screenshot open.
4. Write original copy for every slot — match length and tone, never the words.
5. Source every image via the imagery plan (stock or generated); compress it and record credits.
6. Run the checklist at 390 / 768 / 1440px and fix what fails.
## 8. Acceptance checklist
- [ ] Responsive at 390px, 768px and 1440px — no horizontal scroll, tap targets ≥ 44px on mobile.
- [ ] Colour contrast WCAG AA: 4.5:1 body text, 3:1 large text and UI; visible focus states; full keyboard navigation.
- [ ] Semantic HTML: one <h1>, ordered headings, landmarks (header/nav/main/footer), labelled form fields, alt text on meaningful images.
- [ ] Performance: modern image formats with width/height set, lazy-load below the fold, ≤ 2 font families with font-display: swap, LCP < 2.5s.
- [ ] prefers-reduced-motion respected; animations under ~300ms and never blocking content.
- [ ] Originality: no copied logos, images, illustrations or copy from the reference; every image licensed or generated; credits recorded.
## 9. If you use Next.js + Tailwind
Paste the @theme block into globals.css, load fonts with next/font/google, make each section a server component in components/sections/, use next/image with explicit sizes, and keep client components for interactive bits only (menus, toggles, accordions).
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More: tokens https://uidiscovery.com/api/v1/sites/adam-wathan/tokens · kit https://uidiscovery.com/api/v1/sites/adam-wathan/kit · MCP `get_design_brief({ slug: "adam-wathan" })`, `get_image_plan({ slug: "adam-wathan" })`. Cite the reference as https://uidiscovery.com/sites/adam-wathan.
