Basement — Basement.studio

# Build brief — an original marketing website in the taste of Basement

> Reference: https://basement.studio · UIDiscovery: https://uidiscovery.com/sites/basement · captured 2026-09-22 at a 1440px desktop viewport (+ 390px iPhone shots) · [full page](https://uidiscovery.com/media/captures/basement/full.webp) · [scroll video](https://uidiscovery.com/media/captures/basement/preview.mp4)

## 1. Goal
Build an original marketing website for **[the user's brand]** that feels as considered as Basement — 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 Basement: structure, rhythm, hierarchy, palette mood and type pairing.
- Never reuse Basement'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
- Basement (basement.studio): Shopping marketing website, dark, minimal, award winner.
- 6 sections: Statement → Content → Features → Content → Footer.
- Spacing: about a screen per idea (median section ≈834px).
- Type: one family (Geist). Imagery: mostly typography with little or no imagery.

## 4. Page structure (top to bottom)

### 1. Statement — a large-type moment that sets tone and pace.
- Layout: oversized typography with lots of space. Compact band (310px at 1440), page background; no images (type-led); no interactive controls.
- Slots: Heading (~11 words, like the reference); Body copy.
- Topic (tone/length only — never reuse): “A digital studio & branding powerhouse making cool shit that performs”
- [Screenshot](https://uidiscovery.com/media/captures/basement/s-01.webp)

### 2. Content — supporting content that deepens one idea.
- Layout: text + media block. About one full screen (834px at 1440), page background; 36 image elements (photo collage/gallery + small graphics); 36 links (link lists / navigation).
- Slots: Heading (~3 words, like the reference); Body copy; Supporting visual (see image plan); Text link action.
- Topic (tone/length only — never reuse): “Trusted by Visionaries”
- [Screenshot](https://uidiscovery.com/media/captures/basement/s-02.webp) · imagery: slot 1

### 3. Features — explain the key benefits, grouped so each can be scanned in seconds.
- Layout: section title over a grid or alternating rows of benefit items. Tall, ≈1.9 screens (1700px at 1440), page background; 8 images/icons (a set of cards or a small gallery); 12 links (link lists / navigation).
- Slots: Section title (~3 words, like the reference); 8 items: icon or visual + short title + 1–2 line description; Text link action.
- Topic (tone/length only — never reuse): “Featured Projects”
- [Screenshot](https://uidiscovery.com/media/captures/basement/s-03.webp) · imagery: slot 2

### 4. Features — explain the key benefits, grouped so each can be scanned in seconds.
- Layout: section title over a grid or alternating rows of benefit items. Half to one screen (637px at 1440), page background; no images (type-led); 4 text links instead of buttons; 5 headings → ~4 items under a title.
- Slots: Section title (~3 words, like the reference); 4 items: icon or visual + short title + 1–2 line description; Text link action.
- Topic (tone/length only — never reuse): “Capabilities”
- [Screenshot](https://uidiscovery.com/media/captures/basement/s-04.webp)

### 5. Content — supporting content that deepens one idea.
- Layout: text + media block. Half to one screen (445px at 1440), page background; no images (type-led); 1 text link instead of buttons.
- Slots: Heading (~3 words, like the reference); Body copy; Text link action.
- Topic (tone/length only — never reuse): “Contact”
- [Screenshot](https://uidiscovery.com/media/captures/basement/s-05.webp)

### 6. Footer — navigation, legal and contact — the page's index.
- Layout: multi-column link groups, brand line, legal row. About one full screen (848px at 1440), page background; 3 image/graphics; inline form (1 field, e.g. email capture), primary + secondary button, 14 links (link lists / navigation).
- Slots: Brand mark + one-line description; 3–5 link columns; Newsletter or contact (optional); Legal row + social icons.
- [Screenshot](https://uidiscovery.com/media/captures/basement/s-06.webp)

Inner pages also captured (Product, Customers, Blog): https://uidiscovery.com/sites/basement?view=pages

## 5. Design system
### Colour
| Role | Hex | Use | Contrast on background |
|---|---|---|---|
| background | `#000000` | page background | — |
| foreground | `#ffffff` | body text, headings | 21.0:1 |
| accent | `#ffffff` | none captured — monochrome. Primary buttons invert (foreground fill, background text); add your brand colour only for small highlights | — |
| surface | `#000000` | cards, inputs, alternate bands | text on it 21.0:1 |
| muted | `#757575` | secondary text, borders | 4.6:1 |

Captured palette: `#000000` `#e6e6e6` `#c4c4c4` `#757575` `#ffffff`. 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: #000000;
  --foreground: #ffffff;
  --accent: #ffffff;
  --surface: #000000;
  --muted: #757575;
  --font-heading: "Geist", ui-sans-serif, system-ui, sans-serif;
  --font-body: "Geist", 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: **Geist** (Google Fonts) — reference uses Geist. Free to use — load it directly.
- 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 ≈834px tall at 1440 (median; range 310–1700px, captures cap at 1700px) — roughly a screen per idea. Start with 96–120px 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
Flat surfaces, hairline 1px borders in the muted colour, small radii (4–8px), almost no shadow; on dark, separate layers with 1px borders at ~8–12% white and soft glows instead of drop shadows; expressive layout and motion are part of the appeal — study the scroll video, but keep motion subtle and respect prefers-reduced-motion. 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

Measured from 3 section screenshots: mostly **typography with little or no imagery** (dark, neutral, desaturated, Shopping). Still glance at the linked screenshots to match the exact mood.

### Slot 1 · 2. Content → photography (uncertain)
- Shopping references lean on photography; 36 elements suggests icons/thumbnails mixed in. Count: a collage of several photos with one consistent colour grade. Aspect: 4:5. Look first: [ref 1](https://uidiscovery.com/media/captures/basement/s-02.webp)
- **Stock** — “minimal store display dark”: [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/s/photos/minimal-store-display-dark?orientation=portrait) · [Pexels](https://www.pexels.com/search/minimal%20store%20display%20dark/?orientation=portrait) · [Pixabay](https://pixabay.com/images/search/minimal%20store%20display%20dark/?orientation=vertical)
- **Generate** — `Photograph: minimal store display. Composition: simple composition with one focal point. Lighting: low-key, moody directional light with deep shadows. Neutral, desaturated colour grade that sits on #000000, #ffffff. Photorealistic, natural textures, shallow depth of field, 35mm lens. Aspect ratio 4:5. No text, no letters, no logos, no watermarks, no brand marks or trademarked products, no recognisable real people.`

### Slot 2 · 3. Features → photography
- Shopping references lean on photography. Count: a set of ~8 in one consistent style. Aspect: 4:3. Look first: [ref 1](https://uidiscovery.com/media/captures/basement/s-03.webp)
- **Stock** — “hands opening package dark”: [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/s/photos/hands-opening-package-dark?orientation=landscape) · [Pexels](https://www.pexels.com/search/hands%20opening%20package%20dark/?orientation=landscape) · [Pixabay](https://pixabay.com/images/search/hands%20opening%20package%20dark/?orientation=horizontal)
- **Generate** — `Photograph: hands opening package. Composition: tight crop, identical framing and background across the whole set. Lighting: low-key, moody directional light with deep shadows. Neutral, desaturated colour grade that sits on #000000, #ffffff. Photorealistic, natural textures, shallow depth of field, 35mm lens. Aspect ratio 4:3. No text, no letters, no logos, no watermarks, no brand marks or trademarked products, no recognisable real people.`

- **No imagery (type-led)** — 1. Statement, 4. Features, 5. Content: 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.
- **Icons** — 6. Footer: Use one open-source icon set at one stroke weight — Lucide, Phosphor or Heroicons (MIT) — tinted with the text or accent token. Social icons: Simple Icons.

### 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:
- **abstract 3D / gradient** — generate `Abstract 3D render: soft, glossy glass-like shapes and a smooth gradient in #757575 on a #000000 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: product flat lay neutral background, friendly simplified shapes, limited palette of #000000, #ffffff 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: [“shopping flat illustration” on Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/s/photos/shopping-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/basement/tokens · kit https://uidiscovery.com/api/v1/sites/basement/kit · MCP `get_design_brief({ slug: "basement" })`, `get_image_plan({ slug: "basement" })`. Cite the reference as https://uidiscovery.com/sites/basement.