Coda — Your all-in-one collaborative workspace

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

> Reference: https://coda.io · UIDiscovery: https://uidiscovery.com/sites/coda · captured 2026-09-21 at a 1440px desktop viewport (+ 390px iPhone shots) · [full page](https://uidiscovery.com/media/captures/coda/full.webp) · [scroll video](https://uidiscovery.com/media/captures/coda/preview.mp4)

## 1. Goal
Build an original marketing website for **[the user's brand]** that feels as considered as Coda — 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 Coda: structure, rhythm, hierarchy, palette mood and type pairing.
- Never reuse Coda'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
- Coda (coda.io): AI marketing website, dark, minimal.
- 4 sections: Call to action → Statement → Content → Features.
- Spacing: short, dense bands (median section ≈437px).
- Type: Calibre R headings over Super Sans body. Imagery: mostly typography with little or no imagery.

## 4. Page structure (top to bottom)

### 1. Call to action — close the page with one clear next step.
- Layout: short headline + one primary action on a contrasting band. Compact band (328px at 1440), own light band #ffffff; no images (type-led); one primary button.
- Slots: Headline (~5 words, like the reference); One sentence of support; One primary action.
- Topic (tone/length only — never reuse): “Coda is now Superhuman Docs!”
- [Screenshot](https://uidiscovery.com/media/captures/coda/s-01.webp)

### 2. Statement — a large-type moment that sets tone and pace.
- Layout: oversized typography with lots of space. Tall, ≈1.4 screens (1280px at 1440), own light band #ffffff; 1 image/graphic; primary + secondary button.
- Slots: Heading (~4 words, like the reference); Body copy; Supporting visual (see image plan); Primary + secondary action.
- Topic (tone/length only — never reuse): “Your all-in-one collaborative workspace.”
- [Screenshot](https://uidiscovery.com/media/captures/coda/s-02.webp) · imagery: slot 1

### 3. Content — supporting content that deepens one idea.
- Layout: text + media block. Compact band (346px at 1440), own light band #ffffff; 1 image/graphic; one primary button.
- Slots: Heading (~13 words, like the reference); Body copy; Supporting visual (see image plan); One primary action.
- Topic (tone/length only — never reuse): “"It’s more powerful than Google Docs and more flexible than Airtable or Notion."”
- [Screenshot](https://uidiscovery.com/media/captures/coda/s-03.webp)

### 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 (437px at 1440), own light band #ffffff; 3 image/graphics; one primary button.
- Slots: Section title (~3 words, like the reference); 3 items: icon or visual + short title + 1–2 line description; One primary action.
- Topic (tone/length only — never reuse): “Writeups”
- [Screenshot](https://uidiscovery.com/media/captures/coda/s-04.webp)

Inner pages also captured (Pricing, Product, About, Blog, Docs, Enterprise, Careers, Contact, Security): https://uidiscovery.com/sites/coda?view=pages

## 5. Design system
### Colour
| Role | Hex | Use | Contrast on background |
|---|---|---|---|
| background | `#292827` | page background | — |
| foreground | `#ffffff` | body text, headings | 14.7:1 |
| accent | `#ffffff` | none captured — monochrome. Primary buttons invert (foreground fill, background text); add your brand colour only for small highlights | — |
| surface | `#292827` | cards, inputs, alternate bands | text on it 14.7:1 |
| muted | `#73716d` | secondary text, borders | 3.0:1 — borders / large text only |

Captured palette: `#292827` `#ffffff` `#fff6ec` `#73716d`. 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: #292827;
  --foreground: #ffffff;
  --accent: #ffffff;
  --surface: #292827;
  --muted: #73716d;
  --font-heading: "Manrope", 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: **Manrope** (Google Fonts) — reference uses Calibre R. “Calibre R” is a licensed face — use Manrope (or Figtree) as the free stand-in, or license the original.
- Body: **Inter** (Google Fonts) — reference uses Super Sans. “Super Sans” is likely a custom or licensed face. Inter is a neutral stand-in — pick a closer free match by eye from the screenshot.
- 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 ≈437px tall at 1440 (median; range 328–1280px, 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
Flat surfaces, hairline 1px borders in the muted colour, small radii (4–8px), almost no shadow. 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, AI). Still glance at the linked screenshots to match the exact mood.

### Slot 1 · 2. Statement → illustration (uncertain)
- Light AI section with a few graphics — illustration, icon art or a product shot. Count: 1. Aspect: 4:5. Look first: [ref 1](https://uidiscovery.com/media/captures/coda/s-02.webp)
- **Stock** — “technology flat illustration”: [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/s/photos/technology-flat-illustration?orientation=portrait) · [Pexels](https://www.pexels.com/search/technology%20flat%20illustration/?orientation=portrait) · [Pixabay](https://pixabay.com/images/search/technology%20flat%20illustration/?orientation=vertical)
- **Generate** — `Flat vector illustration: abstract gradient mesh, friendly simplified shapes, limited palette of #ffffff, #292827 plus one soft neutral, plenty of empty background, consistent line weight, neutral, desaturated mood. Aspect ratio 4:5. No text, no letters, no logos, no watermarks, no brand marks or trademarked products, no recognisable real people.`
- Uncertain: this could equally be photography, a product shot or icon art — open the reference screenshots and match what you see.

- **No imagery (type-led)** — 1. Call to action, 3. Content, 4. Features: 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: abstract gradient mesh. 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 #ffffff, #292827. 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: [“abstract gradient mesh dark” on Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/s/photos/abstract-gradient-mesh-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 #73716d on a #292827 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)

- **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/coda/tokens · kit https://uidiscovery.com/api/v1/sites/coda/kit · MCP `get_design_brief({ slug: "coda" })`, `get_image_plan({ slug: "coda" })`. Cite the reference as https://uidiscovery.com/sites/coda.