Preview the prompt +
# Build brief — an original marketing website in the taste of NYU
> Reference: https://www.nyu.edu · UIDiscovery: https://uidiscovery.com/sites/nyu · captured 2026-09-23 at a 1440px desktop viewport (+ 390px iPhone shots) · [full page](https://uidiscovery.com/media/captures/nyu/full.webp) · [scroll video](https://uidiscovery.com/media/captures/nyu/preview.mp4)
## 1. Goal
Build an original marketing website for **[the user's brand]** that feels as considered as NYU — 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 NYU: structure, rhythm, hierarchy, palette mood and type pairing.
- Never reuse NYU'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
- NYU (nyu.edu): Education marketing website, dark.
- 3 sections: Hero → Content → Footer.
- Spacing: about a screen per idea (median section ≈807px).
- Hero headline: 3 words — short and punchy; keep yours under ~9.
- Type: one family (NYU Perstare). Imagery: mostly photography.
## 4. Page structure (top to bottom)
### 1. Hero — state what the product is and for whom in one glance, and offer the primary action.
- Layout: headline-led stack: eyebrow → H1 → supporting line → actions, with a visual beside or below. Tall, ≈1.4 screens (1277px at 1440), own light band #ffffff; 1 image/graphic; no interactive controls.
- Slots: Eyebrow / announcement pill (optional); H1 (~3 words, like the reference); Supporting line, 1–2 sentences; Primary action; Hero visual (see image plan).
- Topic (tone/length only — never reuse): “NEW YORK UNIVERSITY”
- [Screenshot](https://uidiscovery.com/media/captures/nyu/s-01.webp) · imagery: slot 1
### 2. Content — supporting content that deepens one idea.
- Layout: text + media block. About one full screen (807px at 1440), own light band #f7f7f7; 9 images/icons (a set of cards or a small gallery); 3 buttons (tabs, toggles or per-card actions).
- Slots: Heading (~5 words, like the reference); Body copy; Supporting visual (see image plan); Primary + secondary action.
- Topic (tone/length only — never reuse): “In and of the World”
- [Screenshot](https://uidiscovery.com/media/captures/nyu/s-02.webp) · imagery: slot 2
### 3. Footer — navigation, legal and contact — the page's index.
- Layout: multi-column link groups, brand line, legal row. Half to one screen (420px at 1440), own light band #ffffff; 5 images/icons (a set of cards or a small gallery); one primary button, 16 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/nyu/s-03.webp)
Inner pages also captured (About, Contact): https://uidiscovery.com/sites/nyu?view=pages
## 5. Design system
### Colour
| Role | Hex | Use | Contrast on background |
|---|---|---|---|
| background | `#57068c` | page background | — |
| foreground | `#ffffff` | body text, headings | 11.6:1 |
| accent | `#8900e1` | primary buttons, links, highlights — sparingly | 1.7:1 ⚠ not for text; use as a fill with #ffffff text (6.7:1) |
| surface | `#0b0b0b` | cards, inputs, alternate bands | text on it 19.7:1 |
| muted | `#5c5c5c` | secondary text, borders | 1.7:1 — borders / large text only |
Captured palette: `#57068c` `#ffffff` `#0b0b0b` `#f7f7f7` `#5c5c5c` `#8900e1`. Section bands top→bottom: `#ffffff` → `#f7f7f7`. Roles are assigned automatically — sanity-check them against the screenshot. Keep the palette's *mood* (dark, cool) and proportions; swap the accent for the user's brand colour.
### Tokens
```css
:root {
--background: #57068c;
--foreground: #ffffff;
--accent: #8900e1;
--surface: #0b0b0b;
--muted: #5c5c5c;
--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 NYU Perstare. “NYU Perstare” is likely a custom or licensed face. Inter is a neutral stand-in — pick a closer free match by eye from the screenshot.
- 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(2.75rem, 6vw, 5rem), 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 ≈807px tall at 1440 (median; range 420–1277px, 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. The background changes 2 times down the page — use band changes to mark chapters. 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 **photography** (dark, cool, Education). 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 · 1. Hero → photography
- Photography, seen in the capture (people, adult, clothing). (measured from the screenshot) Count: 1. Aspect: 16:9 full-bleed (or 21:9). Look first: [ref 1](https://uidiscovery.com/media/captures/nyu/s-01.webp)
- **Stock** — “students studying together dark”: [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/s/photos/students-studying-together-dark?orientation=landscape) · [Pexels](https://www.pexels.com/search/students%20studying%20together%20dark/?orientation=landscape) · [Pixabay](https://pixabay.com/images/search/students%20studying%20together%20dark/?orientation=horizontal)
- **Generate** — `Photograph: students studying together. 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. Cool colour grade that sits on #ffffff, #8900e1, #0b0b0b. Photorealistic, natural textures, shallow depth of field, 35mm lens. Aspect ratio 16:9. No text, no letters, no logos, no watermarks, no brand marks or trademarked products, no recognisable real people.`
### Slot 2 · 2. Content → photography
- Education references lean on photography. Count: a set of ~9 in one consistent style. Aspect: 4:5. Look first: [ref 1](https://uidiscovery.com/media/captures/nyu/s-02.webp)
- **Stock** — “notebook and laptop on desk dark”: [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/s/photos/notebook-and-laptop-on-desk-dark?orientation=portrait) · [Pexels](https://www.pexels.com/search/notebook%20and%20laptop%20on%20desk%20dark/?orientation=portrait) · [Pixabay](https://pixabay.com/images/search/notebook%20and%20laptop%20on%20desk%20dark/?orientation=vertical)
- **Generate** — `Photograph: notebook and laptop on desk. Composition: simple composition with one focal point. Lighting: low-key, moody directional light with deep shadows. Cool colour grade that sits on #f7f7f7, #8900e1, #0b0b0b. 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.`
- **Icons** — 3. 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 #8900e1 and #5c5c5c on a #57068c background. Lighting: low-key, moody directional light with deep shadows; cool tone. Minimal and calm, generous negative space on one side for text. Aspect ratio 16:9. 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: students studying together, friendly simplified shapes, limited palette of #ffffff, #8900e1, #0b0b0b plus one soft neutral, plenty of empty background, consistent line weight, cool mood. Aspect ratio 16:9. No text, no letters, no logos, no watermarks, no brand marks or trademarked products, no recognisable real people.` · stock: [“education flat illustration” on Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/s/photos/education-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/nyu/tokens · kit https://uidiscovery.com/api/v1/sites/nyu/kit · MCP `get_design_brief({ slug: "nyu" })`, `get_image_plan({ slug: "nyu" })`. Cite the reference as https://uidiscovery.com/sites/nyu.
