Sequel — Your legacy, made

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

> Reference: https://sequel.co · UIDiscovery: https://uidiscovery.com/sites/sequel · captured 2026-09-23 at a 1440px desktop viewport (+ 390px iPhone shots) · [full page](https://uidiscovery.com/media/captures/sequel/full.png) · [scroll video](https://uidiscovery.com/media/captures/sequel/preview.mp4)

## 1. Goal
Build an original marketing website for **[the user's brand]** that feels as considered as Sequel — 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 Sequel: structure, rhythm, hierarchy, palette mood and type pairing.
- Never reuse Sequel'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
- Sequel (sequel.co): Finance marketing website, dark, minimal.
- 6 sections: Hero → Showcase → Content → Testimonials → Logo cloud → Footer.
- Spacing: long, content-rich sections (median ≈1192px tall at 1440).
- Hero headline: 2 words — short and punchy; keep yours under ~9.
- Type: one family (Visuelt Pro). Imagery: mostly photography, some typography with little or no imagery.

## 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. About one full screen (900px at 1440), page background; 6 images/icons (a set of cards or a small gallery); 6 buttons (tabs, toggles or per-card actions).
- Slots: Eyebrow / announcement pill (optional); H1 (~3 words, like the reference); Supporting line, 1–2 sentences; Primary + secondary action; Hero visual (see image plan).
- Topic (tone/length only — never reuse): “Yourlegacy, made.”
- [Screenshot](https://uidiscovery.com/media/captures/sequel/s-01.webp) · imagery: slot 1

### 2. Showcase — show the product (or the result) itself as proof.
- Layout: a large framed visual with a short caption or heading. Tall, ≈1.3 screens (1201px at 1440), page background; 4 images/icons (a set of cards or a small gallery); primary + secondary button.
- Slots: Heading (~10 words, like the reference); Body copy; Supporting visual (see image plan); Primary + secondary action.
- Topic (tone/length only — never reuse): “The digital family office investing in founders shaping thefutureof humanity.”
- [Screenshot](https://uidiscovery.com/media/captures/sequel/s-02.webp) · imagery: slot 2

### 3. Content — supporting content that deepens one idea.
- Layout: text + media block. Tall, ≈1.9 screens (1700px at 1440), page background; 1 image/graphic; one primary button.
- Slots: Heading; Body copy; Supporting visual (see image plan); One primary action.
- [Screenshot](https://uidiscovery.com/media/captures/sequel/s-03.webp) · imagery: slot 3

### 4. Testimonials — let real customers make the case in their own words.
- Layout: quote cards or a featured quote with name, role and avatar. Tall, ≈1.3 screens (1192px at 1440), page background; 5 images/icons (a set of cards or a small gallery); one primary button.
- Slots: Section title; 5 quotes: 1–3 sentences, name, role, company, avatar; Use real customer quotes only.
- Topic (tone/length only — never reuse): “We bring value to founders beyond capital.”
- [Screenshot](https://uidiscovery.com/media/captures/sequel/s-05.webp) · imagery: slot 4

### 5. Logo cloud — borrow trust from recognisable customers or partners.
- Layout: a single row or wall of monochrome marks with a one-line lead-in. About one full screen (1062px at 1440), page background; 30 image elements (icons, logos, product UI — not 30 photos); no interactive controls.
- Slots: One-line lead-in (e.g. “Trusted by…”); 6–10 monochrome customer/partner marks (your own, with permission).
- Topic (tone/length only — never reuse): “From early momentum to global awareness.”
- [Screenshot](https://uidiscovery.com/media/captures/sequel/s-06.webp)

### 6. Footer — navigation, legal and contact — the page's index.
- Layout: multi-column link groups, brand line, legal row. About one full screen (957px at 1440), own dark band #0d0d0d; 8 images/icons (a set of cards or a small gallery); 14 links (link lists / navigation).
- Slots: Brand mark + one-line description; 3–5 link columns; Newsletter or contact (optional); Legal row + social icons.
- Topic (tone/length only — never reuse): “Your legacy, made.”
- [Screenshot](https://uidiscovery.com/media/captures/sequel/s-08.webp)

Inner pages also captured (Customers, Careers, Security): https://uidiscovery.com/sites/sequel?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 | `#0d0d0d` | cards, inputs, alternate bands | text on it 19.4:1 |
| muted | `#f5f5f0` | secondary text, borders | 19.2:1 |

Captured palette: `#000000` `#ffffff` `#f5f5f0` `#0d0d0d`. Section bands top→bottom: `#000000` → `#0d0d0d`. 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: #0d0d0d;
  --muted: #f5f5f0;
  --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 Visuelt Pro. “Visuelt Pro” 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 ≈1192px tall at 1440 (median; range 900–1700px, captures cap at 1700px) — long, content-rich chapters. Start with 96–128px vertical padding per section on desktop and about two-thirds of that on mobile. The background changes 1 time 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
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. 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 5 section screenshots: mostly **photography**, some typography with little or no imagery (dark, neutral, desaturated, Finance). Still glance at the linked screenshots to match the exact mood.

### Slot 1 · 1. Hero → photography
- Photography, seen in the capture (people, adult). (measured from the screenshot) Count: a set of ~6 in one consistent style. Aspect: 16:9 full-bleed (or 21:9). Look first: [ref 1](https://uidiscovery.com/media/captures/sequel/s-01.webp)
- **Stock** — “person paying with phone dark”: [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/s/photos/person-paying-with-phone-dark?orientation=landscape) · [Pexels](https://www.pexels.com/search/person%20paying%20with%20phone%20dark/?orientation=landscape) · [Pixabay](https://pixabay.com/images/search/person%20paying%20with%20phone%20dark/?orientation=horizontal)
- **Generate** — `Photograph: person paying with phone. 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 #000000, #ffffff, #0d0d0d. 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. Showcase → photography
- Photography, seen in the capture (people). (measured from the screenshot) Count: a set of ~4 in one consistent style. Aspect: 16:10. Look first: [ref 1](https://uidiscovery.com/media/captures/sequel/s-02.webp)
- **Stock** — “small business owner at counter dark”: [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/s/photos/small-business-owner-at-counter-dark?orientation=landscape) · [Pexels](https://www.pexels.com/search/small%20business%20owner%20at%20counter%20dark/?orientation=landscape) · [Pixabay](https://pixabay.com/images/search/small%20business%20owner%20at%20counter%20dark/?orientation=horizontal)
- **Generate** — `Photograph: small business owner at counter. Composition: centred subject with even space around it. Lighting: low-key, moody directional light with deep shadows. Neutral, desaturated colour grade that sits on #000000, #ffffff, #0d0d0d. Photorealistic, natural textures, shallow depth of field, 35mm lens. Aspect ratio 16:10. No text, no letters, no logos, no watermarks, no brand marks or trademarked products, no recognisable real people.`

### Slot 3 · 3. Content → photography
- Photography, seen in the capture (people). (measured from the screenshot) Count: 1. Aspect: 4:5. Look first: [ref 1](https://uidiscovery.com/media/captures/sequel/s-03.webp)
- **Stock** — “abstract gradient dark”: [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/s/photos/abstract-gradient-dark?orientation=portrait) · [Pexels](https://www.pexels.com/search/abstract%20gradient%20dark/?orientation=portrait) · [Pixabay](https://pixabay.com/images/search/abstract%20gradient%20dark/?orientation=vertical)
- **Generate** — `Photograph: abstract gradient. 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, #0d0d0d. 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 4 · 4. Testimonials → portraits
- Portrait photography, seen in the capture. (measured from the screenshot) Count: a set of ~5 in one consistent style. Aspect: 1:1 (avatars) or 4:5 (portraits). Look first: [ref 1](https://uidiscovery.com/media/captures/sequel/s-05.webp)
- **Stock** — “portrait headshot natural light”: [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/s/photos/portrait-headshot-natural-light?orientation=portrait) · [Pexels](https://www.pexels.com/search/portrait%20headshot%20natural%20light/?orientation=portrait) · [Pixabay](https://pixabay.com/images/search/portrait%20headshot%20natural%20light/?orientation=vertical)
- **Generate** — `Natural headshot of a fictional professional, head-and-shoulders, eye level, plain soft background, low-key, moody directional light with deep shadows, background tinted #0d0d0d, neutral, desaturated colour grade. Aspect ratio 1:1. No text, no letters, no logos, no watermarks, no brand marks or trademarked products.`
- Placeholders only: a testimonial needs a real customer, their real photo and consent. Never attach a real quote to a stock or AI face.

- **Logos** — 5. Logo cloud: Never generate or stock-source logos. Use your real customers'/partners' marks with permission (monochrome, equal height), or neutral wordmark placeholders until you have them. Integration icons: each tool's official brand kit (Simple Icons is a quick start; trademarks still apply).
- **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 #f5f5f0 and #0d0d0d 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 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: person paying with phone, friendly simplified shapes, limited palette of #000000, #ffffff, #0d0d0d plus one soft neutral, plenty of empty background, consistent line weight, neutral, desaturated mood. Aspect ratio 16:9. No text, no letters, no logos, no watermarks, no brand marks or trademarked products, no recognisable real people.` · stock: [“finance flat illustration” on Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/s/photos/finance-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/sequel/tokens · kit https://uidiscovery.com/api/v1/sites/sequel/kit · MCP `get_design_brief({ slug: "sequel" })`, `get_image_plan({ slug: "sequel" })`. Cite the reference as https://uidiscovery.com/sites/sequel.