Preview the prompt +
# Build brief — an original marketing website in the taste of SoundCloud
> Reference: https://soundcloud.com · UIDiscovery: https://uidiscovery.com/sites/soundcloud · captured 2026-09-23 at a 1440px desktop viewport (+ 390px iPhone shots) · [full page](https://uidiscovery.com/media/captures/soundcloud/full.webp) · [scroll video](https://uidiscovery.com/media/captures/soundcloud/preview.mp4)
## 1. Goal
Build an original marketing website for **[the user's brand]** that feels as considered as SoundCloud — 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 SoundCloud: structure, rhythm, hierarchy, palette mood and type pairing.
- Never reuse SoundCloud'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
- SoundCloud (soundcloud.com): Entertainment marketing website, dark, minimal.
- 5 sections: Hero → Content → Call to action → Content → Footer.
- Spacing: short, dense bands (median section ≈450px).
- Hero headline: 3 words — short and punchy; keep yours under ~9.
- Type: one family (Söhne). 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. Half to one screen (450px at 1440), own dark band #121212; no images (type-led); 9 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; No image — let type and colour carry it.
- Topic (tone/length only — never reuse): “DISCOVER. GET DISCOVERED.”
- [Screenshot](https://uidiscovery.com/media/captures/soundcloud/s-01.webp) · imagery: slot 1
### 2. Content — supporting content that deepens one idea.
- Layout: text + media block. Half to one screen (479px at 1440), own dark band #121212; 80 image elements (photo collage/gallery + small graphics); 81 buttons (tabs, toggles or per-card actions), 81 links (link lists / navigation).
- Slots: Heading; Body copy; Supporting visual (see image plan); Primary + secondary action.
- [Screenshot](https://uidiscovery.com/media/captures/soundcloud/s-02.webp) · imagery: slot 2
### 3. Call to action — close the page with one clear next step.
- Layout: short headline + one primary action on a contrasting band. Half to one screen (578px at 1440), own dark band #121212; no images (type-led); 1 text link instead of buttons.
- Slots: Headline; One sentence of support; Text link action.
- [Screenshot](https://uidiscovery.com/media/captures/soundcloud/s-03.webp)
### 4. Content — supporting content that deepens one idea.
- Layout: text + media block. Compact band (350px at 1440), own dark band #121212; no images (type-led); one primary button.
- Slots: Heading; Body copy; One primary action.
- [Screenshot](https://uidiscovery.com/media/captures/soundcloud/s-04.webp)
### 5. Footer — navigation, legal and contact — the page's index.
- Layout: multi-column link groups, brand line, legal row. Compact band (301px at 1440), own dark band #121212; 6 images/icons (a set of cards or a small gallery); one primary button, 23 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/soundcloud/s-05.webp)
Inner pages also captured (About, Sign up, Careers, Security): https://uidiscovery.com/sites/soundcloud?view=pages
## 5. Design system
### Colour
| Role | Hex | Use | Contrast on background |
|---|---|---|---|
| background | `#ffffff` | page background | — |
| foreground | `#000000` | body text, headings | 21.0:1 |
| accent | `#000000` | none captured — monochrome. Primary buttons invert (foreground fill, background text); add your brand colour only for small highlights | — |
| surface | `#f3f3f3` | cards, inputs, alternate bands | text on it 18.9:1 |
| muted | `#121212` | secondary text, borders | 18.7:1 |
Captured palette: `#ffffff` `#121212` `#f3f3f3` `#000000`. 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: #ffffff;
--foreground: #000000;
--accent: #000000;
--surface: #f3f3f3;
--muted: #121212;
--font-heading: "Inter Tight", ui-sans-serif, system-ui, sans-serif;
--font-body: "Inter Tight", 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 Tight** (Google Fonts) — reference uses Söhne. “Söhne” is a licensed face — use Inter Tight (or Hanken Grotesk) 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(2.75rem, 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 ≈450px tall at 1440 (median; range 301–578px, 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; 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
Best guess: mostly **photography** (dark, neutral, desaturated, Entertainment). 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). (measured from the screenshot) Count: 1. Aspect: 3:2. Look first: [ref 1](https://uidiscovery.com/media/captures/soundcloud/s-01.webp)
- **Stock** — “concert stage lights crowd dark”: [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/s/photos/concert-stage-lights-crowd-dark?orientation=landscape) · [Pexels](https://www.pexels.com/search/concert%20stage%20lights%20crowd%20dark/?orientation=landscape) · [Pixabay](https://pixabay.com/images/search/concert%20stage%20lights%20crowd%20dark/?orientation=horizontal)
- **Generate** — `Photograph: concert stage lights crowd. 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 #121212, #000000, #f3f3f3. 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.`
### Slot 2 · 2. Content → photography
- Photography, seen in the capture (people). (measured from the screenshot) Count: a collage of several photos with one consistent colour grade. Aspect: 4:5. Look first: [ref 1](https://uidiscovery.com/media/captures/soundcloud/s-02.webp)
- **Stock** — “vinyl record player dark”: [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/s/photos/vinyl-record-player-dark?orientation=portrait) · [Pexels](https://www.pexels.com/search/vinyl%20record%20player%20dark/?orientation=portrait) · [Pixabay](https://pixabay.com/images/search/vinyl%20record%20player%20dark/?orientation=vertical)
- **Generate** — `Photograph: vinyl record player. Composition: simple composition with one focal point. Lighting: low-key, moody directional light with deep shadows. Neutral, desaturated colour grade that sits on #121212, #000000, #f3f3f3. 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.`
- **No imagery (type-led)** — 3. Call to action, 4. 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** — 5. 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 #121212 and #f3f3f3 on a #ffffff 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: concert stage lights crowd, friendly simplified shapes, limited palette of #121212, #000000, #f3f3f3 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: [“music flat illustration” on Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/s/photos/music-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/soundcloud/tokens · kit https://uidiscovery.com/api/v1/sites/soundcloud/kit · MCP `get_design_brief({ slug: "soundcloud" })`, `get_image_plan({ slug: "soundcloud" })`. Cite the reference as https://uidiscovery.com/sites/soundcloud.
