Turso — Millions of Databases. One Architecture

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

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

## 1. Goal
Build an original marketing website for **[the user's brand]** that feels as considered as Turso — 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 Turso: structure, rhythm, hierarchy, palette mood and type pairing.
- Never reuse Turso'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
- Turso (turso.tech): Developer Tools marketing website, dark, colorful.
- 11 sections: Hero → Features → Content → Features → Content → Features → Content → Footer.
- Spacing: about a screen per idea (median section ≈684px).
- Hero headline: 5 words — short and punchy; keep yours under ~9.
- Type: one family (Inter). Imagery: mostly product UI screenshots/mockups, some abstract 3D / gradient art.

## 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 (679px at 1440), own dark band #101317; 8 images/icons (a set of cards or a small gallery); 1 text link instead of buttons.
- Slots: Eyebrow / announcement pill (optional); H1 (~5 words, like the reference); Supporting line, 1–2 sentences; Text link action; Hero visual (see image plan).
- Topic (tone/length only — never reuse): “Millions of Databases. One Architecture.”
- [Screenshot](https://uidiscovery.com/media/captures/turso/s-01.webp) · imagery: slot 1

### 2. 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. About one full screen (1029px at 1440), own dark band #101317; 1 image/graphic; no interactive controls.
- Slots: Section title (~13 words, like the reference); 2 items: icon or visual + short title + 1–2 line description.
- Topic (tone/length only — never reuse): “The database wasn't built for a world where every agent wants its own.”
- [Screenshot](https://uidiscovery.com/media/captures/turso/s-02.webp) · imagery: slot 2

### 3. Content — supporting content that deepens one idea.
- Layout: text + media block. Half to one screen (684px at 1440), own dark band #101317; no images (type-led); 5 text links instead of buttons.
- Slots: Heading (~10 words, like the reference); Body copy; Text link action.
- Topic (tone/length only — never reuse): “Five properties of the architecture, not features layered on top.”
- [Screenshot](https://uidiscovery.com/media/captures/turso/s-03.webp)

### 4. Content — supporting content that deepens one idea.
- Layout: text + media block. Half to one screen (529px at 1440), own dark band #101317; no images (type-led); 3 buttons (tabs, toggles or per-card actions).
- Slots: Heading (~11 words, like the reference); Body copy; Primary + secondary action.
- Topic (tone/length only — never reuse): “From zero to a database per entity in under a minute.”
- [Screenshot](https://uidiscovery.com/media/captures/turso/s-04.webp)

### 5. 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 (547px at 1440), own dark band #101317; 1 image/graphic; 1 text link instead of buttons.
- Slots: Section title (~14 words, like the reference); 3 items: icon or visual + short title + 1–2 line description; Text link action.
- Topic (tone/length only — never reuse): “Replicate to the device. Sync to the cloud. One database, everywhere it needs…”
- [Screenshot](https://uidiscovery.com/media/captures/turso/s-05.webp) · imagery: slot 2

### 6. Content — supporting content that deepens one idea.
- Layout: text + media block. Half to one screen (752px at 1440), own dark band #101317; no images (type-led); 4 text links instead of buttons.
- Slots: Heading (~10 words, like the reference); Body copy; Text link action.
- Topic (tone/length only — never reuse): “The pattern is the same. The use cases are everywhere.”
- [Screenshot](https://uidiscovery.com/media/captures/turso/s-06.webp)

### 7. 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 (564px at 1440), own dark band #101317; 3 image/graphics; 2 text links instead of buttons.
- Slots: Section title (~5 words, like the reference); 3 items: icon or visual + short title + 1–2 line description; Text link action.
- Topic (tone/length only — never reuse): “Built for modern enterprise architecture.”
- [Screenshot](https://uidiscovery.com/media/captures/turso/s-07.webp) · imagery: slot 2

### 8. 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. About one full screen (974px at 1440), own dark band #101317; 1 image/graphic; 2 text links instead of buttons; 3 headings → ~2 items under a title.
- Slots: Section title (~10 words, like the reference); 2 items: icon or visual + short title + 1–2 line description; Text link action.
- Topic (tone/length only — never reuse): “Start where you already are. Scale to where you're going.”
- [Screenshot](https://uidiscovery.com/media/captures/turso/s-08.webp) · imagery: slot 2

### 9. Content — supporting content that deepens one idea.
- Layout: text + media block. About one full screen (957px at 1440), own dark band #101317; 8 images/icons (a set of cards or a small gallery); 10 text links instead of buttons.
- Slots: Heading (~4 words, like the reference); Body copy; Supporting visual (see image plan); Text link action.
- Topic (tone/length only — never reuse): “Built in the open.”
- [Screenshot](https://uidiscovery.com/media/captures/turso/s-09.webp) · imagery: slot 1

### 10. Content — supporting content that deepens one idea.
- Layout: text + media block. About one full screen (815px at 1440), own dark band #101317; 1 image/graphic; 2 text links instead of buttons.
- Slots: Heading (~7 words, like the reference); Body copy; Supporting visual (see image plan); Text link action.
- Topic (tone/length only — never reuse): “Build with the database you'll never outgrow.”
- [Screenshot](https://uidiscovery.com/media/captures/turso/s-10.webp) · imagery: slot 1

### 11. Footer — navigation, legal and contact — the page's index.
- Layout: multi-column link groups, brand line, legal row. Half to one screen (538px at 1440), own dark band #101317; 7 images/icons (a set of cards or a small gallery); 25 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/turso/s-11.webp)

Inner pages also captured (Pricing, Product, About, Log in, Blog, Contact, Security): https://uidiscovery.com/sites/turso?view=pages

## 5. Design system
### Colour
| Role | Hex | Use | Contrast on background |
|---|---|---|---|
| background | `#ffffff` | page background | — |
| foreground | `#0d1318` | body text, headings | 18.7:1 |
| accent | `#d946ef` | primary buttons, links, highlights — sparingly | 3.5:1 (large text / UI only) |
| surface | `#4ff8d2` | cards, inputs, alternate bands | text on it 14.0:1 |
| muted | `#0d1318` | secondary text, borders | 18.7:1 |

Captured palette: `#ffffff` `#0d1318` `#4ff8d2` `#d946ef`. Roles are assigned automatically — sanity-check them against the screenshot. Keep the palette's *mood* (dark, warm) and proportions; swap the accent for the user's brand colour.

### Tokens
```css
:root {
  --background: #ffffff;
  --foreground: #0d1318;
  --accent: #d946ef;
  --surface: #4ff8d2;
  --muted: #0d1318;
  --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 Inter. 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(2.75rem, 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 ≈684px tall at 1440 (median; range 529–1029px, 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
On dark, separate layers with 1px borders at ~8–12% white and soft glows instead of drop shadows; confident colour blocks — let full-bleed colour bands and big shapes carry the personality. 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 **product UI screenshots/mockups**, some abstract 3D / gradient art (dark, warm, Developer Tools). 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, 9. Content, 10. Content → abstract 3D / gradient (uncertain)
- Dark Developer Tools section with a few graphics — typically abstract 3D/gradient art or a product shot. Count: one consistent treatment across these sections. Aspect: 3:2. Look first: [ref 1](https://uidiscovery.com/media/captures/turso/s-01.webp) [ref 2](https://uidiscovery.com/media/captures/turso/s-09.webp) [ref 3](https://uidiscovery.com/media/captures/turso/s-10.webp)
- **Stock** — “abstract dark gradient 3d”: [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/s/photos/abstract-dark-gradient-3d?orientation=landscape) · [Pexels](https://www.pexels.com/search/abstract%20dark%20gradient%203d/?orientation=landscape) · [Pixabay](https://pixabay.com/images/search/abstract%20dark%20gradient%203d/?orientation=horizontal)
- **Generate** — `Abstract 3D render: soft, glossy glass-like shapes and a smooth gradient in #d946ef and #0d1318 on a #ffffff background. Lighting: low-key, moody directional light with deep shadows; warm 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.`

### Slot 2 · 2. Features, 5. Features, 7. Features, 8. Features → product UI (uncertain)
- Developer Tools sections with many image elements — most likely product UI screenshots/mockups plus icons. Count: one consistent treatment across these sections. Aspect: 4:3. Look first: [ref 1](https://uidiscovery.com/media/captures/turso/s-02.webp) [ref 2](https://uidiscovery.com/media/captures/turso/s-05.webp) [ref 3](https://uidiscovery.com/media/captures/turso/s-07.webp) [ref 4](https://uidiscovery.com/media/captures/turso/s-08.webp)
- **Stock** — “laptop blank screen minimal desk”: [Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/s/photos/laptop-blank-screen-minimal-desk?orientation=landscape) · [Pexels](https://www.pexels.com/search/laptop%20blank%20screen%20minimal%20desk/?orientation=landscape) · [Pixabay](https://pixabay.com/images/search/laptop%20blank%20screen%20minimal%20desk/?orientation=horizontal)
- **Generate** — `Product-shot backdrop for a UI screenshot: smooth dark gradient from #ffffff to #4ff8d2 with a soft #d946ef glow behind the centre, subtle floor shadow, empty centre area where a screenshot will be placed. Lighting: low-key, moody directional light with deep shadows. Aspect ratio 4:3. No text, no letters, no logos, no watermarks, no brand marks or trademarked products, no recognisable real people. No UI elements.`
- Build the UI itself in HTML/CSS with realistic sample data from YOUR product (or screenshot your real app). Don't generate UI as an image and don't reuse the reference's screenshots. Stock/AI is only for the backdrop or device frame.

- **No imagery (type-led)** — 3. Content, 4. Content, 6. 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** — 11. 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:
- **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. Warm colour grade that sits on #101317, #d946ef, #4ff8d2. 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)
- **illustration** — generate `Flat vector illustration: abstract gradient mesh, friendly simplified shapes, limited palette of #101317, #d946ef, #4ff8d2 plus one soft neutral, plenty of empty background, consistent line weight, warm mood. Aspect ratio 3:2. No text, no letters, no logos, no watermarks, no brand marks or trademarked products, no recognisable real people.` · stock: [“technology flat illustration” on Unsplash](https://unsplash.com/s/photos/technology-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/turso/tokens · kit https://uidiscovery.com/api/v1/sites/turso/kit · MCP `get_design_brief({ slug: "turso" })`, `get_image_plan({ slug: "turso" })`. Cite the reference as https://uidiscovery.com/sites/turso.