Style Guide

Aurora Borealis

A design system inspired by the Northern Lights — ethereal curtains of luminous color dancing across the dark arctic sky, casting an otherworldly glow over frozen landscapes.

01 / Color Palette

Arctic Spectrum

Colors drawn from the phenomena of charged particles colliding with atmospheric gases — greens from oxygen, purples and pinks from nitrogen, all against the deep polar night.

Arctic Night
#0A0A2E
Deep Polar
#060620
Aurora Green
#00FF87
Aurora Purple
#7B2FF7
Aurora Pink
#FF006E
Aurora Cyan
#00E5FF
Snow White
#EEF2FF
Frost Silver
#8E99C2
Aurora Gradient
Full Spectrum
Curtain Gradient
Vertical Fade

02 / Typography

Polar Typefaces

Syne delivers bold, geometric display text with character. Space Grotesk provides clean, technical body copy suited to the cold precision of arctic conditions.

Display / Syne Extra Bold / 56px
Northern Lights
Heading / Syne Bold / 36px
Polar Phenomena
Subheading / Syne Semi-Bold / 24px
Across the Arctic Sky
Body Large / Space Grotesk Light / 18px
The aurora borealis occurs when solar wind particles interact with Earth's magnetosphere, exciting atmospheric gases that emit photons of visible light in sweeping curtains across the polar sky.
Body / Space Grotesk Regular / 16px
Standing beneath the aurora, you witness one of nature's most extraordinary displays. Green bands arc overhead, threaded with purple and pink, pulsing and shifting as if alive. The silence of the frozen landscape amplifies the visual spectacle above.
Caption / Space Grotesk Regular / 14px
Metadata, coordinates, timestamps, and secondary information rendered in frost-silver tones.
Overline / Space Grotesk Semi-Bold / 11px
KP Index: 7 / Latitude 69.6N / Visibility: Excellent

03 / Spacing

Arctic Scale

A 4px base unit creates measured rhythm across the interface, like the precise distances between bands of aurora light in the sky.

--space-xs
4px
--space-sm
8px
--space-md
16px
--space-lg
32px
--space-xl
64px
--space-5
24px
--space-7
48px
--space-9
96px

04 / Buttons

Luminous Actions

Interactive elements that glow with aurora energy. Each button variant draws from a different band of the Northern Lights spectrum.

Variants

Sizes

States

05 / Forms

Data Collection

Input fields with aurora glow on focus, like instruments gathering data from geomagnetic storms across the polar regions.

Name for the observation log
KP index must be between 0 and 9

06 / Cards

Polar Panels

Content containers that float against the dark sky like frosted glass windows, each topped with a faint aurora-edge glow.

N

Solar Wind Monitor

Track real-time solar wind data from the ACE satellite. Predict aurora visibility based on interplanetary magnetic field orientation and particle density.

M

Magnetometer Data

Ground-based magnetometer readings from stations across the auroral oval. Detect substorm onset and track magnetic disturbances in real time.

07 / Alerts

Station Alerts

Notification messages from observation stations across the auroral zone, each severity level mapped to a band of the aurora spectrum.

i
Aurora Watch Active
Moderate geomagnetic activity detected. KP index currently at 4. Northern latitudes may see faint green arcs on the northern horizon.
+
Aurora Confirmed
Strong aurora display confirmed across multiple stations. Vivid green and purple curtains visible to the naked eye. KP 7 storm in progress.
!
Geomagnetic Storm Warning
G3-class geomagnetic storm expected in 6-12 hours following coronal mass ejection. Aurora may be visible at unusually low latitudes.
x
Station Communication Lost
Svalbard observation station has gone offline due to extreme electromagnetic interference. Attempting to re-establish uplink via backup frequency.

Philosophy

Design Principles

The guiding lights of the Aurora Borealis design language.

01

Dark Canvas

The deep polar night sky provides infinite depth. Dark backgrounds ensure that aurora colors sing with maximum vibrancy and contrast, just as they do in nature.

02

Ethereal Glow

Every interactive element emits soft luminescence. Glows and shadows in aurora hues create an otherworldly atmosphere that invites exploration without overwhelming.

03

Curtain Motion

Animations are slow, sweeping, and organic. Like the Northern Lights themselves, movement should feel natural and mesmerizing, never abrupt or mechanical.

04

Frozen Precision

Beneath the flowing aurora, the arctic landscape is crisp and exact. Typography, spacing, and structure maintain sharp clarity against the ethereal backdrop.