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Design System: ElevenLabs

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Design System: ElevenLabs

Hermes Agent — Implementation Notes

The original site uses proprietary fonts. For self-contained HTML output, use these CDN substitutes:

  • Primary: Inter | Mono: JetBrains Mono
  • Font stack (CSS): font-family: 'Inter', system-ui, -apple-system, 'Segoe UI', Roboto, sans-serif;
  • Mono stack (CSS): font-family: 'JetBrains Mono', ui-monospace, SFMono-Regular, Menlo, Monaco, Consolas, 'Liberation Mono', 'Courier New', monospace;
html
<link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Inter:wght@300;400;500;600;700&family=JetBrains+Mono:wght@400;500&display=swap" rel="stylesheet">

Use write_file to create HTML, serve via generative-widgets skill (cloudflared tunnel). Verify visual accuracy with browser_vision after generating.

1. Visual Theme & Atmosphere

ElevenLabs' website is a study in restrained elegance — a near-white canvas (#ffffff, #f5f5f5) where typography and subtle shadows do all the heavy lifting. The design feels like a premium audio product brochure: clean, spacious, and confident enough to let the content speak (literally, given ElevenLabs makes voice AI). There's an almost Apple-like quality to the whitespace strategy, but warmer — the occasional warm stone tint (#f5f2ef, #777169) prevents the purity from feeling clinical.

The typography system is built on a fascinating duality: Waldenburg at weight 300 (light) for display headings creates ethereal, whisper-thin titles that feel like sound waves rendered in type — delicate, precise, and surprisingly impactful at large sizes. This light-weight display approach is the design's signature — where most sites use bold headings to grab attention, ElevenLabs uses lightness to create intrigue. Inter handles all body and UI text with workmanlike reliability, using slight positive letter-spacing (0.14px–0.18px) that gives body text an airy, well-spaced quality. WaldenburgFH appears as a bold uppercase variant for specific button labels.

What makes ElevenLabs distinctive is its multi-layered shadow system. Rather than simple box-shadows, elements use complex stacks: inset border-shadows (rgba(0,0,0,0.075) 0px 0px 0px 0.5px inset), outline shadows (rgba(0,0,0,0.06) 0px 0px 0px 1px), and soft elevation shadows (rgba(0,0,0,0.04) 0px 4px 4px) — all at remarkably low opacities. The result is a design where surfaces seem to barely exist, floating just above the page with the lightest possible touch. Pill-shaped buttons (9999px) with warm-tinted backgrounds (rgba(245,242,239,0.8)) and warm shadows (rgba(78,50,23,0.04)) add a tactile, physical quality.

Key Characteristics:

  • Near-white canvas with warm undertones (#f5f5f5, #f5f2ef)
  • Waldenburg weight 300 (light) for display — ethereal, whisper-thin headings
  • Inter with positive letter-spacing (0.14–0.18px) for body — airy readability
  • Multi-layered shadow stacks at sub-0.1 opacity — surfaces barely exist
  • Pill buttons (9999px) with warm stone-tinted backgrounds
  • WaldenburgFH bold uppercase for specific CTA labels
  • Warm shadow tints: rgba(78, 50, 23, 0.04) — shadows have color, not just darkness
  • Geist Mono / ui-monospace for code snippets

2. Color Palette & Roles

Primary

  • Pure White (#ffffff): Primary background, card surfaces, button backgrounds
  • Light Gray (#f5f5f5): Secondary surface, subtle section differentiation
  • Warm Stone (#f5f2ef): Button background (at 80% opacity) — the warm signature
  • Black (#000000): Primary text, headings, dark buttons

Neutral Scale

  • Dark Gray (#4e4e4e): Secondary text, descriptions
  • Warm Gray (#777169): Tertiary text, muted links, decorative underlines
  • Near White (#f6f6f6): Alternate light surface

Interactive

  • Grid Cyan (#7fffff): --grid-column-bg, at 25% opacity — decorative grid overlay
  • Ring Blue (rgb(147 197 253 / 0.5)): --tw-ring-color, focus ring
  • Border Light (#e5e5e5): Explicit borders
  • Border Subtle (rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.05)): Ultra-subtle bottom borders

Shadows

  • Inset Border (rgba(0,0,0,0.075) 0px 0px 0px 0.5px inset): Internal edge definition
  • Inset Dark (rgba(0,0,0,0.1) 0px 0px 0px 0.5px inset): Stronger inset variant
  • Outline Ring (rgba(0,0,0,0.06) 0px 0px 0px 1px): Shadow-as-border
  • Soft Elevation (rgba(0,0,0,0.04) 0px 4px 4px): Gentle lift
  • Card Shadow (rgba(0,0,0,0.4) 0px 0px 1px, rgba(0,0,0,0.04) 0px 4px 4px): Button/card elevation
  • Warm Shadow (rgba(78,50,23,0.04) 0px 6px 16px): Warm-tinted button shadow
  • Edge Shadow (rgba(0,0,0,0.08) 0px 0px 0px 0.5px): Subtle edge definition
  • Inset Ring (rgba(0,0,0,0.1) 0px 0px 0px 1px inset): Strong inset border

3. Typography Rules

Font Families

  • Display: Waldenburg, fallback: Waldenburg Fallback
  • Display Bold: WaldenburgFH, fallback: WaldenburgFH Fallback
  • Body / UI: Inter, fallback: Inter Fallback
  • Monospace: Geist Mono or ui-monospace, SFMono-Regular, Menlo, Monaco, Consolas

Hierarchy

RoleFontSizeWeightLine HeightLetter SpacingNotes
Display HeroWaldenburg48px (3.00rem)3001.08 (tight)-0.96pxWhisper-thin, ethereal
Section HeadingWaldenburg36px (2.25rem)3001.17 (tight)normalLight display
Card HeadingWaldenburg32px (2.00rem)3001.13 (tight)normalLight card titles
Body LargeInter20px (1.25rem)4001.35normalIntroductions
BodyInter18px (1.13rem)4001.44–1.600.18pxStandard reading text
Body StandardInter16px (1.00rem)4001.500.16pxUI text
Body MediumInter16px (1.00rem)5001.500.16pxEmphasized body
Nav / UIInter15px (0.94rem)5001.33–1.470.15pxNavigation links
ButtonInter15px (0.94rem)5001.47normalButton labels
Button UppercaseWaldenburgFH14px (0.88rem)7001.10 (tight)0.7pxtext-transform: uppercase
CaptionInter14px (0.88rem)400–5001.43–1.500.14pxMetadata
SmallInter13px (0.81rem)5001.38normalTags, badges
CodeGeist Mono13px (0.81rem)4001.85 (relaxed)normalCode blocks
MicroInter12px (0.75rem)5001.33normalTiny labels
TinyInter10px (0.63rem)4001.60 (relaxed)normalFine print

Principles

  • Light as the hero weight: Waldenburg at 300 is the defining typographic choice. Where other design systems use bold for impact, ElevenLabs uses lightness — thin strokes that feel like audio waveforms, creating intrigue through restraint.
  • Positive letter-spacing on body: Inter uses +0.14px to +0.18px tracking across body text, creating an airy, well-spaced reading rhythm that contrasts with the tight display tracking (-0.96px).
  • WaldenburgFH for emphasis: A bold (700) uppercase variant of Waldenburg appears only in specific CTA button labels with 0.7px letter-spacing — the one place where the type system gets loud.
  • Monospace as ambient: Geist Mono at relaxed line-height (1.85) for code blocks feels unhurried and readable.

4. Component Stylings

Buttons

Primary Black Pill

  • Background: #000000
  • Text: #ffffff
  • Padding: 0px 14px
  • Radius: 9999px (full pill)
  • Use: Primary CTA

White Pill (Shadow-bordered)

  • Background: #ffffff
  • Text: #000000
  • Radius: 9999px
  • Shadow: rgba(0,0,0,0.4) 0px 0px 1px, rgba(0,0,0,0.04) 0px 4px 4px
  • Use: Secondary CTA on white

Warm Stone Pill

  • Background: rgba(245, 242, 239, 0.8) (warm translucent)
  • Text: #000000
  • Padding: 12px 20px 12px 14px (asymmetric)
  • Radius: 30px
  • Shadow: rgba(78, 50, 23, 0.04) 0px 6px 16px (warm-tinted)
  • Use: Featured CTA, hero action — the signature warm button

Uppercase Waldenburg Button

  • Font: WaldenburgFH 14px weight 700
  • Text-transform: uppercase
  • Letter-spacing: 0.7px
  • Use: Specific bold CTA labels

Cards & Containers

  • Background: #ffffff
  • Border: 1px solid #e5e5e5 or shadow-as-border
  • Radius: 16px–24px
  • Shadow: multi-layer stack (inset + outline + elevation)
  • Content: product screenshots, code examples, audio waveform previews

Inputs & Forms

  • Textarea: padding 12px 20px, transparent text at default
  • Select: white background, standard styling
  • Radio: standard with tw-ring focus
  • Focus: var(--tw-ring-offset-shadow) ring system
  • Clean white sticky header
  • Inter 15px weight 500 for nav links
  • Pill CTAs right-aligned (black primary, white secondary)
  • Mobile: hamburger collapse at 1024px

Image Treatment

  • Product screenshots and audio waveform visualizations
  • Warm gradient backgrounds in feature sections
  • 20px–24px radius on image containers
  • Full-width sections alternating white and light gray

Distinctive Components

Audio Waveform Sections

  • Colorful gradient backgrounds showcasing voice AI capabilities
  • Warm amber, blue, and green gradients behind product demos
  • Screenshots of the ElevenLabs product interface

Warm Stone CTA Block

  • rgba(245,242,239,0.8) background with warm shadow
  • Asymmetric padding (more right padding)
  • Creates a physical, tactile quality unique to ElevenLabs

5. Layout Principles

Spacing System

  • Base unit: 8px
  • Scale: 1px, 3px, 4px, 8px, 9px, 10px, 11px, 12px, 16px, 18px, 20px, 24px, 28px, 32px, 40px

Grid & Container

  • Centered content with generous max-width
  • Single-column hero, expanding to feature grids
  • Full-width gradient sections for product showcases
  • White card grids on light gray backgrounds

Whitespace Philosophy

  • Apple-like generosity: Massive vertical spacing between sections creates a premium, unhurried pace. Each section is an exhibit.
  • Warm emptiness: The whitespace isn't cold — the warm stone undertones and warm shadows give empty space a tactile, physical quality.
  • Typography-led rhythm: The light-weight Waldenburg headings create visual "whispers" that draw the eye through vast white space.

Border Radius Scale

  • Minimal (2px): Small links, inline elements
  • Subtle (4px): Nav items, tab panels, tags
  • Standard (8px): Small containers
  • Comfortable (10px–12px): Medium cards, dropdowns
  • Card (16px): Standard cards, articles
  • Large (18px–20px): Featured cards, code panels
  • Section (24px): Large panels, section containers
  • Warm Button (30px): Warm stone CTA
  • Pill (9999px): Primary buttons, navigation pills

6. Depth & Elevation

LevelTreatmentUse
Flat (Level 0)No shadowPage background, text blocks
Inset Edge (Level 0.5)rgba(0,0,0,0.075) 0px 0px 0px 0.5px inset, #fff 0px 0px 0px 0px insetInternal border definition
Outline Ring (Level 1)rgba(0,0,0,0.06) 0px 0px 0px 1px + rgba(0,0,0,0.04) 0px 1px 2px + rgba(0,0,0,0.04) 0px 2px 4pxShadow-as-border for cards
Card (Level 2)rgba(0,0,0,0.4) 0px 0px 1px, rgba(0,0,0,0.04) 0px 4px 4pxButton elevation, prominent cards
Warm Lift (Level 3)rgba(78,50,23,0.04) 0px 6px 16pxFeatured CTAs — warm-tinted
Focus (Accessibility)var(--tw-ring-offset-shadow) blue ringKeyboard focus

Shadow Philosophy: ElevenLabs uses the most refined shadow system of any design system analyzed. Every shadow is at sub-0.1 opacity, many include both outward cast AND inward inset components, and the warm CTA shadows use an actual warm color (rgba(78,50,23,...)) rather than neutral black. The inset half-pixel borders (0px 0px 0px 0.5px inset) create edges so subtle they're felt rather than seen — surfaces define themselves through the lightest possible touch.

7. Do's and Don'ts

Do

  • Use Waldenburg weight 300 for all display headings — the lightness IS the brand
  • Apply multi-layer shadows (inset + outline + elevation) at sub-0.1 opacity
  • Use warm stone tints (#f5f2ef, rgba(245,242,239,0.8)) for featured elements
  • Apply positive letter-spacing (+0.14px to +0.18px) on Inter body text
  • Use 9999px radius for primary buttons — pill shape is standard
  • Use warm-tinted shadows (rgba(78,50,23,0.04)) on featured CTAs
  • Keep the page predominantly white with subtle gray section differentiation
  • Use WaldenburgFH bold uppercase ONLY for specific CTA button labels

Don't

  • Don't use bold (700) Waldenburg for headings — weight 300 is non-negotiable
  • Don't use heavy shadows (>0.1 opacity) — the ethereal quality requires whisper-level depth
  • Don't use cool gray borders — the system is warm-tinted throughout
  • Don't skip the inset shadow component — half-pixel inset borders define edges
  • Don't apply negative letter-spacing to body text — Inter uses positive tracking
  • Don't use sharp corners (<8px) on cards — the generous radius is structural
  • Don't introduce brand colors — the palette is intentionally achromatic with warm undertones
  • Don't make buttons opaque and heavy — the warm translucent stone treatment is the signature

8. Responsive Behavior

Breakpoints

NameWidthKey Changes
Mobile<1024pxSingle column, hamburger nav, stacked sections
Desktop>1024pxFull layout, horizontal nav, multi-column grids

Touch Targets

  • Pill buttons with generous padding (12px–20px)
  • Navigation links at 15px with adequate spacing
  • Select dropdowns maintain comfortable sizing

Collapsing Strategy

  • Navigation: horizontal → hamburger at 1024px
  • Feature grids: multi-column → stacked
  • Hero: maintains centered layout, font scales proportionally
  • Gradient sections: full-width maintained, content stacks
  • Spacing compresses proportionally

Image Behavior

  • Product screenshots scale responsively
  • Gradient backgrounds simplify on mobile
  • Audio waveform previews maintain aspect ratio
  • Rounded corners maintained across breakpoints

9. Agent Prompt Guide

Quick Color Reference

  • Background: Pure White (#ffffff) or Light Gray (#f5f5f5)
  • Text: Black (#000000)
  • Secondary text: Dark Gray (#4e4e4e)
  • Muted text: Warm Gray (#777169)
  • Warm surface: Warm Stone (rgba(245, 242, 239, 0.8))
  • Border: #e5e5e5 or rgba(0,0,0,0.05)

Example Component Prompts

  • "Create a hero on white background. Headline at 48px Waldenburg weight 300, line-height 1.08, letter-spacing -0.96px, black text. Subtitle at 18px Inter weight 400, line-height 1.60, letter-spacing 0.18px, #4e4e4e text. Two pill buttons: black (9999px, 0px 14px padding) and warm stone (rgba(245,242,239,0.8), 30px radius, 12px 20px padding, warm shadow rgba(78,50,23,0.04) 0px 6px 16px)."
  • "Design a card: white background, 20px radius. Shadow: rgba(0,0,0,0.06) 0px 0px 0px 1px, rgba(0,0,0,0.04) 0px 1px 2px, rgba(0,0,0,0.04) 0px 2px 4px. Title at 32px Waldenburg weight 300, body at 16px Inter weight 400 letter-spacing 0.16px, #4e4e4e."
  • "Build a white pill button: white bg, 9999px radius. Shadow: rgba(0,0,0,0.4) 0px 0px 1px, rgba(0,0,0,0.04) 0px 4px 4px. Text at 15px Inter weight 500."
  • "Create an uppercase CTA label: 14px WaldenburgFH weight 700, text-transform uppercase, letter-spacing 0.7px."
  • "Design navigation: white sticky header. Inter 15px weight 500. Black pill CTA right-aligned. Border-bottom: rgba(0,0,0,0.05)."

Iteration Guide

  1. Start with white — the warm undertone comes from shadows and stone surfaces, not backgrounds
  2. Waldenburg 300 for headings — never bold, the lightness is the identity
  3. Multi-layer shadows: always include inset + outline + elevation at sub-0.1 opacity
  4. Positive letter-spacing on Inter body (+0.14px to +0.18px) — the airy reading quality
  5. Warm stone CTA is the signature — rgba(245,242,239,0.8) with rgba(78,50,23,0.04) shadow
  6. Pill (9999px) for buttons, generous radius (16px–24px) for cards