danitesler.com
The principles, tokens, components and patterns that make danitesler.com, in one place. Everything here is live:
tokens are read from _tokens.css, components are the real ones fed with real data, and each one links
to where it lives on the site.
01
Seven decisions every page follows. When a choice isn't covered below, go back to these.
The chrome is black, white and greys. Colour arrives only with what is being shown — a case study’s theme, a service or a platform — through --spot, --acc and --cs-accent.
Dark is the default and light is one click away. Every colour is a token, or a token mixed with transparent, so nothing needs a second rule to flip.
Copy, links, metrics and case studies sit in data/site.ts and data/work/. Components render data; they don’t own strings or hex values.
Product ideas are shown with coded mini-UIs — covers, service previews, case-study visuals — instead of flat images with baked-in text. They scale, theme and stay readable to crawlers.
Transform and opacity only, ease-out-expo by default, played on reveal or hover rather than looping. Everything collapses under prefers-reduced-motion.
A visible focus ring on every control, 44px touch targets, decorative layers hidden from assistive tech and real text behind every animated heading.
Astro and plain CSS partials, no UI framework. Scripts bind once and survive ClientRouter page swaps.
02
Tokens come straight from src/styles/_tokens.css; change a value there and this page follows. The
scales below are the values in use across the stylesheets — pick from them before inventing a new one.
A neutral frame. Swatches show the active theme; the values list dark, then light where it differs.
--color-bg #000000 #ffffff Page background --color-text #ffffff #0a0a0a Primary text; the base for every line, border and hover mix --color-muted #939393 #6b6b6b Secondary text: descriptions, captions, labels --color-hover #888888 #8f8f8f Legacy hover grey --color-border #3b3b3b #dadada Card and control borders at rest --color-border-hover #ffffff #0a0a0a Focus rings and hovered borders --color-divider rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.1) rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) Hairlines: section divider, footer --color-surface #1a1a1a #ffffff Floating panels --color-text-soft #bbbbbb #474747 Ledes and supporting copy --color-glass rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.75) rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.78) Translucent header and tags (with backdrop blur) --color-glass-strong rgba(10, 10, 10, 0.92) rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.95) Translucent menus and floating bars --color-glow #ffffff rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.45) Glows and grid lines — mix with transparent --color-shadow #000000 rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.3) Shadows — mix with transparent --color-ai #9a9a9a #6b6b6b AI tag at rest --color-ai-active #b98cff #7c3aed AI tag while hovered --color-success #35d07f Status dot on pills
Lines, borders and hovers are --color-text mixed with transparent, so they flip with the theme.
The only colour the frame borrows. Services and platforms have tokens; each case study brings its own theme from
data/work/<slug>.ts.
--accent-research What I do · Research & validation --accent-product What I do · Product design --accent-ai What I do · AI & agents --accent-system What I do · Design systems --accent-brand What I do · Brand & identity --accent-marketing What I do · Marketing automation --accent-dribbble My Projects · Dribbble --accent-figma My Projects · Figma --accent-github My Projects · Playnite Extensions (GitHub) --accent-github-ink Three families: Unbounded for headings and numbers, Sora for everything you read, Caveat for the handwritten touch.
--font-heading --font-body --signature-font Product
Case studies
Portfolio Work
Design Systems
Oktopost
200k
Using design, product thinking and AI to build scalable journeys.
Flows, interfaces and clickable or coded prototypes.
Selected case studies in product design, systems, and UX strategy.
Screens blurred to protect customer data.
KEEP EXPLORING
Dani Tesler
A 4/8 scale. Dense components also use 6, 10, 14 and 18 as half-steps; new layout should stay on the scale.
4 Icon to label inside tags 8 Inline groups, chip gaps 12 Button rows, footer lists 16 Card grid gaps, gaps inside cards 24 Page gutter, card padding on phones 32 Card padding, stacked blocks 40 Section header to content 48 Footer and About gaps 64 Between case-study blocks 96 Section divider margins 128 Section padding Round, but never bubbly: 16px cards, fully round controls.
4px Focus rings on text links --radius-button 8px · Small thumbnails, skip link 12px Menu rows, chat bubbles --radius-card 16px · Cards, covers, frames, media --cs-radius-lg 24px · Large case-study panels 999px Buttons, pills, chips, breadcrumb 50% Icon buttons, avatars, dots Flat by default. Depth shows up on interaction (Lift, Glow) or to frame product screens (Frame).
inset 0 1px 0 color-mix(in srgb, var(--color-text) 6%, transparent) 0 20px 40px color-mix(in srgb, var(--color-shadow) 40%, transparent) 0 24px 60px color-mix(in srgb, var(--color-shadow) 50%, transparent) 0 30px 80px -40px color-mix(in srgb, var(--color-shadow) 90%, transparent) 0 0 18px color-mix(in srgb, var(--color-glow) 18%, transparent) Hover a curve to play it. Transform and opacity only; reduced motion turns it all off.
--ease-spring Small tactile moves that overshoot: button lift, logo --ease-out-expo Default for movement: lifts, reveals, zooms --ease-menu Menus and carets | Duration | Easing | Used for |
|---|---|---|
0.3s | --transition | Colour, border, background |
0.3s | --ease-menu | Menus open, carets turn |
0.4s | --ease-spring | Buttons and icon buttons lift 2px |
0.45s | --ease-out-expo | Cards lift, spotlight fades in |
0.6s | --ease-out-expo | Images zoom inside media |
1s | --ease-out-expo | Entrances: reveal-on-scroll, hero |
Stagger siblings with --reveal-delay in 60–90ms steps. TextReveal staggers 20ms per character.
One container, a few reading widths and four breakpoints. Gutters are 24px, 16px from 1024px down.
1400px --container-max: header, hero, project grid 1100px My Projects, Keep exploring 1040px /work/ list 960px What I do grid 880px About copy 740px Reading measure for case-study prose | Breakpoint | Query | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| Tablet | max-width: 1024px | Header drops to 64px, gutters to 16px, hero stacks |
| Narrow | max-width: 899–960px | Card grids go to one column (/work/, My Projects) |
| Phone | max-width: 767px | h1 40px, h2 32px, section headers align left |
| Small phone | max-width: 359px | Tighter header so every control fits |
| Input | hover: hover / none | Spotlight and hover effects on pointers; tap fallbacks on touch |
--container-max: 1400px · --site-header-height: 72px
03
Primitives in components/ds/ are generic and take no site data. Cards and sections are built from
them and render data from site.ts and data/work/. Every preview below is the real
component.
Pill button. Primary has the gradient ring that spins on hover; ghost is the quiet secondary beside it. One primary per view.
| Prop | Type | Default | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
variant | 'primary' | 'ghost' | 'primary' | |
size | 'md' | 'sm' | 'md' | sm in the header and dense rows |
href | string | — | Renders a link; otherwise a <button> |
external | boolean | false | New tab, announced to screen readers |
label | string | — | Accessible name when the text needs context |
The site’s one CTA: a primary Button that opens LinkedIn in a new tab.
| Prop | Type | Default | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
compact | boolean | false | Small size for the header |
Round, bordered icon control. The label is its accessible name; the icon stays decorative.
| Prop | Type | Default | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
icon | IconName | — | |
label | string | — | Required |
href | string | — | Renders a link; otherwise a <button> |
external | boolean | false | |
size | 'md' | 'sm' | 'md' | 44px or 40px |
tooltip | string | — | Visible hint on hover and focus |
UI arrows and brand marks drawn in currentColor, defined once in ds/icons.ts. Case-study content icons live in work/CaseStudyIcon.astro.
| Prop | Type | Default | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
name | IconName | — | |
size | number | 20 | Height; width follows the glyph |
Small rounded label for a status or a short fact. The dot pulses; --pill-dot changes its colour.
| Prop | Type | Default | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
dot | boolean | false | |
as | 'span' | 'p' | 'li' | 'span' |
Small uppercase label that introduces a heading or a group. Two or three words.
Keep exploring
A label names the thing below it
| Prop | Type | Default | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
as | 'p' | 'span' | 'h2' | 'h3' | 'dt' | 'p' |
Opens a homepage section: a TextReveal title with a muted description that fades in just behind it. Centred; left-aligned on phones.
Six ways I help teams ship. Pick one or bundle them.
| Prop | Type | Default | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
title | string | — | |
description | string | — | |
id | string | — | Title id, for the section’s aria-labelledby |
One recipe: 1px border, 16px radius, the Rest highlight, Lift on hover and a Spotlight in the accent of what the card shows.
Portfolio card: branded cover (or a screenshot), AI tag, title and description. Lifts and lights up in the case study’s accent.
| Prop | Type | Default | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
card | CarouselCard | — | An entry of portfolioProjects |
A public profile with its app icon and lead metric, lit by the platform accent. Opens in a new tab.
| Prop | Type | Default | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
link | projectLinks[number] | — |
A service with its outlined number and coded preview, tinted by the service accent. The preview replays on hover. Sits inside a .svc-f list.
Interviews, usability tests and data that show what people need, then prove a design works before it ships.
Flows, interfaces and clickable or coded prototypes, from a 0→1 idea to B2B SaaS screens engineers can ship.
| Prop | Type | Default | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
service | services[number] | — | |
index | number | — | Shown as 01, 02… |
Case-study row: cover, eyebrow, title, intro and Role / Years / Platform facts. The title link covers the card.
B2B social media management
Oktopost helps B2B teams publish content and turn employees into advocates. I realigned the Lobster system, redesigned the board with gamification and branding, and rebuilt publishing with a new editor and AI.
| Prop | Type | Default | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
study | CaseStudy | — | |
href | string | — | |
cover | CarouselCard["cover"] | — |
Keep exploring: Home and Case studies cards at the bottom of pages. An index page passes `current` so it doesn’t link to itself.
| Prop | Type | Default | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
current | 'home' | 'work' | — |
Branded case-study thumbnail built from the case-study data: theme glow, wordmark, hero screen in a browser window and one signature chip. Sized in container units.
| Prop | Type | Default | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
cover | 'oktopost' | 'comeet' | 'scalez' | 'smsedge' | 'dojohome' | — |
Coded app icon for a project in the ProfileCard style: a dark tile lit from below by the product accent, with its glyph in that accent. Crisp at any size.
| Prop | Type | Default | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
project | Project | — | An entry of projectGroups in data/projects.ts |
size | number | 64 | Width and height in px |
Marks work with AI features. Grey at rest; hovering the tag plays a purple glow and shows why.
| Prop | Type | Default | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
variant | 'card' | 'nav' | 'card' |
Heading whose characters rise from muted to full colour when it scrolls into view. Headings only (screen readers get the whole text), and short enough for one line: characters wrap individually.
| Prop | Type | Default | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
text | string | — | |
tag | 'h1' | 'h2' | 'h3' | 'h4' | 'h2' |
Body copy that brightens character by character as you scroll through it. For one short bio, not long reading.
As a product design expert, I help startups turn complex ideas into clear, scalable products — from early MVPs to mature platforms. I focus on design strategy, user flows, and interfaces that stay simple without losing depth.
| Prop | Type | Default | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
text | string | string[] | — |
Whole sections, composed from the pieces above. Follow the link to see each in place.
src/components/Header.astro src/components/HeroSection.astro src/components/ProjectGrid.astro src/components/ProjectLinks.astro src/components/AboutSection.astro src/components/ServicesSection.astro src/components/ConnectSection.astro src/components/SectionDivider.astro src/components/Footer.astro src/pages/work/[slug].astro
Case studies are data: each section is a list of typed blocks (data/work/types.ts) rendered by
components/work/CaseStudyBlock.astro. Counts and links come from the published case studies.
| Block | What it is | Uses | First seen |
|---|---|---|---|
group | h3 sub-section wrapping other blocks | 64 in 5 studies | Comeet · Where hiring teams work together |
brief | Facts plus a challenge/outcome panel opening a chapter | 23 in 5 studies | Comeet · A component library the whole product shares |
prose | Paragraphs; size lead for the opening | 20 in 5 studies | Comeet · Where hiring teams work together |
callout | Highlighted note, or a link card with an icon | 16 in 4 studies | Comeet · A component library the whole product shares |
custom | Project-specific coded visual | 16 in 5 studies | Comeet · A component library the whole product shares |
cards | 2–3 column grid of icon cards | 15 in 5 studies | Comeet · Where hiring teams work together |
gallery | Rows of images with handwritten notes | 8 in 4 studies | Comeet · A position page that starts with the work |
media | Framed screenshot with optional annotations | 8 in 3 studies | Comeet · A position page that starts with the work |
checklist | Issue or success list, optionally in a panel | 7 in 4 studies | Comeet · Sourcing inside the position, not beside it |
phones | Scrollable strip of mobile screens | 7 in 3 studies | Oktopost · A calmer, clearer home for advocates |
diagram | Coded SVG flow | 6 in 5 studies | Comeet · A position page that starts with the work |
states | Tabs swapping screenshots of one screen | 6 in 4 studies | Comeet · Sourcing inside the position, not beside it |
shifts | Before → after list | 6 in 5 studies | Comeet · What changed across the product |
projects | Chapter index cards linking to sections | 5 in 5 studies | Comeet · Where hiring teams work together |
compare | Before/after slider | 5 in 3 studies | Comeet · A position page that starts with the work |
scrollshot | Long page preview that scrolls | 5 in 4 studies | Oktopost · Their brand, on every board |
stats | Numbers that count up | 3 in 2 studies | SMSEdge · Experiencing the product the way clients do |
pages | Page thumbnails with captions | 2 in 1 study | Scalez · Explaining a marketplace nobody had seen yet |
stepVideo | Video with clickable steps | 2 in 2 studies | SMSEdge · Rebuilding the core experience |
palette | Colour swatches with roles | 2 in 2 studies | SMSEdge · One consistent brand, from screen to booth |
video | Framed looping video | 2 in 1 study | Dojohome · Find a home, decide, apply, or list one |
findings | Paired issue/success findings with points | 1 in 1 study | SMSEdge · Experiencing the product the way clients do |
features | Videos paired with copy, or in a grid | 1 in 1 study | SMSEdge · From a one-pager to a full marketing site |
embed | Click-to-load Vimeo | 1 in 1 study | SMSEdge · One consistent brand, from screen to booth |
matrix | Rated comparison table | 1 in 1 study | Dojohome · Five platforms, six personas, one gap to close |
personas | Persona carousel | 1 in 1 study | Dojohome · Five platforms, six personas, one gap to close |
Real blocks from the case studies, each in its own project colours.
callout from
Comeet The constraint
No visual overhaul — it would have stalled development for months. Same familiar look, fixed foundations underneath.
cards from
Oktopost My role
Flows and edge cases to dev-ready specs and design QA — for advocates, marketers and admins — feeding components and tokens back into Lobster.
The problem
The board looked dated and identical for every customer, advocates earned little for sharing, the editor pulled marketers off the calendar, and the design system had drifted underneath it all.
checklist from
SMSEdge 04
Recipes that repeat across components. Reuse them instead of re-inventing the effect.
Try it
Move the pointer over this panel — that’s the Spotlight, in --accent-system.
A cursor-lit wash and border in the card’s accent, pointer devices only. One delegated listener (scripts/spotlight.ts) feeds every card.
<article data-spotlight style="--spot: var(--accent-ai)">
<span class="spotlight" aria-hidden="true"></span>
…
</article>Used by ProjectCard, ProfileCard, ServiceCard, WorkCard, header menu
Hovered cards rise 4–6px and pick up the Lift shadow over 0.45s ease-out-expo. The border stays neutral; accent comes from the spotlight.
.card:hover {
transform: translateY(-6px);
box-shadow: 0 20px 40px color-mix(in srgb, var(--color-shadow) 40%, transparent);
}Used by Every card
Sections fade up 24px once as they enter the viewport. Stagger siblings with --reveal-delay in 80–90ms steps.
<li class="reveal-on-scroll" style="--reveal-delay: 90ms">…</li>Used by Sections, cards, case-study blocks
Lines, borders and hovers mix --color-text with transparent, so they flip with the theme. Glows use --color-glow and shadows --color-shadow.
border: 1px solid color-mix(in srgb, var(--color-text) 14%, transparent);Used by Everywhere
Raw accents are for fills, tints and glows. Text, icons and strokes use the -text variant, darkened in the light theme so bright shades stay readable.
/* fills */ background: var(--cs-accent);
/* text */ color: var(--cs-accent-text); /* or --acc-text */Used by Case studies (--cs-accent), What I do (--acc)
An oversized grid layer under a radial mask, animated with transform only so nothing repaints per frame. Off under reduced motion.
.hero__grid { inset: -20%; animation: hero-grid-drift 11s linear infinite; }Used by Hero, Connect, case-study hero
Screens sit in a window with a three-dot bar, so product shots read as product, not as decoration.
<div class="pcover__window"><span class="pcover__bar"><i></i><i></i><i></i></span>…</div>Used by ProjectCover, case-study media
Header → hero → sections split by SectionDivider → Connect → Footer. Case studies add Next and Keep exploring before Connect. Pages end the same way so the next step is always one click.
Home /
Header, Hero, Portfolio Work, My Projects, About, What I do, Connect, Footer
Index /work/, /projects/
Header, Breadcrumb + title, List, Connect, Footer
Case study /work/<slug>/
Header, Hero + meta, Sections, Next, Keep exploring, Connect, Footer
<SectionDivider />
<ConnectSection />Used by Home, /work/, /projects/, case studies
An image still loading pulses an 8% tint in the box its width and height reserve. scripts/image-skeleton.ts flags only unfinished images, so cached ones never flash, and picks up images added later. The pulse is filter: opacity(), so hidden images stay hidden.
<img src="…" width="1024" height="798" alt="" />
<!-- flagged while loading: data-img-loading -->Used by Every <img>, lightbox slides
Icon-only links name themselves on hover and keyboard focus: a small inverted pill rises 8px above the button. Visual only; the accessible name stays the IconButton label.
<IconButton icon="figma" label="Skware on Figma Community" tooltip="Figma Community" href="…" external size="sm" />Used by IconButton links on My Projects
Scripts bind document listeners once behind a window flag, re-run on astro:page-load and guard each root with a data attribute so ClientRouter swaps never double-bind.
if (!w.__dtThingBound) {
w.__dtThingBound = true;
document.addEventListener('astro:page-load', init);
}Used by scripts/, component <script> blocks
05
The same rules are written for coding agents in the files below, so people and agents build the same way.
AGENTS.md Repo guide; its Design system section points here src/danitesler/src/components/ds/AGENTS.md How to use and extend the system .claude/rules/design-system.md Short rules, loaded when editing src/danitesler/src src/danitesler/src/data/ds.ts Registry behind this page 06
Inconsistencies found while mapping the system. Each is small; together they're the cleanup backlog.
Uppercase labels use 1.4px, 1.5px, 2px and 0.08em at 12px or 13px (.cs-eyebrow, .work-card__eyebrow, .work-card__meta dt, .cs-meta__label).
Fix Move them onto .eyebrow; keep 13px only where a heading follows directly.