Granola — Cult / Indie

Reference DESIGN.md for warm-glass AI notetaker aesthetic. Not in VoltAgent's catalog. Worth cloning.

1. Visual Theme & Atmosphere

Warm glass. Editorial serif meets soft frosted surfaces over cream backgrounds. Feels like a premium paper notebook that happens to be software.

Mood: calm, considered, indie-premium.

2. Color Palette & Roles

--bg:              #faf8f2   /* warm cream */
--bg-gradient:     radial-gradient(at 30% 0%, #fff4e0 0%, transparent 50%),
                   radial-gradient(at 80% 20%, #f4e4d4 0%, transparent 60%);
--surface:         rgba(255, 251, 244, 0.7)   /* frosted warm white */
--text:            #1a1814
--text-muted:      #6a5f52
--border:          rgba(26, 24, 20, 0.08)
--accent:          #b45837   /* muted terracotta */
--accent-soft:     #e4b894

3. Typography Rules

  • Headlines: editorial serif — PP Editorial New, fallback Tiempos Headline. Weight 400–500.
  • Body: Söhne, fallback Inter. Weight 400, 16–17px.
  • UI: Söhne medium, 14px.

Scale: 13 / 15 / 17 / 20 / 26 / 36 / 52.

Light weights dominate. Avoid anything above 600.

4. Component Stylings

Buttons

  • Primary: --accent fill, cream text, radius 10, padding 10/18, weight 500.
  • Secondary: --surface frosted, 1px --border, backdrop-blur 12px.

Cards / notes

  • --surface frosted fill, 1px --border, radius 14.
  • Backdrop-filter blur(16px) saturate(150%).
  • Inner highlight inset 0 1px 0 rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.6).

Inputs

  • Nearly invisible — --surface fill, no visible border until focus.
  • Focus: 2px --accent ring, 2px offset.

5. Layout Principles

  • Max 680px for reading, 1000px for app shell.
  • Gradient fixed on body, content scrolls over it.
  • Vertical rhythm: generous, 40–64px section breaks.

6. Depth & Elevation

Glass depth. Backdrop blur on every surface. Soft warm shadows 0 8px 32px rgba(180, 88, 55, 0.08).

7. Do's and Don'ts

Do

  • Let the warm gradient show through every surface.
  • Use serif for any editorial moment (empty states, onboarding).
  • Keep weights light; avoid bold.

Don't

  • Use cold blues or grays — everything bends warm.
  • Use Inter for display type.
  • Add heavy shadows or hard borders.

8. Responsive Behavior

  • Gradient simplifies on mobile.
  • Blur intensity halved (8px) for performance.
  • Single column, generous padding.

9. Agent Prompt Guide

Bias: cream base, warm radial gradients, frosted white surfaces, editorial serif for display, light weights, muted terracotta accent.

Reject: cold neutral palettes, sans-serif-only hierarchies, dark-mode primary, high-contrast saturated accents.