Braid
Design System 2026
Designed by
Charlesa Thompson
Senior UX/UI Designer · Braid
Braid is a beauty-tech platform for stylists and the people they style. The system below carries the brand's two non-negotiables — editorial polish and operational clarity — into every token, surface, and component. Each section opens with a designer's note that explains how the choice shapes the language.
01

Typography

3 families · 10-step scale

Designer's note Gyst carries the brand voice in headlines, Roboto handles every operational moment with neutral clarity, and Inter takes the precise small work — three voices, each with one clear job, so the page never speaks over itself.

Font families

Gyst Variable
Display / Brand
Bold
Hair Care Curated

Licensed display font. All major headings, section labels (POSTS, COURSES), and hero copy. Bold weight only.

Roboto
Body / Product / Nav
Regular · Medium
Hair Care Curated

Primary UI font. Product names, prices, button labels, navigation, body copy.

Inter
Utility / Data
Medium
Hair Care Curated

Compact UI elements: ratings, timestamps, small annotations, hex codes.

Type scale

Style
Size / Weight
Example
Display XLGyst Variable
42 px Bold
Hero & page titles
Price DisplayRoboto
30 px Regular
Product pricing
Section TitleGyst Variable
20 px Bold
SECTION LABELS
Product NameRoboto
21 px Regular
Product & article headings
Button / CTARoboto
18 px Regular
Profile nav buttons
BodyRoboto
16 px Regular
Nav labels, standard body copy
CaptionRoboto
14 px Regular
Sub-labels, secondary descriptions
Small / MetaRoboto
12 px Regular
Remaining time, micro labels
MicroInter
10 px Medium
Ratings · Timestamps · Tiny annotations
System BarSF Pro Text*
12 px Medium
macOS / iOS system chrome
02

Color

curated palette · dark-first

Designer's note Lavender lifts and Deep Violet anchors — two accents give the system a clear emotional spectrum where light moments feel buoyant and dark moments feel intentional, without diluting either.

Backgrounds

Deep Indigo
#18172C
Primary page background
Jet Black
#171717
NavBar, cards, close buttons
Rich Navy Purple
#24213C
Sticky headers, tab bars
Medium Purple
#382A4D
Sections, panel cards
Dark Purple
#221E3C
Badge & pill backgrounds
Dark Charcoal
#1F1F22
Toggle base, input fields

Text

Pure White
#FFFEFE
Primary headings & body
Soft White
#EFEFEF
Active nav labels
Warm Gray
#C8BFBD
Muted / inactive text
White 90%
rgba(255,255,255,0.90)
System bar text
White 70%
rgba(255,255,255,0.70)
Secondary product info
White 60%
rgba(255,255,255,0.60)
Tertiary labels, prices

Purple accents

Lavender
#C8BCF6
Light accent — icons, highlights, soft text
Deep Violet
#5A199B
Dark anchor — emphasis, CTA fill, gradients

Warm accents

Amber Orange
#FF9033
Progress bars, CTA highlights
Gold
#FFBF00
Star / badge glow
03

Gradients

7 named blends

Designer's note Gradients are where Braid's beauty lives — they carry the warmth and sheen that flat color cannot, and each blend is tied to a specific surface so the language stays unmistakable at a glance.

Page Fade
radial · #2A2350 → #18172C → #100F22
Purple Pop
135° · #C8BCF6 → #5A199B
Orchid Bloom
140° · #EBC8FE → #CAA8E9 → #624884
Border Nebula
135° · #C8BCF6 → #624884 → #5A199B
Deep Dusk
180° · #382A4D → #221E3C → #18172C
Violet Sterling
135° · #A7A4DF → #5A199B
Warm Flare
135° · #FFBF00 → #FF9033
04

Spacing & Radius

4px base · 3 radius steps

Designer's note Small for inputs, large for cards, pill for anything that invites action — three radii give Braid a consistent silhouette so the product reads the same on a phone, a tablet, and a poster.

Spacing scale

--space-1
4 px
--space-2
8 px
--space-3
12 px
--space-4
16 px
--space-5
20 px
--space-6
24 px
--space-7
32 px
--space-8
40 px
--space-9
48 px
--space-10
64 px
--space-11
80 px
--space-12
96 px

Border radius

SM
12 px
Inputs · badges · small cards · media
LG
20 px
Cards · panels · hero modules
PILL
999 px
Buttons · toggles · tabs
05

Elevation

5 shadows + 2 glows

Designer's note Neutral shadows carry hierarchy quietly; violet and amber glows mark the two things Braid wants users to feel — action and momentum — so attention always lands where the brand asks for it.

Shadow XS
subtle separation
Shadow SM
card resting
Shadow MD
interactive lift
Shadow LG
modal · popover
Shadow XL
overlay · drawer
Glow Violet
primary CTA
Glow Warm
progress · highlight
06

Glass Surfaces

glossy · reflective sheen

Designer's note Glossy glass mirrors the polish of the category — sheen, reflection, and shine are visual cues Braid users already recognize from product packaging, salon mirrors, and finished hair.

Default

Glossy & clean

Light blur with a top-to-bottom sheen and a bright inset highlight — reads as polished glass, not frost.

.glass
Lifted

Stronger reflection

Brighter sheen and a sharper border — use for hover states, focused cards, or surfaces meant to read as foreground.

.glass--lifted
Branded

Lavender-tinted

Lavender sheen over a violet base — reserved for hero modules and premium surfaces.

.glass--violet
07

Components

core building blocks

Designer's note Buttons, badges, inputs, and tabs all share the same visual grammar — rounded silhouettes, lavender highlights, soft glass — so the system reads as one product, never assembled parts.

Buttons

Primary actions
Secondary & alternate
Icon & state
Sizes

Badges

New Featured Hot ★ 4.9 Draft

Input

Tabs & toggle

Off / On

Progress

Module 4 of 6 64% complete
08

Patterns

tokens in context

Designer's note Cards are where the brand meets the user — gloss, gradients, and type hierarchy come together to show how the tokens add up to a feeling, not just a screen.

4.9
Intex Loc Re-Twist Kit
Style Kit · 30 min · Pro
$300.00
Bestseller In stock
Featured course 4.9

Intro to Loc Re-Twist

A beginner-friendly course teaching the foundations of locking, refreshing, and finishing.

Maya Johnson
Master Stylist · 1.2k students
Module 2 of 6 32%
6 modules 1h 20m
09

Responsive Cards

desktop · tablet · mobile

Designer's note Cards collapse gracefully because spacing, type, and surfaces all stay token-driven — Braid's silhouette holds from phone to desktop without bespoke layouts for any size.

Desktop 1280+
4.9
Loc Re-Twist Kit
30 min · Pro
$300
Bestseller
Course 4.9

Intro to Loc Re-Twist

MJ
Maya Johnson
1.2k students
Module 2 of 632%
6 modules
Tablet 768
Loc Re-Twist Kit
30 min · Pro
$300
Bestseller
Course ★ 4.9

Intro to Loc Re-Twist

MJ
Maya Johnson
Master Stylist
6 modules

Instructor

MJ
Maya Johnson
15+ Year Loctician

Certificates

Completion
C1.1
Re-Twist Kit

Overview

A beginner-friendly course teaching the foundations of loc re-twisting from Maya Johnson.

C
C
C
+100 chatting
375 · iPhone · Bento
10

Bento Layout

composed course page

Designer's note Bento boxes let one screen carry many signals at once — instructor, certificate, social proof, overview, CTA — without competing for attention, because every tile speaks in the same glass-and-gradient vocabulary.

Instructor

MJ
Maya Johnson
15+ Year Loctician

Certificates You Can Earn

Certificate of Completion
Loc Re-Twist · Level 1
C1.1 BEGINNER
Certificate of Completion
Loc Re-Twist · Level 2
C1.2 INTERMEDIATE
C
C
C
and 100+ others are chatting

Overview

This beginner-friendly course is designed to introduce you to the fundamentals of loc re-twisting. You will learn the foundations of locking, refreshing, and finishing — straight from Maya Johnson, with a focus on building confidence at every stage.

Go to Intro to Loc Re-Twist Kit