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Redlines & Specs

Providing detailed specifications for spacing, colors, typography, and other design details.

Why it matters

Developers aren't mind readers. Even with modern tools, ambiguity can lead to implementation errors. Redlines (measurements) and specifications bridge the gap between visual design and code, ensuring the final product matches the design intent pixel-for-pixel.

Redlines Playground

Toggle different specification layers to see how design details are communicated to developers.

Mountain Retreat

Escape to the mountains for a weekend of relaxation and adventure.

What to Specify

Spacing

Explicitly mark padding, margins, and gaps between elements using your spacing scale.

Typography

Define font family, size, weight, line-height, and letter-spacing for every text element.

Colors

Provide hex codes, RGBA values, or preferably, the design token names (e.g., primary-500).

Effects

Detail shadow values (x, y, blur, spread, color), border radius, and opacity.

Spec Checklist

  1. Responsive Behavior

    Explain how the component changes at different breakpoints (e.g., "stacks vertically on mobile").

  2. Interactive States

    Document hover, focus, active, and disabled states if they aren't obvious in the prototype.

  3. Content Constraints

    Define max-widths for text and what happens when content overflows (truncate vs. wrap).

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