eBay Brand Design System Deep Dive
1. Brand Overview
eBay’s design language is exactly what you’d expect from a marketplace that’s been alive since the dial-up era — functional, recognisable, and unapologetically utilitarian. This isn’t a brand chasing minimalism for the sake of it. They’ve got decades of visual baggage to carry, and they lean into it.
The vibe? A hybrid of corporate reliability and everyday accessibility. You see colour in the logo and marketing banners, but the core UI leans on neutrals and system clarity. Primary actions are blue (#0968f6) — a safe, accessible hue that’s been battle-tested for CTAs. Secondary actions and text are deep charcoal (#191919). The palette stretches far into functional territory: greens for success states, reds for error, yellows and marigolds for warnings, plus a library of marketing colours like avocado, lilac, and coral — each with multiple tints.
Typography is consistent: Market Sans everywhere, backed by system fonts (Arial, Helvetica). It’s a custom eBay typeface — geometric, friendly, and direct — but they don’t rely solely on it; fallbacks ensure no rendering surprises. The type scale is broad, from big 36px headings down to micro 10px labels.
Spacing follows an 8px rhythm — not surprising for a modern web app — but with some oddball values like 5.75px and 13px peppered in. This suggests legacy components or pixel-perfect tweaks to align icons and text.
Borders and radii are generous where it matters: search inputs with 44px pill ends, cards at 16–24px corners, true pills with 15984px radius. Shadows are present but subtle, giving depth without breaking accessibility.
Components are built for high-traffic, high-interaction environments. Buttons have strong state definitions — hover, focus, active all tuned with colour and box-shadow changes. Links are varied: some underlined, some not, depending on context. Inputs get clear focus outlines, often with the primary blue.
eBay’s design philosophy: keep the transactional core clean, inject brand personality in controlled bursts, and never break the grid. It’s about trust, clarity, and speed — the kind of system you can scale to millions of listings without visual chaos.
2. Color System
2.1 Primary Colours
Primary: rgb(25,25,25) / #191919 — used for headings, body text, and key UI chrome. It’s almost black but softer, reducing harshness against white backgrounds. This works because it balances readability and visual comfort. Competitors like Amazon use pure black (#000) for maximum contrast; eBay opts for a slightly muted tone.
Accent/CTA: #0968f6 — the blue you see on primary buttons and focus rings. Psychologically, blue signals trust, stability, and clickable intent. It’s safer than green/red for actions that could affect transactions.
Secondary/UI neutrals: multiple greys (#555555, #333333, #707070) for secondary text, dividers, and subtle UI elements.
2.2 Complete Palette
| Color Name | Hex | Role | Usage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Text | #191919 | Semantic primary | Headings, main text |
| Secondary Text | #555555 | Neutral dark | Subtext, less prominent labels |
| White | #ffffff | Background/surface | Page background, buttons |
| Dark Grey | #333333 | Neutral | Dividers, secondary UI |
| Medium Grey | #707070 | Neutral | Footer links, muted labels |
| Black | #000000 | Neutral | Icons, playback controls |
| Navy | #01193d | Accent dark | Rare, deep backgrounds |
| Focus Blue | #005fcc | Interaction | Focus outlines |
| Dark Neutral | #2e2e2e | Hover/focus | Button hover background |
| Near White | #fdfdfd | Surface | Hover states, card backgrounds |
| Dark Neutral 2 | #2f2f2f | Hover/focus | Alternate hover states |
| Pink 500 | #de458e | Marketing | Campaign accents |
| Orange 600 | #c15100 | Marketing | Promotions |
| Teal 400 | #44ccd5 | Accent | Charts, highlights |
| Avocado 200 | #f8fcde | Marketing | Background fills |
| Neutral 300 | #e5e5e5 | UI neutral | Borders, dividers |
| Background Accent | #0968f6 | Primary blue | CTAs, focus |
| Coral 600 | #d03706 | Marketing | Sales banners |
| Background Confirmation | #288034 | Success | Confirmation states |
| Green 500 | #92c821 | Success | Icons, status |
| Avocado 400 | #e3f13c | Marketing | Background fills |
| Blue 400 | #4d93fc | Secondary blue | Links |
| Dijon 600 | #766f28 | Marketing | Campaign accents |
| Violet 500 | #583aee | Marketing | Highlights |
| Jade 600 | #0f805e | Success | Charts, accents |
| Coral 700 | #5e1d08 | Marketing dark | Text over coral bg |
| Kiwi 400 | #4ce160 | Success | Live labels |
| Jade 400 | #1ed49e | Success | Badges |
| Pink 600 | #a51359 | Marketing | Campaign accents |
| Green 400 | #aaed56 | Success | Background fills |
| Indigo 500 | #0099f0 | Accent | Links |
| Lilac 500 | #8935cb | Marketing | Highlights |
| Indigo 700 | #003c66 | Accent dark | Deep backgrounds |
| State Accent Active | #254fd2 | Interaction | Active link/button |
| Marigold 600 | #a36302 | Warning | Alerts |
| Orange 200 | #ffead3 | Marketing | Background fills |
| Yellow 600 | #855f00 | Warning | Icons/text |
| Neutral 500 | #8f8f8f | Neutral mid | Placeholder text |
| Yellow 800 | #312102 | Warning dark | Text over yellow bg |
| Dijon 400 | #f6e016 | Marketing | Background fills |
| Teal 800 | #04252f | Accent dark | Charts |
| Jade 800 | #002b20 | Success dark | Deep backgrounds |
| Coral 400 | #ff6a38 | Marketing | Buttons |
| Red 800 | #2a0303 | Error dark | Text over red bg |
| Red 500 | #f02d2d | Error | Alerts |
| Lilac 800 | #2f041e | Marketing dark | Background |
| Dijon 200 | #fcf9de | Marketing | Background fills |
| Jade 300 | #8feace | Success | Charts |
| Violet 700 | #271a68 | Marketing dark | Deep background |
| Dijon 300 | #faef8a | Marketing | Background fills |
| Jade 700 | #055743 | Success dark | Text |
| Orange 700 | #562501 | Marketing dark | Text |
| Lilac 600 | #631f99 | Marketing | Highlights |
| Coral 500 | #f3511b | Marketing | Buttons |
| Yellow 700 | #553b06 | Warning | Text |
| Coral 200 | #ffe1d7 | Marketing | Background fills |
| Green 800 | #1c2d06 | Success dark | Text |
| Lilac 400 | #b56bf0 | Marketing | Highlights |
| Red 700 | #570303 | Error dark | Text |
| Kiwi 500 | #3cc14e | Success | Badges |
| Teal 300 | #8edfe5 | Accent | Charts |
| Kiwi 300 | #a6f0a5 | Success | Background fills |
| Green 300 | #d5f6aa | Success | Background fills |
| Marigold 800 | #2f1b04 | Warning dark | Text |
| Teal 500 | #1bbfca | Accent | Charts |
| Yellow 500 | #eebb04 | Warning | Icons |
| Violet 600 | #3b1fc6 | Marketing | Highlights |
| Blue 300 | #84b4fb | Secondary blue | Links |
| Marigold 200 | #fff0d3 | Warning | Background fills |
| Yellow 300 | #ffe58a | Warning | Background fills |
| Kiwi 200 | #e0fae0 | Success | Background fills |
| Violet 800 | #20092b | Marketing dark | Background |
| Coral 300 | #ffa78a | Marketing | Background fills |
| Blue 800 | #19133a | Accent dark | Background |
| Dijon 800 | #2e2400 | Marketing dark | Text |
| Jade 500 | #17c28f | Success | Badges |
| Marigold 300 | #ffd480 | Warning | Background fills |
| Green 600 | #507d17 | Success | Icons |
| Marigold 500 | #e99a02 | Warning | Icons |
| Lilac 200 | #efddfd | Marketing | Background fills |
| Red 300 | #ffa0a0 | Error | Background fills |
| Orange 500 | #ec7303 | Marketing | Buttons |
| Dijon 700 | #524500 | Marketing dark | Text |
| Pink 200 | #fcdcec | Marketing | Background fills |
| Violet 200 | #e2ddfd | Marketing | Background fills |
| Yellow 200 | #fff8d5 | Warning | Background fills |
| Blue 600 | #0049b8 | Secondary blue | Links |
| Green 200 | #f0fce1 | Success | Background fills |
| Marigold 700 | #562f01 | Warning dark | Text |
| Kiwi 800 | #0c310d | Success dark | Text |
| Jade 200 | #d8f8ee | Success | Background fills |
| Dijon 500 | #e8d20c | Marketing | Icons |
| Indigo 300 | #80d0fd | Accent | Links |
| Indigo 400 | #0aa7ff | Accent | Links |
| Pink 300 | #f79cc8 | Marketing | Background fills |
| Red 200 | #ffdede | Error | Background fills |
| Lilac 700 | #3e135f | Marketing dark | Background |
| Pink 800 | #360606 | Marketing dark | Text |
| Avocado 700 | #4e4e0c | Marketing dark | Text |
| Violet 400 | #836bff | Marketing | Highlights |
| Red 400 | #ff5c5c | Error | Buttons |
| Coral 800 | #2f0e04 | Marketing dark | Text |
| Indigo 600 | #0364ab | Accent | Links |
| Orange 300 | #ffc382 | Marketing | Background fills |
| Marigold 400 | #ffa800 | Warning | Icons |
| Teal 700 | #07465a | Accent dark | Background |
| Avocado 600 | #68770d | Marketing dark | Text |
| Orange 400 | #ff8806 | Marketing | Buttons |
| Avocado 300 | #e9f5a0 | Marketing | Background fills |
| Pink 700 | #4b112d | Marketing dark | Text |
| Avocado 800 | #282306 | Marketing dark | Background |
| Blue 200 | #d4e5fe | Secondary blue | Background fills |
| Lilac 300 | #cc9ef0 | Marketing | Highlights |
| AI Solid Green Subtle | #f1fdf1 | Success subtle | Background fills |
2.3 Color Relationships
They pair high-contrast text (#191919) with white (#ffffff) for maximum WCAG compliance. Blue (#0968f6) on white easily passes AAA for large text. Greens and reds are saturated enough for icons but might struggle with small text on coloured backgrounds — they mitigate with dark variants (#1c2d06, #570303) for text over tinted backgrounds.
2.4 Usage Guide
- Use #0968f6 only for interactive states (buttons, focus outlines).
- Keep #191919 for primary text; don’t drop to pure black unless it’s an icon.
- Marketing colours live in banners and campaign-specific UI — don’t mix them into transactional flows.
- Dark variants are for text over light tints, not standalone backgrounds.
3. Typography
3.1 Font Families
Market Sans — custom eBay typeface. Fallbacks: Arial, Helvetica. No Google or Adobe Fonts loaded. This is consistent across headings, links, captions, and buttons.
3.2 Type Scale
| Element | Font | Size | Weight | Line Height |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heading-1 | Market Sans | 36px | 700 | 1.28 |
| Heading-1 | Market Sans | 30px | 700 | 1.33 |
| Link | Market Sans | 30px | 700 | 1.33 |
| Heading-1 | Market Sans | 24px | 700 | 1.33 |
| Link | Market Sans | 24px | 700 | 1.33 |
| Link | Market Sans | 20px | 700 | 1.40 |
| Heading-1 | Market Sans | 20px | 700 | 1.40 |
| Link | Market Sans | 20px | 400 | 1.43 |
| Heading-1 | Market Sans | 20px | 400 | 1.43 |
| Button | Market Sans | 18px | 400 | — |
| Heading-1 | Market Sans | 16px | 400 | 1.50 |
| Link | Market Sans | 16px | 400 | 1.50 |
| Link | Market Sans | 16px | 700 | 1.25 |
| Heading-1 | Market Sans | 16px | 700 | 1.50 |
| Link | Market Sans | 14px | 400 | 1.50 |
| Caption | Market Sans | 14px | 700 | 1.50 |
| Link | Market Sans | 14px | 700 | 1.50 |
| Caption | Market Sans | 14px | 400 | 1.50 |
| Button | Market Sans | 14px | 700 | — |
| Button | Market Sans | 13.33px | 400 | — |
| Caption | Market Sans | 13.33px | 400 | — |
| Caption | Market Sans | 12px | 400 | 1.50 |
| Link | Market Sans | 12px | 400 | 1.50 |
| Button | Market Sans | 12px | 400 | — |
| Caption | Market Sans | 12px | 700 | 1.33 |
| Link | Market Sans | 12px | 700 | 1.43 |
| Link | Market Sans | 11px | 400 | 1.50 |
| Button | Market Sans | 11px | 400 | — |
| Button | Market Sans | 10px | 400 | — |
3.3 Hierarchy
Bold weights (700) signal clickable or primary content. Smaller sizes (12–14px) are used for captions, labels, and less important links. The scale is tight — no giant jumps between levels — which keeps UI dense and information-rich, perfect for a marketplace.
4. Spacing & Layout
4.1 Spacing Scale
Base: 8px grid. Common values:
| px | rem | Count |
|---|---|---|
| 1px | 0.06rem | 23 |
| 4px | 0.25rem | 55 |
| 5.75px | 0.36rem | 50 |
| 7px | 0.44rem | 22 |
| 8px | 0.50rem | 156 |
| 10px | 0.63rem | 37 |
| 12px | 0.75rem | 95 |
| 13px | 0.81rem | 190 |
| 16px | 1rem | 84 |
| 20px | 1.25rem | 4 |
| 24px | 1.5rem | 2 |
| 28px | 1.75rem | 6 |
| 30px | 1.88rem | 10 |
| 32px | 2rem | 3 |
| 40px | 2.5rem | 1 |
| 52px | 3.25rem | 1 |
| 72px | 4.5rem | 2 |
4.2 Layout
Breakpoints range from mobile (320px) to desktop (1920px). Lots of intermediate widths suggest component-specific responsiveness. Likely container max widths around 1280–1440px for desktop.
5. Visual Elements
Border Radius
| Value | Count | Elements |
|---|---|---|
| 0px 40px 40px 0px | 1 | Select category input |
| 0px 16px 16px 0px | 2 | Images |
| 8px | 21 | Buttons, links |
| 16px | 127 | Divs, groups, navigation |
| 20px | 26 | Cards |
| 24px | 26 | Live event buttons |
| 44px | 2 | Div, button |
| 44px 0px 0px 44px | 1 | Combobox |
| 50px | 29 | Icon buttons |
| 15984px | 34 | Pills, watchlist toggles |
| 50% | 26 | Circular elements |
Shadows
rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15) 0px 2px 7px, rgba(0,0,0,0.2) 0px 5px 17pxrgba(0,0,0,0.28) 0px 0px 3pxrgba(0,0,0,0.24) 0px 2px 2px, rgba(0,0,0,0.12) 0px 0px 2px- Subtle, functional — never decorative.
6. Components
6.1 Buttons
Example: .gh-search-button
Default: bg #0968f6, text white, padding 0 20px, radius 44px, border 1px solid #0968f6.
Hover: transparent bg, opacity 0.85, border 1px solid transparent.
Active: transform translate(-4px).
Focus: box-shadow 0 0 0 2px primary bg, 0 0 0 4px accent.
Other variants include icon buttons with 50px radius, live buttons with kiwi green (#4ce160), and pills with giant radii.
6.2 Links
Varied styles — some underlined (#0968f6), some plain black. Hover generally changes color to var(--color-foreground-secondary) and removes underline.
6.3 Forms
Search input: white bg, black text, pill radius on left (44px), focus with blue outline (#005fcc). Select dropdowns have matching radii and subtle grey text.
6.4 Cards
Cards use 16–20px radius, subtle shadows, and consistent padding multiples of 8px. No hover lift — static surfaces.
7. Design Tokens
:root {
/* Colors */
--color-primary-text: #191919;
--color-secondary-text: #555555;
--color-white: #ffffff;
--color-dark-grey: #333333;
--color-medium-grey: #707070;
--color-black: #000000;
--color-focus-blue: #005fcc;
--color-primary-blue: #0968f6;
--color-neutral-300: #e5e5e5;
--color-green-500: #92c821;
/* (Add all other extracted colors here) */
/* Typography */
--font-family-primary: "Market Sans", Arial, Helvetica;
--font-size-h1: 36px;
--font-size-h2: 30px;
--font-size-h3: 24px;
--font-size-body-lg-bold: 20px;
--font-size-body-lg: 20px;
--font-size-body-md: 16px;
--font-size-body-sm: 14px;
--font-size-caption: 12px;
--font-weight-bold: 700;
--font-weight-regular: 400;
/* Spacing */
--spacing-1: 1px;
--spacing-4: 4px;
--spacing-5-75: 5.75px;
--spacing-8: 8px;
--spacing-10: 10px;
--spacing-12: 12px;
--spacing-13: 13px;
--spacing-16: 16px;
--spacing-20: 20px;
--spacing-24: 24px;
--spacing-28: 28px;
--spacing-30: 30px;
--spacing-32: 32px;
--spacing-40: 40px;
--spacing-52: 52px;
--spacing-72: 72px;
/* Radius */
--radius-sm: 8px;
--radius-md: 16px;
--radius-lg: 20px;
--radius-xl: 24px;
--radius-pill: 44px;
--radius-full: 50%;
--radius-extreme: 15984px;
/* Shadows */
--shadow-lg: rgba(0,0,0,0.15) 0px 2px 7px, rgba(0,0,0,0.2) 0px 5px 17px;
--shadow-md: rgba(0,0,0,0.28) 0px 0px 3px;
--shadow-sm: rgba(0,0,0,0.24) 0px 2px 2px, rgba(0,0,0,0.12) 0px 0px 2px;
}8. AI Coding Assistant Prompt
# eBay Design System Specification
You are an eBay design expert. Build UIs matching their visual language exactly.
## Brand Context
eBay’s design is transactional-first: clarity over decoration, trust through colour discipline, personality in marketing bursts. Components are dense, efficient, and consistent.
## Color Palette
- Primary Text: #191919 — Headings, body text
- Secondary Text: #555555 — Subtext
- White: #ffffff — Backgrounds
- Primary Blue: #0968f6 — CTAs, focus outlines
- Focus Blue: #005fcc — Input focus borders
- Neutral 300: #e5e5e5 — Dividers
- Green 500: #92c821 — Success icons
- Kiwi 400: #4ce160 — Live state buttons
- Red 500: #f02d2d — Error
- Coral 500: #f3511b — Marketing buttons
- (Include all extracted colors similarly)
## Typography
Font family: "Market Sans", Arial, Helvetica
| Level | Size | Weight | Line Height | Use |
|-------|------|--------|-------------|-----|
| H1 | 36px | 700 | 1.28 | Page titles |
| H2 | 30px | 700 | 1.33 | Section headings |
| Body LG Bold | 20px | 700 | 1.40 | Emphasised text |
| Body LG | 20px | 400 | 1.43 | Paragraphs |
| Body MD Bold | 16px | 700 | 1.50 | Labels |
| Body MD | 16px | 400 | 1.50 | Paragraphs |
| Caption | 12px | 400 | 1.50 | Meta info |
## Spacing & Grid
Base: 8px. Scale: 1px, 4px, 5.75px, 8px, 10px, 12px, 13px, 16px, 20px, 24px, 28px, 30px, 32px, 40px, 52px, 72px.
## Border Radius
- sm: 8px — Buttons
- md: 16px — Cards
- lg: 20px — Large cards
- xl: 24px — Live buttons
- pill: 44px — Inputs
- full: 50% — Avatars
- extreme: 15984px — Pills/watchlist toggle
## Shadows & Depth
- Large: rgba(0,0,0,0.15) 0px 2px 7px, rgba(0,0,0,0.2) 0px 5px 17px
- Medium: rgba(0,0,0,0.28) 0px 0px 3px
- Small: rgba(0,0,0,0.24) 0px 2px 2px, rgba(0,0,0,0.12) 0px 0px 2px
## Components
### Primary Button
Default: bg #0968f6, color #ffffff, padding 0 20px, radius 44px, border 1px solid #0968f6.
Hover: bg transparent, opacity 0.85, border transparent.
Active: translate(-4px).
Focus: box-shadow 0 0 0 2px #ffffff, 0 0 0 4px #0968f6.
### Secondary Button
Default: bg white, text #191919, radius 8px, no border. Hover/focus similar to primary but with subtle color changes.
### Navigation Links
Default: color #191919, underline or none depending on context. Hover: color var(--color-foreground-secondary), no underline.
### Input Fields
Default: bg white, text black, radius 44px left, padding-left 44px. Focus: outline 2px solid #005fcc, bg var(--color-blue-1).
### Cards
bg white, radius 16–20px, subtle shadow, padding multiples of 8px.
## Layout & Responsive Rules
Max content: ~1440px desktop. Page padding: ~16px mobile, ~32px desktop. Grid gaps follow 8px multiples. Breakpoints: 320px, 768px, 1024px, 1440px, 1920px.
## Interaction Rules
Transitions ~150ms ease for hover/focus. Focus indicators are double-ring box-shadows with primary blue outer ring.
## DO
- Use only palette colors.
- Maintain 8px grid.
- Use Market Sans everywhere.
- Match border radii to component type.
- Keep shadows subtle.
## DON'T
- Invent new colors.
- Mix sharp and rounded corners.
- Overuse marketing colors in transactional UI.
- Remove focus states.
## Code Examples
```css
.btn-primary {
background: #0968f6;
color: #fff;
padding: 0 20px;
border-radius: 44px;
font-weight: 700;
font-size: 14px;
border: 1px solid #0968f6;
transition: all 150ms ease;
}
.btn-primary:hover { background: transparent; opacity: 0.85; }
.btn-primary:focus { box-shadow: 0 0 0 2px #fff, 0 0 0 4px #0968f6; }
.input-search {
background: #fff;
color: #000;
border-radius: 44px 0 0 44px;
padding-left: 44px;
}
.input-search:focus {
outline: 2px solid #005fcc;
box-shadow: 0 0 0 2px #fff, 0 0 0 4px #0968f6;
}
---
## 9. Summary
**TL;DR** — eBay’s design system is built for speed and clarity. Neutral core, blue for actions, Market Sans everywhere, 8px grid discipline. Shadows are functional, radii are generous. Keep transactional flows clean; inject personality only in marketing zones.
**Brand Keywords**
- transaction-first
- trust-through-colour
- grid-disciplined
- marketing-bursts
- neutral-core