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Imgsmail Design System: Functional Blue-Driven UI

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Explore Imgsmail's design system - blue-driven UI, typography, compact grid. Learn how it powers fast, trusted daily communication.

6 min read1,051 words

Brand Identity

Color Palette

Primary
Secondary

Typography

Primary Font
VKSansDisplay
Secondary Font
Helvetica

Design Style

Style
utilitarian with bright saturated blues, subtle shadows, and dense layouts
Visual Density
compact grid-based layout with micro-increment spacing
Border Style
consistent 8px rounded corners for interactive elements, larger radii for cards

Full Analysis

Imgsmail Brand Design System Deep Dive

1. Brand Overview

Imgsmail, operating via mail.ru, feels like a legacy internet giant that’s kept its core identity while polishing its visual language for modern UI expectations. The site is built for mass daily use — fast-loading, no-nonsense, but with enough design structure to feel cohesive across an ecosystem of products. This isn't a "wow" design; it's a "trust me, I work every day" design.

The vibe is utilitarian with a splash of corporate friendliness. Blue is everywhere — a bright, saturated blue (#0070f0 and variants) that screams "click me" in an interface full of neutrals. It’s an action color, used for links, CTAs, and login buttons. White and gray backgrounds dominate the canvas, giving the blue the contrast it needs.

Typography is clean and sans-serif, with a clear preference for the custom VKSansDisplay family. Even fallback stacks are considered — MailSans, Helvetica, Arial — meaning the system degrades gracefully across environments. The type scale is tight, no ornamental giant headers. This is about density and efficiency — you can see they’re optimizing for screen real estate over drama.

Spacing is mostly on an 8px grid, but they sneak in smaller increments (2px, 4px, 6px) for micro-alignment. This is a sign of a design team that’s balancing pixel-perfect precision with the reality of dense content. Border radii are consistent — 8px for most interactive elements, 12px and 20px for larger cards and modules.

The shadow system is subtle: low-opacity, large-blur shadows (rgba(0, 16, 61, 0.06) 0px 6px 20px) for depth without screaming skeuomorphism. Components are practical: blue-filled buttons, blue-outlined secondary buttons, white tertiary buttons. Link styles are stripped of underlines, relying solely on color to signal interactivity — fine in a controlled UI, but risky for accessibility.

Overall: Imgsmail's design system is built for speed, clarity, and familiarity. It’s not chasing trends; it’s refining a well-oiled machine.


2. Color System

2.1 Primary Colors

The main brand blue is #0070f0 (rgb(0, 112, 240)), supported by close cousins like #0077ff and #0073f7 for hover/focus. This blue is saturated, leaning slightly toward cyan, which keeps it friendly and energetic without tipping into pure corporate navy.

Psychologically, this blue signals trust, reliability, and immediacy. Compared to Gmail’s red or Outlook’s deeper blue, Imgsmail’s choice stands out as brighter and more clickable — more consumer-facing than enterprise.

White (#ffffff) is the semantic primary background, keeping the interface bright. Neutrals like #87898f, #a5a7ad, and #797a80 handle secondary text, icons, and disabled states. Green (#0dc268) and red (#ed330a) are reserved for status — success and error.

2.2 Complete Palette

Color NameHexRoleUsage
Brand Blue#0070f0PrimaryLinks, CTAs, buttons
Action Blue Hover#0077ffPrimary hoverLogin button hover
Action Blue Focus#0073f7Focus stateHover/focus outlines
Black#000000TextRare solid text, icons
Gray 1#87898fSecondary textItem content
Gray 2#a5a7adNeutralUI chrome
Gray 3#797a80NeutralMedium-confidence elements
Green#0dc268StatusSuccess states
Teal#087c6dAccentOccasional accent
Red#ed330aStatusError states
Midnight Overlay#00103d (rgba 0.04 alpha)OverlayHover/focus effects
Deep Gray#2c2d2eText primaryInvariably primary text
Transparent Blue Active#005ff9 (rgba 0.14 alpha)OverlayHover/focus effects
White#ffffffBackgroundMain page, buttons
Portal Lime#97E946AccentLime palette
Purple Accent#8C64FFAccentPurple-themed text
Accent Orange#FF9E00StatusAlternative accent
Accent Orange Hover#F59802Status hoverAlternative hover
Accent Yellow#FFEFE6 / rgba(255, 199, 0, 1)AccentBackgrounds
Purple Sweet#F2E8FFAccentSoft background
Tooltip Blue Tint#DDE9FFTooltip bgInfo tooltips
Tooltip Text Blue#1C4479Tooltip textInfo tooltips
Background Secondary#F0F1F3SurfaceSecondary BG
Background Secondary Hover#E6E8ECSurface hoverHovered cards
Background Positive Tint#ECFAF3StatusPositive BG
Background Negative Tint#FEEFEBStatusNegative BG
Background Sky#CCE4FFAccent BGSky background
Background Dark#19191ADark mode surfacesDark containers

(Only listed once here, but note many more semantic tokens in CSS variables.)

2.3 Color Relationships

Blue and white form the high-contrast core. Blue buttons on white backgrounds meet WCAG AA easily — lightness contrast is strong. Blue text on white is fine, but low-weight gray text (#87898f) on white is borderline for small sizes — risk for accessibility in captions.

Dark mode tokens exist (#19191A background, rgba(48,48,48,1) modal inverse), but the site defaults to light mode.

2.4 Usage Guide

  • Use brand blue only for interactive elements. Don't drown static UI in blue — it loses clickability.
  • Pair blue text with white background for clarity.
  • Status colors (green/red) should not be used for decorative accents — keep them functional.
  • Avoid low-contrast gray on white for body copy; reserve for labels or metadata.

3. Typography

3.1 Font Families

Primary: VKSansDisplay — custom, clean sans-serif.
Fallbacks: MailSans, Helvetica, Arial — safe web fonts.
Secondary usage: Helvetica direct for some link/caption contexts.

No Google or Adobe Fonts — this is a custom stack.

3.2 Type Scale

ElementFontSizeWeightLine Height
Heading 1VKSansDisplay28px5001.29
Heading 1VKSansDisplay24px7001.17
Heading 1VKSansDisplay20px5001.30
ButtonVKSansDisplay17px500-
Heading 1VKSansDisplay17px5001.18
LinkVKSansDisplay17px5001.29
Heading 1VKSansDisplay16px4001.38
LinkVKSansDisplay15px4001.33
LinkVKSansDisplay15px5001.33
ButtonVKSansDisplay15px5001.33
Heading 1VKSansDisplay15px5001.33
LinkHelvetica15px4001.33
Heading 1VKSansDisplay15px5001.33
Heading 1Helvetica15px4001.33
ButtonHelvetica15px4001.33
LinkVKSansDisplay14px5001.29
CaptionVKSansDisplay14px4001.29
ButtonHelvetica13.3333px400-
CaptionHelvetica13px4001.38
LinkHelvetica13px4001.38
CaptionVKSansDisplay13px4001.38
CaptionVKSansDisplay11px4001.27

3.3 Hierarchy

They use small increments between type sizes — 28px down to 24px down to 20px for headings. This keeps hierarchy subtle but efficient. Buttons and links sit at 15–17px, making them readable without overpowering the layout. Captions drop to 11–14px, clearly differentiated.

Weights shift between 400 and 500 frequently — bold is rare outside key headings. This maintains a calm visual tone.


4. Spacing & Layout

4.1 Spacing Scale

Base: 8px grid, but with micro-increments.

ValueCountNotes
2px45Hairline gaps, icon offsets
3px3Rare fine-tune spacing
4px41Small padding, inline gaps
6px47Button vertical padding
8px36Default small padding
9px14Specific component fit
10px6Input/button padding
12px17Medium padding
14px3Specific layout
15px1Rare
16px11Card padding
20px5Section gaps
24px1Large spacing
32px1Hero sections
70.5px2Odd — probably image heights

4.2 Layout

Breakpoint: 1100px — likely main container width.
Responsive approach: One large breakpoint, with mobile adjustments below 1100px.


5. Visual Elements

Border Radius

ValueCountElements
6px4div
8px61a, button, div, image
10px3div, a
12px17div, image, a, button
20px11a, div
50%3div (avatars)

Pills? No full 9999px, but 50% for circular avatars.

Shadows

Main: rgba(0, 16, 61, 0.06) 0px 6px 20px — soft, large blur.
Others: Slightly darker, tighter shadows for modals or overlays.

Borders

Few borders — mostly 1px solid #0077ff for outlined buttons.


6. Components

6.1 Buttons

Primary (Login)
Default: bg #0077ff, text #ffffff, padding 0px 20px, radius 8px, no border.
Hover: bg initial — odd, probably overridden by script/state.

Secondary (Outlined)
Default: transparent bg, text #0070f0, padding 8px 16px, radius 8px, border 1px solid #0077ff.
Hover: text #005bd1, bg rgba(39, 43, 55, 0.3) — semi-transparent overlay.

Tertiary (Gray)
Default: bg rgba(0, 16, 61, 0.06), text #2c2d2e, padding 6px 14px, radius 8px.

White Button
Default: bg #ffffff, text #2c2d2e, padding 8px 16px, radius 8px.

No underlines. Color signals only.
Variants:

  • Dark gray text (#2c2d2e) — body links
  • Blue (#0070f0) — primary links
  • White (#ffffff) — dark background links
  • Light gray (#87898f) — secondary links

6.3 Forms

No data on inputs — likely standard Vuetify with custom colors.

6.4 Cards

Shadows: main shadow rgba(0, 16, 61, 0.06).
Radius: 8–12px.
Padding: multiples of 8px.


7. Design Tokens (CSS Custom Properties)

:root {
  /* Colors */
  --color-primary: #0070f0;
  --color-primary-hover: #0077ff;
  --color-primary-focus: #0073f7;
  --color-black: #000000;
  --color-gray-1: #87898f;
  --color-gray-2: #a5a7ad;
  --color-gray-3: #797a80;
  --color-green: #0dc268;
  --color-teal: #087c6d;
  --color-red: #ed330a;
  --color-midnight-overlay: rgba(0, 16, 61, 0.04);
  --color-deep-gray: #2c2d2e;
  --color-transparent-blue-active: rgba(0,95,249,0.14);
  --color-white: #ffffff;
  --color-lime: #97E946;
  --color-purple: #8C64FF;
  --color-orange: #FF9E00;
  --color-orange-hover: #F59802;
  --color-yellow: #FFEFE6;
  --color-yellow-accent: rgba(255, 199, 0, 1);
  --color-purple-sweet: #F2E8FF;
  --color-tooltip-blue-tint: #DDE9FF;
  --color-tooltip-text-blue: #1C4479;
  --color-bg-secondary: #F0F1F3;
  --color-bg-secondary-hover: #E6E8EC;
  --color-bg-positive-tint: #ECFAF3;
  --color-bg-negative-tint: #FEEFEB;
  --color-bg-sky: #CCE4FF;
  --color-bg-dark: #19191A;

  /* Typography */
  --font-primary: 'VKSansDisplay', 'MailSans', 'Helvetica', 'Arial';
  --font-secondary: 'Helvetica', 'Arial';

  /* Spacing */
  --space-2: 2px;
  --space-3: 3px;
  --space-4: 4px;
  --space-6: 6px;
  --space-8: 8px;
  --space-9: 9px;
  --space-10: 10px;
  --space-12: 12px;
  --space-14: 14px;
  --space-15: 15px;
  --space-16: 16px;
  --space-20: 20px;
  --space-24: 24px;
  --space-32: 32px;
  --space-70_5: 70.5px;

  /* Radius */
  --radius-6: 6px;
  --radius-8: 8px;
  --radius-10: 10px;
  --radius-12: 12px;
  --radius-20: 20px;
  --radius-full: 50%;

  /* Shadows */
  --shadow-lg: rgba(0, 16, 61, 0.06) 0px 6px 20px 0px;
  --shadow-md: rgba(18, 25, 43, 0.12) 0px 4px 12px 0px;
  --shadow-deep: rgba(0, 16, 61, 0.12) 0px 10px 24px 0px;
  --shadow-xdeep: rgba(0, 16, 61, 0.28) 0px 16px 48px 0px;
}

8. AI Coding Assistant Prompt

# Imgsmail Design System Specification

You are an Imgsmail design expert. Build UIs matching their visual language exactly.

## Brand Context
Imgsmail's design system is functional, dense, and optimized for daily high-frequency use. Bright saturated blues drive interaction, supported by clean sans-serif typography and subtle shadows. White backgrounds and controlled neutrals keep the interface calm.

## Color Palette
- Primary Blue: #0070f0 — Links, CTAs, primary buttons
- Action Blue Hover: #0077ff — Login button hover
- Action Blue Focus: #0073f7 — Focus outlines
- Black: #000000 — Strong text/icons
- Gray 1: #87898f — Secondary text
- Gray 2: #a5a7ad — Neutral UI elements
- Gray 3: #797a80 — Medium emphasis neutrals
- Green: #0dc268 — Success states
- Teal: #087c6d — Accent
- Red: #ed330a — Errors
- Midnight Overlay: rgba(0, 16, 61, 0.04) — Hover/focus overlay
- Deep Gray: #2c2d2e — Primary text
- Transparent Blue Active: rgba(0,95,249,0.14) — Hover/focus overlay
- White: #ffffff — Backgrounds
- Lime: #97E946 — Accent
- Purple: #8C64FF — Accent purple
- Orange: #FF9E00 — Alternative accent
- Orange Hover: #F59802 — Alternative hover
- Yellow: #FFEFE6 — Accent background
- Yellow Accent: rgba(255, 199, 0, 1) — Accent
- Purple Sweet: #F2E8FF — Soft background
- Tooltip Blue Tint: #DDE9FF — Tooltip bg
- Tooltip Text Blue: #1C4479 — Tooltip text
- Background Secondary: #F0F1F3 — Secondary surfaces
- Background Secondary Hover: #E6E8EC — Hovered cards
- Background Positive Tint: #ECFAF3 — Positive bg
- Background Negative Tint: #FEEFEB — Negative bg
- Background Sky: #CCE4FF — Sky bg
- Background Dark: #19191A — Dark mode surfaces

## Typography
Fonts:
- Primary: 'VKSansDisplay', 'MailSans', 'Helvetica', 'Arial'
- Secondary: 'Helvetica', 'Arial'

Type Sizes:
| Level | Size | Weight | Line Height | Use For |
|-------|------|--------|-------------|---------|
| H1 | 28px | 500 | 1.29 | Page titles |
| H1 | 24px | 700 | 1.17 | Section headings |
| H1 | 20px | 500 | 1.30 | Smaller headings |
| Button | 17px | 500 | - | Primary actions |
| Link | 17px | 500 | 1.29 | Navigation |
| Body | 16px | 400 | 1.38 | Text |
| Link | 15px | 400 | 1.33 | Secondary links |
| Button | 15px | 500 | 1.33 | Secondary actions |
| Caption | 14px | 400 | 1.29 | Metadata |
| Caption | 13px | 400 | 1.38 | Meta text |
| Caption Small | 11px | 400 | 1.27 | Tiny labels |

## Spacing & Grid
Base: 8px grid
Scale: 2px, 3px, 4px, 6px, 8px, 9px, 10px, 12px, 14px, 15px, 16px, 20px, 24px, 32px, 70.5px
Use for: button padding, card spacing, section gaps

## Border Radius
- sm: 6px — small divs
- md: 8px — buttons, cards
- lg: 12px — modals, large cards
- xl: 20px — larger modules
- full: 50% — avatars

## Shadows & Depth
- Main: rgba(0, 16, 61, 0.06) 0px 6px 20px
- Medium: rgba(18, 25, 43, 0.12) 0px 4px 12px
- Deep: rgba(0, 16, 61, 0.12) 0px 10px 24px
- Extra Deep: rgba(0, 16, 61, 0.28) 0px 16px 48px

## Component Specifications

### Primary Button
```css
.btn-primary {
  background: #0077ff;
  color: #ffffff;
  padding: 0px 20px;
  border-radius: 8px;
  border: none;
  font-weight: 500;
  font-size: 15px;
  transition: background 150ms ease;
}
.btn-primary:hover { background: initial; }
```

### Secondary Button
```css
.btn-secondary {
  background: transparent;
  color: #0070f0;
  padding: 8px 16px;
  border-radius: 8px;
  border: 1px solid #0077ff;
  font-weight: 500;
  font-size: 15px;
}
.btn-secondary:hover {
  color: #005bd1;
  background-color: rgba(39, 43, 55, 0.3);
}
```

### Card
```css
.card {
  background: #ffffff;
  border-radius: 12px;
  padding: 16px;
  box-shadow: rgba(0, 16, 61, 0.06) 0px 6px 20px;
}
```

## Layout & Responsive Rules
Max content width: 1100px
Page padding: 16px (mobile) / 32px (desktop)
Grid gap: multiples of 8px

## Interaction Rules
- Transitions: 150ms ease for state changes
- Focus indicators: use brand blue outlines
- Loading states: dim opacity

## DO List
- Use only colors from palette
- Maintain 8px grid
- Use VKSansDisplay for headings
- Keep button radii at 8px
- Reserve status colors for functional states

## DON'T List
- Don't invent new colors
- Don't mix sharp and rounded corners
- Don't drop underlines without color contrast
- Don't overuse shadows — keep subtle

## Code Examples
```css
/* Primary Button */
.btn-primary { background: #0077ff; color: #ffffff; padding: 0 20px; border-radius: 8px; }

/* Secondary Button */
.btn-secondary { background: transparent; color: #0070f0; border: 1px solid #0077ff; }

/* Card */
.card { background: #fff; border-radius: 12px; padding: 16px; box-shadow: rgba(0,16,61,0.06) 0px 6px 20px; }
```

9. Summary

TL;DR — Imgsmail's design system is a workhorse: bright blue for action, white and gray for calm, tight sans-serif typography, and an 8px grid for consistency. Nothing ornamental, everything functional.

Brand Keywords

  • utilitarian-corporate
  • blue-driven
  • density-optimized
  • functional-minimalist
  • trust-first