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LiveJournal Design System: Legacy Meets Modern Clarity

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Explore LiveJournal's design system - colors, typography, spacing, and components. Learn how legacy meets modern clarity in community blogging.

6 min read1,077 words

Brand Identity

Color Palette

Primary
Secondary

Typography

Primary Font
Proxima Nova
Secondary Font
Helvetica

Design Style

Style
utilitarian and readable with minimal accents and soft shadows
Visual Density
compact grid-based with 8px base spacing
Border Style
mixed: 3px buttons, 6px inputs, 20px large buttons, 36px pill buttons

Full Analysis

LiveJournal Brand Design System Deep Dive


1. Brand Overview

LiveJournal is old-school internet DNA wrapped in a modern shell. It’s a social blogging platform that’s been around since the late ’90s, and the design still carries some of that community-centric, content-first attitude. The vibe is utilitarian but friendly — this isn’t a brand trying to look like a sleek SaaS startup. It’s about readable text, clear navigation, and a system that supports long-form writing and interaction.

The design philosophy here seems to prioritize legibility and structure over visual extravagance. The layout is straightforward and functional, with accents used sparingly to guide attention. The primary blue (#00a3d9) is bright enough to stand out without screaming, which makes sense for a brand that’s about conversation and storytelling rather than aggressive selling.

There’s a mix of legacy visual cues — small border radii, subtle shadows, and a typography stack (Proxima Nova with Helvetica fallbacks) that works across old and new devices. You can tell this has evolved over time rather than being rebuilt from scratch. The design system is consistent but occasionally uneven: some components have slightly different radii, some hover states introduce borders where default states have none. That speaks to a long-lived product with multiple teams contributing over years.

Who’s this for? Primarily people who write, read, and interact with community content. The interface supports deep reading sessions and quick skimming alike. Buttons are clear, links are obvious, and typography is tuned for screens. The palette isn’t overloaded — most colors serve functional roles (links, status icons, social network integrations). It’s a design for people who value clarity and familiarity.


2. Color System

2.1 Primary Colors

The main brand color is #00a3d9 (rgb(0,163,217)). This is used for primary actions, links, and interactive highlights. It’s a mid-bright cyan leaning toward blue, which psychologically suggests trust, clarity, and openness — fitting for a social platform. It’s close to Twitter’s iconic blue but lighter, with more cyan. Against competitors, it’s less corporate than Facebook’s dark blue, more playful than LinkedIn’s blue.

Hover states for links and buttons shift toward #0086b3, a darker, slightly more muted version. This creates a clear visual feedback loop without breaking the brand identity.

2.2 Complete Palette

Color Name / ContextHexRoleUsage
Primary Blue#00a3d9Brand/ActionLinks, CTAs, icons
Secondary Gray-blue#7a9199Secondary textLess prominent links
White#ffffffBaseBackgrounds, text on dark
Black#000000TextHigh-contrast text
Light Gray-blue#dae3e6DividerBorders, backgrounds
Hover Blue#0086b3Interactive hoverLinks/buttons hover
Hover Gray#829399Hover on gray textLinks hover
Hover Bright Blue#00ace6Alternate hoverButtons hover alt
Mail Blue (--mail-color)#007399IconMail icon
Orange (--icon-post-color)#FF9500IconPost icon
Purple (--viber-color)#7B519DIconViber icon
Sky Blue (--sb-color)#26AFF5IconSocial button
VK Blue (--vk-color)#3B5F8EIconVK icon
Green (--icon-friending-color)#39BF71IconFriending
Cyan (--icon-entry-color)#00C8CEIconEntry icon
Red (--reaction-heart-color)#FF3127IconReaction heart
Telegram Blue (--tg-color)#2AABEEIconTelegram
Footer Dark Blue (--footer-main-bg)#194257BackgroundFooter main
Footer Navy (--footer-top-bg)#00303fBackgroundFooter top
LJ Blue (--lj-color)#248FCEBrand altLJ logo alt
Pingback Green (--icon-pingback-color)#34AD66IconPingback
Bell Gray (--bell-color)#333333IconBell
Embed Blue (--embed-color)#2C90CCIconEmbed
Item Active Bg (--item-active-color)#F0F7FAStateActive item bg
Toolbar Navy (--tb-color)#29344ABackgroundToolbar
Accent Hover (--accent-hover-color)#00C0FFHoverAccent hover
StumbleUpon Red (--stumbleupon-color)#EB4924IconStumbleUpon
Active Label Red (--active-label-color)#FF4C44BadgeActive label
Message Blue (--icon-message-color)#319DEAIconMessage
Twitter Blue (--tw-color)#60B7E6IconTwitter
Answer Purple (--icon-answer-color)#9B31EAIconAnswer icon
Pink-red (--po-color)#EE4256IconPO icon
Birthday Purple (--icon-birthday-color)#CC5AFAIconBirthday
Gray (--userpic-holder-color)#D8D8D8UIUserpic holder
MoiMir Blue (--moimir-color)#168DE2IconMoiMir
Footer Text White (--footer-color-main)#ffffffTextFooter
Border Gray (--border-color)#E5EBEEBorderUI borders
Feed Pink (--icon-feed-color)#F3469DIconFeed
OK Orange (--ok-color)#ED6C23IconOK.ru
Google Red (--go-color)#EA4335IconGoogle
Facebook Blue (--fb-color)#2A438BIconFacebook
WhatsApp Green (--wa-color)#67C15EIconWhatsApp
Repost Green (--icon-repost-color)#1EB84BIconRepost
Accent Active Blue (--accent-active-color)#0996C5ActiveAccent active
OpenID Orange (--openid-color)#F69320IconOpenID
Date Gray (--date-color)#8C969BTextDates

2.3 Color Relationships

Contrast is generally solid. Primary blue on white passes WCAG easily. Secondary gray (#7a9199) on white is acceptable for less important text but could fail for small sizes. The system uses darker hover colors for interactive elements to ensure feedback is visible. Footer uses dark navy backgrounds with white text — high contrast.

Dark mode isn’t explicitly implemented here; colors are tuned for a light background. Functional icon colors are bright enough to work on light surfaces but may need adjustment in dark contexts.

2.4 Usage Guide

  • Works well: Primary blue with white background — clean, accessible. Dark footer with white text — strong contrast.
  • Avoid: Using secondary gray for critical text — readability drops. Placing bright social icon colors next to primary blue — visual clash.
  • Best combos: Primary blue on #F0F7FA (active bg) for subtle highlight. Red icons on white for alerts. Green icons for success.

3. Typography

3.1 Font Families

Main typeface: Proxima Nova. Fallbacks: Helvetica, Arial, Tahoma depending on context. It’s a geometric sans with good screen legibility. Sources: Google Fonts includes "El Messiri", but Proxima Nova appears to be self-hosted/licensed.

3.2 Type Scale

ElementFontSizeWeightLine Height
Heading-1ProximaNova32px7001.00
Heading-1ProximaNova30px7001.00
Heading-1ProximaNova28px7001.40
Heading-1ProximaNova28px4001.40
Heading-1ProximaNova27.728px3001.00
LinkProximaNova27.728px3001.00
Heading-1ProximaNova26px3001.40 (uppercase)
Heading-1ProximaNova20px4001.40 (uppercase)
ButtonProximaNova18px6001.00 (uppercase)
Heading-1ProximaNova17.2298px7001.40
ButtonProximaNova16px4001.40
Heading-1ProximaNova16px6001.38
LinkProximaNova16px4001.40
Heading-1ProximaNova16px4001.40
LinkProximaNova16px6001.00
LinkProximaNova15px6000.87 (uppercase)
Heading-1ProximaNova15px4001.40
CaptionProximaNova14px7001.40
LinkProximaNova14px7001.14
LinkProximaNova14px4001.14
ButtonProximaNova14px4001.40
CaptionProximaNova14px4001.40
ButtonProximaNova14px7001.40
LinkProximaNova14px4001.40
LinkProximaNova14px6001.00 (uppercase)
CaptionProximaNova14px6001.40 (uppercase)
LinkProximaNova14px6001.40 (uppercase)
LinkProximaNova14px6001.40 (uppercase)
CaptionProximaNova14px6001.00 (uppercase)
CaptionProximaNova14px6001.40
CaptionProximaNova14px4001.00
CaptionProximaNova14px4001.00 (uppercase)
LinkProximaNova14px4001.00 (uppercase)
LinkProximaNova14px4001.40
LinkProximaNova13px6004.62 (uppercase)
CaptionProximaNova13px6004.62 (uppercase)
LinkProximaNova13px6001.40 (uppercase)
ButtonProximaNova13px4004.62 (uppercase)
CaptionProximaNova13px4004.62 (uppercase)
CaptionProximaNova13px6001.00 (uppercase)
LinkProximaNova13px4001.10
CaptionProximaNova12px4001.50
CaptionProximaNova12px4001.17
LinkProximaNova12px4001.14
CaptionProximaNova12px6000.00 (uppercase)
CaptionProximaNova12px7001.40
CaptionProximaNova12px4001.40
LinkProximaNova12px4001.40

3.3 Hierarchy

Headings scale down gradually from 32px to 15px, keeping weights bold for titles and lighter for subtitles. Buttons often use uppercase for emphasis. Body text sits around 14-16px, which is comfortable for reading. Captions drop to 12px — small but still readable due to decent contrast.


4. Spacing & Layout

4.1 Spacing Scale

Base scale is 8px. Common values:

ValueRemCount
1px0.06rem75
4px0.25rem15
5px0.31rem86
6px0.38rem30
8px0.50rem15
9px0.56rem19
10px0.63rem88
12px0.75rem67
14px0.88rem23
15px0.94rem34
16px1.00rem44
17px1.06rem164
24px1.50rem43
40px2.50rem8

4.2 Layout

Breakpoints: 300px, 400px, 460px, 500px, 650px, 700px, 800px, 832px, 1000px. This is a mobile-first approach with fine-grained steps, probably to accommodate varied content layouts.


5. Visual Elements

Border Radius

Values range from sharp to soft:

  • 0px 3px 3px 0px — asymmetric buttons
  • 0px 0px 5px 5px — footer
  • 2px — minor rounding
  • 3px — inputs/buttons
  • 4px — small buttons/cards
  • 6px — common on inputs/divs
  • 7px — divs
  • 10px — spans
  • 20px — buttons
  • 36px — buttons (pill-like)

Shadows

Three patterns:

  • rgba(0,0,0,0.12) 0px 0px 1px, 0px 8px 12px — soft elevation
  • rgb(36,47,51) 0px 0px 7px -6px — subtle inner dark
  • rgb(255,255,255) 0px 0px 7px -6px — light edge

Borders

Common: 1px solid #dae3e6 on inputs. Many "none none solid" bottom borders in dark gray for list separators.


6. Components

6.1 Buttons

Primary header button (s-header-button-b):

  • Default: bg #0099cc, white text, padding 10px 15px, radius 3px, no border, font-weight 600, font-size 13px.
  • Hover: bg #eeeeee, border 1px solid #d4dce0, text color #0086b3.
  • Active: text color #0086b3, border none.
  • Focus: text color #0086b3.

Multiple link styles:

  • Primary: #00a3d9 default, #0086b3 hover.
  • White: #ffffff default, #0086b3 hover.
  • Secondary gray: #7a9199 default, #0086b3 hover.
  • Dark gray: #242f33 default, #0086b3 hover.

6.3 Forms

Inputs: 1px solid #dae3e6, radius 6px or 4px. Hover/focus colors not detailed in data — likely similar to buttons.

6.4 Cards

No explicit card component in data, but shadows suggest elevated panels use rgba(0,0,0,0.12) shadow.


7. Design Tokens

:root {
  /* Colors */
  --color-primary: #00a3d9;
  --color-secondary: #7a9199;
  --color-white: #ffffff;
  --color-black: #000000;
  --color-light-gray-blue: #dae3e6;
  --color-hover-blue: #0086b3;
  --color-hover-gray: #829399;
  --color-hover-bright-blue: #00ace6;
  --mail-color: #007399;
  --icon-post-color: #FF9500;
  --viber-color: #7B519D;
  --sb-color: #26AFF5;
  --vk-color: #3B5F8E;
  --icon-friending-color: #39BF71;
  --icon-entry-color: #00C8CE;
  --reaction-heart-color: #FF3127;
  --tg-color: #2AABEE;
  --footer-main-bg: #194257;
  --footer-top-bg: #00303f;
  --lj-color: #248FCE;
  --icon-pingback-color: #34AD66;
  --bell-color: #333333;
  --embed-color: #2C90CC;
  --item-active-color: #F0F7FA;
  --tb-color: #29344A;
  --accent-hover-color: #00C0FF;
  --stumbleupon-color: #EB4924;
  --active-label-color: #FF4C44;
  --icon-message-color: #319DEA;
  --tw-color: #60B7E6;
  --icon-answer-color: #9B31EA;
  --po-color: #EE4256;
  --icon-birthday-color: #CC5AFA;
  --userpic-holder-color: #D8D8D8;
  --moimir-color: #168DE2;
  --footer-color-main: #ffffff;
  --border-color: #E5EBEE;
  --icon-feed-color: #F3469D;
  --ok-color: #ED6C23;
  --go-color: #EA4335;
  --fb-color: #2A438B;
  --wa-color: #67C15E;
  --icon-repost-color: #1EB84B;
  --accent-active-color: #0996C5;
  --openid-color: #F69320;
  --date-color: #8C969B;

  /* Typography */
  --font-primary: "ProximaNova", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;

  /* Spacing */
  --space-1: 1px;
  --space-4: 4px;
  --space-5: 5px;
  --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-17: 17px;
  --space-24: 24px;
  --space-40: 40px;

  /* Radius */
  --radius-sm: 3px;
  --radius-md: 6px;
  --radius-lg: 20px;
  --radius-pill: 36px;

  /* Shadows */
  --shadow-elevation: rgba(0,0,0,0.12) 0px 0px 1px 0px, rgba(0,0,0,0.12) 0px 8px 12px 0px;
}

8. AI Coding Assistant Prompt

# LiveJournal Design System Specification

You are a LiveJournal design expert. Build UIs matching their visual language exactly.

## Brand Context
LiveJournal is a long-lived social blogging platform. The design values clarity, legibility, and functional interaction over flashy visuals. Colors are purposeful, typography is tuned for reading, and spacing follows an 8px grid.

## Color Palette
- Primary Blue: #00a3d9 — Links, CTAs, primary buttons
- Secondary Gray-blue: #7a9199 — Secondary text, less prominent links
- White: #ffffff — Backgrounds, text on dark
- Black: #000000 — High-contrast text
- Light Gray-blue: #dae3e6 — Dividers, input borders
- Hover Blue: #0086b3 — Hover state for links/buttons
- Hover Gray: #829399 — Hover for gray text
- Hover Bright Blue: #00ace6 — Alternate hover
- Mail Blue: #007399 — Mail icon
- Orange: #FF9500 — Post icon
- Purple: #7B519D — Viber icon
- Sky Blue: #26AFF5 — Social buttons
- VK Blue: #3B5F8E — VK icon
- Green: #39BF71 — Friending icon
- Cyan: #00C8CE — Entry icon
- Red: #FF3127 — Reaction heart
- Telegram Blue: #2AABEE — Telegram icon
- Footer Dark Blue: #194257 — Footer background
- Footer Navy: #00303f — Footer top background
- LJ Blue: #248FCE — LJ logo alt
- Pingback Green: #34AD66 — Pingback icon
- Bell Gray: #333333 — Bell icon
- Embed Blue: #2C90CC — Embed icon
- Item Active Bg: #F0F7FA — Active state background
- Toolbar Navy: #29344A — Toolbar background
- Accent Hover: #00C0FF — Accent hover
- StumbleUpon Red: #EB4924 — StumbleUpon icon
- Active Label Red: #FF4C44 — Active label
- Message Blue: #319DEA — Message icon
- Twitter Blue: #60B7E6 — Twitter icon
- Answer Purple: #9B31EA — Answer icon
- Pink-red: #EE4256 — PO icon
- Birthday Purple: #CC5AFA — Birthday icon
- Gray: #D8D8D8 — Userpic holder
- MoiMir Blue: #168DE2 — MoiMir icon
- Footer Text White: #ffffff — Footer text
- Border Gray: #E5EBEE — Borders
- Feed Pink: #F3469D — Feed icon
- OK Orange: #ED6C23 — OK.ru icon
- Google Red: #EA4335 — Google icon
- Facebook Blue: #2A438B — Facebook icon
- WhatsApp Green: #67C15E — WhatsApp icon
- Repost Green: #1EB84B — Repost icon
- Accent Active Blue: #0996C5 — Accent active state
- OpenID Orange: #F69320 — OpenID icon
- Date Gray: #8C969B — Date text

## Typography
Font: "ProximaNova", Helvetica, Arial
Sizes:
| Level | Size | Weight | Line Height | Use |
| H1 | 32px | 700 | 1.00 | Page titles |
| H2 | 30px | 700 | 1.00 | Section titles |
| H3 | 28px | 700 | 1.40 | Subtitles |
| Body | 16px | 400 | 1.40 | Paragraphs |
| Button | 13px | 600 | 4.62 | CTAs uppercase |
| Caption | 12px | 400 | 1.40 | Meta info |

## Spacing & Grid
Base: 8px grid
Scale: 1px, 4px, 5px, 6px, 8px, 9px, 10px, 12px, 14px, 15px, 16px, 17px, 24px, 40px

## Border Radius
- none: 0 — tables, hard edges
- sm: 3px — buttons
- md: 6px — inputs
- lg: 20px — large buttons
- pill: 36px — pill buttons

## Shadows & Depth
- Elevation: rgba(0,0,0,0.12) 0px 0px 1px, rgba(0,0,0,0.12) 0px 8px 12px

## Component Specifications

### Primary Button
Default:
```css
background: #0099cc;
color: #ffffff;
padding: 10px 15px;
border-radius: 3px;
font-weight: 600;
font-size: 13px;
border: none;
```
Hover:
```css
background: #eeeeee;
border: 1px solid #d4dce0;
color: #0086b3;
```
Focus:
```css
color: #0086b3;
```
Active:
```css
color: #0086b3;
border: none;
```

### Link
Default: color #00a3d9, no underline. Hover: color #0086b3.

### Input
```css
border: 1px solid #dae3e6;
border-radius: 6px;
padding: 8px;
font-size: 14px;
```

## Layout & Responsive Rules
Breakpoints: 300px, 400px, 460px, 500px, 650px, 700px, 800px, 832px, 1000px
Mobile-first, adjust padding/gaps per breakpoint.

## Interaction Rules
- Transition: 150ms ease
- Hover states: darker shade
- Focus: color shift

## DO
- Use only palette colors
- Keep 8px grid spacing
- Maintain consistent radii
- Use ProximaNova everywhere

## DON'T
- Add unlisted colors
- Mix sharp and rounded corners
- Use heavy shadows

## Code Examples
Primary Button:
```css
.btn-primary {
  background: #0099cc;
  color: #fff;
  padding: 10px 15px;
  border-radius: 3px;
  font-weight: 600;
  font-size: 13px;
  border: none;
  transition: background 150ms ease;
}
.btn-primary:hover {
  background: #eeeeee;
  border: 1px solid #d4dce0;
  color: #0086b3;
}
```

Card:
```css
.card {
  background: #fff;
  border-radius: 6px;
  padding: 16px;
  box-shadow: rgba(0,0,0,0.12) 0px 0px 1px, rgba(0,0,0,0.12) 0px 8px 12px;
}
```

Input:
```css
.input {
  border: 1px solid #dae3e6;
  border-radius: 6px;
  padding: 8px;
  font-size: 14px;
}
.input:focus {
  border-color: #00a3d9;
  outline: none;
}
```

9. Summary

TL;DR — LiveJournal’s system is pragmatic: bright blues for actions, a readable sans-serif stack, 8px grid spacing, and functional icon colors. Corners are slightly rounded, shadows are minimal, and hover states are deliberate.

Brand Keywords:

  • content-first
  • community-functional
  • blue-driven
  • legacy-modern
  • utilitarian-readable