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 / Context | Hex | Role | Usage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Blue | #00a3d9 | Brand/Action | Links, CTAs, icons |
| Secondary Gray-blue | #7a9199 | Secondary text | Less prominent links |
| White | #ffffff | Base | Backgrounds, text on dark |
| Black | #000000 | Text | High-contrast text |
| Light Gray-blue | #dae3e6 | Divider | Borders, backgrounds |
| Hover Blue | #0086b3 | Interactive hover | Links/buttons hover |
| Hover Gray | #829399 | Hover on gray text | Links hover |
| Hover Bright Blue | #00ace6 | Alternate hover | Buttons hover alt |
Mail Blue (--mail-color) | #007399 | Icon | Mail icon |
Orange (--icon-post-color) | #FF9500 | Icon | Post icon |
Purple (--viber-color) | #7B519D | Icon | Viber icon |
Sky Blue (--sb-color) | #26AFF5 | Icon | Social button |
VK Blue (--vk-color) | #3B5F8E | Icon | VK icon |
Green (--icon-friending-color) | #39BF71 | Icon | Friending |
Cyan (--icon-entry-color) | #00C8CE | Icon | Entry icon |
Red (--reaction-heart-color) | #FF3127 | Icon | Reaction heart |
Telegram Blue (--tg-color) | #2AABEE | Icon | Telegram |
Footer Dark Blue (--footer-main-bg) | #194257 | Background | Footer main |
Footer Navy (--footer-top-bg) | #00303f | Background | Footer top |
LJ Blue (--lj-color) | #248FCE | Brand alt | LJ logo alt |
Pingback Green (--icon-pingback-color) | #34AD66 | Icon | Pingback |
Bell Gray (--bell-color) | #333333 | Icon | Bell |
Embed Blue (--embed-color) | #2C90CC | Icon | Embed |
Item Active Bg (--item-active-color) | #F0F7FA | State | Active item bg |
Toolbar Navy (--tb-color) | #29344A | Background | Toolbar |
Accent Hover (--accent-hover-color) | #00C0FF | Hover | Accent hover |
StumbleUpon Red (--stumbleupon-color) | #EB4924 | Icon | StumbleUpon |
Active Label Red (--active-label-color) | #FF4C44 | Badge | Active label |
Message Blue (--icon-message-color) | #319DEA | Icon | Message |
Twitter Blue (--tw-color) | #60B7E6 | Icon | |
Answer Purple (--icon-answer-color) | #9B31EA | Icon | Answer icon |
Pink-red (--po-color) | #EE4256 | Icon | PO icon |
Birthday Purple (--icon-birthday-color) | #CC5AFA | Icon | Birthday |
Gray (--userpic-holder-color) | #D8D8D8 | UI | Userpic holder |
MoiMir Blue (--moimir-color) | #168DE2 | Icon | MoiMir |
Footer Text White (--footer-color-main) | #ffffff | Text | Footer |
Border Gray (--border-color) | #E5EBEE | Border | UI borders |
Feed Pink (--icon-feed-color) | #F3469D | Icon | Feed |
OK Orange (--ok-color) | #ED6C23 | Icon | OK.ru |
Google Red (--go-color) | #EA4335 | Icon | |
Facebook Blue (--fb-color) | #2A438B | Icon | |
WhatsApp Green (--wa-color) | #67C15E | Icon | |
Repost Green (--icon-repost-color) | #1EB84B | Icon | Repost |
Accent Active Blue (--accent-active-color) | #0996C5 | Active | Accent active |
OpenID Orange (--openid-color) | #F69320 | Icon | OpenID |
Date Gray (--date-color) | #8C969B | Text | Dates |
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
| Element | Font | Size | Weight | Line Height |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heading-1 | ProximaNova | 32px | 700 | 1.00 |
| Heading-1 | ProximaNova | 30px | 700 | 1.00 |
| Heading-1 | ProximaNova | 28px | 700 | 1.40 |
| Heading-1 | ProximaNova | 28px | 400 | 1.40 |
| Heading-1 | ProximaNova | 27.728px | 300 | 1.00 |
| Link | ProximaNova | 27.728px | 300 | 1.00 |
| Heading-1 | ProximaNova | 26px | 300 | 1.40 (uppercase) |
| Heading-1 | ProximaNova | 20px | 400 | 1.40 (uppercase) |
| Button | ProximaNova | 18px | 600 | 1.00 (uppercase) |
| Heading-1 | ProximaNova | 17.2298px | 700 | 1.40 |
| Button | ProximaNova | 16px | 400 | 1.40 |
| Heading-1 | ProximaNova | 16px | 600 | 1.38 |
| Link | ProximaNova | 16px | 400 | 1.40 |
| Heading-1 | ProximaNova | 16px | 400 | 1.40 |
| Link | ProximaNova | 16px | 600 | 1.00 |
| Link | ProximaNova | 15px | 600 | 0.87 (uppercase) |
| Heading-1 | ProximaNova | 15px | 400 | 1.40 |
| Caption | ProximaNova | 14px | 700 | 1.40 |
| Link | ProximaNova | 14px | 700 | 1.14 |
| Link | ProximaNova | 14px | 400 | 1.14 |
| Button | ProximaNova | 14px | 400 | 1.40 |
| Caption | ProximaNova | 14px | 400 | 1.40 |
| Button | ProximaNova | 14px | 700 | 1.40 |
| Link | ProximaNova | 14px | 400 | 1.40 |
| Link | ProximaNova | 14px | 600 | 1.00 (uppercase) |
| Caption | ProximaNova | 14px | 600 | 1.40 (uppercase) |
| Link | ProximaNova | 14px | 600 | 1.40 (uppercase) |
| Link | ProximaNova | 14px | 600 | 1.40 (uppercase) |
| Caption | ProximaNova | 14px | 600 | 1.00 (uppercase) |
| Caption | ProximaNova | 14px | 600 | 1.40 |
| Caption | ProximaNova | 14px | 400 | 1.00 |
| Caption | ProximaNova | 14px | 400 | 1.00 (uppercase) |
| Link | ProximaNova | 14px | 400 | 1.00 (uppercase) |
| Link | ProximaNova | 14px | 400 | 1.40 |
| Link | ProximaNova | 13px | 600 | 4.62 (uppercase) |
| Caption | ProximaNova | 13px | 600 | 4.62 (uppercase) |
| Link | ProximaNova | 13px | 600 | 1.40 (uppercase) |
| Button | ProximaNova | 13px | 400 | 4.62 (uppercase) |
| Caption | ProximaNova | 13px | 400 | 4.62 (uppercase) |
| Caption | ProximaNova | 13px | 600 | 1.00 (uppercase) |
| Link | ProximaNova | 13px | 400 | 1.10 |
| Caption | ProximaNova | 12px | 400 | 1.50 |
| Caption | ProximaNova | 12px | 400 | 1.17 |
| Link | ProximaNova | 12px | 400 | 1.14 |
| Caption | ProximaNova | 12px | 600 | 0.00 (uppercase) |
| Caption | ProximaNova | 12px | 700 | 1.40 |
| Caption | ProximaNova | 12px | 400 | 1.40 |
| Link | ProximaNova | 12px | 400 | 1.40 |
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:
| Value | Rem | Count |
|---|---|---|
| 1px | 0.06rem | 75 |
| 4px | 0.25rem | 15 |
| 5px | 0.31rem | 86 |
| 6px | 0.38rem | 30 |
| 8px | 0.50rem | 15 |
| 9px | 0.56rem | 19 |
| 10px | 0.63rem | 88 |
| 12px | 0.75rem | 67 |
| 14px | 0.88rem | 23 |
| 15px | 0.94rem | 34 |
| 16px | 1.00rem | 44 |
| 17px | 1.06rem | 164 |
| 24px | 1.50rem | 43 |
| 40px | 2.50rem | 8 |
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.
6.2 Links
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