ScorecardResearch Design System Deep Dive

1. Brand Overview

ScorecardResearch is part of the internet analytics ecosystem — the kind of brand most users never see, but whose data is embedded across thousands of sites. It’s a quiet, infrastructure brand. The design reflects that: minimal, utilitarian, and stripped of anything ornamental. This is not a “consumer-first” look; it’s built for clarity, compliance messaging, and trust.

The vibe? Corporate functionalism. Everything feels like it was designed to be non-distracting. Colors are neutral to the point of disappearing, except for a single blue that steps in as the brand’s functional accent. The typography is classic system-safe Arial, with Helvetica as fallback. No webfonts, no flourish — this makes sense for a brand that wants maximum compatibility across embedded contexts.

Layout is tight, with a small set of spacing increments. The absence of border-radius and shadows means the UI is completely flat. It’s almost aggressively anti-trend — no neumorphism, no gradients, no “material” depth. This works because ScorecardResearch’s role is about delivering information, not selling a lifestyle. The audience is more likely to be site owners, researchers, or compliance officers than the general public.

If you’re designing for this brand, your job is to maintain that low visual footprint while ensuring legibility. Think: high-contrast text, minimal color usage, no excess spacing, and focus on clarity over emotion.

2. Color System

2.1 Primary Colors

The primary action color here is #217ec0 — a medium, slightly desaturated blue. Psychologically, blue is associated with trust and reliability, which aligns with ScorecardResearch’s role in data measurement and transparency. The exact hue is far from “electric” or “tech neon” — it’s closer to a corporate blue used in reports or dashboards.

Competitors in analytics often lean on brighter blues (#007bff Bootstrap-style) or teal accents. ScorecardResearch’s choice is calmer, reducing visual noise and supporting its under-the-radar positioning.

2.2 Complete Palette

That’s it. No reds for errors, no greens for success states in the extracted data. The palette is extremely tight.

2.3 Color Relationships

Contrast is mostly fine for accessibility:

• #217ec0 on white — WCAG AA compliant for normal text.
• #4b4b4b on white — Strong contrast, safe.
• #999999 on white — Fails AA for normal text sizes, but works for captions and non-essential copy.

The lack of dark mode means contrast decisions only need to consider light backgrounds.

2.4 Usage Guide

What works:

• Blue (#217ec0) with white backgrounds for primary actions.
• Dark gray (#4b4b4b) for main text, with white backgrounds.
• Neutral gray (#999999) for meta information.

What to avoid:

• Using gray (#999999) for body text — readability drops.
• Overusing the teal (#2f798f) — it’s not the primary accent and has limited presence.
• Introducing new colors — breaks brand cohesion.

3. Typography

3.1 Font Families

Everything is Arial, with Helvetica as fallback. This is a web-safe choice — guaranteed to render consistently across browsers without loading external font files. No Google Fonts, no Adobe Fonts, no variable fonts.

3.2 Type Scale

No H2–H6 extracted, so hierarchy relies heavily on sizing jumps between headings and body text.

3.3 Hierarchy

The 30px H1 is large enough to clearly mark page titles. Body text is small — 12px is borderline for accessibility, especially in long paragraphs. This reinforces the brand’s preference for dense information layouts rather than marketing fluff. Captions and links share the same size, keeping secondary info visually lightweight.

4. Spacing & Layout

4.1 Spacing Scale

Base grid is 8px, but not strictly adhered to — there are odd values like 7px and 37px.

4.2 Layout

No breakpoints extracted — likely a fixed or minimal responsive layout. This fits the brand’s functional, low-complexity approach. Expect narrow containers and minimal vertical rhythm.

5. Visual Elements

Border radius: none. Every element is sharp-cornered. This is deliberate — rounded corners would introduce a friendliness the brand doesn’t aim for.

Shadows: none. Completely flat. Depth is implied only by layout and color contrast.

Borders: No extracted combinations, suggesting minimal use.

6. Components

6.1 Buttons

No explicit button styles in extracted data — possibly absent or styled like links. Given the palette, any buttons likely use #217ec0 for text or background and maintain flat design.

6.2 Links

Three link styles extracted:

1. Primary link — Color: #217ec0, no underline default, underline on hover.
2. White link — Color: #ffffff, same hover underline.
3. Gray link — Color: #999999, same hover underline.

This underline-on-hover pattern keeps the UI clean until interaction.

6.3 Forms

No inputs extracted — either absent or styled minimally.

6.4 Cards

No explicit card component — likely flat panels or text blocks.

7. Design Tokens

:root {
  /* Colors */
  --color-gray-neutral: #999999;
  --color-white: #ffffff;
  --color-gray-dark: #4b4b4b;
  --color-blue-primary: #217ec0;
  --color-teal-muted: #2f798f;

  /* Typography */
  --font-family-base: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;
  --font-size-h1: 30px;
  --font-weight-h1: 700;
  --font-size-link: 12px;
  --font-size-link-alt: 11px;
  --font-weight-link: 400;
  --line-height-link: 1.25;
  --font-size-caption: 12px;
  --font-weight-caption: 400;
  --line-height-caption: 1.25;

  /* Spacing */
  --space-4: 4px;
  --space-7: 7px;
  --space-8: 8px;
  --space-16: 16px;
  --space-37: 37px;

  /* Border Radius */
  --radius-none: 0;

  /* Shadows */
  --shadow-none: none;
}

8. AI Coding Assistant Prompt

# ScorecardResearch Design System Specification

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

## Brand Context
ScorecardResearch maintains a minimal, utilitarian aesthetic with web-safe typography, flat design, and a restrained color palette. Its design prioritizes clarity, trust, and compatibility over trendiness or visual depth.

## Color Palette
- Neutral Gray: #999999 — Secondary text, muted links
- White: #ffffff — Background, text on dark
- Dark Gray: #4b4b4b — Primary text
- Primary Blue: #217ec0 — Interactive elements, primary links
- Muted Teal: #2f798f — Occasional accent, subtle highlights

## Typography
Font family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif

| Level       | Size   | Weight | Line Height | Use For            |
|-------------|--------|--------|-------------|--------------------|
| H1          | 30px   | 700    | —           | Page titles        |
| Link        | 12px   | 400    | 1.25        | Navigation links   |
| Caption     | 12px   | 400    | 1.25        | Secondary info     |
| Link (alt)  | 11px   | 400    | 1.25        | Footer links       |

## Spacing & Grid
Base: 8px
Scale: 4px, 7px, 8px, 16px, 37px
Use:
- 4px: tight gaps in lists
- 7px: legacy inline gaps
- 8px: base padding for small elements
- 16px: section padding
- 37px: large section separation

## Border Radius
- none: 0 — all components

## Shadows & Depth
Flat design—use borders or color contrast, no shadows.

## Component Specifications

### Navigation Link
Default: color #217ec0, text-decoration none, font-weight 400
Hover: underline
White variant: #ffffff text
Gray variant: #999999 text

### Input Fields
Use flat borders in #999999 or #4b4b4b, no radius.

## Layout & Responsive Rules
- Fixed-width or minimal responsive
- Maintain spacing multiples from scale
- No breakpoints specified—design for core desktop view

## Interaction Rules
- Hover underline for links
- No animations beyond default browser focus

## DO List
- Use ONLY colors from palette
- Maintain flat, no-radius design
- Use Arial/Helvetica for all text
- Keep links underlined on hover
- Use correct spacing increments

## DON'T List
- Add shadows
- Use rounded corners
- Add new colors
- Increase body text beyond 12px unless accessibility requires

## Code Examples

### Link
```css
a {
  color: #217ec0;
  text-decoration: none;
  font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;
  font-size: 12px;
}
a:hover {
  text-decoration: underline;
}
```

### White Link
```css
a.white-link {
  color: #ffffff;
  text-decoration: none;
}
a.white-link:hover {
  text-decoration: underline;
}
```

### Gray Link
```css
a.gray-link {
  color: #999999;
  text-decoration: none;
}
a.gray-link:hover {
  text-decoration: underline;
}
```

9. Summary

TL;DR — ScorecardResearch’s system is minimal, flat, and built around a tiny palette. Arial everywhere, no radius, no shadows. The only accent is a corporate blue, supported by grayscale neutrals.

Brand Keywords — corporate-minimal, trust-first, flat-functional, web-safe