Split — Brand Design System Deep Dive
1. Brand Overview
Split’s design system is unapologetically product-first with a tech-forward punch. The vibe hits you right away: bold typography, neon-accent colors, and high-contrast layouts that feel like they’re speaking to developers, product managers, and engineering teams. The target audience is technical but visual—people who care about performance and how things look and feel.
There's zero tolerance for "bland SaaS gray." Split opts for a deep navy base (#0a0a32) and slashes of cyan (#00ffff) and magenta (#ff00d2)—colors that wake the eye up in dark environments. This is code-running-in-production territory, not pastel dashboards.
Typography is big, heavy, uppercase. Headings dominate the layout. The largest display size clocks in at 230px—absurd for a marketing site hero—and they're not shy about keeping letters slammed tight in uppercase Oswald. That says: "We're loud. Pay attention."
Layout-wise, the system hangs on an 8px grid, but there are micro-adjustments down to 1px and 2px for borders, outlining a pixel-sniper approach. Buttons? Circular pills with 99999px radius—the kind you can spot instantly on a dark navy page. Component styling leans flat, minimal shadows, occasional 1px solid borders to create separation without fake depth.
This reads like a design team that’s deeply aware of developer ergonomics but also marketing stakes—large type for top-level messages, sharp component controls elsewhere. If you’re building inside this system, prepare for extremes: almost-black, almost-fluorescent, giant display sizes coexisting with super-precise pixel tweaks. And personally, I love that tension.
2. Color System
2.1 Primary Colors
Primary: rgb(255, 0, 210) → #ff00d2
A bold magenta. Psychologically, magenta signals creativity, innovation, and a break from convention—perfect for a product dealing with "splitting" or "controlling" feature flag deployments. Compared to SaaS competitors (mostly safe blues and greens), this is loud. It dares you to misunderstand it.
Secondary: rgb(10, 10, 50) → #0a0a32
Deep navy. Grounding, stable, tech-oriented. Dark enough to work as a background that makes neon pop, without the full harshness of black.
2.2 Complete Palette
| Color Name | Hex | Role | Usage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Magenta | #ff00d2 | Primary brand accent | CTA backgrounds, link highlights |
| Secondary Navy | #0a0a32 | Background, base surfaces | Hero section, containers |
| White | #ffffff | Text on dark, backgrounds | Nav links, CTA text |
| Black | #000000 | Text/contrast base | Footer icons |
| Light Blue Transparent | #469bff | Accent, overlay | Gradient backgrounds |
| Dark Gray | #555555 | Secondary text, subdued buttons | Cookie link buttons |
| Primary Blue | #0278d5 | Functional link color | Cookie policy links |
| Cyan | #00ffff | Highlight, outline, CTA variant | Nav CTAs, secondary call actions |
| Medium Gray | #222222 | Text on tabs | Testimonials tab labels |
| Charcoal | #333333 | Logo area text, footer logo | Branding sections |
| Light Gray | #d8d8d8 | Divider, muted border | Miscellaneous UI lines |
| Slate | #27455c | Background variation | Possibly card or section backgrounds |
| Gradient Purple (CSS var) | #b0f | Gradient fill | Decorative elements |
| Violet (CSS var) | #8100ff | Accent gradient stop | Style blends |
| Text Secondary (var) | #93939f | Non-primary text | Body/secondary copy |
| Teal (var) | cyan | Accent | Interactive states |
| Blue (var) | #0075ff | Accent link/button | Possibly default link |
| Grey-dark (var) | #b3b3b3 | Secondary UI | Placeholder |
| Grey-light (var) | #f1f2f2 | Light UI surfaces | Background panels |
| Black (var) | #000000 | Primary dark base | Text/icons |
2.3 Color Relationships
Key relationship: navy #0a0a32 background + magenta #ff00d2 CTA = extreme contrast. WCAG: easily AAA for large text. White on navy is safe.
Magenta on navy is bright but if small text is used, needs careful consideration—it’s not always optimal for long copy due to chromatic aberration on modern displays.
Cyan (#00ffff) functions as an alternate CTA, sitting in high contrast against navy, white, or magenta.
Dark mode is essentially the default—background is already deep navy. Light mode equivalents would need inverted tones, but there’s no evidence they designed for it.
2.4 Usage Guide
Use magenta for primary action backgrounds, cyan for secondary nav actions or highlight text.
Avoid magenta as long-form text—it kills readability.
Dark navy is the canvas. White is the paint.
Cyan works well for hover/focus states on dark surfaces, but can look dated on white unless paired with navy border.
Never blend magenta + cyan in text—they fight. Use them adjacent as buttons or gradient stops, not layered in typography.
3. Typography
3.1 Font Families
- Oswald — Google Fonts. Primary for large headings, uppercase styles.
- SourceSans 3 — Body copy and smaller headings. Fallbacks
Verdana. - Sourcesans 3 Variablefont Wght — Variable implementation. Fallbacks
Arial. - Geist Variable — Smaller heading variant.
3.2 Type Scale
| Element | Font | Size | Weight | Line Height |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| H1 Display | Oswald | 230px (14.38rem) | 700 | 1.09 |
| H1 Display | Oswald | 120px (7.50rem) | 700 | 1.29 |
| H1 Large | Oswald | 80px (5.00rem) | 600 | 1.25 |
| H1 Large | Oswald | 67px (4.19rem) | 600 | 1.00 |
| H1 | SourceSans 3, Verdana | 60px (3.75rem) | 700 | 1.17 |
| H1 | Geist Variable, Verdana | 40px (2.50rem) | 500 | 1.25 |
| H1 | Oswald | 39px (2.44rem) | 700 | 0.56 |
| H1 | Oswald | 30px (1.88rem) | 700 | 1.33 |
| H1 | SourceSans 3, Verdana | 24px (1.50rem) | 700 | 1.26 |
| H1 | SourceSans 3, Verdana | 24px | 400 | 1.33 |
| Link | Oswald | 20px (1.25rem) | 700 | 1.00 |
| Body | SourceSans 3, Verdana | 18px | 400 | 1.50 |
| Link | Sourcesans 3 Variablefont Wght | 18px | 700 | 1.11 |
| Button | Sourcesans 3 Variablefont Wght | 16px | 400 | null |
| Button | Sourcesans 3 Variablefont Wght | 14.4px | 700 | 1.00 |
3.3 Hierarchy
Hierarchy is brutal. The jump from 230px hero to 40px section title creates clear separation with no subtlety—this system is designed to yell at the user, then calm them down. Uppercase Oswald reinforces this.
Body copy in 18px ensures legibility. Buttons use 16px bold—readable even in pill shapes.
This mixture of display type sizes and comfortable body sizing creates contrast through scale more than font variety.
4. Spacing & Layout
4.1 Spacing Scale
Base: 8px grid. High precision values like 1px for borders.
Common values:
| Value | Usage | Count |
|---|---|---|
| 1px | Borders/shadows | 5 |
| 2px | Borders small | 4 |
| 4px | Icon gaps | 6 |
| 5px | Button tweaks | 12 |
| 8px | General unit | 15 |
| 10px | Small padding | 22 |
| 12px | Button padding | 32 |
| 20px | Section gap | 14 |
| 26px | Tab padding | 6 |
| 28px | Text spacing | 5 |
| 40px | Container spacing | 4 |
| 66px | Hero padding | 6 |
| 108px | Section blocks | 6 |
4.2 Layout
Breakpoints: 400px, 425px, 426px, 500px, 530px, 550px, 600px, 768px, 896px. This is fine-grained—suggests highly tuned layouts at small devices.
Max container likely around 1280px (inferred from container--1280).
5. Visual Elements
Border Radius
| Value | Usage |
|---|---|
| 0px...10px | Tabs |
| 1px | Span |
| 2px | Buttons, cookie elements |
| 2.5px | Regional elements |
| 16px | Cards |
| 50% | Avatars/images |
| 99999px | CTA pill buttons |
They commit hard to pills—radius 99999px.
Shadows
Few shadows. Mostly flat. One example: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2) 0px 0px 18px for some UI overlays.
Borders are more common—1px solid in functional contexts.
6. Components
6.1 Buttons
Primary CTA (Magenta)
Default: #ff00d2 bg, #0a0a32 text, padding 12px 35px, radius 99999px, border 3px solid #ff00d2.
Hover: White bg, text #2285f7, opacity 0.6.
Primary Cyan Nav CTA
Default: #00ffff bg, white text, radius pill, border 3px solid #00ffff.
Secondary CTA (Navy)
Default: navy bg, white text, pill radius, border 3px solid #0a0a32.
There’s also link-styled nav CTAs (cyan text, transparent bg).
6.2 Links
Multiple palettes: white, cyan, magenta, black, gray—all no underlines except functional cookie links (#0278d5 underline). Hover universal: #3860be.
6.3 Forms
Minimal data on inputs—likely border 1px solid #d8d8d8 and radius 2px. Focus states prioritize outline with brand blues.
6.4 Cards
Radius: 16px, possible 1px solid #dddede, minimal shadow.
7. Design Tokens
:root {
/* Colors */
--color-primary-magenta: #ff00d2;
--color-secondary-navy: #0a0a32;
--color-white: #ffffff;
--color-black: #000000;
--color-light-blue-transparent: #469bff;
--color-dark-gray: #555555;
--color-primary-blue: #0278d5;
--color-cyan: #00ffff;
--color-medium-gray: #222222;
--color-charcoal: #333333;
--color-light-gray: #d8d8d8;
--color-slate: #27455c;
--gradient-purple: #b0f;
--color-violet: #8100ff;
--text-secondary: #93939f;
--color-teal: cyan;
--color-blue: #0075ff;
--color-grey-dark: #b3b3b3;
--color-grey-light: #f1f2f2;
--color-black-var: #000000;
/* Typography */
--font-oswald: 'Oswald', sans-serif;
--font-source-sans-3: 'SourceSans 3', Verdana, sans-serif;
--font-source-sans-3-var: 'Sourcesans 3 Variablefont Wght', Arial, sans-serif;
--font-geist-variable: 'Geist Variable', Verdana, sans-serif;
/* Spacing (8px grid with extras) */
--space-1: 1px;
--space-2: 2px;
--space-4: 4px;
--space-5: 5px;
--space-8: 8px;
--space-10: 10px;
--space-12: 12px;
--space-20: 20px;
--space-26: 26px;
--space-28: 28px;
--space-40: 40px;
--space-66: 66px;
--space-108: 108px;
/* Border Radius */
--radius-none: 0;
--radius-1: 1px;
--radius-2: 2px;
--radius-2-5: 2.5px;
--radius-16: 16px;
--radius-50percent: 50%;
--radius-pill: 99999px;
/* Shadows */
--shadow-overlay: rgba(0,0,0,0.2) 0px 0px 18px 0px;
--shadow-light-gray: rgb(153,153,153) 0px 2px 10px -3px;
}8. AI Coding Assistant Prompt
# Split Design System Specification
You are a Split design expert. Build UIs matching their visual language exactly.
## Brand Context
Split's design system is bold, developer-facing, and high-contrast. It uses deep navy backgrounds with neon magenta and cyan accents. Typography is loud, uppercase, and scaled from extremely large hero titles down to sharp, readable body copy. Components follow an 8px grid but use pixel-level precision for borders and outlines.
## Color Palette
- Primary Magenta: #ff00d2 — Primary CTAs
- Secondary Navy: #0a0a32 — Backgrounds, containers
- White: #ffffff — Text on dark
- Black: #000000 — Footer icons, high-contrast text
- Light Blue Transparent: #469bff — Gradient overlays
- Dark Gray: #555555 — Secondary text
- Primary Blue: #0278d5 — Cookie policy links
- Cyan: #00ffff — Nav CTAs, secondary actions
- Medium Gray: #222222 — Tab labels
- Charcoal: #333333 — Footer logo text
- Light Gray: #d8d8d8 — Dividers
- Slate: #27455c — Section backgrounds
- Gradient Purple: #b0f — Gradients
- Violet: #8100ff — Gradient accent
- Text Secondary: #93939f — Body copy secondary
- Teal: cyan — Accent states
- Blue: #0075ff — Accent link
- Grey-dark: #b3b3b3 — Placeholder
- Grey-light: #f1f2f2 — Light panels
## Typography
Font families:
- Headings: 'Oswald', sans-serif
- Body: 'SourceSans 3', Verdana, sans-serif
- Variable: 'Sourcesans 3 Variablefont Wght', Arial, sans-serif
- Occasional: 'Geist Variable', Verdana, sans-serif
Type scale:
| Level | Font | Size | Weight | Line Height | Use |
| Hero | Oswald | 230px | 700 | 1.09 | Homepage hero |
| H1 | Oswald | 120px | 700 | 1.29 | Large headings |
| H2 | Oswald | 80px | 600 | 1.25 | Section headings |
| ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
Body copy: 18px, weight 400, line-height 1.50.
## Spacing & Grid
Base unit: 8px grid.
Values: 1px, 2px, 4px, 5px, 8px, 10px, 12px, 20px, 26px, 28px, 40px, 66px, 108px.
## Border Radius
- none: 0 — tabs
- sm: 1-3px — inputs, region elements
- md: 16px — cards
- full: 50% — avatars/images
- pill: 99999px — buttons
## Shadows & Depth
Minimal shadows:
- rgba(0,0,0,0.2) 0px 0px 18px
- rgb(153,153,153) 0px 2px 10px -3px
## Component Specifications
### Primary Button (Magenta)
Default: bg #ff00d2; color #0a0a32; padding 12px 35px; radius 99999px; border 3px solid #ff00d2; font-weight 700; font-size 20px.
Hover: bg #ffffff; color #2285f7; opacity 0.6.
Active: bg #2c6415; color #ffffff; border 1px solid rgba(162,192,169,0.5).
Focus: outline 1px solid #0092e4; bg #1eaedb; border 1px solid #000000.
### Secondary Button (Navy)
Default: bg #0a0a32; color #ffffff; same padding/radius; border 3px solid #0a0a32; font-weight 700.
### Navigation Link Button (Cyan)
Default: bg transparent; color #00ffff; border 3px solid transparent; radius pill.
### Input Field
Default: border 1px solid #d8d8d8; radius 2px; padding 12px 10px; font-size 13.12px.
Focus: border-color #0092e4; outline none.
### Card
Radius 16px; border 1px solid #dddede; minimal shadow if any.
## Layout & Responsive Rules
Container width: ~1280px.
Breakpoints: 400px, 425px, 426px, 500px, 530px, 550px, 600px, 768px, 896px.
Page padding: multiples of 8px, increasing at desktop.
## Interaction Rules
Transitions: 150ms ease for state changes.
Focus outlines: brand blue (#0092e4) 1px solid.
Opacity changes for disabled states: 0.5.
## DO List
- Use ONLY colors from palette.
- Maintain 8px grid for spacing.
- Use Oswald for headings.
- Keep CTAs pill-shaped.
- Use uppercase for link buttons.
## DON'T List
- Don't invent new colors.
- Don't mix sharp and pill radii in same component.
- Don't use shadows heavily—stick to borders.
- Don't reduce hero heading sizes—they're part of the brand impact.
## Code Examples
Primary Button:
```css
.btn-primary {
background: #ff00d2;
color: #0a0a32;
padding: 12px 35px;
border-radius: 99999px;
border: 3px solid #ff00d2;
font-weight: 700;
font-size: 20px;
transition: all 150ms ease;
}
.btn-primary:hover {
background: #ffffff;
color: #2285f7;
opacity: 0.6;
}
```
Card:
```css
.card {
background: #ffffff;
border-radius: 16px;
border: 1px solid #dddede;
padding: 20px;
}
```
Input:
```css
.input {
border: 1px solid #d8d8d8;
border-radius: 2px;
padding: 12px 10px;
font-size: 13.12px;
}
.input:focus {
border-color: #0092e4;
outline: none;
}
```9. Summary
TL;DR: Split’s design language is bold, developer-centric, and unapologetically bright against deep navy. Uppercase Oswald headings scream for attention, pill-shaped CTAs bless interaction clarity, and the strict color palette keeps everything feeling tight and controlled.
Brand Keywords:
- neon-technical
- developer-first
- uppercase-heavy
- dark-contrast
- precise-grid