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T-Mobile Design System: Bold Magenta-Driven UI

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Explore T-Mobile's design system - bold magenta, typography, grid specs. Build fast, high-contrast UIs with T-Mobile's visual language.

5 min read997 words

Brand Identity

Color Palette

Primary
Secondary

Typography

Primary Font
TeleNeo
Secondary Font
system-ui

Design Style

Style
bold, high-contrast with vibrant magenta and heavy typography
Visual Density
compact grid-based with occasional micro-adjustments
Border Style
mixed: sharp 0px buttons, 4px rounded buttons, 12px cards, pill-shaped inputs

Full Analysis

T-Mobile Design System Deep Dive


1. Brand Overview

T-Mobile’s visual identity is loud, unapologetic, and laser-focused on brand recall. This isn’t a brand that hides behind muted tones or subtle typography—it’s a telecom giant that wants you to feel the magenta before you read a single word. Their design system is built for speed, energy, and clarity. Everything is engineered to work at scale: national campaigns, retail signage, mobile apps, billboards.

There’s a single dominant brand color—magenta (#e20074)—that’s everywhere. It’s on buttons, links, banners, and accent elements. The supporting palette is built around deep grays and near-white neutrals, which keep the magenta from feeling overwhelming. This is a high-contrast brand, perfect for legibility.

Typography is bold and condensed where it matters. The custom TeleNeo font family is the hero for headlines and primary messaging—high weights (800) and tight line heights keep copy compact. System fonts step in for functional UI elements, keeping performance and accessibility in check.

Spacing follows a clean 8px grid, with a few oddball values (5px, 7px) sprinkled in. These micro-adjustments give the UI a slightly human touch—things don’t feel too rigid.

If you’re designing for T-Mobile, the philosophy is simple: be bold, be clear, be fast. Use magenta without fear, keep typography heavy, and make sure interactive elements pop. This is a brand for mass-market communication, not delicate editorial layouts.


2. Color System

2.1 Primary Colors

The brand’s core color is rgb(226, 0, 116) / #e20074. This magenta is psychological fuel—it’s energetic, youthful, and slightly rebellious. Competitors like AT&T stick to calm blues; Verizon uses stark black and red; T-Mobile owns magenta outright.

Magenta here isn’t just decorative—it’s functional. It’s the default CTA background, the link color, and the highlight in UI components. It’s paired with white text for maximum contrast, and occasionally with deep gray for a more grounded feel.

2.2 Complete Palette

Color NameHexRoleUsage
Primary Magenta#e20074Primary brandCTAs, links, highlights
Secondary Transparentrgba(0,0,0,0)Secondary backgroundOverlays, transitions
Dark Gray 1#1c1c1cNeutralText, headers, footers
White-ish#fbfbfbBackgroundPage background, cards
Dark Gray 2#2b2b2bNeutralNavigation, dividers
Medium Gray#6a6a6aNeutralSecondary text, icons
Black#000000TextPrimary body text
Dark Gray 3#414141NeutralTabs, UI controls
Blue#005fccAccent stateHover/focus states
Status Info Light#eaf1ffInfo stateBackground info alerts
Status Caution Dark#ad590bWarningText/icon caution states
Grayscale 500#8c8c8cNeutralDisabled text/icons
Button Secondary Disabled BG#e6e6e6Disabled stateButton backgrounds
Status Positive Light#e6fce8SuccessPositive background
Button Primary Hover BG#a7005aHover CTAButton hover background
Status Critical Darkest#3d0400ErrorCritical backgrounds
Status Critical Mid#f44125ErrorCritical text/icons
Brand Secondary Dark#770141Secondary magentaAlternate magenta tone
Brand Secondary Light#ff52a3AccentMagenta highlight
Status Positive Darkest#002805SuccessText/icons
Brand Highlight Mid#a044a2AccentPurple highlight
Brand Highlight Dark#450245AccentDeep purple
Brand Primary Lightest#ffcee7Light magentaBackgrounds
Status Caution Lightest#fff3deWarningBackground caution
Status Info Mid#0c48bdInfoInfo text/icons
Status Info Light-Mid#4886ffInfoLink/info accents
Brand Highlight Darkest#2d0521AccentDeep purple
Brand Highlight Light#b780b7AccentLight purple
Status Critical Bright#d20d00ErrorError text/icons
Status Critical Lightest#ffedecErrorBackground error
Status Caution Darkest#321800WarningDark caution text
Brand Highlight Mid-Dark#7e0c7eAccentPurple CTA hover
Brand Secondary Mid#f6288fAccentMagenta hover
Status Caution Mid#f8a50cWarningIcon highlight
Grayscale 400#ccccccNeutralBorders, dividers
Status Positive Mid#008110SuccessText/icons
Status Positive Light-Mid#2dbf3bSuccessAccent elements
Grayscale Black#000000NeutralText, icons
Brand Highlight Lightest#f8e8f8AccentBackground highlight

Every one of these colors appears in functional contexts—status messaging, hover states, disabled states. They’re not ornamental.

2.3 Color Relationships

High contrast is the norm. Magenta (#e20074) over near-white (#fbfbfb) is extremely readable and passes WCAG AA for large text. Magenta over dark gray (#1c1c1c) is less common but still visible. The hover blue (#005fcc) is a deliberate break from magenta—it signals interaction and is used across links and focus states.

2.4 Usage Guide

  • Primary Magenta: Buttons, CTAs, links. Never use for large background blocks unless paired with white text.
  • Neutrals: Build structure. Dark grays for text, medium grays for icons, light gray for backgrounds.
  • Functional Colors: Status tones (info, warning, success, error) are bright and clear. Use exactly as intended—don’t repurpose error red for decorative accents.
  • Avoid pairing magenta with purple highlight tones unless you want a high-saturation, youth-market feel. For professional contexts, stick to magenta + neutral.

3. Typography

3.1 Font Families

Two main stacks:

  • TeleNeo — custom brand typeface, heavy weights (800). Used for headings, links, primary messaging.
  • system-ui — fallback stack: -apple-system, Roboto, Helvetica, Segoe UI, Arial. Used for buttons, captions, functional UI text.

No Google or Adobe Fonts—TeleNeo is custom, likely self-hosted.

3.2 Type Scale

ElementFontSizeWeightLine Height
Heading-1TeleNeo48px8001.04
Heading-1TeleNeo32px8001.06
Heading-1TeleNeo28px8001.07
Heading-1TeleNeo28px8001.07
Heading-1TeleNeo24px8001.08
LinkTeleNeo24px8001.08
Heading-1system-ui24px400
Heading-1TeleNeo20px8001.10
LinkTeleNeo20px8001.10
Heading-1system-ui20px7001.65
Heading-1system-ui18px6001.22
Heading-1system-ui18px7001.20
Buttonsystem-ui16.1px4001.65
Heading-1system-ui16.1px4001.65
Buttonsystem-ui16.002px4001.20
Linksystem-ui16px4001.65
Linksystem-ui16px7001.65
Heading-1system-ui16px7001.38
Heading-1system-ui16px4001.65
Buttonsystem-ui16px4001.65
Linksystem-ui16px6001.25
Heading-1system-ui16px6001.25
Buttonsystem-ui16px6001.25
Buttonsystem-ui16px400
Buttonsystem-ui14.4px7001.00
Heading-1system-ui14.08px6001.50
Linksystem-ui14px7001.65
Captionsystem-ui14px7001.65
Buttonsystem-ui14px7001.65
Captionsystem-ui14px6001.29
Linksystem-ui14px6001.29
Captionsystem-ui14px4001.29
Buttonsystem-ui14px6001.71
Linksystem-ui14px4001.65
Captionsystem-ui13.6px400
Linksystem-ui13.008px4001.50
Captionsystem-ui13.008px4001.50
Captionsystem-ui12.012px8001.43
Captionsystem-ui12px7001.65
Captionsystem-ui12px6001.33
Captionsystem-ui12px4001.33
Buttonsystem-ui12px7001.00
Linksystem-ui12px400
Buttonsystem-ui11.5px4001.65
Captionsystem-ui11.5px4001.65
Buttonsystem-ui11.43px4001.20
Captionsystem-ui11px4001.36
Buttonsystem-ui11px4001.36
Captionsystem-ui11px6001.36
Linksystem-ui11px4001.27
Linksystem-ui11px6001.36
Buttonsystem-ui10px7001.65
Linksystem-ui10px7001.65
Captionsystem-ui10px7001.65
Linksystem-ui10px7001.20
Linksystem-ui10px4001.65
Captionsystem-ui10px4001.65
Captionsystem-ui8.58px8001.43

3.3 Hierarchy

TeleNeo at large sizes creates instant brand presence—think billboards and hero headlines. The system-ui stack keeps functional text legible and fast-loading. There’s a steep drop from 48px headlines to 16px body, which keeps focus on key messaging.


4. Spacing & Layout

4.1 Spacing Scale

Base: 8px grid with anomalies.

ValueCountNotes
2px8Fine dividers
4px64Icon gaps
5px12Micro-adjustments
5.75px2Rare adjustments
6px49Compact padding
7px128Common UI gaps
8px98Base grid unit
8.05px2Rounding oddity
10px31Tight padding
12px72Button padding
15px7Rare
16px57Standard padding
20px57Section gaps
24px92Card padding
28px65Large gaps
30px2Rare
32px55Section spacing
40px10Hero padding
56px3Large layout gaps
64px36Page margins

4.2 Layout

Breakpoints from 256px up to 1730px, covering mobile to large desktop. Many intermediate breakpoints (e.g., 762px, 1024px) suggest fine-tuned responsive behavior.


5. Visual Elements

Border Radius

ValueElementsNotes
0px 14px 0px 0pxClose modal/dialogAsymmetric corner rounding
1pxspanMicro
2pxClose, button, div, BackMinimal rounding
3pxdivRare
4pxButtonsStandard rounding for UI
12pxcard, p, dialogSoft rounding
17pxFilterRare
20pxswitchLarger UI control
22pxmodalLarge rounding
50pxinputPill shape
100%span, carousel navFull circle

Shadows

Heavy use of layered shadows for depth:

  • rgba(65,65,65,0.2) 0px 10px 15px 0px, rgba(65,65,65,0.05) 0px 10px 30px 20px — cards/modals
  • rgba(65,65,65,0.11) 0px 2px 20px 3px, rgba(65,65,65,0.03) 0px 2px 20px 10px — subtle depth
  • rgba(0,0,0,0.08) 0px 22.4px 35px — hero elements

6. Components

6.1 Buttons

Variant 1 (unav-account toggle)

  • Default: bg #e20074, text #fbfbfb, padding 0 16px, radius 0px, border none.
  • Hover: bg #e20074, text #fff, opacity 0.7, shadow rgba(0,0,0,0.16) 0px 3px 6px, rgba(0,0,0,0.23) 0px 3px 6px, scale 1.2.
  • Active: bg var(--applePayButton--background-color), text var(--headerToolLink--color).
  • Focus: bg #1eaedb, text #e20074, outline auto 1px, border 1px solid #000, opacity 0.7.

Variant 2 (tdds-button primary, gray default)

  • Default: bg #cccccc, text #141414, padding 8px 16px, radius 4px.
  • Hover: bg #e20074, text #b3b3b3, opacity 0.7, scale 1.2.
  • Active: bg rgba(255,255,255,0.2), scale 1.4.
  • Focus: bg rgba(255,255,255,0.2), text #e20074, border 1px solid #000.

Variant 3 (tdds-button primary, white default)

  • Same as Variant 2 but default bg #fff.

Multiple styles:

  • Magenta underline default, hover blue (#005fcc).
  • Dark gray no underline default, hover blue.
  • White no underline default for dark backgrounds.

6.3 Forms

No text input styles extracted—likely handled by Vuetify defaults.

6.4 Cards

Card shadows match primary shadow tokens, radius 12px, padding from spacing scale (usually 24px).


7. Design Tokens — CSS Variables

:root {
  /* Colors */
  --color-primary: #e20074;
  --color-secondary-transparent: rgba(0,0,0,0);
  --color-dark-gray-1: #1c1c1c;
  --color-white-ish: #fbfbfb;
  --color-dark-gray-2: #2b2b2b;
  --color-medium-gray: #6a6a6a;
  --color-black: #000000;
  --color-dark-gray-3: #414141;
  --color-blue: #005fcc;
  /* Status */
  --color-info-light: #eaf1ff;
  --color-caution-dark: #ad590b;
  --color-grayscale-500: #8c8c8c;
  --color-button-secondary-disabled-bg: #e6e6e6;
  --color-positive-light: #e6fce8;
  --color-button-primary-hover-bg: #a7005a;
  --color-critical-darkest: #3d0400;
  --color-critical-mid: #f44125;
  --color-secondary-dark: #770141;
  --color-secondary-light: #ff52a3;
  --color-positive-darkest: #002805;
  --color-highlight-mid: #a044a2;
  --color-highlight-dark: #450245;
  --color-primary-lightest: #ffcee7;
  --color-caution-lightest: #fff3de;
  --color-info-mid: #0c48bd;
  --color-info-light-mid: #4886ff;
  --color-highlight-darkest: #2d0521;
  --color-highlight-light: #b780b7;
  --color-critical-bright: #d20d00;
  --color-critical-lightest: #ffedec;
  --color-caution-darkest: #321800;
  --color-highlight-mid-dark: #7e0c7e;
  --color-secondary-mid: #f6288f;
  --color-caution-mid: #f8a50c;
  --color-grayscale-400: #cccccc;
  --color-positive-mid: #008110;
  --color-positive-light-mid: #2dbf3b;
  --color-grayscale-black: #000000;
  --color-highlight-lightest: #f8e8f8;

  /* Typography */
  --font-teleNeo: "TeleNeo";
  --font-system-ui: system-ui, -apple-system, Roboto, Helvetica, Segoe UI, Arial;

  /* Spacing */
  --space-2: 2px;
  --space-4: 4px;
  --space-5: 5px;
  --space-6: 6px;
  --space-7: 7px;
  --space-8: 8px;
  --space-10: 10px;
  --space-12: 12px;
  --space-15: 15px;
  --space-16: 16px;
  --space-20: 20px;
  --space-24: 24px;
  --space-28: 28px;
  --space-30: 30px;
  --space-32: 32px;
  --space-40: 40px;
  --space-56: 56px;
  --space-64: 64px;

  /* Radius */
  --radius-none: 0px;
  --radius-sm: 2px;
  --radius-md: 4px;
  --radius-lg: 12px;
  --radius-xl: 22px;
  --radius-pill: 50px;
  --radius-full: 100%;

  /* Shadows */
  --shadow-card: rgba(65,65,65,0.2) 0px 10px 15px 0px, rgba(65,65,65,0.05) 0px 10px 30px 20px;
  --shadow-subtle: rgba(65,65,65,0.11) 0px 2px 20px 3px, rgba(65,65,65,0.03) 0px 2px 20px 10px;
}

8. AI Coding Assistant Prompt

# T-Mobile Design System Specification

You are a T-Mobile design expert. Build UIs matching their visual language exactly.

## Brand Context
T-Mobile's design is bold, high-contrast, and magenta-driven. Typography is heavy and condensed. Spacing follows an 8px grid with occasional micro-adjustments. Interaction states are animated with scale and shadow.

## Color Palette
- Primary Magenta: #e20074 — CTAs, primary buttons, key links
- Secondary Transparent: rgba(0,0,0,0) — overlays
- Dark Gray 1: #1c1c1c — headers, footers
- White-ish: #fbfbfb — page backgrounds
- Dark Gray 2: #2b2b2b — navigation
- Medium Gray: #6a6a6a — secondary text
- Black: #000000 — body text
- Dark Gray 3: #414141 — tabs
- Blue: #005fcc — link hover/focus
- Info Light: #eaf1ff — info backgrounds
- Caution Dark: #ad590b — warning text
- Grayscale 500: #8c8c8c — disabled icons
- Button Secondary Disabled BG: #e6e6e6 — disabled buttons
- Positive Light: #e6fce8 — success backgrounds
- Button Primary Hover BG: #a7005a — hover CTA
- Critical Darkest: #3d0400 — error backgrounds
- Critical Mid: #f44125 — error text
- Secondary Dark: #770141 — alt magenta
- Secondary Light: #ff52a3 — magenta accents
- Positive Darkest: #002805 — success text
- Highlight Mid: #a044a2 — purple accents
- Highlight Dark: #450245 — deep purple
- Primary Lightest: #ffcee7 — light magenta background
- Caution Lightest: #fff3de — caution background
- Info Mid: #0c48bd — info text
- Info Light-Mid: #4886ff — info links
- Highlight Darkest: #2d0521 — deep purple
- Highlight Light: #b780b7 — light purple
- Critical Bright: #d20d00 — error icons
- Critical Lightest: #ffedec — error background
- Caution Darkest: #321800 — caution text
- Highlight Mid-Dark: #7e0c7e — purple hover
- Secondary Mid: #f6288f — magenta hover
- Caution Mid: #f8a50c — caution icons
- Grayscale 400: #cccccc — borders
- Positive Mid: #008110 — success icons
- Positive Light-Mid: #2dbf3b — success accents
- Grayscale Black: #000000 — text
- Highlight Lightest: #f8e8f8 — highlight background

## Typography
- Headings: "TeleNeo"
- Body/UI: system-ui, -apple-system, Roboto, Helvetica, Segoe UI, Arial

| Level | Size | Weight | Line Height | Use |
| H1 | 48px | 800 | 1.04 | Page titles |
| H2 | 32px | 800 | 1.06 | Section headings |
| ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |

## Spacing & Grid
Base: 8px grid. Values: 2,4,5,6,7,8,10,12,15,16,20,24,28,30,32,40,56,64.

## Border Radius
- none: 0px — sharp corners
- sm: 2px — inputs
- md: 4px — buttons
- lg: 12px — cards
- xl: 22px — modals
- pill: 50px — inputs
- full: 100% — round icons

## Shadows & Depth
Use layered shadows: `rgba(65,65,65,0.2) 0px 10px 15px 0px, rgba(65,65,65,0.05) 0px 10px 30px 20px`.

## Component Specifications

### Primary Button
Default: bg #e20074, color #fbfbfb, padding 0 16px, radius 0px, border none.
Hover: bg #e20074, color #fff, opacity 0.7, shadow, scale 1.2.
Focus: bg #1eaedb, color #e20074, border 1px solid #000.
Active: bg var(--applePayButton--background-color), color var(--headerToolLink--color).

### Secondary Button
Default: bg #cccccc, color #141414, padding 8px 16px, radius 4px.
Hover: bg #e20074, color #b3b3b3, opacity 0.7, shadow, scale 1.2.
Focus: bg rgba(255,255,255,0.2), color #e20074, border 1px solid #000.

### Navigation Links
Magenta underline default, hover blue (#005fcc).
No underline for dark gray/white variants.

### Cards
bg #fff, radius 12px, padding 24px, shadow var(--shadow-card).

## Layout & Responsive Rules
Breakpoints: 256px, 320px, 768px, 1024px, 1440px, 1730px.
Grid gap: multiples of 8px.

## Interaction Rules
Transitions: 150ms ease for hover/focus.
Scale animation on hover for buttons: 1.2x.
Focus indicators: 1px auto ring.

## DO List
- Use ONLY colors from palette.
- Maintain 8px grid.
- Use TeleNeo for headings.
- Keep button hover scale consistent.
- Use shadows for emphasis.

## DON'T List
- Don't invent new magenta shades.
- Don't mix sharp and rounded corners in one component.
- Don't use blue for non-interactive text.
- Don't apply shadows to text.

## Code Examples

```css
.btn-primary {
  background: #e20074;
  color: #fbfbfb;
  padding: 0 16px;
  border-radius: 0;
  font-weight: 700;
  font-size: 14px;
  border: none;
  transition: all 150ms ease;
}
.btn-primary:hover {
  opacity: 0.7;
  transform: scale(1.2);
  box-shadow: rgba(0,0,0,0.16) 0px 3px 6px, rgba(0,0,0,0.23) 0px 3px 6px;
}
.btn-secondary {
  background: #cccccc;
  color: #141414;
  padding: 8px 16px;
  border-radius: 4px;
}
.card {
  background: #fff;
  border-radius: 12px;
  padding: 24px;
  box-shadow: var(--shadow-card);
}
```

9. Summary

TL;DR — T-Mobile’s design system is magenta-forward, heavy in typography, and built on a strict 8px grid with bold interactions. The palette is functional and saturated; the typography is brand-custom and weighty. Shadows and hover scales give depth without clutter.

Brand Keywords:

  • magenta-dominant
  • bold-typography
  • high-contrast
  • grid-disciplined
  • interaction-driven