Color System
Color Palette & Guidelines for ERS Energy
Overview
A comprehensive 12-step color system where each step serves a specific purpose in the UI hierarchy, from subtle backgrounds to high-contrast text.
The 12-Step Philosophy
3-Tier Token Architecture (v2)
Tier 1: Reference
Raw primitive values. The foundation.
--orange-9
--charcoal-10
Tier 2: Semantic
Purpose-based tokens for layouts.
--color-brand-primary
--color-text-primary
Tier 3: Component
Component-specific tokens.
--button-bg-primary
--card-radius
Brand Colors
Three core colors, each with 12 carefully tuned steps. Click any swatch to copy its hex value.
Primary Colors at a Glance
Quick reference cards with color specifications.
Orange
Primary Brand Color
#F26522
Teal
Secondary Brand Color
#669998
Charcoal
Neutral & Text
#313032
Status Colors
Semantic feedback colors, each with a full 12-step scale.
Contrast Checker
WCAG accessibility compliance for common text/background combinations.
Interactive Contrast Calculator
Color Blindness Simulator
See how the ERS brand colors appear to people with different types of color vision deficiency. This helps ensure our designs remain accessible and distinguishable.
Vision Type
#F26522
#669998
#313032
Normal Vision: Full color perception. This is how most people see the ERS brand colors.
Semantic Tokens
Map raw colors to semantic purposes for consistent application.
Token Reference
| Token | Value | Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Background | –dark-1 | Main app background |
| Surface | –dark-2 | Cards, panels, modals |
| Border | –dark-6 | Subtle borders & dividers |
| Text Primary | –dark-12 | Headings, body text |
| Text Secondary | –dark-11 | Captions, descriptions |
| Primary Action | –orange-9 | Buttons, links, CTAs |
| Primary Hover | –orange-10 | Hovered buttons & links |
| Secondary Action | –teal-9 | Secondary buttons |
| Highlight | –orange-3 | Selection, focus rings |
Usage Guidelines
Best practices for using 12-step color system.
Quick Reference
- Use steps 1-2 for page and component backgrounds
- Use steps 3-5 for interactive element states
- Use steps 6-7 for borders and separators
- Use step 9 as primary solid color
- Use step 10 for hover states
- Use steps 11-12 for text
Dark Mode Tip
For dark mode, simply reverse the scale: use steps 12-11 for backgrounds and steps 1-2 for text. The 12-step system is designed to be invertible. Try the dark mode toggle in the navbar!
CSS Variables
Copy and paste these variables into your stylesheet.