02
subconscious.ai Doctrine · Nº 02 · Color system Vol. I · set 26.04 · one color, one meaning
Color is used as a signal, not decoration.

red marks
the gap.

✱Color is a signal, not a decoration. Three signal colors, each with one job, appear at full strength or not at all. Behind them sits a library of paired light/dark themes that can take over a section when a mood shift is intended. Every use of color is a decision, not a default.

three signals · each one meaning exactly one thing
#C8102E
signal
/red/

The gap. Always.

Appears only when marking a stated preference that contradicts revealed behavior. Strike-throughs, "before" columns, the moment where stated and did diverge. If it isn't marking the gap, it isn't red.
Use for Strike-throughs on stated quotes "Before" column backgrounds Filing codes (§, Nº) — numerator only Headlines · buttons · links · icons
oklch
0.50 0.20 28

Contrast
7.14:1 on ivory
7.9:1 on ink
#0B0B0B
ink
/obsidian/

The voice. Always.

The company voice. The revealed column. The weight of every number we publish. If it isn't our word, it isn't ink.
Use for Headlines · body · product UI "After" column backgrounds The highlight behind any number Gradients · tint-overlays · alphas <80%
oklch
0.11 0.00 0

Contrast
17.1:1 on ivory
#F2F1ED
newsprint
/ivory/

The page. Not white.

The canvas is newsprint. It carries the tone of a printed research journal. White is reserved for the product UI, inside the ink "after" column, and as reverse type. Set for print and screen alike.
Use for Every marketing canvas One-pager, deck, essay, paper Product splash & loading states Any surface where product contrast matters
oklch
0.955 0.008 86

Against ink
17.1:1

Paired themes.

Light-on-dark theme pairs from the homepage spacebar. One per section, used as a full section takeover, not as an accent. Commit to the pair, or keep the default.
01 · Stripe
Infrastructure.
#0A2540 · #F6F9FC
Financial · enterprise · calm
02 · Peacock
Field notes.
#0A2E1F · #F97316
Research · documentary · deep
03 · Arc
Late night.
#14151A · #FF4F72
Product · builder · caffeine
04 · Keenan
Club math.
#1C0072 · #FF70C0
Consumer · culture · high-BPM
05 · Indigo
Deep thought.
#1E1B4B · #6366F1
Academic · paper · keynote
06 · Bontu
Lab night.
#0D0403 · #00FFFF
Technical · signal · low-noise
07 · Jones
Old money.
#150800 · #EDA557
Investor · heritage · warm
08 · Moeller
Blueprint.
#1455EB · #A6A6A6
Cold · technical · diagrams
09 · H
Terminal.
#414241 · #95E45E
Developer · console · proof

Nine rules.

§1Do use red to mark the gap. Stated preferences. Strike-throughs. §codes.Red is not an accent. Not a CTA. Not a link.
§2Do use ink (#0B0B0B) for the company voice and every number.Ink is not "navy," "near-black," or softened.
§3Do ship on newsprint ivory (#F2F1ED). It carries a printed tone.No pure white canvases outside the product UI.
§4Do adopt a paired theme for an entire section. Cover, break, closer.Paired themes are takeovers, not accents.
§5Do use one theme per document. The homepage is the exception.Two paired themes on one page reads as inconsistent.
§6Do use the paired-light color as the headline; the paired-dark as the ground.Do not flip the pair for variety.
§7Do treat every color as 100% opacity. Full chroma or nothing.Gradients, tints, and 10–20% alphas are out of system.
§8Do pick one theme per investor, segment, or campaign, and hold it.Mixing themes by slide breaks the document.
§9Do use data-viz greyscale for inside-chart distinctions; the signal stays a signal.Six-color rainbow charts are out of system.

In situ — same content, three takeovers.

Default · ink on ivory
The customers said
a dark, robust blend.
for · everything unless spec says otherwise
Stripe · takeover
The customers said
a dark, robust blend.
for · enterprise · finance · governance
Peacock · takeover
The customers said
a dark, robust blend.
for · research · academic · field notes
Indigo · takeover
The customers said
a dark, robust blend.
for · keynote · academic · paper
SignalsInk · #0B0B0B
Red · #C8102E — lies only
Ivory · #F2F1ED
Paired themesStripe · Peacock · Arc
Keenan · Indigo · Bontu
Jones · Moeller · H
NeverTints · gradients · alphas
Rainbow charts · drop shadows
Off-palette accents
DisciplineOne signal, one meaning
One theme, one section
Full chroma, or the default