# Tells (dated 2026-10-31; review every few months)

A tell is a device that makes a page read as generated. Most started as good ideas; they became tells
by being used by default, without a reason. Fixes are procedures (derive from the subject, use the
brand's tokens), never "use this font/colour instead": any substitute list becomes the next tell.

## Avoid unless the brief asks for it

| Tell | Instead |
|---|---|
| Violet/indigo gradients, gradient headline text, glowing or gradient buttons | Flat brand colour; a button named for its action |
| Soft grey shadow under every card; glass/blur panels everywhere | Tone steps from the ground; one surface style |
| Rows of identical feature cards, each with an icon in a rounded square | A composed section built from the argument |
| Emoji as icons or bullets | Words or a real picture |
| Pill badge above the hero ("New", "Beta", "Introducing") | Say it in the supporting sentence |
| One word of the headline in italic, colour or underline | One face, one colour |
| Fake dashboard made of grey bars and donuts | A real interface fragment with real data, or no image |
| Pulsing status dots, "available for work" | Remove |
| Fade-and-rise on every section; hover lift on every card; bounce easing | One deliberate motion moment |
| Headline as a full sentence over two lines | A title of about five words; the rest below |
| Stock section order | The order of the argument (`argument.md`) |
| Everything centred | Left-anchored, one centred moment |
| Nine near-equal font sizes | Five sizes, far apart |
| Invented social proof ("10,000+ teams", logos, stars) | Real proof, or none |
| The three current AI looks: cream + serif + terracotta; near-black + one neon accent with glow; broadsheet hairlines everywhere | The brand's own tokens |

## Brand exception: when a tell is a signature

taste-skill bans monospace labels, thin rules, tracked uppercase captions and index numbering outright.
For a brand whose identity is technical and precise they can be **signatures**. Write the exception into the app's
`DESIGN.md`, so that it is a decision and not a habit, and allow them with limits:

| Signature | Allowed when | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Monospace labels and captions | they label data, code, versions, coordinates of real things | ≤ 6 small tracked uppercase captions per screen (`maxSmallCapsCaptions`) |
| Thin rules and 1px outlines | they separate real structure (tables, title blocks, diagram frames) | not around every box |
| Numbering (01 / 02) | the content is a real sequence (steps, a timeline) | never as decoration |
| Faint drafting grid | background of one hero or diagram area | not behind running text |

An exception belongs to one brand. A client's brand follows its own rules; this one does not transfer.