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CLOU architects. Ink on cream paper.

  • Studio
  • Light theme
  • 2 colors
  • 1 typeface

CLOU architects operates in a radical two-color universe: warm cream (#fffffc) and absolute black (#000000). Nothing else is allowed in the interface — every other hue comes from architectural photography bleeding into the layout. The system is built on one geometric sans-serif (Circular Std) pushed to extremes: headlines reach 200px+, letter-spacing tightens aggressively at scale, and line-heights compress to 0.80 for display copy. The cream background is deliberately off-white (not #ffffff), which prevents harshness against the dominant black typography and gives the page a paper-like, gallery-wall warmth. Navigation is a dense black bar; the body is expansive cream; the only "decoration" is the photography itself — full-bleed, unframed, the actual project. This is a design system that says almost nothing visually so the architecture can say everything.

Screenshot of CLOU architects
Captured from clouarchitects.com on October 11, 2026

CLOU architects design system

CLOU architects

Neutrals2

  • All text, borders, navigation background, button borders, icon strokes — the only foreground color in the system, used at full saturation with no opacity reductions

  • Page canvas, card surfaces, button fills — the slightly warm off-white prevents stark contrast against black ink, giving the entire site a printed-paper warmth rather than a digital-screen feel

Try a pairing

Pick any two colors from the palette to check whether text stays readable on top.

Aa

Cream Paper on Ink Black

20.96 : 1 contrast

Background
Text
  • Body textPasses AA 4.5
  • Large textPasses AA 3
  • StrictPasses AAA 7

More DESIGN.md files. Same web, different personalities.