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DuckDB Design Manual

This manual documents DuckDB’s visual and communication standards to maintain consistency across the website, technical documentation, and community materials.

Logo Usage

Use for web headers, presentations, and horizontal layouts.

Use in square or portrait spaces—mobile screens, posters, narrow sidebars.

Use for favicons, app tiles, and profile images below 40px height.

Maintain clearspace equal to the height of “D” on all sides. Minimum width: 120px digital, 25mm print.

Do not stretch, rotate, recolor outside brand palette, apply effects, or place on low-contrast backgrounds.

Light & Dark Mode

Use lightmode logos (dark elements on yellow/transparent) on white and light backgrounds. Use darkmode logos (yellow elements on dark circle) on black, charcoal, and dark backgrounds to maintain contrast.

Colors

DuckDB’s color system creates visual context: yellow for core brand identity, with secondary colors that differentiate product areas.

Primary Colors

DuckDB Yellow
HEX: #FFF100
RGB: 255, 241, 0
CMYK: 6, 0, 87, 0
Pantone: Process Yellow C

Use for logos, primary CTAs, and key brand applications.

Secondary Colors

Purple
HEX: #7D66FF
RGB: 125, 102, 255
Orange
HEX: #FF6900
RGB: 255, 105, 0
Blue
HEX: #2EAFFF
RGB: 46, 175, 255
Green
HEX: #00C770
RGB: 0, 199, 112

Secondary colors establish visual hierarchy, categorize content, and guide navigation while maintaining brand cohesion. Use for feature differentiation, status indicators, data visualization, and interface elements.

Accessibility

All text must meet WCAG AA standards: 4.5:1 for normal text, 3.1 for large text (≥18pt or ≥14pt bold).

Approved Combinations:

White text on all secondary color backgrounds meets AA standards. Do not use colored text on white backgrounds for body copy.

Visual Style

DuckDB’s visual identity balances technical precision with clear design. Drawing from railroad diagram aesthetics used in SQL documentation, the system uses structured graphics—curved connectors, rounded containers, junction points—to reflect systematic data operations.

Graphic language

DuckDB’s visual system draws from railroad diagrams—structured syntax diagrams used in technical documentation. Use curved connectors, branching paths, and junction points as graphic elements to reinforce systematic database operations.

Iconography

Use simple, geometric icons with railroad diagram influences—rounded rectangles, directional arrows, junction points. Maintain consistent stroke weights (2–3px) and rounded terminals. Icons represent database concepts, file types, and workflow states.