01 Getting Started

Overview

NOVA is Blacklink Education's dark-first design system built on modular CSS custom properties, utility classes, and reusable components. Each product has its own identity while staying cohesive within the brand family.

🛡️
Trust
Security & Authentication Platform
📝
Note26
Note-Taking & Organization
🤖
AeroAI
AI-Powered Learning Assistant
NOVA
Design System & Components
Blacklink Education
Parent Brand & Platform

Design Principles
Dark-First: Built for dark mode by default • Modular: CSS custom properties and utility classes • Accessible: WCAG AA compliant • Consistent: 8px base spacing, unified typography scale
01 Getting Started

Installation

Add NOVA to any project with a single CSS file and optional JS module. No build tools required.

Add to <head>:
HTML
<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://nova.blacklink.net/nova-main.css" />
<script type="module" src="https://cdn.blacklink.net/nova/nova.js"></script>
Font dependencies (optional but recommended):
HTML
<link rel="preconnect" href="https://fonts.googleapis.com" />
<link rel="preconnect" href="https://fonts.gstatic.com" crossorigin />
<link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=DM+Mono:wght@400;500&family=Syne:wght@500;600;700;800&display=swap" rel="stylesheet" />
<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/font-awesome/6.5.2/css/all.min.css" />
Attribution Required
Include the following in your footer for third-party usage:
HTML
NOVA UI by Blacklink Education ©2026
02 Foundation

Colors

NOVA uses a dark-first palette anchored by an amber accent #ffb020. All colors are available as CSS custom properties.

Brand Colors
Accent#ffb020
Background#08080f
Surface#0f0f1a
Surface 2#141420
Surface 3#191928
Semantic Colors
Success#65db93
Danger#ff6f71
Info#55b5ff
Muted#555570
Text#e8e8f0
Border & Variants
Border#1e1e30
Border 2#252538
Accent Softrgba 12%
Accent Dark#cc8c10
CSS Custom Properties — click to copy:
VariableValueUsage
--accent#ffb020Primary accent, CTAs, highlights
--bg#08080fPage background
--surface#0f0f1aCard / container background
--sur2#141420Secondary surface (hover, inputs)
--sur3#191928Tertiary surface (code blocks)
--border#1e1e30Default borders
--border2#252538Stronger borders
--text#e8e8f0Primary text
--muted#555570Secondary / subdued text
--success#65db93Success states
--danger#ff6f71Error / destructive states
--blue#55b5ffInfo / link states
Usage in your CSS:
CSS
.my-element {
  background: var(--surface);
  border: 1px solid var(--border);
  color: var(--text);
}
.my-button {
  background: var(--accent);
  color: #08080f;
}
02 Foundation

Typography

NOVA uses Syne for display and headings (bold, geometric) and DM Mono for labels, data, and monospace contexts. Both are available via Google Fonts.

Hero Title — Display Bold
26px / 800 weight / -0.8px letter-spacing / Syne
Section Title
24px / 700 weight / -0.03em letter-spacing / Syne
Subsection / Panel Title
18px / 700 weight / -0.03em letter-spacing / Syne
Card Title
16px / 800 weight / -0.3px letter-spacing / Syne
Body Primary
14px / 700 weight / Syne
Body Secondary — The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog near the bank of the river. DM Mono provides excellent readability for technical content at small sizes.
13px / 400 weight / 1.65 line-height / DM Mono
Caption — Metadata and timestamps like Jun 28, 2026
12px / 400 weight / DM Mono
Micro Label Tiny Utility Badge Pill
Micro: 10px / uppercase / DM Mono • Tiny: 9px / subdued
Typography CSS classes:
ClassSizeWeightFont
.hero-title26px800Syne
.section-title24px700Syne
.subsection-title18px700Syne
.card-title16px800Syne
.body-primary14px700Syne
.body-secondary13px400DM Mono
.caption12px400DM Mono
.micro10px500DM Mono
.tiny9px400DM Mono
HTML usage:
HTML
<h1 class="hero-title">Welcome Back</h1>
<h2 class="section-title">Your Courses</h2>
<h3 class="subsection-title">Active Projects</h3>
<p class="body-secondary">Description text here...</p>
<span class="micro">Label Text</span>
02 Foundation

Spacing

Consistent spacing creates rhythm and hierarchy. NOVA uses an 8px base unit for all spacing decisions, reflected in helper classes.

XS — Extra Small
8px / 0.5rem
SM — Small
16px / 1rem
MD — Medium
24px / 1.5rem
LG — Large
32px / 2rem
XL — Extra Large
48px / 3rem
2XL — Double XL
64px / 4rem
Gap helper classes:
ClassValueEquivalent
.gap-xs8px0.5rem
.gap-sm12px0.75rem
.gap-md16px1rem
.gap-lg24px1.5rem
.gap-xl32px2rem
.stack-xs8px grid gapVertical stack
.stack-sm12px grid gapVertical stack
.stack-md16px grid gapVertical stack
.stack-lg24px grid gapVertical stack
HTML
<div class="stack-md">
  <div>Item 1</div>
  <div>Item 2</div>
  <div>Item 3</div>
</div>

<div class="flex-row gap-sm">
  <span>Inline</span>
  <span>Items</span>
</div>
03 Components

Buttons

All button variants follow the same base .btn class pattern. Add modifier classes for different styles.

Button Variants
Special Buttons
HTML:
HTML
<!-- Base button class required on all variants -->
<button class="btn" type="button">Default</button>
<button class="btn primary" type="button">Primary</button>
<button class="btn subtle" type="button">Subtle</button>
<button class="btn danger" type="button">Danger</button>
<button class="btn" type="button" disabled>Disabled</button>

<!-- Special actions -->
<button class="btn-launch" type="button">Launch</button>
<button class="btn-passkey" type="button">Passkey</button>
<button class="btn-logout" type="button">Logout</button>
<button class="icon-btn" type="button"><i class="fa-solid fa-gear"></i></button>
03 Components

Cards

Cards are the primary container pattern in NOVA. Multiple variants exist for different contexts.

Card Variants
.card
Standard card with gradient overlay and accent top edge.
App Card
.app-card
Hoverable card with icon and meta.
HTML
<!-- Standard card -->
<div class="card">
  <h3 class="card-title">Title</h3>
  <p class="body-secondary">Content...</p>
</div>

<!-- App card (hoverable product card) -->
<div class="app-card">
  <div class="app-card-top">
    <div class="app-icon"><i class="fa-solid fa-rocket"></i></div>
  </div>
  <div class="app-meta">Category</div>
  <h2>Title</h2>
  <div class="app-description">Description...</div>
</div>
03 Components

Badges & Chips

Badges are pill-shaped labels for status, categories, and metadata. Chips are compact inline indicators.

Badge Variants
Accent Default Success Danger Info
Chip Variants
Default Active Verified Expired
HTML
<!-- Badges -->
<span class="badge-pill accent">Accent</span>
<span class="badge-pill default">Default</span>
<span class="badge-pill success">Success</span>
<span class="badge-pill danger">Danger</span>
<span class="badge-pill info">Info</span>

<!-- Chips -->
<span class="chip">Default</span>
<span class="chip success">Verified</span>
<span class="chip danger">Expired</span>
03 Components

Forms

Form fields follow a consistent layout with labels, inputs, and helper hints. Use .form-grid for multi-column layouts.

Form Preview
HTML
<div class="form-grid">
  <div class="field">
    <label for="name">Full Name</label>
    <input id="name" type="text" placeholder="Enter name" />
  </div>
  <div class="field">
    <label for="email">Email</label>
    <input id="email" type="email" placeholder="you@school.edu" />
  </div>
  <div class="field full">
    <label for="bio">Bio</label>
    <textarea id="bio" placeholder="Tell us..."></textarea>
  </div>
</div>
03 Components

Notifications & Alerts

Info boxes, alerts, and status messages for communicating feedback to users.

Information
Default info box for general messages and contextual help.
Success
Success state with green border and subtle green background.
Alert Banner: For important product-wide announcements and notices.
HTML
<!-- Info box -->
<div class="info-box">
  <div class="info-box-title">
    <i class="fa-solid fa-circle-info"></i> Title
  </div>
  <div class="info-box-content">Content...</div>
</div>

<!-- Info box with success state -->
<div class="info-box success">
  <div class="info-box-title">Success</div>
  <div class="info-box-content">Content...</div>
</div>

<!-- Product alert banner -->
<div class="product-alert">
  <div class="product-alert-copy">
    Announcement text here...
  </div>
</div>
04 Brand

Guidelines

These guidelines ensure consistency across all Blacklink Education communications, from digital products to marketing materials.

Voice & Tone
Friendly: Warm and approachable, never corporate • Clear: No jargon • Encouraging: Support learners • Concise: Respect people's time

"Welcome back! Ready to continue where you left off?"

Do
Conversational, friendly language that feels personal.

"Authentication successful. Proceed to dashboard interface."

Don't
Avoid robotic, overly technical language.
Accessibility
Color Contrast: 4.5:1 body text, 3:1 large text (WCAG AA) • Focus States: Visible indicators on all interactive elements • Semantic HTML: Proper heading hierarchy and landmarks • Keyboard: All features keyboard-accessible
04 Brand

Downloads & Resources

Download official Blacklink brand assets, templates, and resources for your projects.

Brand Assets

Logo Package

SVG, PNG, and EPS formats in all variations — mono, colored, and inverted.
Source

NOVA CSS

Full design system source code. MIT licensed for any project.

Usage Terms
Anyone can use NOVA for their projects. Required attribution for third-party usage:
HTML
NOVA UI by Blacklink Education ©2026
Need Help?

Questions or Feedback?

Have questions about these guidelines or need help with a specific use case? Our design team is here to help.