0005. Candle & Ink: a warm-editorial, token-driven design system

Status

Accepted (backfilled 2026-07-31; adopted via adepthood epic #798 and its sub-issues #799–#804).

Context

Adepthood's journal-first identity called for a "paper-on-desk" feel — the opposite of flat grey SaaS chrome — and the app already had warm values on the journal-resonance surface (colors.paper, editorialType, paperShadow). The look needed to be promoted app-wide without breaking un-migrated screens, without proprietary fonts, and without copying any brand's palette.

Decision

Establish "Candle & Ink" as the canonical visual language, implemented as a semantic token layer in frontend/src/design/tokens.ts and documented in frontend/src/design/DESIGN.md (where code and doc disagree, tokens.ts wins). Core commitments:

• A surface / ink / accent semantic layer derived from the existing warm paper values, with an original terracotta accent derived from the app's own colors.tier.clear swatch.
• A WCAG contrast contract — every ink.* and on-canvas accent.* value clears AA on surface.canvas — enforced by __tests__/semanticTokens.test.ts.
• A serif-display + clean-sans type ramp on platform-system font stacks (no bundled fonts), with a 16px interactive-text floor guarded by test.
• Additive adoption: legacy grey colors.background / colors.surface remain for un-migrated screens; the new layer is the default, adopted screen by screen.
• Warm-dark "showcase" surfaces (umber, not #121212) for hero moments, with their own tested contrast contract.

Consequences

• Accessibility is a build-time property, not a review checklist — token changes that break contrast fail tests.
• Screens migrate incrementally, so the app temporarily carries two visual generations; the epic's adoption map tracks the migration.
• Provenance constraints (original palette, free fonts, ATTRIBUTION file) keep the system legally and ethically clean.
• The docs summary lives at Candle & Ink; this ADR records the choice, DESIGN.md remains the living reference.