---
id: ai-runway-design-en
service: Runway
website: https://runwayml.com
category: ai
document: DESIGN.MD
source_prompt: ai-runway-representative-en
language: en
generated: 2026-07-18
---

# Runway DESIGN.MD

> Use this DESIGN.MD as the persistent design standard before building a AI services site or app. It can be given directly to designers, frontend engineers, AI builders, and coding agents. Runway is an information-architecture reference only.

## Purpose

- Runway: https://runwayml.com
- AI services: conversational generation and automation
- conversations, outputs, and context
- sources, controls, and waiting states
- chat

## Design brief

Create an original product that supports conversational generation and automation. Make conversations, outputs, and context easy to scan, compare, and act on. Treat sources, controls, and waiting states as a primary design constraint. Starting direction: conversational workspace · restrained minimal · low information density · conversation history -> response thread -> fixed composer -> result tools · #111111 · Runway.

## Public interface design analysis

- Reference basis: These are recurring visual and structural patterns from public landing screens and representative task flows. Verify the current live capture because services change over time.
- Interface archetype: conversational workspace
- Tone and manner: restrained minimal
- Information density: low
- Color strategy: restrained brand accents on neutral surfaces (#111111)
- Navigation model: sidebar-led context switching
- Structural sequence: conversation history -> response thread -> fixed composer -> result tools
- Reusable patterns: conversation history, composer, suggested actions, generation state, response tools
- Independent application rule: Use the order and decision principles only. Do not reproduce logos, copy, imagery, icons, or proprietary screen composition.

## Screen architecture

- Global navigation with clear current location and account state
- Overview that exposes the next important action for conversations, outputs, and context
- Search, filter, sort, or segmented views only where they reduce decision cost
- Detail view that keeps context, status, evidence, and the primary action together
- Persistent help, recovery, privacy, and safety access for sources, controls, and waiting states

## Design tokens

```css
:root {
  --color-primary: #111111;
  --color-ink: #F8FAFC;
  --color-canvas: #090A0B;
  --color-surface: #141619;
  --color-tint: #11111155;
  --color-danger: #FB7185;
  --radius-control: 6px;
  --radius-card: 8px;
  --space-1: 4px; --space-2: 8px; --space-3: 12px;
  --space-4: 16px; --space-6: 24px; --space-8: 32px;
  --content-reading: 720px;
  --content-wide: 1280px;
}
```

## Component specifications

- Navigation: active, hover, focus, disabled, and collapsed states
- Cards and rows: stable dimensions, realistic content, metadata hierarchy, and complete click targets
- Forms: labels, descriptions, validation, error summary, progress, and recovery
- Actions: one clear primary action per region; icon buttons require accessible names and tooltips
- Feedback: inline status, toast, banner, skeleton, progress, confirmation, and destructive-action dialog

## State design

For every data-driven region, define loading, empty, partial-data, stale, error, offline, permission-denied, disabled, saving, and success states. Keep layout dimensions stable so state changes do not shift surrounding content.

## Responsive rules

- 360px: one primary column, no horizontal page scroll, 44px touch targets
- 768px: preserve context with two panes only when each pane remains readable
- 1280px and above: constrain reading width and use extra space for comparison or persistent context
- Never scale type with viewport width; wrap long labels and localize for text expansion

## Accessibility requirements

- Semantic landmarks and heading order
- Complete keyboard operation with visible focus
- WCAG AA contrast in all states
- Programmatic labels, descriptions, errors, and live regions
- 200% zoom, reduced motion, forced colors, and screen-reader verification

## Design instruction for AI builders

```text
Design an original AI services interface for [Product name]. Its goal is conversational generation and automation; its core objects are conversations, outputs, and context; its critical risk is sources, controls, and waiting states. Use the token system and screen rules in this document. Specify realistic content, component contracts, all data states, responsive behavior, accessibility, and acceptance criteria. Do not copy Runway's logo, proprietary copy, images, or exact layout.
```

## Completion checklist

- [ ] The critical path for conversational generation and automation is obvious without explanation
- [ ] conversations, outputs, and context have clear hierarchy, status, and actions
- [ ] sources, controls, and waiting states has prevention and recovery
- [ ] Mobile, tablet, desktop, keyboard, screen reader, zoom, and reduced motion are verified
- [ ] Loading, empty, error, offline, partial, permission, and success states are complete
- [ ] No protected brand asset or pixel-level layout from Runway is reproduced