---
id: media-the-guardian-design-en
service: The Guardian
website: https://www.theguardian.com
category: media
document: DESIGN.MD
source_prompt: media-the-guardian-representative-en
language: en
generated: 2026-07-18
---

# The Guardian DESIGN.MD

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

## Purpose

- The Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com
- Media and news: content discovery and reading
- articles, topics, and subscriptions
- readability, sources, and recency
- editorial

## Design brief

Create an original product that supports content discovery and reading. Make articles, topics, and subscriptions easy to scan, compare, and act on. Treat readability, sources, and recency as a primary design constraint. Starting direction: editorial content · typography-led editorial · medium information density · strong headline -> section navigation -> card content -> subscribe or purchase · #052962 · The Guardian.

## 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: editorial content
- Tone and manner: typography-led editorial
- Information density: medium
- Color strategy: ink-led system with limited accent color (#052962)
- Navigation model: lightweight top navigation
- Structural sequence: strong headline -> section navigation -> card content -> subscribe or purchase
- Reusable patterns: section nav, headline block, story card, source meta, subscribe action
- 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 articles, topics, and subscriptions
- 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 readability, sources, and recency

## Design tokens

```css
:root {
  --color-primary: #052962;
  --color-ink: #17201D;
  --color-canvas: #F6F8F7;
  --color-surface: #FFFFFF;
  --color-tint: #05296222;
  --color-danger: #DC2626;
  --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 Media and news interface for [Product name]. Its goal is content discovery and reading; its core objects are articles, topics, and subscriptions; its critical risk is readability, sources, and recency. 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 The Guardian's logo, proprietary copy, images, or exact layout.
```

## Completion checklist

- [ ] The critical path for content discovery and reading is obvious without explanation
- [ ] articles, topics, and subscriptions have clear hierarchy, status, and actions
- [ ] readability, sources, and recency 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 The Guardian is reproduced