02 · Foundations 03 / 12

How we ship faster

1

One source of truth, zero drift

A single token file feeds every surface in the product — from marketing pages to the core application.

2

Compose, don't decorate

Every component is built from primitives. Nothing ships with a one-off color override or a patched padding value.

3

Flat color travels farther

No gradients, no drop shadows. Pure saturated color survives every medium — screen, print, signage.

4

The grid decides, not the designer

Alignment is infrastructure, not preference. Every element sits on an 8-pixel baseline — no exceptions.

This is the NYC Subway Vignelli (1972) design system, applied by Curio Design — a design-style library for AI agents. Full NYC Subway Vignelli (1972) guide → designbycurio.com/learn/nyc-subway-vignelli-1972