operator
This is a spec: descriptive guidance, not a checkable rule. It carries no forbidden and instead pair, and no jig check detector applies to it directly.
The spec
For: internal tools, admin areas, back-office, data entry, monitoring. Reader: expert, in the tool for hours, keyboard-driven, high repetition. Tiebreaker: speed of repeated use over clarity of first use. Discoverability is worth sacrificing for throughput here, and nowhere else.
| Property | This mode selects |
|---|---|
| UI text | --text-body |
| Long-form text | --text-prose · --leading-prose |
| Heading ramp | --text-h3 → --text-h2 → --text-h1 |
| Type ratio | 1.125 Major Second — the smallest of the three |
| Measure | --measure-prose (prose only; data columns are not prose) |
| Section rhythm | --spacing-section |
| Card padding | --spacing-card |
| Control height | --size-control — the shortest of the three (--size-control-sm in compact rows) |
| Table row height | --size-row (--size-row-compact in compact rows) |
| Radius | --radius-control (sm) · --radius-surface (sm) — both sm in this mode |
| Elevation | --shadow-none; overlays only, minimal |
| Motion | --duration-base; no entrance animation of any kind |
| Colour usage | Neutral-dominant. Colour is *exclusively* semantic. No decorative accent. |
| Imagery | None. Icons only. |
| Keyboard | Full keyboard operation mandatory. Shortcut reference required. |
| Numerals | Tabular figures mandatory on all numeric columns |
Resolved values: 02-tokens.md — the option sets for type, spacing, radius and shadow, and "Sizes and motion, by mode" for control heights, row heights, durations and measure.
Mode-specific rules
- Density is the feature. More rows visible beats more comfortable rows.
- Every table supports: sort, filter, column visibility, and a stable row identity across refreshes.
- Bulk actions wherever a single action exists on more than ~20 rows.
- Destructive actions require typed confirmation, not a checkbox.
- Timestamps are absolute and precise, with relative time secondary. "3 hours ago" is unacceptable alone in an audit context.
- Never hide information behind hover in a tool used all day. Truncation must be resolvable by click or expand, not hover.
- Latency budget: any action a user repeats hourly responds in under 200ms or shows progress.
- Kind
- Spec
- Section
- Interface modes