> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://design.slingshotai.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

> ## Agent Instructions
> This site documents Sundial 2.0, the design system of the Ash mobile app (Flutter). For implementing UI: use the Design System pages — color/typography tokens (foundations/*), Flutter theming (theming/*), and component APIs (components/*) — as your reference; every value there mirrors the Dart source in lib/design_system/. The Philosophy pages (philosophy/*) are design rationale written for humans: consult them when making design decisions, not for API lookups. Golden rules: never hardcode colors or text styles — read tokens via context.colorTheme and context.textTheme; prefer the 2.0 semantic names (contentPrimary, surfaceComponent, accentSolid…) over legacy contrast*/surface* getters and over SundialRef primitives; the accent is a single pale lavender solid that takes dark content — never use accent fills as text, icons, or borders (use contentAccent / borderSelected); brand surfaces are mode-invariant and pair with the contentOnBrand* inks; check lib/design_system/components/ before building custom widgets.

# Designing for Ash

> Design rationale: what designing for mental health demands — safety, warmth, and unhurried interfaces

Ash (produced by Slingshot AI) is a consumer AI companion for mental health and personal growth. The audience is broad, the stakes are personal, and retention and meaningful impact are the primary success metrics.

## What designing for mental health means

* **Someone may be using this app in a vulnerable emotional state.** The interface must feel safe, warm, and unhurried.
* **“Respecting the user's time” doesn't mean “make everything fast.”** Sometimes it means giving people space to reflect.
* **Never ask users to do work that only benefits the business.** No surveys disguised as features. No engagement mechanics that exploit vulnerability.
* **The experience should feel like talking to someone who genuinely cares** — not interacting with a system.

## How this shows up in Sundial

The design system encodes these values in concrete decisions:

| Value | System expression |
| - | - |
| Warmth over sterility | Parchment/wood neutral palette instead of grays — see [Reference Colors](https://design.slingshotai.com/foundations/colors/reference.md) |
| A companion, not a dashboard | Libertinus Serif display type for Ash's voice — see [Typography](https://design.slingshotai.com/foundations/typography.md) |
| Personal, not corporate | Persona accent palettes the user chooses — see [Accent Colors](https://design.slingshotai.com/foundations/colors/accent.md) |
| Calm surfaces | Flat elevation, color-ladder hierarchy instead of shadows — see [Shape & Spacing](https://design.slingshotai.com/foundations/shape-and-spacing.md) |
| Safety for vulnerable states | Generous whitespace, unhurried motion, no urgency mechanics |

> [!WARNING]
>
> If a proposed feature exists primarily to move a metric rather than help the person, flag it. That's not a design compromise to negotiate — it's an [anti-pattern](https://design.slingshotai.com/philosophy/anti-patterns.md).


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