eutopic/docs/DESIGN.md

# DESIGN.md — eutopic

what the user experiences and why. not what gets stored (see DATA-MODEL.md). not stack decisions (see CONCEPT.md).

---

## design principles

- users should never be asked to understand anything instagram doesn't ask them to understand.
- friction is a feature when it slows down compulsive checking. friction is a bug when it slows down posting.
- no dark patterns. no engagement optimization. no "one more thing" loops.
- imperfection is intentional. DIY aesthetic over polish-as-performance.

---

## visual identity

**status**: design collab in progress. nothing locked yet.

**direction**:
- wordmark only. no separate logomark — "eutopic" is distinctive enough as a word.
- typographic register: considered, a bit odd, not startup-clean. something with character.
- glyph set for nav icons to be developed as custom symbols, not system unicode or standard icon libraries.
- aesthetic reference: zine, risograph print, hand-stamped, dingbat. not flat SaaS icons.
- tool: figma. brief to follow from design collab.

**nav icon candidates** (to be refined or replaced by collab):
- home: ⒣
- posters: ⇶
- compose: ◲
- stories: ❣
- profile: ☺

these should ship as SVG assets or a custom icon font in the actual app — unicode rendering is inconsistent across android devices and system fonts.

---

## navigation

five-slot bottom tab bar:

```
⒣ home  |  ⇶ posters  |  ◲ compose  |  ❣ stories  |  ☺ profile
```

- **home** — chronological feed
- **posters** — bulletin board (`/posters`, `is_event` posts + informational posts + fundraisers)
- **compose** — center slot, filled/distinct treatment. opens compose flow (modal or full screen — TBD)
- **stories** — dedicated tab, not a top strip. intentional destination, not ambient anxiety ring.
- **profile** — own profile. viewing others' profiles navigates within the app but doesn't change the active tab.

stories as a bottom tab (vs instagram-style top strip) is a deliberate choice: it frames stories as something you visit, not something that nags you to check.

---

## screens

### onboarding (unauthenticated)

```
invite gate
  └── invite code prefilled from deep link, or entered manually
email + username entry
magic link sent / confirm screen
social handle opt-in
  └── signal / telegram / custom. skippable. "re-enable anytime in settings."
follow suggestions
  └── friends-of-inviter auto-suggested. skippable.
```

zero technology decisions for the user. no server picker. no handle explanation. no fediverse vocabulary.

---

### feed (`/`)

- chronological. no algorithm. no ranked content.
- posts with 1–10 photos (swipeable within the post card).
- reactions inline below each post.
- comments accessible via tap (flat, chronological thread).
- **survey card** injected at slot 1 when an active survey exists. GIF cover. taps to `/feedback`. disappears per-user once responded. not a real post.
- no unread indicators. no "new posts" banner. pull to refresh is fine.

---

### posters (`/posters`)

formerly "bulletin board". renamed because the scope is broader than events:

**post types** (single tag, required, choose one):
- `event` — dated gathering, auto-archives 1 day after `event_ends_at`
- `fundraiser` — community fundraising
- `current affairs` — informational, reading, things worth knowing

layout: 2-column grid (`SliverGrid` / `GridView.builder`), infinite scroll, paginated fetch.

filtering by tag: TBD (tab strip or dropdown above grid).

reactions on poster posts: visible to post author only. no public counts. no hierarchy.

RSVP interaction model: open question, not designed yet. see OPEN-QUESTIONS.md.

---

### compose (◲)

- triggered from center nav slot.
- photo picker first (up to 10 photos).
- caption optional.
- toggle: post to feed or post to posters. if posters: tag picker (single tag required) + event fields if `event`.
- toggle: saveable on/off (default off).
- toggle: reaction set — choose up to 5 emoji, or leave open (open picker only).
- upload starts in background immediately on confirm. progress shown via hand-drawn animation. bad wifi handled invisibly via tus.io resumable upload.
- no drafts, no scheduling, no queue UI.

---

### stories (❣)

- dedicated tab, not a top strip.
- 10s auto-advance per story.
- filters via swipe gesture (basic, applied at view time or capture time — TBD).
- no replies. "witnessed" metadata only: private per-viewer row, expires with story (24h).
- story author can see flat witness list (like instagram). no public count.
- story creation: camera or photo picker, then post. no drafts.

---

### profile (☺)

**own profile:**
- avatar, display name, username, bio.
- social handles (signal / telegram / custom) — shown based on `display_social_handle` setting: none / mutuals / all.
- `contact_prefs` free text ("bad texter", "weekends only").
- own posts grid.
- settings access.

**others' profiles:**
- same view, minus settings. follow/unfollow action.
- social handles visible per their `display_social_handle` setting.

---

### feedback (`/feedback`)

- always accessible (settings link or survey card tap).
- active survey renders at top if one exists (multiple choice, 36h expiry).
- permanent free text field below, always present regardless of active survey.
- no results shown to users. dev use only.

---

### settings + about

**settings:**
- account (username, display name, avatar, bio)
- social handles (add / hide / remove)
- contact prefs
- `display_social_handle` toggle

**about:**
- "eutopic is a quiet place for friends to share photos."
- "we don't track you. we don't run ads. we don't sell your data."
- "we don't notify you — visit when you want to."
- running costs (hosting, domain, apple developer program) — real numbers, updated manually.
- liberapay donation link (opens in browser).
- credit line: "eutopic uses flutter, an open-source framework made by google. we use their open work to build something they wouldn't."
- "made with care in EU."

no donor badges. no public donor list. donation is private.

---

## animations

- upload progress: hand-drawn, DIY aesthetic. lottie or APNG. not a standard spinner.
- reactions: subtle, not dopamine-optimized. no confetti, no burst animations.
- transitions: simple. no parallax, no over-engineered motion.
- imperfection is okay. "designed" imperfection is part of the identity.

---

## open UX questions

see OPEN-QUESTIONS.md for live status. currently open:

- compose: modal sheet over current screen, or full dedicated screen?
- stories: filters applied at capture or at view time?
- posters: tag filter UI — tab strip or dropdown?
- RSVP interaction model (not designed yet)
- comment hearts/likes — do comments get a reaction? tension with no-hierarchy value.
- stories access: purely via tab, or also accessible from profile (own stories)?