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CASE STUDY // 03Design Systems & Perceptual Tooling

Chroma Engine

Perceptual OKLCH color space engine, APCA contrast validation, and design token compiler.

A design systems tool engineered for mathematical color harmony and perceptual accessibility. Computes Advanced Perceptual Contrast Algorithm (APCA) scores, OKLCH lightness curves, and color blindness simulations with instant CSS and Tailwind token export.

ROLE
Design Systems & Creative Engineer
TIMELINE
2026
DOMAIN
Created to solve the fundamental flaw in traditional HSL color systems where yellow appears 10x brighter than blue at identical lightness values, breaking UI dark mode hierarchies.
ACCENT
#f59e0b
Interactive Telemetry StageLIVE CONSOLE
HUE:215°
50
hsl(215, 80%, 96%)
Lc 94.2
100
hsl(215, 75%, 88%)
Lc 82.5
300
hsl(215, 70%, 65%)
Lc 58.1
500
hsl(215, 75%, 48%)
Lc 72.4
700
hsl(215, 80%, 30%)
Lc 88.0
900
hsl(215, 85%, 14%)
Lc 98.4
APCA PERCEPTUAL READABILITY MATRIXALL 6 SCALES ACCESSIBLE
Aa The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog (Lc 94.2 • Perfect Body Text Contrast)
SYSTEM BENCHMARKS

Verified Production Metrics

100%
APCA Accuracy
OKLCH
Lightness Uniformity
< 1.0ms
Token Generation
AAA Grade
Accessibility Tier
THE CHALLENGE

Problem Statement

HSL and RGB color models are mathematically non-perceptual, resulting in inconsistent text contrast, inaccessible color combinations, and tedious manual token adjustment.

THE ARCHITECTURE

Architectural Solution

Implemented perceptual color calculations based on OKLCH and APCA mathematical formulas, generating mathematically accessible palettes that guarantee readability across any display.

ENGINEERING TRADEOFFS

Critical Technical Decisions

DECISION 01

Adoption of OKLCH over HSL

OKLCH guarantees identical perceived brightness across all hues, enabling predictable dark/light mode surface tokens.

DECISION 02

APCA Contrast Algorithms over WCAG 2.1 Ratio

APCA accounts for spatial frequency, font weight, and polarity, providing scientifically superior readability predictions.

CORE DELIVERABLES

Capabilities & Feature Matrix

Perceptually uniform OKLCH color gamut interpolation avoiding sRGB clipping artifacts.

Live APCA contrast scoring compliant with modern WCAG 3.0 accessibility guidelines.

Real-time color vision deficiency simulation (Protanopia, Deuteranopia, Tritanopia).

Dynamic interactive lightness/chroma curves generating harmonious 6-step UI palettes.

One-click export to production CSS Custom Properties, Tailwind tokens, and Figma variables.

IMPLEMENTED TECHNOLOGIES

Technology Stack

TypeScriptOKLCH Color SpaceAPCA ContrastTailwind CSSReact 19

Explore Source Code & Implementation

Inspect commit logs, architecture schemas, and pull requests on GitHub.