<!-- Generated by ExtractVibe — https://extractvibe.com/brand/nytimes.com -->
<!-- Extracted: 2026-04-26T13:10:39.829Z | Schema: v1 | Quality: 100/100 -->
---
version: alpha
name: "The New York Times"
description: "The New York Times projects a serious, authoritative, and fact-driven vibe, emphasizing in-depth journalism and global coverage. It aims to be the definitive source for news, presenting information with gravitas and accessibility."
colors:
  primary: "#121212"
  secondary: "#363636"
  tertiary: "#2671dc"
  neutral: "#363636"
  surface: "#ffffff"
  on-surface: "#121212"
  on-surface-secondary: "#363636"
  border: "#c7c7c7"
typography:
  display-lg:
    fontFamily: "Times New Roman"
    fontSize: "16px"
    fontWeight: "400"
    lineHeight: "16px"
  headline-lg:
    fontFamily: "Times New Roman"
    fontSize: "16px"
    fontWeight: "400"
    lineHeight: "16px"
  headline-md:
    fontFamily: "nyt-franklin"
    fontSize: "11px"
    fontWeight: "500"
    lineHeight: "20px"
    letterSpacing: "0.44px"
  body-md:
    fontFamily: "Times New Roman"
    fontSize: "16px"
    fontWeight: "400"
    lineHeight: "16px"
rounded:
  md: "3px"
  full: "9999px"
spacing:
  base: "2px"
  xs: "1px"
  sm: "2px"
  md: "4px"
  lg: "6px"
  xl: "8px"
components:
  button-secondary:
    backgroundColor: "#ffffff"
    textColor: "#000000"
    rounded: "3px"
    padding: "11px 12px 8px"
    fontSize: "11px"
    fontWeight: "700"
    borderColor: "#000000"
---

# The New York Times — Design System

## Overview

The New York Times design system embodies the archetypes of The Sage and The Ruler, establishing an authoritative and credible presence. It projects a serious, fact-driven atmosphere, akin to The Wall Street Journal or The Guardian, prioritizing informative and journalistic integrity. The design is engineered to convey gravitas and accessibility, ensuring that complex global news is presented with clarity and impact. This system is not whimsical or trendy; it avoids transient design fads and bright, distracting color palettes. It does not prioritize entertainment over information, nor does it employ playful or informal visual cues. Every element serves to reinforce the brand's commitment to in-depth reporting and its position as a definitive source for news, eschewing anything that might undermine its serious, global, and journalistic mission. The aesthetic is timeless and robust, built for sustained engagement with critical information.

The design language is direct and unambiguous, reflecting the brand's commitment to truth and precision. It avoids visual metaphors that could be misinterpreted or dilute the message. The interface is clean and functional, designed to facilitate rapid information consumption without visual clutter. This approach ensures that the user's focus remains squarely on the content, reinforcing the brand's core value proposition: providing comprehensive, unbiased news. The design does not seek to innovate through novelty but through clarity and unwavering commitment to its established journalistic principles. It is a system built for enduring relevance and unwavering trust.

**Key characteristics:**

- Vibe — authoritative, serious, informative, global, journalistic, credible
- Archetypes — The Sage, The Ruler
- Comparable to — The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, BBC News, The Washington Post
- Design era — classic-editorial
- Emotional tone — trustworthy-informative
- Target audience — Individuals seeking comprehensive, reliable, and in-depth news coverage; those interested in global affairs, politics, business, and culture; educated and discerning readers.
- Visual energy — 3/10 (calm/understated)

## Colors

The color palette is deliberately austere, centered on a primary black (#121212) and a surface white (#ffffff). This high-contrast, monochromatic scheme signals seriousness, authority, and clarity. It eliminates visual distraction, forcing focus on content and reinforcing the brand's commitment to factual reporting. This starkness is not a limitation but a deliberate choice to convey gravitas and a definitive, unbiased stance, aligning with The Ruler archetype.

### Light mode

| Role | Hex | Name |
|------|-----|------|
| primary | `#121212` | Near-Black |
| secondary | `#363636` | Charcoal |
| accent / tertiary | `#2671dc` | Royal Blue |
| surface | `#ffffff` | White |
| background | `#ffffff` | White |
| text | `#121212` | Near-Black |
| secondary text | `#363636` | Charcoal |
| border | `#c7c7c7` | Silver |
| muted | `#363636` | Charcoal |

## Typography

The typography system leverages Times New Roman and nyt-franklin. Times New Roman, a classic serif, anchors the design in tradition and journalistic heritage, conveying authority and readability for extensive text. Nyt-franklin, a sans-serif, provides a modern counterpoint for headlines and digital interfaces, ensuring clarity and impact. The hierarchy is clear and functional, guiding the reader through information with precision. This combination communicates a blend of established credibility and contemporary accessibility, reinforcing the brand's dual role as a historical institution and a leading digital news source.

### Font families

| Family | Role | Source | Weights |
|--------|------|--------|---------|
| Times New Roman | body | system | 400 |
| Times New Roman | heading | system | 400 |
| nyt-franklin | heading | self-hosted | 500 |
| nyt-franklin | body | self-hosted | 400, 500, 700 |

### Type scale

| Role | Family | Size | Weight | Line height | Letter spacing |
|------|--------|------|--------|-------------|----------------|
| Display | Times New Roman | 16px | 400 | 16px | — |
| Heading 2 | Times New Roman | 16px | 400 | 16px | — |
| Heading 3 | nyt-franklin | 11px | 500 | 20px | 0.44px |
| Body | Times New Roman | 16px | 400 | 16px | — |

### Conventions

- Heading case — title-case
- Body line-height — 16px

## Layout

- Base spacing unit — `2px`

## Shapes

Border-radius scale:

- `md` — 3px
- `full` — 9999px (pill / circular)

## Components

### Buttons

**Secondary**

- Background — `#ffffff`
- Text — `#000000`
- Radius — `3px`
- Padding — `11px 12px 8px`
- Font size — `11px`
- Font weight — `700`
- Border — ` solid #000000`
- Sample copy — "Skip to content"

## Do's and Don'ts

### Do

- Utilize a primary color palette of #121212 for main text and primary elements, #363636 for secondary elements, and #2671dc as an accent color for interactive elements or highlights.
- Employ Times New Roman (400 weight) for body text to maintain a classic, readable aesthetic, and for some headings.
- Use nyt-franklin (500 weight) for prominent headings, ensuring title-case capitalization for all headings.
- Maintain a body line-height of 16px for optimal readability of long-form content.
- Style secondary buttons with a #ffffff background, #000000 text, a 1px #000000 border, 3px border-radius, and generous padding of 11px 12px 8px.
- Adhere to a base spacing unit of 2px for consistent element separation and layout.
- Present content in a serious, matter-of-fact tone, avoiding exclamations and emojis.
- Ensure all calls to action are functional and direct, using commands like 'Subscribe' or 'Search'.

### Don't

- Do not incorporate box-shadows or gradients into any design elements, maintaining a flat and clean aesthetic.
- Avoid using overly playful or casual language; the brand's tone is predominantly serious and formal (2/10 Formal/Casual score).
- Refrain from using emojis or exclamation points in any copy, including headlines and body text.
- Do not use border radii larger than 3px; maintain a subtle rounding for interactive elements.
- Avoid vibrant or rich color palettes; stick to the established monochrome base with a single, subtle accent color.
- Do not use technical jargon without clear explanation, aiming for an accessible (7/10 Technical/Accessible score) vocabulary.
- Do not use any fonts outside of Times New Roman and nyt-franklin to maintain brand consistency.

*Source — inferred*

## Voice

### Tone (1–10 scale)

| Axis | Score | Lean |
|------|-------|------|
| Formal ↔ Casual | 2/10 | formal |
| Playful ↔ Serious | 10/10 | serious |
| Enthusiastic ↔ Matter-of-fact | 9/10 | matter-of-fact |
| Respectful ↔ Irreverent | 1/10 | respectful |
| Technical ↔ Accessible | 7/10 | accessible |

### Copywriting style

- Avg. sentence length — 15 words
- Vocabulary — moderate
- Jargon — some
- CTA style — functional and direct navigation/search commands

### Sample copy

> Live news, investigations, opinion, photos and video by the journalists of The New York Times from more than 150 countries around the world.

> Search for Motive of Gunman Who Charged Press Gala

> White House Officials Were Likely Targeted, Justice Dept. Says

> A sense of danger spread like a wave among high-profile politicians and journalists as an emergency unfolded at the dinner.

> U.S. Sanctions Zigzag in New World of Economic Warfare

## Logos

| Type | Variant | Format | URL | Confidence |
|------|---------|--------|-----|------------|
| primary | — | svg | [link](https://img.loadlogo.com/nytimes.com) | 100% |
| favicon | — | ico | [link](brands/nytimes.com/logo-0.ico) | 95% |
| favicon | — | png | [link](brands/nytimes.com/logo-1.png) | 95% |
| favicon | — | png | [link](brands/nytimes.com/logo-2.png) | 95% |
| favicon | — | png | [link](brands/nytimes.com/logo-3.png) | 95% |
| favicon | — | png | [link](brands/nytimes.com/logo-4.png) | 95% |
| primary | — | svg | [link](brands/nytimes.com/logo-svg-5.svg) | 90% |
| primary | — | svg | [link](brands/nytimes.com/logo-svg-6.svg) | 90% |
| primary | — | svg | [link](brands/nytimes.com/logo-svg-7.svg) | 90% |
| primary | — | svg | [link](brands/nytimes.com/logo-svg-8.svg) | 90% |
| primary | — | svg | [link](brands/nytimes.com/logo-svg-9.svg) | 90% |
| primary | — | svg | [link](brands/nytimes.com/logo-svg-10.svg) | 90% |

## Sources

- Official brand guidelines — https://developer.nytimes.com/branding
- Live brand page — https://extractvibe.com/brand/nytimes.com
- Raw JSON — https://extractvibe.com/api/brand/nytimes.com
- DESIGN.md (this file) — https://extractvibe.com/api/brand/nytimes.com/design.md
- Extracted — 2026-04-26T13:10:39.829Z
- Generator — ExtractVibe vv1
- Quality score — 100/100