42 Berlin — Brand Guidelines v3.1
v3.1 · berlin · apr 2026
$ cat ./design_system.md

brand
guide.
lines()

The operating manual for 42 Berlin's visual and verbal identity. Engineered to be sleek, minimalist, and deeply rooted in our peer-to-peer coding methodology. Light by default, dynamic in motion.

// 01 · the palette colors & gradients

fluid logic.
precise colors.

Our visual language relies heavily on gradients to create depth and motion, anchored by a strict set of foundational colors. The "Spectrum" is our signature.

The Spectrum
background: linear-gradient(135deg, #8E44AD, #99A3EB, #00FFF2);
Ambient Glow
background: radial-gradient(circle, rgba(153, 163, 235, 0.4), transparent);
B2B Core
background: linear-gradient(135deg, #173D7A, #6000BC, #ED3592);
The Cluster
background: linear-gradient(160deg, #1A0F38, #07040F);
Brand Purple#8E44AD
Soft Lilac#99A3EB
Signal Cyan#00FFF2
Deep Void#07040F
// 02 · typography swiza + space mono

swiza carries
everything.
space mono
carries the signal.

Primary Display
become a software engineer.

Swiza (or Space Grotesk) is the voice of 42 Berlin. Confident at display sizes, quiet at body, tight in tracking, always lowercase for display headlines.

System Output
// SYS_CODE

Space Mono is its terminal counterpart. Reserved for metadata, eyebrows, CTAs, and anything that reads as system output or data.

// 03 · signatures ui primitives

three things
we make
over & over.

These three primitives carry most of the brand's UI work. Use them before inventing anything new.

apply_now →

The Action Pill

Cyan pill, fully rounded radius, deep cyan glow. Always snake_case or camelCase.

$ cat ./run.sh

Terminal Eyebrow

Space Mono, purple prompt, live blinking cursor. Used for section intros.

// STATUS · ACTIVE

The Status Tag

Tinted purple background, uppercase tracking. For badges and meta labels.

// 04 · tone of voice how we sound

confident.
specific.
human.

Write like a senior engineer explaining their work to another senior engineer — with patience, zero fluff, and the occasional dry aside.

+ we say

  • "No tuition. No lectures. Just code — reviewed by the people sitting next to you."
  • "1,320 project hours. Then companies like SAP, Bosch, and N26."
  • "The campus runs 24/7. So do our students — that's the deal."
  • "We are an accessible, inclusive, and high-quality coding school."

- we don't say

  • "Unleash your inner coder and join our passionate family! 🚀"
  • "Transform your career with our industry-leading synergies."
  • "LIMITED SPOTS — APPLY NOW!!!"
  • "We are a traditional bootcamp." (We are the Piscine and the Core Curriculum).