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| 1 | +# Interactive Math Framework - Design Guidelines |
| 2 | + |
| 3 | +## Design Philosophy |
| 4 | + |
| 5 | +**Tufte & D3 Minimalism** |
| 6 | +- Maximize data-ink ratio |
| 7 | +- No shadows, gradients, or unnecessary decorations |
| 8 | +- No animations or transitions (except simple opacity) |
| 9 | +- Clean typography (serif fonts) |
| 10 | +- Focus on content over decoration |
| 11 | + |
| 12 | +**Explorable Explanations** |
| 13 | +- Interactive elements should be discoverable through hover |
| 14 | +- Color coding connects equation terms to plain-language descriptions |
| 15 | +- Natural language explanations, not just formulas |
| 16 | +- Inspired by https://p.migdal.pl/blog/2024/05/science-games-explorable-explanations/ |
| 17 | + |
| 18 | +## Content Format |
| 19 | + |
| 20 | +**Markdown-Based** |
| 21 | +- Content lives in markdown files, separate from code |
| 22 | +- Simple, readable syntax without excessive abstraction |
| 23 | +- Three sections: equation, description, definitions |
| 24 | + |
| 25 | +**Annotation Syntax** |
| 26 | +- LaTeX: `\mark[classname]{formula}` for colored terms |
| 27 | +- Prose: `[text]{.classname}` for references |
| 28 | +- Definitions: `## .classname` heading-based (allows full paragraphs, images) |
| 29 | + |
| 30 | +## Color System |
| 31 | + |
| 32 | +**Sequential Assignment** |
| 33 | +- Colors assigned by order of appearance in document |
| 34 | +- No spurious abstract names (no "primary", "secondary") |
| 35 | +- Color schemes are simple arrays: `['#color1', '#color2', ...]` |
| 36 | +- First term gets index 0, second gets index 1, etc. |
| 37 | + |
| 38 | +**Accessibility** |
| 39 | +- Multiple color schemes including color-blind friendly (Wong palette) |
| 40 | +- High contrast option |
| 41 | +- Plain black option for printing |
| 42 | +- All interactions work without color |
| 43 | + |
| 44 | +## Interactions |
| 45 | + |
| 46 | +**Bidirectional Hover** |
| 47 | +- Hover over equation term → highlights matching description text |
| 48 | +- Hover over description text → highlights matching equation term |
| 49 | +- Shows detailed definition below |
| 50 | + |
| 51 | +**No Layout Shifts** |
| 52 | +- Hover effects use only opacity changes |
| 53 | +- No bold, underline, or scale transforms that move text |
| 54 | +- Equation stays perfectly stable |
| 55 | + |
| 56 | +## Technical Approach |
| 57 | + |
| 58 | +**Minimal Dependencies** |
| 59 | +- KaTeX for math rendering |
| 60 | +- Simple markdown parser |
| 61 | +- No heavy frameworks (React, etc.) unless needed |
| 62 | +- Plain TypeScript + Vite |
| 63 | + |
| 64 | +**Data-Driven** |
| 65 | +- No hardcoded content in JavaScript |
| 66 | +- Generic rendering logic |
| 67 | +- Easy to create new interactive equations |
| 68 | +- Just write markdown, framework handles the rest |
| 69 | + |
| 70 | +## Framework Goals |
| 71 | + |
| 72 | +**Reusable** |
| 73 | +- Not just for this equation |
| 74 | +- Pattern others can follow |
| 75 | +- Clear separation: content (markdown), logic (TypeScript), style (CSS) |
| 76 | + |
| 77 | +**Simple** |
| 78 | +- Minimal syntax |
| 79 | +- Easy to understand and extend |
| 80 | +- Well-documented with README |
| 81 | + |
| 82 | +**Beautiful** |
| 83 | +- Natural language over technical jargon |
| 84 | +- Clean, minimal aesthetic |
| 85 | +- Readable and approachable |
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