Communication Standards
Clarity & Vision Quality Gate · v26.37.35
Every piece of user-facing text must pass both gates simultaneously. A page that fails any MUST-level requirement is not ready for production. These standards implement the project philosophy defined in the Founder's Manifesto and are grounded in the analytical framework of the Philosophical Foundations paper.
Gate 1: Clarity
The words chosen must be clear, communicative, and logical to the reader. Text should educate, not obscure.
| Requirement | Level | Measurement |
|---|---|---|
| Jargon with first use | MUST | Every acronym (DMARC, DNSSEC, ICAE, EDE) must be expanded on first use per page, or linked to a definition |
| Active voice | SHOULD | Prefer “The SPF record authorizes...” over “Authorization is provided by the SPF record...” |
| Sentence length | SHOULD | Body copy sentences should not exceed 35 words |
| One idea per paragraph | SHOULD | Each paragraph should advance one concept |
| Action-oriented findings | MUST | Security findings must state what was observed, why it matters, and what the reader can do about it |
| RFC citation | MUST | Any claim about protocol behavior must cite the specific RFC section |
| Transformative language | SHOULD | Prefer language that teaches rather than restates |
Gate 2: Vision
The visual presentation must not cause strain or impede comprehension. The reader's eyes matter.
| Requirement | Level | Measurement |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum font size | MUST | No rendered text below 0.75rem (12px) in standard mode |
| Body text minimum | SHOULD | Primary reading text should be at least 0.875rem (14px) |
| Contrast ratio (normal text) | MUST | WCAG 2.1 AA: minimum 4.5:1 against background |
| Contrast ratio (large text) | MUST | WCAG 2.1 AA: minimum 3:1 for text 18px+ or 14px+ bold |
| Text overflow | MUST | No text may extend beyond its container boundary |
| Line length | SHOULD | Body text should not exceed 80 characters per line |
| Line height | SHOULD | Body text should use at least 1.5 line-height |
| Scotopic mode | MUST | Minimum 4.5:1 contrast against covert background (#0a0c10) |
| Focus indicators | MUST | All interactive elements must have visible focus indicators |
Audience Calibration
DNS Tool serves three primary audiences with different reading contexts:
The Engineer
Context: Analyzing a domain at a terminal, possibly at 2 AM, possibly under incident pressure.
Needs: Precision, RFC references, verification commands, machine-parseable output.
Vision concern: Extended reading sessions on dark backgrounds. Font size and contrast directly affect error rate.
The Executive
Context: Reading a brief before a board meeting or vendor assessment.
Needs: Risk posture in business terms, remediation cost/complexity, decision points.
Vision concern: May be reading on a phone, tablet, or printed page. Layout must be responsive.
The Older Professional
Context: 20+ years in infosec, may have age-related vision changes (presbyopia, reduced contrast sensitivity).
Needs: Everything both audiences need, plus accommodation for reduced visual acuity.
Vision concern: This is the primary reason the font-size floor exists. 10px text that “looks fine” to a 25-year-old developer may be unreadable to the 55-year-old CISO.
Enforcement
Automated Checks
| Check | Tool | Threshold |
|---|---|---|
| Font size floor | CSS audit | Zero sub-0.75rem values |
| Contrast ratio | squirrelscan | Zero errors |
| Text overflow | Manual viewport testing | No horizontal scrollbar at 375px, 768px, 1024px, 1440px |
| Heading hierarchy | squirrelscan | No skipped levels |
| Lighthouse accessibility | Chrome Lighthouse | Score ≥ 95 |
Manual Review Checklist
- Clarity Can a non-technical executive understand the main finding within 10 seconds?
- Clarity Does every acronym have a first-use expansion or link?
- Clarity Does every security finding include a “what to do” action?
- Vision At 50cm / 20″, can all text be read on a 13″ laptop at 100% zoom?
- Vision In scotopic mode, does all text pass WCAG AA contrast (4.5:1)?
- Vision On a 375px mobile viewport, does all content fit without horizontal scroll?
- Vision Are interactive elements large enough for touch targets (44×44px)?
CSS Reference Values
Enforced values as of v26.37.35:
| Property | Value | Contrast Ratio | Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Font size floor | 0.75rem (12px) | — | All .u-fs-* utility classes enforce this minimum |
.text-muted | #9ca3af on #0d1117 | ~7.45:1 | WCAG AA (requires 4.5:1) |
.card.bg-dark .text-muted | #adb5bd on #21262d | ~8.8:1 | WCAG AA |
| Secondary text minimum | #8b949e on #0d1117 | ~6.15:1 | Replaces prior #6c757d (~4.04:1) |
Connection to Project Philosophy
[ACCOUNTABILITY] — If the text is unreadable, the finding is unaccountable: it exists but cannot be acted upon.
[ZERO_WASTE] — Text that cannot be read is wasted: it consumes space without delivering value.
[VERBOSE+++++] — Clarity does not mean brevity. It means every word earns its place by advancing the reader's understanding.
Vision as Ethics — Causing eye strain to a reader who came for security intelligence is a design failure with real consequences. The scotopic mode is the most visible implementation, but the standard-mode contrast and font-size requirements serve the same principle.
“A score without a citation is an opinion. A finding without readability is invisible.”
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