Toucan · Toucan: Brand Guidelines

Every language, side by side.

#Overview

Toucan is a desktop editor for translation files, made for developers and localization teams. It reads 14 formats, works offline, and adds validation, translation memory and opt-in AI translation.

Release status: preview until 1.0. Current release: v0.22.0 (Windows, macOS, Linux). The WPF app is deprecated (last release v0.17.3). Say "preview" wherever a version or download is offered.

Platforms: Windows, macOS and Linux (Avalonia app), and the toucan CLI.

#Mission

Make shipping an app in many languages as routine as shipping it in one.

#Vision

A localization editor that works like the code editor developers already use.

#Positioning

Level	Statement
Primary	Desktop editor for translation files
Secondary	Translation resource editor
Elevator	Toucan reads 14 translation formats, validates them, translates with machine providers or opt-in AI, and scans source code for unused keys. Files stay on your machine.

#Taglines

Primary: Every language, side by side.

Alternatives:

Localization without spreadsheets.
Check your translations before you ship.

#Brand Pillars

Pillar	Meaning
Developer first	IDE-style layout and keyboard shortcuts
Structured	Translations are data, so they get validation rules the way code gets lint rules
Fast	10K keys feel instant. Zero-allocation search.
Confident	Validation, translation memory and audit mode catch mistakes before deploy
Friendly	Capable without being intimidating

#Personality

Professional, curious, playful, reliable. Never childish, never corporate.

#Voice

Write like an experienced engineer: short, clear, direct.

Prefer "Missing translation" over "Localization asset unavailable." Prefer "Ready" over "Pipeline completed successfully."

#Color Palette

Name	Hex	Usage
Primary Blue	`#2196F3`	Logo text, primary actions, accent
Deep Blue	`#1764E8`	Hover states, selected items
Sky	`#3CC9FF`	Secondary highlights
Golden Yellow	`#FFC93C`	Warnings, caution states
Warm Orange	`#FF9A3C`	Errors, attention
Purple Accent	`#6F5BFF`	Special badges, AI features
Background	`#171B22`	Dark theme base
Surface	`#232936`	Cards, panels
Border	`#3A4153`	Subtle separators
Text	`#FFFFFF`	Primary text (dark theme)
Muted	`#A5ACBA`	Secondary text, hints

Light theme follows system WinUI Fluent tokens (Mica backdrop).

#Logo

#Philosophy

Recognizable at a glance, geometric, friendly.

#Construction

Built on golden-ratio circles, with no arbitrary curves. Works from 16px to 1024px.

#Symbolism

Head: knowledge
Beak: communication
Eye: understanding
Colors: many languages working together

#Requirements

Readable as a silhouette
No small details that disappear at small sizes
Never stretched, always proportional

#Product Identity

#Toucan is

An editor for translation resource files
A validator for placeholders and consistency
A developer tool

#Toucan is not

Translation agency software
Cloud-only SaaS
A spreadsheet editor
A CAT tool (no TM segment-level alignment)

#UI Identity (Windows app, v0.17)

#Layout

Three panes, laid out like VS Code:

Left: tree/list sidebar (200px default)
Center: translation editor (paginated or infinite scroll)
Right: inspector panel (stats, suggestions, details, validation)

#Chrome

Title bar: logo and segmented menu (File, Edit, Tools, Find, View, Help)
Toolbar: Snipping Tool-style pill-grouped icon buttons, mode selector on the right
Footer bar: Photos-style action bar (left: quick actions, center: status, right: info panels)
Start screen: no toolbar, only the backdrop

#Modes

Three editor modes, each visually distinct:

Editor (default): full editing, MT suggestions
Review: approve/reject, validation warnings
Audit: read-only, change history

#Backdrop

Mica (Windows 11) with the system theme. The start screen shows through the backdrop with no opaque background.

#Zen Mode

All chrome hidden. One translation card, centered. J/K navigation. Follows the current mode.

#File Identity

Item	Value
Project manifest	`toucan.tproj`
File extension	`.tproj`
MIME type	`application/json`
Registry ProgId	`Toucan.Project`
App settings folder	`Documents/Toucan/` (providers, layout, plugins)
Project settings folder	`<project>/.toucan/`
Provider secrets	`providers.json`; secrets encrypted with DPAPI on Windows, AES-GCM on macOS and Linux

#Typography

UI: system font (Segoe UI Variable on Windows 11)
Code and keys: Cascadia Code, or the system monospace font
Sizes: follow the WinUI Fluent type ramp
Website (docs/index.html): headings in Bricolage Grotesque, body in the system UI font, code in Cascadia Code with JetBrains Mono as the web fallback

#Motion

Hover: light background fill (SubtleFillColorSecondaryBrush)
Pressed: slightly darker fill (SubtleFillColorTertiaryBrush)
Panel show/hide: 150ms ease-out
No bouncing, no exaggerated easing

#Iconography

Fluent System Icons
16px inline, 20px in the toolbar, 24px in the status bar
Same stroke weight throughout the app

#Experience Principles

Fast, predictable, dense, keyboard-driven, offline-first, search-first, developer-friendly.

#Product Extensions

Name	Purpose	Status
Toucan CLI	`toucan check`, `toucan translate`, `toucan export`	Preview, shipped since v0.15
Toucan SDK	Plugin system for custom formats/providers/rules	Preview since v0.18.0 (`Toucan.Plugins.Abstractions`)
Toucan AI	ConsistencyAI, quality scoring, tone enforcement	Planned (ConsistencyAI in v0.21)
Toucan Hub	Collaboration server (locking, presence)	After 1.0