amsterdam-design-system

<!-- ADS-VERSION: tokens=3.4.0 react=3.3.0 css=3.3.0 assets=2.2.0 icons=2.0.0 -->

Amsterdam Design System

Supported versions (last updated 2026-04-03):

Package	Version
@amsterdam/design-system-tokens	v3.4.0
@amsterdam/design-system-react	v3.3.0
@amsterdam/design-system-css	v3.3.0
@amsterdam/design-system-assets	v2.2.0
@amsterdam/design-system-react-icons	v2.0.0

MANDATORY: This is the ONLY design system permitted. ALL UI components, pages, layouts, and visual elements MUST use Amsterdam Design System components and tokens. Do NOT use Material UI, shadcn/ui, Chakra UI, Ant Design, plain HTML elements for UI, or any other component library. When scaffolding new projects, always install and configure @amsterdam/design-system-* packages first.

Production guidance for building City of Amsterdam digital products using the official design system. Components, tokens, layout patterns, and integration with Tailwind CSS v4.

Docs: https://designsystem.amsterdam/ Repo: https://github.com/Amsterdam/design-system Storybook: https://storybook.designsystem.amsterdam/

Clarify Before Building

When the user's request is vague (e.g., "build me a page", "create a form", "make a dashboard"), ask before assuming. Surface these decision gates — they map to real branches in this skill:

Decision	Options	Why it matters
Page type	Public website, dashboard, form, article/content, card grid, FAQ, search results	Determines layout template (see references/layout-patterns.md)
Mode	Spacious (public-facing) or Compact (internal tool)	Changes all spacing/typography tokens — one extra CSS import
Content structure	Single section or multi-section with hierarchy	Determines whether to use flat Column or nested Column spacing pattern
Routing	Next.js App Router, React Router, or plain HTML	Affects link components and SPA integration
Tailwind	Using Tailwind alongside AMS or AMS-only	Requires bridge config if yes (see references/tailwind-bridge.md)
Aesthetic direction	Minimal / editorial / dense-data / civic-confident	Determines dominant + accent in references/aesthetic-discipline.md. Ask only on open-ended briefs ("polished", "modern", "nice-looking").

Don't ask all at once. Pick the 1-2 questions that the prompt leaves genuinely ambiguous. If the user says "internal dashboard" → Compact mode is implied, no need to ask.

For any brief that mentions "polished", "modern", "nice-looking", or is open-ended about style — read references/aesthetic-discipline.md BEFORE writing JSX. That file is the bridge between aesthetic intent and ADS-legal output.

Aesthetic Discipline

ADS gives you materials. Aesthetic discipline is how you use them so the result is not a wireframe. Before writing a single line of JSX on any non-trivial UI task, read references/aesthetic-discipline.md and answer its 5-question checklist in one sentence each:

1. Dominant color — which one --ams-color-* token covers 80%+ of the canvas?
2. Sharp accent — which one --ams-color-highlight-* token appears on at most 2-3 elements?
3. Rhythm — which sections are dense (paddingVertical="large")? Which are airy ("2x-large")?
4. Page-load moment — what is the one staggered reveal sequence on top-level Grid cells?
5. Memorable element — what is the one <Breakout>, <Overlap>, or asymmetric start={} moment per page?

If you cannot answer these in one sentence each, the design is not committed yet. Re-read the discipline doc.

This step is additive to the mechanical rules below — it does not override them. Amsterdam Sans, --ams-* tokens, and the 4/8/12 Grid are still mandatory. The discipline doc teaches how to make them sing within those constraints, by translating frontend-design principles (typography hierarchy, color commitment, motion orchestration, composition) into ADS-legal moves.

On the vendored frontend-design skill

You may have access to a separate frontend-design skill in .agents/skills/frontend-design/. Its principles about typography hierarchy, color commitment, motion orchestration, and composition are sound and apply to all UI work. Its specific guidance (pick a distinctive font, break the grid, use purple gradients on white) does NOT apply in Amsterdam contexts because ADS overrides font, grid, and palette choices.

references/aesthetic-discipline.md is the translation layer. When in doubt, trust this skill, not the vendored one.

Overview

The design system ships as 5 npm packages:

Package	Purpose
@amsterdam/design-system-assets	Amsterdam Sans font files
@amsterdam/design-system-css	BEM component styles (ams-* classes)
@amsterdam/design-system-tokens	CSS custom properties (--ams-*) in Spacious + Compact modes
@amsterdam/design-system-react	React components (66 components, all with forwardRef)
@amsterdam/design-system-react-icons	Icon components for the AMS icon set

No provider or context wrapper required — import CSS, use components.

Setup

Install

npm install @amsterdam/design-system-assets @amsterdam/design-system-css @amsterdam/design-system-react @amsterdam/design-system-react-icons @amsterdam/design-system-tokens

CSS Imports — ORDER MATTERS

// ⚠️ CRITICAL: This exact order is required. Fonts → CSS → Tokens.
import "@amsterdam/design-system-assets/font/index.css"   // 1. Font files
import "@amsterdam/design-system-css/dist/index.css"       // 2. Component styles
import "@amsterdam/design-system-tokens/dist/index.css"    // 3. Design tokens

For compact mode (internal tools), add one more import AFTER tokens:

import "@amsterdam/design-system-tokens/dist/compact.css"  // 4. Compact overrides

Root Element

Add the ams-body class to your body or root element:

// Next.js (app/layout.tsx)
export default function RootLayout({ children }: { children: React.ReactNode }) {
  return (
    <html lang="nl">
      <body className="ams-body">{children}</body>
    </html>
  )
}

Bold Text Fix

Amsterdam Sans uses weight 800 for bold, not the browser default 700. The ams-body class handles this, but if you scope differently:

.your-root {
  font-weight: var(--ams-typography-body-text-font-weight); /* 400 */
}
.your-root strong, .your-root b {
  font-weight: var(--ams-typography-body-text-bold-font-weight); /* 800 */
}

Scaffold a New App

For a new standalone React app, do not re-invent the setup. Use the runnable starter at assets/starter-vite-react/. It ships:

• Bun + Vite 6 + @vitejs/plugin-react-swc (matches real Amsterdam apps)
• React Router v7 with an <AppLayout> outlet pattern
• Tanstack Query v5 pre-wired in App.tsx
• Tailwind v4 via @tailwindcss/vite, with the AMS bridge in tailwind.config.js and preflight disabled
• ADS v3.3.0 / v3.4.0 in Compact mode (most Amsterdam projects are internal tools)
• CVA + clsx + tailwind-merge for custom component variants
• tw-animate-css + a hand-rolled .ams-reveal page-load stagger
• A sample HomePage.tsx that exercises every principle from references/aesthetic-discipline.md

How to use

cp -r {skill_dir}/assets/starter-vite-react ./<project-name>
cd ./<project-name>
bun install
bun run dev

Then:

1. Read references/aesthetic-discipline.md (the 5-question checklist).
2. Replace src/pages/HomePage.tsx with the user's actual page, keeping the discipline checklist answered.
3. Add routes in src/router.tsx as the app grows.

Switching to Spacious mode

For public-facing sites (amsterdam.nl-style), remove one import from src/styles/index.css:

- @import "@amsterdam/design-system-tokens/dist/compact.css" layer(ams);

And swap the tailwind.config.js import from compact.json to index.json. That is the only change.

When NOT to use the starter

• Adding pages to an existing Amsterdam app — open the existing app and follow its conventions.
• Next.js App Router projects — the starter is Vite-based. For Next.js, follow the import order in the "Setup" section above and apply references/tailwind-bridge.md manually. (A Next.js starter may be added later if demand emerges.)
• Plain HTML / non-React — use the BEM CSS classes documented in references/layout-patterns.md § "CSS Grid Classes (Non-React)".

Component Patterns

Simple Components

import { Heading, Paragraph, Button, Alert } from "@amsterdam/design-system-react"

<Heading level={1}>Page Title</Heading>
<Paragraph>Body text uses Amsterdam Sans at 18-20px fluid.</Paragraph>
<Paragraph size="small">Secondary text at 16px.</Paragraph>
<Button variant="primary">Submit</Button>
<Button variant="secondary">Cancel</Button>
<Alert heading="Let op" headingLevel={2} severity="warning">
  Check your input before proceeding.
</Alert>

Compound Components (dot notation)

Many components use Component.SubComponent pattern via Object.assign:

import { Accordion, Grid, Table, Tabs } from "@amsterdam/design-system-react"

{/* Accordion */}
<Accordion headingLevel={2}>
  <Accordion.Section label="Section title">
    <Paragraph>Section content.</Paragraph>
  </Accordion.Section>
</Accordion>

{/* Grid */}
<Grid paddingVertical="large">
  <Grid.Cell span={8}>Main content</Grid.Cell>
  <Grid.Cell span={4}>Sidebar</Grid.Cell>
</Grid>

{/* Table */}
<Table>
  <Table.Header>
    <Table.Row>
      <Table.HeaderCell>Name</Table.HeaderCell>
      <Table.HeaderCell>Value</Table.HeaderCell>
    </Table.Row>
  </Table.Header>
  <Table.Body>
    <Table.Row>
      <Table.Cell>Item</Table.Cell>
      <Table.Cell>100</Table.Cell>
    </Table.Row>
  </Table.Body>
</Table>

{/* Tabs */}
<Tabs>
  <Tabs.List>
    <Tabs.Button aria-controls="tab1">First</Tabs.Button>
    <Tabs.Button aria-controls="tab2">Second</Tabs.Button>
  </Tabs.List>
  <Tabs.Panel id="tab1">First panel content</Tabs.Panel>
  <Tabs.Panel id="tab2">Second panel content</Tabs.Panel>
</Tabs>

Form Field Composition

AMS forms use a composition pattern: Field wraps Label + input + ErrorMessage.

import { Field, Label, TextInput, TextArea, Select, ErrorMessage, Checkbox, Radio, FieldSet } from "@amsterdam/design-system-react"

{/* Text field */}
<Field invalid={hasError}>
  <Label htmlFor="name">Naam</Label>
  <ErrorMessage>Vul uw naam in</ErrorMessage>
  <TextInput id="name" invalid={hasError} />
</Field>

{/* Textarea */}
<Field>
  <Label htmlFor="message">Bericht</Label>
  <TextArea id="message" rows={4} />
</Field>

{/* Select */}
<Field>
  <Label htmlFor="city">Stadsdeel</Label>
  <Select id="city">
    <Select.Option value="centrum">Centrum</Select.Option>
    <Select.Option value="west">West</Select.Option>
    <Select.Option value="oost">Oost</Select.Option>
  </Select>
</Field>

{/* Checkbox/Radio group */}
<FieldSet legend="Voorkeur" invalid={hasError}>
  <Checkbox>Optie A</Checkbox>
  <Checkbox>Optie B</Checkbox>
</FieldSet>

<FieldSet legend="Type">
  <Radio name="type" value="a">Type A</Radio>
  <Radio name="type" value="b">Type B</Radio>
</FieldSet>

Page Layout

import { Grid, Heading, Page, PageHeader, PageFooter, Paragraph } from "@amsterdam/design-system-react"

<Page>
  <PageHeader brandName="Mijn Amsterdam" logoLink="/" />

  <Grid paddingVertical="large">
    <Grid.Cell span="all">
      <Heading level={1}>Welkom</Heading>
    </Grid.Cell>
    <Grid.Cell span={8}>
      <Paragraph>Main content area.</Paragraph>
    </Grid.Cell>
    <Grid.Cell span={4}>
      <Paragraph>Sidebar content.</Paragraph>
    </Grid.Cell>
  </Grid>

  <PageFooter>
    <PageFooter.Spotlight>
      <Paragraph>Contact info</Paragraph>
    </PageFooter.Spotlight>
  </PageFooter>
</Page>

Dialog

import { Button, Dialog, Paragraph } from "@amsterdam/design-system-react"

<Button onClick={() => Dialog.open("confirm-dialog")}>Open Dialog</Button>

<Dialog
  id="confirm-dialog"
  heading="Bevestiging"
  footer={
    <>
      <Button variant="primary" onClick={() => Dialog.close()}>Bevestigen</Button>
      <Button variant="secondary" onClick={() => Dialog.close()}>Annuleren</Button>
    </>
  }
>
  <Paragraph>Weet u het zeker?</Paragraph>
</Dialog>

Available Components

Full props reference: read references/components.md

Layout

Grid (.Cell) · Column · Row · Breakout (.Cell) · Overlap · Page · Spotlight

Page Structure

PageHeader (.GridCellNarrowWindowOnly, .MenuLink) · PageFooter (.Menu, .MenuLink, .Spotlight)

Typography

Heading · Paragraph · Blockquote · Link · StandaloneLink · CallToActionLink · Mark

Buttons & Actions

Button · IconButton · ActionGroup

Form Controls

TextInput · TextArea · Select (.Group, .Option) · Checkbox · Radio · Switch · DateInput · TimeInput · PasswordInput · FileInput · SearchField (.Button, .Input) · CharacterCount

Form Structure

Field · FieldSet · Label · Hint · ErrorMessage · InvalidFormAlert

Navigation

Breadcrumb (.Link) · LinkList (.Link) · Menu (.Link) · Pagination · SkipLink · Tabs (.Button, .List, .Panel) · TableOfContents (.Link, .List)

Data Display

Accordion (.Section) · Card (.Heading, .HeadingGroup, .Image, .Link) · DescriptionList (.Description, .Section, .Term) · Figure (.Caption) · Table (.Body, .Caption, .Cell, .Footer, .Header, .HeaderCell, .Row) · ImageSlider

Feedback

Alert · Dialog (.open(), .close()) · Badge · Avatar

Utility

Icon · Logo · FileList (.Item) · OrderedList (.Item) · UnorderedList (.Item) · ProgressList (.Step, .Substep, .Substeps)

Grid System

The AMS grid is responsive with 3 breakpoints:

Breakpoint	Columns	Viewport	Padding
Narrow	4	< 576px	--ams-space-l (24-36px)
Medium	8	576px – 1023px	--ams-space-xl (36-60px)
Wide	12	≥ 1024px	--ams-space-2xl (48-90px)

Grid.Cell span prop

{/* Fixed span across all breakpoints */}
<Grid.Cell span={6}>Half width on wide</Grid.Cell>

{/* Full width */}
<Grid.Cell span="all">Full width row</Grid.Cell>

{/* Responsive spans: { narrow, medium, wide } */}
<Grid.Cell span={{ narrow: 4, medium: 4, wide: 8 }}>
  Responsive content
</Grid.Cell>

{/* Start position */}
<Grid.Cell span={6} start={4}>Offset cell</Grid.Cell>
<Grid.Cell span={{ narrow: 4, medium: 6, wide: 8 }} start={{ narrow: 1, medium: 2, wide: 3 }}>
  Responsive offset
</Grid.Cell>

Grid props

<Grid
  as="main"                          // Semantic element
  paddingVertical="large"            // Vertical padding: 'large' | 'x-large' | '2x-large'
  gapVertical="large"               // Row gap: 'none' | 'large' | '2x-large'
>

Content Spacing Patterns

Heading and Paragraph have no built-in margins. Spacing is controlled by parent containers.

Uniform spacing

Use Column for equal gaps between all children:

<Column gap="small">
  <Heading level={2}>Title</Heading>
  <Paragraph>First paragraph.</Paragraph>
  <Paragraph>Second paragraph.</Paragraph>
</Column>

Article content with visual hierarchy

For mixed content where sections need more separation than elements within a section, nest Column components:

<Column gap="large">
  <Column gap="small">
    <Heading level={1}>Page Title</Heading>
    <Paragraph>Intro paragraph.</Paragraph>
  </Column>

  <Column gap="small">
    <Heading level={2}>Section Title</Heading>
    <Paragraph>Section content.</Paragraph>
    <Paragraph>More content.</Paragraph>
  </Column>

  <Column gap="small">
    <Heading level={2}>Another Section</Heading>
    <Paragraph>Content here.</Paragraph>
  </Column>
</Column>

Outer Column gap="large" separates sections. Inner Column gap="small" keeps heading-to-paragraph spacing tight.

Design Tokens

Full token catalog: read references/tokens.md

The token system uses a 3-layer hierarchy. All tokens are CSS custom properties prefixed with --ams-.

Brand tokens  →  Common tokens  →  Component tokens
(core values)    (shared patterns)  (per-component)

Reference chain example:

Brand:     --ams-color-interactive-default: #004699
Common:    --ams-links-color: var(--ams-color-interactive-default)
Component: --ams-link-color: var(--ams-links-color)

Key Token Categories

Category	Prefix	Examples
Colors	--ams-color-	text, text-inverse, text-secondary, background, interactive, interactive-hover, feedback-error, feedback-success, separator
Spacing	--ams-space-	xs (4-6px), s (8-12px), m (16-24px), l (24-36px), xl (36-60px), 2xl (48-90px) — all fluid clamp()
Typography	--ams-typography-	font-family ('Amsterdam Sans', Arial, sans-serif), body-text-font-size, body-text-line-height, heading sizes per level
Borders	--ams-border-width-	s (1px), m (2px), l (3px), xl (4px)
Focus	--ams-focus-	outline-offset (4px)

Using Tokens in CSS

.my-component {
  color: var(--ams-color-text);
  background: var(--ams-color-background);
  padding: var(--ams-space-m);
  font-family: var(--ams-typography-font-family);
  border: var(--ams-border-width-s) solid var(--ams-color-separator);
}

Using Tokens in JS

import tokens from "@amsterdam/design-system-tokens/dist/index.json"
const primaryColor = tokens.ams.color.interactive.default // "#004699"

Spacious vs Compact

Aspect	Spacious (default)	Compact
Use for	Public websites	Internal tools, dashboards
Body text	18-20px fluid	16px fixed
H1	32-48px fluid	24-28px fluid
Line height	1.6	1.5
Space m	16-24px fluid	12-16px fluid
Space 2xl	48-90px fluid	32-48px fluid
Borders	Thicker (m=2px, xl=4px)	Thinner (m=1px, xl=3px)

Decision rule: Public-facing site → Spacious. Back-office/admin/dashboard → Compact.

Setup difference — one extra import:

// Spacious (default)
import "@amsterdam/design-system-tokens/dist/index.css"

// Compact (add after tokens)
import "@amsterdam/design-system-tokens/dist/index.css"
import "@amsterdam/design-system-tokens/dist/compact.css"

Compact overrides the same CSS custom properties with smaller values. No code changes needed — components adapt automatically.

Router Integration

AMS Link components render <a> by default. For SPA routing, use polymorphic rendering:

Next.js (App Router)

import NextLink from "next/link"
import { Link, Breadcrumb, Pagination } from "@amsterdam/design-system-react"

{/* Regular link */}
<Link href="/about" legacyBehavior passHref>
  <NextLink>Over ons</NextLink>
</Link>

{/* Or simpler: just use Next.js Link with AMS classes */}
<NextLink href="/about" className="ams-link">Over ons</NextLink>

{/* Pagination with router links */}
<Pagination
  totalPages={10}
  page={currentPage}
  linkTemplate={(page) => `/results?page=${page}`}
  linkComponent={NextLink}
/>

{/* PageHeader logo */}
<PageHeader
  brandName="Mijn Amsterdam"
  logoLink="/"
  logoLinkComponent={NextLink}
/>

React Router

import { Link as RouterLink } from "react-router-dom"
import { Link } from "@amsterdam/design-system-react"

<RouterLink to="/about" className="ams-link">Over ons</RouterLink>

Tailwind v4 Integration

Full bridge config: read references/tailwind-bridge.md

When using Tailwind CSS v4 alongside AMS, map AMS tokens to Tailwind's @theme so utilities use the design system values:

/* app.css */
@import "tailwindcss";
@import "@amsterdam/design-system-assets/font/index.css";
@import "@amsterdam/design-system-css/dist/index.css";
@import "@amsterdam/design-system-tokens/dist/index.css";

/* Disable Tailwind's preflight — AMS CSS handles base styles */
@layer base {
  /* AMS body styles take precedence */
}

@theme {
  /* Map AMS spacing */
  --spacing-ams-xs: var(--ams-space-xs);
  --spacing-ams-s: var(--ams-space-s);
  --spacing-ams-m: var(--ams-space-m);
  --spacing-ams-l: var(--ams-space-l);
  --spacing-ams-xl: var(--ams-space-xl);
  --spacing-ams-2xl: var(--ams-space-2xl);

  /* Map AMS colors */
  --color-ams-text: var(--ams-color-text);
  --color-ams-text-secondary: var(--ams-color-text-secondary);
  --color-ams-text-inverse: var(--ams-color-text-inverse);
  --color-ams-bg: var(--ams-color-background);
  --color-ams-interactive: var(--ams-color-interactive);
  --color-ams-interactive-hover: var(--ams-color-interactive-hover);
  --color-ams-error: var(--ams-color-feedback-error);
  --color-ams-success: var(--ams-color-feedback-success);
  --color-ams-warning: var(--ams-color-feedback-warning);
  --color-ams-info: var(--ams-color-feedback-info);
  --color-ams-separator: var(--ams-color-separator);

  /* Map AMS font */
  --font-ams: var(--ams-typography-font-family);
}

Usage rule: Use AMS React components for all standard UI (buttons, forms, headings, grids, etc.). Use Tailwind utilities only for custom layout (flex, positioning) and one-off spacing that AMS components don't cover.

{/* AMS component — always preferred */}
<Button variant="primary">Submit</Button>

{/* Tailwind for custom layout around AMS components */}
<div className="flex items-center gap-ams-m">
  <Icon svg={SearchIcon} />
  <Paragraph>Search results</Paragraph>
</div>

Custom Components

When building components not in the AMS library, follow these conventions:

BEM Naming

/* Block: ams-status-badge */
.ams-status-badge { }
.ams-status-badge--active { }
.ams-status-badge__icon { }
.ams-status-badge__label { }

Token-Only Styling

.ams-status-badge {
  display: inline-flex;
  align-items: center;
  gap: var(--ams-space-xs);
  padding-block: var(--ams-space-xs);
  padding-inline: var(--ams-space-s);
  font-family: var(--ams-typography-font-family);
  font-size: var(--ams-typography-body-text-small-font-size);
  line-height: var(--ams-typography-body-text-small-line-height);
  border: var(--ams-border-width-s) solid var(--ams-color-separator);
  /* NO hardcoded colors, sizes, or spacing */
}

Component Pattern

import { forwardRef } from "react"
import clsx from "clsx"

export interface StatusBadgeProps extends React.HTMLAttributes<HTMLSpanElement> {
  status: "active" | "inactive" | "pending"
}

export const StatusBadge = forwardRef<HTMLSpanElement, StatusBadgeProps>(
  ({ status, className, children, ...restProps }, ref) => (
    <span
      ref={ref}
      className={clsx("ams-status-badge", `ams-status-badge--${status}`, className)}
      {...restProps}
    >
      {children}
    </span>
  )
)

StatusBadge.displayName = "StatusBadge"

Checklist for Custom Components

• Uses forwardRef
• Extends relevant HTML element attributes
• Uses clsx for className composition
• Spreads ...restProps on root element
• BEM classes with ams- prefix — OR — token-mapped Tailwind utilities (see Tailwind-bridge alternative below)
• All styling via --ams-* tokens (no hardcoded values)
• Sets displayName

Tailwind-bridge alternative (when tailwind-bridge.md is in use)

When the project ships with the Tailwind + ADS bridge configured (see references/tailwind-bridge.md and the starter at assets/starter-vite-react/), the BEM-class root is optional. You may instead compose the same --ams-* tokens through CVA variants and Tailwind utilities mapped in tailwind.config.js. The token-only rule still holds — only --ams-*-backed utilities are allowed, never raw hex/px.

The runnable example is assets/starter-vite-react/src/components/StatCard.tsx: a forwardRef component that uses cva() for the variant matrix and cn() (clsx + tailwind-merge) for class composition, with every color/spacing utility (bg-ams-bg, border-ams-separator, p-ams-m, border-l-ams-magenta, …) backed by an --ams-* token in tailwind.config.js. Pick this path when you want a CVA variant API; pick the BEM/CSS path when you need shared styles outside React or want a hand-written stylesheet to reason about.

TypeScript Patterns

Prop Types

// Intersect with HTML attributes
interface MyComponentProps extends React.HTMLAttributes<HTMLDivElement> {
  variant: "primary" | "secondary"
}

// For form elements
interface MyInputProps extends React.InputHTMLAttributes<HTMLInputElement> {
  invalid?: boolean
}

Compound Component Export

// Following AMS pattern with Object.assign
const ListRoot = forwardRef<HTMLUListElement, ListProps>(/* ... */)
const ListItem = forwardRef<HTMLLIElement, ListItemProps>(/* ... */)

export const List = Object.assign(ListRoot, { Item: ListItem })
// Usage: <List><List.Item>...</List.Item></List>

Common Mistakes

Mistake	Fix
Wrong import order	Fonts → CSS → Tokens (always)
Missing ams-body class	Add to <body> or root element
Hardcoded colors (#004699)	Use var(--ams-color-interactive)
Hardcoded spacing (16px)	Use var(--ams-space-m)
Using font-weight: 700 for bold	Use 800 or var(--ams-typography-body-text-bold-font-weight)
Setting font-size: 62.5% on html	Don't — AMS uses rem values calibrated to 16px base
Missing invalid prop on both Field and input	Both <Field invalid> and <TextInput invalid> need it
Using <h1> instead of <Heading level={1}>	Always use AMS Heading component
Missing aria-controls on Tabs.Button	Required prop — must match Tabs.Panel id
Using Tailwind bg-blue-500 instead of AMS tokens	Use bg-ams-interactive or AMS component
Using deprecated PageHeading	Use <Heading level={1}> — PageHeading is deprecated
Heading and paragraph with same spacing	Wrap content sections in nested Column — gap="large" between sections, gap="small" within
Output looks like a wireframe	Read references/aesthetic-discipline.md, commit to a dominant + one accent token before writing JSX
Every section has the same paddingVertical and span	Vary rhythm — alternate dense (large) and airy (x-large/2x-large); use asymmetric spans with start={}
Scaffolding from scratch with Next.js or vanilla Vite	Use assets/starter-vite-react/ — Bun + Vite + React Router + Tanstack Query is the real-world target
Reaching for shadcn/ui for a Popover/DropdownMenu/Tooltip	ADS does not ship those — use @radix-ui/react-* headless primitives styled with AMS tokens (see references/components.md § "Components ADS Does Not Ship")

Icon Usage

Full icon catalog and naming conventions: read references/icons.md

Icons are visual symbols for quick communication. They must always be wrapped in the Icon component for consistent sizing and alignment. The icon set ships in @amsterdam/design-system-react-icons (345+ icons, v2.0.0+).

Basic Usage

import { Icon, Button, IconButton } from "@amsterdam/design-system-react"
import { SearchIcon, CloseIcon, NotificationIcon } from "@amsterdam/design-system-react-icons"

{/* Standalone decorative icon — hidden from assistive tech by default */}
<Icon svg={SearchIcon} />

{/* Sized to match text */}
<Icon svg={SearchIcon} size="large" />          {/* matches large body text */}
<Icon svg={SearchIcon} size="heading-3" />       {/* matches heading level 3 */}

{/* Inverse color for dark backgrounds */}
<Icon svg={SearchIcon} color="inverse" />

{/* Square bounding box (useful for alignment in grids) */}
<Icon svg={SearchIcon} square />

{/* Button with icon (icon appears after text by default) */}
<Button icon={SearchIcon}>Zoeken</Button>
<Button icon={SearchIcon} iconBefore>Zoeken</Button>

{/* Icon-only button — label is REQUIRED for accessibility */}
<IconButton svg={CloseIcon} label="Sluiten" />

Icon Props

Prop	Type	Default	Description
svg	Function | ReactNode	required	Icon component from the icon package or custom SVG
size	'small' | 'large' | 'heading-1' | 'heading-2' | 'heading-3' | 'heading-4' | 'heading-5'	—	Size aligned to text line heights
color	'inverse'	—	White icon for dark backgrounds
square	boolean	false	Square bounding box

Icons With Other Components

import { StandaloneLink, Badge } from "@amsterdam/design-system-react"
import { SearchIcon, StarIcon } from "@amsterdam/design-system-react-icons"

<StandaloneLink href="/search" icon={SearchIcon}>Zoek op de website</StandaloneLink>
<Badge label="Nieuw" icon={StarIcon} color="azure" />

v2.0.0 Renames (Breaking)

These icons were renamed in v2.0.0 — use the new names:

Old name	New name
BellIcon / BellFillIcon	NotificationIcon / NotificationFillIcon
PersonCircleIcon / PersonCircleFillIcon	UserAccountIcon / UserAccountFillIcon
TrashBinIcon	DeleteIcon
CogwheelIcon	SettingsIcon
CheckMarkCircleIcon	SuccessIcon

Custom SVGs

{/* Must use viewBox="0 0 24 24" and fill="currentColor" */}
<Icon svg={
  <svg viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="currentColor">
    <path d="M12 2L2 7l10 5 10-5-10-5z" />
  </svg>
} />

Guidelines

• Icons accompany text in buttons and links — standalone icons only for universal conventions (hamburger menu, search, playback controls)
• Default color: black/white matching container. Interactive state: blue. Disabled: grey
• Icons align left of text, vertically centered to the first line
• The Icon component sets hidden on the <span> — icons are decorative by default. For meaningful icons, use IconButton with a label prop
• WCAG contrast requirements apply to icons same as typography

Reference Files

For detailed API docs, token catalogs, and templates, read the reference files in references/:

• aesthetic-discipline.md — How to apply frontend-design principles (typography hierarchy, color commitment, motion, composition, depth) within ADS constraints. Read this before writing JSX on any non-trivial UI task.
• components.md — Full props and code examples for each component, plus the Radix primitives section for components ADS does not ship
• tokens.md — Complete --ams-* token catalog with values for both modes
• layout-patterns.md — Page layout templates (public site, dashboard, form page, React Router + AppLayout outlet)
• tailwind-bridge.md — Complete Tailwind v4 + AMS integration guide (Vite plugin, compact tokens, motion)
• icons.md — Icon catalog from @amsterdam/design-system-react-icons

Assets:

• assets/starter-vite-react/ — Runnable Bun + Vite + React + TS starter with ADS pre-configured in Compact mode. See the "Scaffold a New App" section above.