Straight ice: flat backdrop, crisp translucent panels, barely any gradients

The colourful multi-blob wash was too much and still didn't read as
frosted glass. Replaced with a cleaner material approach:

- Backdrop is now flat with a single faint top highlight (the only
  gradient left in it); the animated blobs and the four colour radials
  are gone.
- Panels are crisper and more translucent: cards 62%, panels 66%,
  sidebar 64% (now flat, no vertical gradient), study chrome 68%, tab
  bar 70% — with a bright 1px edge (--glass-edge), a light-from-above
  sheen (--glass-sheen) and the inset top highlight.
- Light mode is lighter: page #eef3fa pale ice, sidebar and cards
  frosted white; dark mode is a flatter, slightly lighter navy
  (#121a2c page, #1a2337 surfaces).
- Key-gate glows toned right down to match.

Contrast re-audited against the effective frosted backgrounds: 21/21 AA.
Suites: deck chrome 15/15, deck fixes 15/15, final ux 12/12, key gate
49/49, install sheet 64/64, retry 14/14, zoom 6/6, security 8/8, pwa
16/16.

README.md

@@ -112,10 +112,11 @@ no database, no data leaving your machine except the requests you send to Ollama
   list with per-folder counts, Settings/Dark mode pinned to the bottom). It **collapses** to a 68px
   icon rail (remembered in `localStorage`) and becomes a slide-in **drawer** behind a hamburger on
   phones; mobile also keeps the frosted header + iOS tab bar
-- **One navy palette pulled from the app icon, both themes**: light page `#f4f7fd` / sidebar
+- **One palette pulled from the app icon, both themes**: light page `#eef3fa` (pale ice) /
-  `#e9eff9` / border `#dce4f1`; dark page `#0e1424` / sidebar `#0a0f1c` / surfaces `#171f33` /
+  sidebar and cards frosted white / border `#dce4f1`; dark page `#121a2c` / sidebar `#0c1322` /
-  border `rgba(255,255,255,.12)`. Surfaces are frosted glass (translucent + `backdrop-blur`) over
+  surfaces `#1a2337` / border `rgba(255,255,255,.1)`. Surfaces are frosted glass — translucent with
-  the icon's navy backdrop.
+  `backdrop-blur`, a bright 1px edge and a light-from-above sheen — over a flat backdrop with a
+  single faint highlight.
   Text tiers are documented AA ratios (see below), and the cards fill the row with
   `repeat(auto-fill, minmax(280px, 1fr))` — no stranded cards, no dead space
 - Deck cards: title → muted metadata → neutral tags (difficulty carries the only colour:
@@ -727,10 +728,11 @@ Things I chose while building, with the reasoning:
     have no `folderId`), deleting a folder re-homes its decks instead of deleting them, and folder
     names travel in exports so an imported deck lands where it came from. 13 browser checks cover
     create → freeze → move → rename → delete → reload → import.
-18. **The visual language is glassmorphism, with restraint.** The icon's blue is the one accent
+18. **The visual language is frosted ice, with restraint.** The icon's blue is the one accent
-    colour driving buttons and highlights; the backdrop is a navy wash; surfaces — sidebar, cards,
+    colour driving buttons and highlights; the backdrop is flat with a single faint top highlight,
-    chrome, sheets — are frosted and translucent. Colour appears in activity tints and semantic
+    and surfaces — sidebar, cards, chrome, sheets — are translucent glass with a bright edge and a
-    feedback only — pretty, but still readable and quiet.
+    soft sheen. Colour appears in activity tints and semantic feedback only — pretty, but still
+    readable and quiet.
 19. **Custom CSS lives in `@layer components`, and glass uses Tailwind's backdrop utilities.**
     Two build-level traps, both found by looking at real screenshots: unlayered rules beat Tailwind
     utilities (which silently broke `fixed` on the feed), and a hand-written `backdrop-filter` gets
@@ -750,10 +752,11 @@ Things I chose while building, with the reasoning:
     pill CTAs, 18px radii and restrained shadows; the sidebar, cards and chrome are translucent
     glass over the backdrop. Deck cards got real hierarchy: title → muted metadata → tags → summary
     → secondary Study CTA, with secondary actions behind a quiet menu.
-23. **One fixed backdrop layer instead of per-page blobs.** The decorative wash used to be
+23. **One fixed backdrop layer, deliberately almost flat.** The decorative wash used to be
     rendered inside the content column, so on wide screens it was clipped into a visible hard edge.
-    It now lives in a single `position: fixed` layer (`.app-backdrop`, `z-index: -10`) in the
+    It now lives in a single `position: fixed` layer (`.app-backdrop`, `z-index: -10`): a flat ice
-    icon's navy and blue, and `body`'s colour matches its bottom so mobile overscroll shows no seam.
+    or navy base plus one faint highlight at the top — just enough for the glass to catch, without
+    turning into a gradient soup. `body`'s colour matches it so mobile overscroll shows no seam.
 24. **The UI was deliberately made quieter.** One accent colour (`accent-*`), a desaturated
     `frost-*` scale, hairline borders and flat surfaces replaced the saturated gradients and the
     seven-colour activity badges. Semantic colours (green/amber/red) survive only where they carry
@@ -789,9 +792,8 @@ Things I chose while building, with the reasoning:
     Desktop keeps the designed 12–14px field sizes.
 31. **The app icon drives the palette.** The navy rounded-square artwork in
     `assets/app-icon-source.jpeg` is the source of truth: `frost-*` is navy-tinted, the accent is
-    the snowflake blue, the backdrop is the same navy wash, the primary CTA is the icon blue (deep
+    the snowflake blue, the primary CTA is the icon blue (deep in light mode, bright in dark), and
-    in light mode, bright in dark), and every icon/splash/favicon is rendered from it by
+    every icon/splash/favicon is rendered from it by `scripts/make-icons.mjs`. The sidebar, header, key gate, empty state and install sheet all show
-    `scripts/make-icons.mjs`. The sidebar, header, key gate, empty state and install sheet all show
     the real artwork instead of the old monochrome snowflake tile.
 14. **`gpt-oss:120b` does all content work — but it cannot read images** (`this model does not
     support image input`), so `VISION_MODEL` has to stay a multimodal model (`gemma4:31b-cloud`).

app/globals.css

@@ -81,30 +81,30 @@
    --------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 :root {
   color-scheme: light;
-  --page: #f4f7fd;
+  --page: #eef3fa;          /* pale ice */
-  --sidebar: #e9eff9;
+  --sidebar: #ffffff;
   --surface: #ffffff;
   --surface-raised: #ffffff;
-  --surface-strong: #edf2fa;
+  --surface-strong: #f2f6fc;
-  --card-hover-bg: #f7faff;
+  --card-hover-bg: #ffffff;
   --surface-sunken: rgb(14 21 40 / 0.05);
   --hairline: #dce4f1;
-  --card-border: #d7e0ef;
+  --card-border: rgb(255 255 255 / 0.85);
-  --sidebar-divider: #d7e0ef;
+  --sidebar-divider: #dfe7f3;
   --hairline-soft: rgb(14 21 40 / 0.07);
-  --glass-tint: rgb(255 255 255 / 0.55);
+  --glass-tint: rgb(255 255 255 / 0.6);
-  --glass-top: rgb(255 255 255 / 0.55);
+  --glass-top: rgb(255 255 255 / 0.95);
-  --text: #0e1526;          /* 16.9:1 on #f4f7fd */
+  --glass-edge: rgb(255 255 255 / 0.85);
-  --text-muted: #4d5c78;    /* 6.3:1  */
+  --glass-sheen: rgb(255 255 255 / 0.55);
-  --text-subtle: #55647f;   /* 5.6:1  */
+  --text: #0e1526;          /* 16.2:1 on #eef3fa */
+  --text-muted: #4d5c78;    /* 6.1:1  */
+  --text-subtle: #55647f;   /* 5.4:1  */
   --hover: rgb(14 21 40 / 0.05);
-  --sidebar-top: #eef3fb;
+  --sidebar-edge: 0 1px 0 var(--sidebar-divider), 6px 0 18px -12px rgb(14 21 40 / 0.18);
-  --sidebar-bottom: #e5edf9;
-  --sidebar-edge: 0 1px 0 var(--sidebar-divider), 6px 0 18px -12px rgb(14 21 40 / 0.35);
   /* API-key gate: cool near-white stage with soft blue glows, tinted input. */
-  --gate-base: #eef3fb;
+  --gate-base: #eef3fa;
-  --gate-glow-a: rgb(90 150 240 / 0.25);
+  --gate-glow-a: rgb(90 150 240 / 0.16);
-  --gate-glow-b: rgb(140 150 240 / 0.2);
+  --gate-glow-b: rgb(140 150 240 / 0.12);
   --gate-card: #ffffff;
   --gate-card-border: #dde5f2;
   --gate-callout-bg: #eef3fa;
@@ -118,36 +118,39 @@
   --install-chip: #f2f2f2;
   --install-border: #e0e0e0;
   --shadow-card: 0 1px 2px rgb(14 21 40 / 0.06), 0 1px 3px rgb(14 21 40 / 0.04);
-  --card-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgb(14 21 40 / 0.05), 0 5px 14px -6px rgb(14 21 40 / 0.12);
+  --card-shadow: 0 0 0 1px rgb(14 21 40 / 0.04), 0 1px 2px rgb(14 21 40 / 0.04), 0 12px 28px -14px rgb(14 21 40 / 0.2);
-  --shadow-card-hover: 0 12px 30px -12px rgb(14 21 40 / 0.2), 0 2px 6px rgb(14 21 40 / 0.07);
+  --shadow-card-hover: 0 0 0 1px rgb(14 21 40 / 0.05), 0 16px 36px -14px rgb(14 21 40 / 0.24), 0 2px 6px rgb(14 21 40 / 0.07);
+  /* Backdrop: flat ice with a single faint highlight at the top. */
+  --bd-base: #eef3fa;
+  --bd-highlight: rgb(255 255 255 / 0.9);
 }
 
 .dark {
   color-scheme: dark;
-  --page: #0e1424;
+  --page: #121a2c;
-  --sidebar: #0a0f1c;
+  --sidebar: #0c1322;
-  --surface: #171f33;
+  --surface: #1a2337;
-  --surface-raised: #1e2740;
+  --surface-raised: #222c44;
-  --surface-strong: #202a42;
+  --surface-strong: #222c44;
-  --card-hover-bg: #1e2740;
+  --card-hover-bg: #222c44;
   --surface-sunken: rgb(255 255 255 / 0.07);
-  --hairline: rgb(255 255 255 / 0.12);
+  --hairline: rgb(255 255 255 / 0.1);
-  --card-border: rgb(255 255 255 / 0.12);
+  --card-border: rgb(255 255 255 / 0.1);
-  --sidebar-divider: rgb(255 255 255 / 0.1);
+  --sidebar-divider: rgb(255 255 255 / 0.08);
-  --hairline-soft: rgb(255 255 255 / 0.08);
+  --hairline-soft: rgb(255 255 255 / 0.07);
   --glass-tint: rgb(255 255 255 / 0.06);
-  --glass-top: rgb(255 255 255 / 0.08);
+  --glass-top: rgb(255 255 255 / 0.09);
-  --text: #e9eefb;          /* 15.4:1 on #0e1424 */
+  --glass-edge: rgb(255 255 255 / 0.1);
-  --text-muted: #b7c3dc;    /* 10.4:1 */
+  --glass-sheen: rgb(255 255 255 / 0.05);
-  --text-subtle: #94a4c2;   /* 7.3:1  */
+  --text: #e9eefb;          /* 14.8:1 on #121a2c */
+  --text-muted: #b7c3dc;    /* 10.0:1 */
+  --text-subtle: #94a4c2;   /* 7.0:1  */
   --hover: rgb(255 255 255 / 0.07);
-  --sidebar-top: #0b1120;
+  --sidebar-edge: 0 1px 0 var(--hairline), 6px 0 16px -14px rgb(0 0 0 / 0.7);
-  --sidebar-bottom: #080d18;
-  --sidebar-edge: 0 1px 0 var(--hairline), 6px 0 16px -14px rgb(0 0 0 / 0.75);
   /* API-key gate: navy stage with the icon's blue glows, raised input. */
-  --gate-base: #0a0f1c;
+  --gate-base: #0c1322;
-  --gate-glow-a: rgb(70 140 235 / 0.2);
+  --gate-glow-a: rgb(70 140 235 / 0.14);
-  --gate-glow-b: rgb(120 120 235 / 0.14);
+  --gate-glow-b: rgb(120 120 235 / 0.1);
   --gate-card: #131a2c;
   --gate-card-border: rgb(255 255 255 / 0.1);
   --gate-callout-bg: rgb(255 255 255 / 0.06);
@@ -163,25 +166,8 @@
   --shadow-card: 0 1px 2px rgb(0 0 0 / 0.25);
   --card-shadow: var(--shadow-card);
   --shadow-card-hover: 0 10px 28px -16px rgb(0 0 0 / 0.55), 0 1px 2px rgb(0 0 0 / 0.3);
-}
+  --bd-base: #101a2c;
-
+  --bd-highlight: rgb(120 160 220 / 0.12);
-/* Backdrop: the icon's navy base with saturated blue/periwinkle/cyan blobs —
-   this is the colour the frosted surfaces are blurring. */
-:root {
-  --bd-a: rgb(96 160 250 / 0.5);
-  --bd-b: rgb(150 150 245 / 0.42);
-  --bd-c: rgb(90 205 235 / 0.38);
-  --bd-top: #f7faff;
-  --bd-mid: #eef4fd;
-  --bd-bottom: #e8f0fb;
-}
-.dark {
-  --bd-a: rgb(48 120 235 / 0.42);
-  --bd-b: rgb(105 110 240 / 0.34);
-  --bd-c: rgb(50 165 220 / 0.3);
-  --bd-top: #101a30;
-  --bd-mid: #0c1220;
-  --bd-bottom: #080d18;
 }
 
 html,
@@ -247,54 +233,21 @@ body {
   z-index: -10;
   overflow: hidden;
   pointer-events: none;
+  /* Flat ice with one faint highlight at the top — just enough for the
+     frosted surfaces to have something to catch. */
   background:
-    radial-gradient(52vw 52vh at 12% 4%, var(--bd-a) 0%, transparent 68%),
+    radial-gradient(120vw 54vh at 50% -16%, var(--bd-highlight) 0%, transparent 72%),
-    radial-gradient(46vw 46vh at 94% 12%, var(--bd-b) 0%, transparent 66%),
+    var(--bd-base);
-    radial-gradient(56vw 52vh at 78% 98%, var(--bd-c) 0%, transparent 68%),
-    radial-gradient(44vw 44vh at 26% 82%, var(--bd-a) 0%, transparent 70%),
-    linear-gradient(180deg, var(--bd-top) 0%, var(--bd-mid) 50%, var(--bd-bottom) 100%);
-}
-
-/* Two slow, saturated blobs so the glass always has colour to bend. */
-.app-backdrop::before,
-.app-backdrop::after {
-  content: "";
-  position: absolute;
-  border-radius: 50%;
-  filter: blur(80px);
-  opacity: 0.55;
-}
-.app-backdrop::before {
-  width: 44vw;
-  height: 44vw;
-  min-width: 20rem;
-  min-height: 20rem;
-  top: 4vh;
-  left: 6vw;
-  background: radial-gradient(circle, var(--bd-a), transparent 64%);
-  animation: float 16s ease-in-out infinite;
-}
-.app-backdrop::after {
-  width: 40vw;
-  height: 40vw;
-  min-width: 18rem;
-  min-height: 18rem;
-  bottom: -6vh;
-  right: 2vw;
-  background: radial-gradient(circle, var(--bd-c), transparent 64%);
-  animation: float 20s ease-in-out infinite reverse;
-}
-.dark .app-backdrop::before,
-.dark .app-backdrop::after {
-  opacity: 0.6;
 }
 
 @layer components {
 /* Glass primitives ------------------------------------------------------ */
 .glass-panel {
   @apply backdrop-blur-xl backdrop-saturate-150;
-  background: color-mix(in oklab, var(--surface) 68%, transparent);
+  background:
-  border: 1px solid var(--hairline);
+    linear-gradient(180deg, var(--glass-sheen) 0%, transparent 46%),
+    color-mix(in oklab, var(--surface) 66%, transparent);
+  border: 1px solid var(--glass-edge);
   box-shadow: var(--shadow-card), inset 0 1px 0 var(--glass-top);
 }
 
@@ -319,7 +272,9 @@ body {
    surface as the cards, with a neutral border and shadow. */
 .study-chrome {
   @apply backdrop-blur-xl backdrop-saturate-150;
-  background: color-mix(in oklab, var(--surface) 72%, transparent);
+  background:
+    linear-gradient(180deg, var(--glass-sheen) 0%, transparent 46%),
+    color-mix(in oklab, var(--surface) 68%, transparent);
   border: 1px solid var(--hairline);
   box-shadow: var(--shadow-card);
 }
@@ -330,10 +285,16 @@ body {
 .card {
   border-radius: 1.125rem;               /* 18px */
   @apply backdrop-blur-xl backdrop-saturate-150;
-  background: color-mix(in oklab, var(--surface) 62%, transparent);
+  background:
+    linear-gradient(180deg, var(--glass-sheen) 0%, transparent 46%),
+    color-mix(in oklab, var(--surface) 62%, transparent);
   border: 1px solid var(--card-border);
   box-shadow: var(--card-shadow), inset 0 1px 0 var(--glass-top);
 }
+.dark .card,
+.dark .glass-panel {
+  border-color: var(--glass-edge);
+}
 
 /* Opt-in hover lift for interactive cards (deck cards). Pointer devices only,
    so touch screens never get sticky hover states. */
@@ -358,7 +319,7 @@ body {
 .list-group {
   border-radius: 1rem;
   @apply backdrop-blur-lg backdrop-saturate-150;
-  background: color-mix(in oklab, var(--surface) 70%, transparent);
+  background: color-mix(in oklab, var(--surface) 66%, transparent);
   border: 1px solid var(--hairline);
   overflow: hidden;
 }
@@ -411,7 +372,7 @@ body {
 
 .tabbar {
   @apply backdrop-blur-xl;
-  background: color-mix(in oklab, var(--page) 74%, transparent);
+  background: color-mix(in oklab, var(--page) 70%, transparent);
   border-top: 1px solid var(--hairline);
 }
 
@@ -427,14 +388,12 @@ body {
 .dark .tint-peach { background: linear-gradient(140deg, rgb(230 160 118 / 0.26), rgb(230 160 118 / 0.1)); color: #fadfc9 }
 .dark .tint-rose { background: linear-gradient(140deg, rgb(230 130 150 / 0.26), rgb(230 130 150 / 0.1)); color: #fbd5dd }
 
-/* Sidebar surface: frosted navy glass with a real edge. */
+/* Sidebar surface: flat frosted glass with a real edge. */
 .sidebar-surface {
   @apply backdrop-blur-xl backdrop-saturate-150;
-  background: linear-gradient(
+  background:
-    180deg,
+    linear-gradient(180deg, var(--glass-sheen) 0%, transparent 30%),
-    color-mix(in oklab, var(--sidebar-top) 68%, transparent),
+    color-mix(in oklab, var(--sidebar) 64%, transparent);
-    color-mix(in oklab, var(--sidebar-bottom) 68%, transparent)
-  );
   border-right: 1px solid var(--sidebar-divider);
   box-shadow: var(--sidebar-edge);
 }