# Nerv UI
> NERV Operations Console aesthetic for web interfaces — Evangelion-inspired instrumentation UI with black void backgrounds, sparse high-contrast color coding (orange headers, green nominal data, cyan wireframes, red alerts), dense monospaced data readouts, measurement overlay grids, hex scanner patterns, CRT/VHS texture layers, escalating alert states, bilingual JP/EN institutional labeling, thermal imaging degradation, and the clinical authority of a fictional military-scientific organization's total visual identity system. Spans CRT terminals → tactical displays → physical infrastructure. Use when this capability is needed.
- Skill: `tomevault-io/nerv-ui` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add tomevault-io/nerv-ui`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/tomevault-io/nerv-ui/raw
- Safety review: pending (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector PASS)
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: tomevault-io (https://skillmd.com/u/tomevault-io)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/tomevault-io/nerv-ui
---
# NERV UI — Operations Console Aesthetic
Build web interfaces that feel like they were designed by engineers inside NERV — not by graphic designers outside it. This is the total visual identity of a fictional military-scientific organization: CRT terminals, tactical maps, neural sync diagnostics, contamination scanners, and access control panels. Every screen assumes the operator already knows what they're looking at.
**The screen is off until data demands it. Black void is the default state.**
---
## Design Tokens
### Color Palette
```css
:root {
/* Void — the screen is OFF until data appears */
--void: #000000; /* True black — primary background */
--void-warm: #0A0A08; /* Slightly warm black for panels */
--void-panel: #111110; /* Raised surface (rare) */
/* NERV Orange — headers, labels, institutional text */
--nerv-orange: #FF9830; /* Primary labeling color — high contrast */
--nerv-orange-dim: #D08028; /* Secondary labels */
--nerv-orange-hot: #FFCC50; /* Highlighted/active labels */
/* Nominal Green — data readouts, "system OK" — full phosphor intensity */
--data-green: #50FF50; /* Primary data color */
--data-green-dim: #30BB30; /* Secondary data */
--data-green-faint: rgba(80, 255, 80, 0.1); /* Table row hover */
/* Cyan — wireframes, maps, spatial data */
--wire-cyan: #20F0FF; /* Wireframe lines */
--wire-cyan-dim: #10A8B8; /* Construction lines */
--wire-cyan-glow: rgba(32, 240, 255, 0.15); /* Subtle glow */
/* Alert Red — warnings, refusals, critical states */
--alert-red: #FF4840; /* Primary alert */
--alert-red-dim: #CC3028; /* Background alert panels */
--alert-red-hot: #FF6858; /* Flashing/urgent */
--alert-red-fill: rgba(255, 72, 64, 0.18); /* Alert zone background */
/* Thermal spectrum — for degradation/heatmap states */
--thermal-yellow: #FFE820;
--thermal-magenta: #F030C0;
--thermal-blue: #3060F0;
--thermal-purple: #A030E0;
/* Neutral — secondary text, rules */
--steel: #E0E0D8; /* Primary readable text */
--steel-dim: #9A9A90; /* Muted annotations */
--steel-faint: rgba(224, 224, 216, 0.08); /* Grid lines */
}
```
**Rules:**
- Background is ALWAYS true black or near-black. Never gray, never navy.
- Orange is for **labels and headers only** — never data values.
- Green is for **data and nominal status** — numbers, readouts, "OK" states.
- Cyan is for **spatial/structural** — wireframes, maps, grids, containment lines.
- Red is for **alerts and refusals only** — never decoration.
- Colors exist in isolation. They don't blend, gradient, or harmonize. Each serves one function.
- **Phosphor-bright, not muted.** These are CRT colors — they glow. If it looks dim against black, bump it up. Readability always beats subtlety.
- When a system is under stress, colors **invade each other's space** — red bleeds into green zones, thermal spectrum replaces orderly color coding.
### Typography
```css
:root {
--font-sys: 'IBM Plex Mono', 'Courier New', monospace; /* Primary — everything */
--font-label: 'Bebas Neue', 'Arial Narrow', sans-serif; /* Institutional labels */
--font-stamp: 'Bebas Neue', 'Impact', sans-serif; /* REFUSED / WARNING stamps */
--font-kanji: 'Noto Sans JP', sans-serif; /* Japanese institutional text */
}
```
```html
```
**Monospace dominates everything.** Bebas Neue is ONLY for large institutional labels and status stamps. The UI assumes fixed-width alignment is load-bearing — columns must align perfectly.
### Type Scale
| Role | Font | Size | Weight | Spacing | Transform | Color |
|------|------|------|--------|---------|-----------|-------|
| Stamp | stamp | `clamp(3rem, 8vw, 6rem)` | 400 | `0.08em` | `uppercase` | `--alert-red` |
| Institutional label | label | `clamp(1.2rem, 3vw, 2rem)` | 400 | `0.15em` | `uppercase` | `--nerv-orange` |
| Section header | sys | `0.875rem` | 700 | `0.12em` | `uppercase` | `--nerv-orange` |
| Data value | sys | `0.8125rem` | 500 | `0em` | `none` | `--data-green` |
| Data label | sys | `0.6875rem` | 400 | `0.08em` | `uppercase` | `--nerv-orange-dim` |
| Annotation | sys | `0.625rem` | 400 | `0.05em` | `uppercase` | `--steel-dim` |
| Scale marker | sys | `0.5rem` | 400 | `0.1em` | `none` | `--nerv-orange` |
| Kanji badge | kanji | `0.75rem` | 700 | `0.05em` | `none` | `--steel` |
---
## CRT / Scanline Texture Layer
Every NERV screen has a CRT texture. This is non-negotiable.
```css
/* Scanline overlay — apply to body or main container */
.crt-overlay {
position: relative;
}
.crt-overlay::after {
content: '';
position: fixed;
inset: 0;
background: repeating-linear-gradient(
0deg,
transparent,
transparent 2px,
rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) 2px,
rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.06) 4px
);
pointer-events: none;
z-index: 9999;
}
/* CRT vignette — darkened edges */
.crt-vignette::before {
content: '';
position: fixed;
inset: 0;
background: radial-gradient(
ellipse at center,
transparent 60%,
rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.35) 100%
);
pointer-events: none;
z-index: 9998;
}
/* Phosphor flicker (subtle) */
@keyframes phosphor {
0%, 100% { opacity: 1; }
50% { opacity: 0.97; }
}
.crt-flicker {
animation: phosphor 0.08s infinite;
}
```
```css
/* Reduced motion: kill flicker, keep scanlines */
@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
.crt-flicker { animation: none !important; }
}
```
---
## Grid Systems
### Hex Grid Scanner
For detection/anomaly displays — a regular hexagonal mesh where individual cells light up.
```css
.hex-grid {
--hex-size: 40px;
--hex-gap: 4px;
--hex-color: var(--wire-cyan-dim);
--hex-alert: var(--alert-red);
display: grid;
grid-template-columns: repeat(auto-fill, var(--hex-size));
gap: var(--hex-gap);
position: relative;
}
.hex-cell {
width: var(--hex-size);
height: calc(var(--hex-size) * 1.1547);
clip-path: polygon(50% 0%, 100% 25%, 100% 75%, 50% 100%, 0% 75%, 0% 25%);
background: var(--void-panel);
border: 1px solid var(--hex-color);
transition: background 0.3s, box-shadow 0.3s;
}
.hex-cell.alert {
background: var(--alert-red-fill);
border-color: var(--alert-red);
box-shadow: 0 0 12px rgba(232, 48, 32, 0.4);
}
.hex-cell.nominal {
background: rgba(48, 200, 48, 0.06);
border-color: var(--data-green-dim);
}
```
### Measurement Grid Overlay
Crosshair markers, scale bars, and registration marks.
```css
.measurement-overlay {
position: relative;
}
.measurement-overlay::before {
content: '';
position: absolute;
inset: 0;
background-image:
/* Major grid */
linear-gradient(var(--steel-faint) 1px, transparent 1px),
linear-gradient(90deg, var(--steel-faint) 1px, transparent 1px);
background-size: 80px 80px;
pointer-events: none;
z-index: 1;
}
/* Crosshair registration mark */
.crosshair {
position: absolute;
width: 24px;
height: 24px;
}
.crosshair::before,
.crosshair::after {
content: '';
position: absolute;
background: var(--data-green);
}
.crosshair::before {
width: 1px; height: 100%;
left: 50%; top: 0;
}
.crosshair::after {
width: 100%; height: 1px;
top: 50%; left: 0;
}
/* Scale bar */
.scale-bar {
display: flex;
align-items: center;
gap: 0.5rem;
font-family: var(--font-sys);
font-size: 0.5rem;
letter-spacing: 0.1em;
color: var(--nerv-orange);
}
.scale-bar::before {
content: '';
width: 60px;
height: 1px;
background: var(--nerv-orange);
}
```
### Axis Scale (Y-axis ruler)
```css
.y-axis {
display: flex;
flex-direction: column;
justify-content: space-between;
font-family: var(--font-sys);
font-size: 0.5rem;
color: var(--nerv-orange);
padding: 0 0.5rem;
border-right: 1px solid var(--nerv-orange-dim);
}
.y-axis .tick {
position: relative;
}
.y-axis .tick::after {
content: '';
position: absolute;
right: -0.5rem;
top: 50%;
width: 6px;
height: 1px;
background: var(--nerv-orange);
}
```
---
## Components
### Data Table (Column-Aligned Terminal)
```css
.nerv-table {
width: 100%;
border-collapse: collapse;
font-family: var(--font-sys);
font-size: 0.8125rem;
}
.nerv-table th {
font-size: 0.625rem;
letter-spacing: 0.1em;
text-transform: uppercase;
text-align: left;
padding: 0.5rem 0.8rem;
color: var(--nerv-orange);
border-bottom: 1px solid var(--nerv-orange-dim);
font-weight: 400;
}
.nerv-table td {
padding: 0.4rem 0.8rem;
color: var(--data-green);
border-bottom: 1px solid rgba(48, 200, 48, 0.06);
font-variant-numeric: tabular-nums;
}
.nerv-table td.label {
color: var(--nerv-orange-dim);
text-transform: uppercase;
letter-spacing: 0.06em;
font-size: 0.6875rem;
}
.nerv-table tr:hover td {
background: var(--data-green-faint);
}
/* Alert row */
.nerv-table tr.alert td {
color: var(--alert-red);
background: var(--alert-red-fill);
}
```
### Command/Response Block
The from/to/command structured header with a giant status stamp.
```css
.command-block {
border-top: 2px solid var(--nerv-orange);
padding: 1.5rem;
position: relative;
background: var(--void);
}
.command-block .cmd-header {
font-family: var(--font-sys);
font-size: 0.6875rem;
letter-spacing: 0.06em;
text-transform: uppercase;
color: var(--nerv-orange);
line-height: 1.8;
}
.command-block .cmd-header span {
color: var(--steel);
}
.command-block .cmd-stamp {
position: absolute;
top: 50%; right: 2rem;
transform: translateY(-50%) rotate(-5deg);
font-family: var(--font-stamp);
font-size: clamp(3rem, 8vw, 5rem);
letter-spacing: 0.08em;
padding: 0.2em 0.5em;
border: 4px solid;
}
.cmd-stamp.refused {
color: var(--alert-red);
border-color: var(--alert-red);
}
.cmd-stamp.approved {
color: var(--data-green);
border-color: var(--data-green);
}
.cmd-stamp.pending {
color: var(--nerv-orange);
border-color: var(--nerv-orange);
}
```
```html
```
### Alert Banner (Full-Width Warning)
```css
.alert-banner {
background: var(--alert-red);
color: var(--void);
padding: 0.6rem 1.5rem;
font-family: var(--font-stamp);
font-size: clamp(1.5rem, 4vw, 2.5rem);
letter-spacing: 0.15em;
text-transform: uppercase;
text-align: center;
position: relative;
overflow: hidden;
}
/* Chevron arrows flanking */
.alert-banner::before { content: '◀ ◀ ◀ '; }
.alert-banner::after { content: ' ▶ ▶ ▶'; }
/* Pulsing variant */
@keyframes alert-pulse {
0%, 100% { opacity: 1; }
50% { opacity: 0.7; }
}
.alert-banner.pulse {
animation: alert-pulse 1s ease-in-out infinite;
}
```
### Hazard Stripe Pattern
Environmental/signage stripes — red diagonal on black.
```css
.hazard-stripe {
background: repeating-linear-gradient(
-45deg,
var(--alert-red) 0px,
var(--alert-red) 20px,
var(--void) 20px,
var(--void) 40px
);
padding: 1rem 2rem;
}
.hazard-stripe .label {
font-family: var(--font-stamp);
font-size: clamp(1.5rem, 4vw, 3rem);
letter-spacing: 0.15em;
text-transform: uppercase;
color: #FFFFFF;
text-shadow: 2px 2px 0 var(--void);
}
```
### Institutional Label Block
The NERV subject identification panel — SAMPLE 0001 / PATTERN: BLUE TYPE
```css
.id-block {
border: 1px solid var(--nerv-orange-dim);
padding: 0.8rem 1rem;
font-family: var(--font-sys);
background: var(--void);
max-width: 280px;
}
.id-block .id-title {
font-family: var(--font-label);
font-size: 1.2rem;
letter-spacing: 0.12em;
color: var(--nerv-orange);
text-transform: uppercase;
margin-bottom: 0.4rem;
}
.id-block .id-row {
display: flex;
justify-content: space-between;
font-size: 0.625rem;
letter-spacing: 0.06em;
text-transform: uppercase;
color: var(--steel-dim);
padding: 0.15rem 0;
}
.id-block .id-row .value {
color: var(--data-green);
}
.id-block .id-caution {
margin-top: 0.4rem;
padding: 0.2rem 0.5rem;
background: var(--alert-red);
color: var(--void);
font-size: 0.5625rem;
letter-spacing: 0.1em;
text-transform: uppercase;
display: inline-block;
}
```
```html
REI AYANAMI
AGE14
SAMPLE0001
PATTERNBLOOD TYPE BLUE
⚠ CAUTION
```
### Neuron Inventory (Data Cascade)
Dense multi-column data listing like the EVA sync diagnostic.
```css
.neuron-cascade {
display: grid;
grid-template-columns: repeat(auto-fill, minmax(200px, 1fr));
gap: 0 2rem;
font-family: var(--font-sys);
font-size: 0.6875rem;
line-height: 1.6;
}
.neuron-cascade .col-header {
font-size: 0.5625rem;
letter-spacing: 0.12em;
text-transform: uppercase;
color: var(--nerv-orange);
border-bottom: 1px solid var(--nerv-orange-dim);
padding-bottom: 0.3rem;
margin-bottom: 0.3rem;
}
.neuron-cascade .entry {
color: var(--data-green);
padding: 0.1rem 0;
}
.neuron-cascade .entry.alert {
color: var(--alert-red);
}
.neuron-cascade .entry .tag {
color: var(--nerv-orange-dim);
margin-right: 0.5rem;
font-size: 0.5625rem;
}
```
### System Boot / Diagnostics Block
DOS-style system check readout.
```css
.boot-sequence {
font-family: var(--font-sys);
font-size: 0.75rem;
color: var(--alert-red);
line-height: 1.7;
padding: 1.5rem;
background: var(--void);
overflow-x: auto;
}
.boot-sequence .check-ok {
color: var(--data-green);
}
.boot-sequence .check-ok::after {
content: ' Check OK';
color: var(--data-green);
}
.boot-sequence .addr {
color: var(--steel-dim);
margin-right: 1em;
font-variant-numeric: tabular-nums;
}
.boot-sequence .separator {
border: none;
border-top: 1px dashed var(--steel-dim);
margin: 0.5rem 0;
}
```
### Access Panel (Lock/Permission)
```css
.access-panel {
background: linear-gradient(180deg, #1A1A18 0%, #0E0E0C 100%);
border: 2px solid #333330;
padding: 2rem;
font-family: var(--font-sys);
text-align: center;
max-width: 360px;
position: relative;
}
.access-panel .panel-title {
font-size: 0.625rem;
letter-spacing: 0.15em;
text-transform: uppercase;
color: var(--nerv-orange);
margin-bottom: 1rem;
}
.access-panel .lock-status {
font-family: var(--font-stamp);
font-size: 2.5rem;
letter-spacing: 0.1em;
margin: 0.5rem 0;
}
.access-panel .lock-status.locked { color: var(--alert-red); }
.access-panel .lock-status.open { color: var(--data-green); }
.access-panel .waiting {
font-size: 0.6875rem;
color: var(--nerv-orange-dim);
letter-spacing: 0.06em;
text-transform: uppercase;
}
/* LED indicator */
.led {
display: inline-block;
width: 8px; height: 8px;
border-radius: 50% !important;
margin-right: 0.5rem;
}
.led.red { background: var(--alert-red); box-shadow: 0 0 6px var(--alert-red); }
.led.green { background: var(--data-green); box-shadow: 0 0 6px var(--data-green); }
.led.orange { background: var(--nerv-orange); box-shadow: 0 0 6px var(--nerv-orange); }
```
### Tactical Map Overlay
```css
.tac-map {
position: relative;
background: var(--void);
border: 1px solid var(--wire-cyan-dim);
overflow: hidden;
}
.tac-map .grid-lines {
position: absolute;
inset: 0;
background-image:
linear-gradient(var(--wire-cyan-dim) 1px, transparent 1px),
linear-gradient(90deg, var(--wire-cyan-dim) 1px, transparent 1px);
background-size: 60px 60px;
opacity: 0.15;
}
.tac-map .entity {
position: absolute;
font-family: var(--font-sys);
font-size: 0.5625rem;
letter-spacing: 0.08em;
text-transform: uppercase;
padding: 0.2rem 0.5rem;
border: 1px solid;
}
.entity.friendly {
color: var(--wire-cyan);
border-color: var(--wire-cyan);
}
.entity.hostile {
color: var(--alert-red);
border-color: var(--alert-red);
background: var(--alert-red-fill);
}
.entity.unknown {
color: var(--nerv-orange);
border-color: var(--nerv-orange);
}
/* Position marker (X) */
.tac-marker {
position: absolute;
color: var(--wire-cyan);
font-family: var(--font-sys);
font-size: 1rem;
font-weight: 700;
line-height: 1;
}
/* Kanji badge */
.kanji-badge {
position: absolute;
font-family: var(--font-kanji);
font-size: 0.75rem;
font-weight: 700;
color: var(--steel);
background: var(--void);
padding: 0.2rem 0.5rem;
border: 1px solid var(--steel-dim);
}
```
### Thermal Degradation State
When systems are stressed, visuals break down into stepped color blocks.
```css
/* Stepped gradient — the system losing control */
.thermal-degrade {
background: linear-gradient(
135deg,
var(--thermal-yellow) 0%,
var(--thermal-yellow) 14%,
var(--nerv-orange) 14%,
var(--nerv-orange) 28%,
var(--alert-red) 28%,
var(--alert-red) 42%,
var(--thermal-magenta) 42%,
var(--thermal-magenta) 57%,
var(--thermal-purple) 57%,
var(--thermal-purple) 71%,
var(--thermal-blue) 71%,
var(--thermal-blue) 85%,
#101030 85%,
#101030 100%
);
image-rendering: pixelated;
}
/* Thermal grid — numbered crosshairs over heat */
.thermal-grid {
display: grid;
grid-template-columns: repeat(3, 1fr);
grid-template-rows: repeat(3, 1fr);
position: relative;
}
.thermal-grid .cell {
border: 1px solid rgba(200, 200, 192, 0.15);
display: flex;
align-items: flex-start;
justify-content: flex-end;
padding: 0.3rem;
font-family: var(--font-sys);
font-size: 0.5rem;
color: var(--steel-dim);
min-height: 80px;
}
```
### Waveform Display
Oscilloscope-style animated sine waves.
```css
.waveform-container {
position: relative;
height: 200px;
background: var(--void);
overflow: hidden;
border: 1px solid var(--wire-cyan-dim);
}
.waveform-container canvas {
width: 100%;
height: 100%;
}
/* Timecode readout overlay */
.timecode {
position: absolute;
bottom: 0.5rem;
right: 0.5rem;
font-family: var(--font-sys);
font-size: 0.5625rem;
color: var(--nerv-orange);
letter-spacing: 0.1em;
}
```
### Navigation (Minimal)
```css
.nerv-nav {
display: flex;
align-items: center;
padding: 0.5rem 1rem;
background: var(--void);
border-bottom: 1px solid var(--nerv-orange-dim);
gap: 1.5rem;
}
.nerv-nav .org-mark {
font-family: var(--font-label);
font-size: 0.875rem;
letter-spacing: 0.2em;
color: var(--nerv-orange);
text-transform: uppercase;
}
.nerv-nav a {
font-family: var(--font-sys);
font-size: 0.5625rem;
letter-spacing: 0.1em;
text-transform: uppercase;
color: var(--steel-dim);
text-decoration: none;
}
.nerv-nav a:hover,
.nerv-nav a.active {
color: var(--nerv-orange);
}
```
### Buttons
```css
.nerv-btn {
display: inline-flex;
align-items: center;
gap: 0.4em;
padding: 0.5em 1.2em;
font-family: var(--font-sys);
font-size: 0.6875rem;
letter-spacing: 0.08em;
text-transform: uppercase;
border: 1px solid var(--nerv-orange-dim);
background: transparent;
color: var(--nerv-orange);
cursor: pointer;
transition: all 0.15s;
}
.nerv-btn:hover {
background: rgba(232, 122, 32, 0.1);
border-color: var(--nerv-orange);
}
.nerv-btn.primary {
background: var(--nerv-orange);
color: var(--void);
border-color: var(--nerv-orange);
}
.nerv-btn.primary:hover {
background: var(--nerv-orange-hot);
}
.nerv-btn.danger {
border-color: var(--alert-red);
color: var(--alert-red);
}
.nerv-btn.danger:hover {
background: var(--alert-red-fill);
}
```
---
## UI States — Escalating Intensity
NERV UIs have **5 visual states** that escalate in intensity. The UI literally degrades as severity increases.
| State | Background | Primary Color | Texture | Animation |
|-------|-----------|---------------|---------|-----------|
| **Nominal** | `--void` | `--data-green` | Clean scanlines | None |
| **Active** | `--void` | `--nerv-orange` | Scanlines | Subtle data flicker |
| **Caution** | `--void` | `--nerv-orange-hot` | Scanlines + hex glow | LED blink |
| **Alert** | `--alert-red-fill` | `--alert-red` | Heavy scanlines | Pulse animation |
| **Critical** | `--thermal-degrade` | White on thermal | Pixelated, stepped | Full screen flash |
```css
/* State classes — apply to containers */
.state-nominal { /* default — no extra styles */ }
.state-active { border-color: var(--nerv-orange) !important; }
.state-caution { border-color: var(--nerv-orange-hot) !important; box-shadow: 0 0 20px rgba(232, 122, 32, 0.1); }
.state-alert { background: var(--alert-red-fill) !important; border-color: var(--alert-red) !important; }
.state-critical { animation: critical-flash 0.5s ease-in-out infinite; }
@keyframes critical-flash {
0%, 100% { background: var(--void); }
50% { background: var(--alert-red-fill); }
}
```
---
## Layout
### Full-Screen Console
```css
body.nerv-console {
margin: 0;
padding: 0;
background: var(--void);
color: var(--data-green);
font-family: var(--font-sys);
font-size: 0.8125rem;
overflow-x: hidden;
cursor: default;
}
```
### Panel Grid
```css
.console-grid {
display: grid;
grid-template-columns: repeat(12, 1fr);
gap: 2px;
padding: 2px;
height: 100vh;
}
.console-grid > .panel {
background: var(--void-warm);
border: 1px solid var(--steel-faint);
padding: 1rem;
overflow: hidden;
position: relative;
}
```
### Ticker Tape (Running Text)
```css
.ticker {
overflow: hidden;
white-space: nowrap;
background: var(--void);
border-top: 1px solid var(--nerv-orange-dim);
border-bottom: 1px solid var(--nerv-orange-dim);
padding: 0.3rem 0;
font-family: var(--font-sys);
font-size: 0.5625rem;
letter-spacing: 0.06em;
text-transform: uppercase;
color: var(--nerv-orange);
}
.ticker .scroll {
display: inline-block;
animation: ticker-scroll 30s linear infinite;
}
@keyframes ticker-scroll {
from { transform: translateX(100vw); }
to { transform: translateX(-100%); }
}
```
---
## Image Generation Prompts
When using Nano Banana or other image generators to create assets for this style, use these prompt templates:
### Background Textures
```
NERV operations console CRT screen, [SUBJECT], black void background,
scanline texture overlay, [COLOR] monochrome data visualization,
no text, no UI chrome, dark atmospheric, film grain, 1990s anime
production design quality, Hideaki Anno visual style
```
### Subject Overlays (wireframe/thermal)
```
[SUBJECT] rendered as [wireframe mesh / thermal heatmap / contour map],
[cyan/orange/green] lines on pure black background, crosshair
registration markers, scale bar annotations, scientific instrumentation
aesthetic, CRT monitor capture, retro digital imaging, high contrast
```
### Alert/Status Graphics
```
Warning screen, industrial hazard aesthetic, bold [red/orange]
typography on black, diagonal hazard stripes, institutional signage,
NERV Evangelion UI style, minimal, stark contrast, Japanese and
English bilingual text
```
### Hex Grid / Scanner
```
Hexagonal grid scanner display, [cyan/green] hex mesh on black,
[red/orange] anomaly glow bleeding through [N] cells, scientific
monitoring interface, CRT texture, dark atmospheric, clean geometric
```
---
## Bilingual Labeling
NERV interfaces mix Japanese and English systematically:
```css
/* Japanese institutional badge */
.jp-badge {
font-family: var(--font-kanji);
font-size: 0.6875rem;
font-weight: 700;
color: var(--steel);
writing-mode: horizontal-tb;
padding: 0.2rem 0.5rem;
border: 1px solid var(--steel-dim);
background: var(--void);
}
/* Bilingual label pair */
.bilingual {
display: flex;
flex-direction: column;
gap: 0.15rem;
}
.bilingual .en {
font-family: var(--font-sys);
font-size: 0.625rem;
letter-spacing: 0.1em;
text-transform: uppercase;
color: var(--nerv-orange);
}
.bilingual .jp {
font-family: var(--font-kanji);
font-size: 0.75rem;
color: var(--steel-dim);
}
```
**Pattern:** English for technical/operational labels. Japanese for organizational/institutional labels. Never decorative — every Japanese string should be a real term.
Common terms:
- 作戦行動 (sakusen kōdō) — Operational Action
- 警告 (keikoku) — Warning
- 認証システム (ninshō shisutemu) — Authentication System
- 汚染区域 (osen kuiki) — Contaminated Area
- 緊急 (kinkyū) — Emergency
---
## Anti-Patterns
| ❌ Don't | ✅ Do |
|----------|-------|
| Gray or navy backgrounds | True black (`#000`) always |
| Gradients between colors | Hard color boundaries, stepped blocks |
| Rounded corners anywhere | Sharp corners only (except LEDs/dots) |
| Colorful decorative elements | Color = function (label/data/alert/spatial) |
| Smooth animations | Stepped/flickering/CRT-style motion |
| Friendly/casual copy | Cold, institutional, technical |
| Multiple fonts per context | Mono everywhere, Bebas for stamps only |
| Light/white UI variants | This aesthetic has no light mode |
| Decorative Japanese text | Real terms only, institutional labeling |
| Clean, pixel-perfect rendering | Scanlines, grain, phosphor glow |
---
## Accessibility
**Contrast is king.** These are CRT phosphor colors — they should GLOW against the void. If text looks dim or washed out, you've gone too dark. Err on the side of too bright.
- Orange `#FF9830` on black `#000`: 8.2:1 ✅ (AAA)
- Green `#50FF50` on black: 13.8:1 ✅ (AAA)
- Cyan `#20F0FF` on black: 13.1:1 ✅ (AAA)
- Red `#FF4840` on black: 5.9:1 ✅ (AA) — pair with text label for small text
- Steel `#E0E0D8` on black: 16.2:1 ✅ (AAA)
- Steel-dim `#9A9A90` on black: 7.1:1 ✅ (AAA) — safe for annotations
**Scanline overlay must be subtle (≤6% opacity).** Heavier scanlines kill readability on small text. The CRT effect is atmosphere, not a readability obstacle.
**Vignette must not darken text areas.** Keep the clear zone at ≥60% of the viewport.
```css
@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
.crt-flicker,
.alert-banner.pulse,
.state-critical { animation: none !important; }
.ticker .scroll { animation-duration: 60s; }
}
@media (prefers-contrast: more) {
:root {
--nerv-orange: #FFB030;
--alert-red: #FF6050;
--data-green: #40FF40;
}
}
```
---
## Composition Rules
1. **The void is the default.** Elements emerge from blackness, not sit on a surface.
2. **Color = function.** If you can't name why something is orange vs green, it's wrong.
3. **Density = authority.** More data on screen = more credible. Don't spread things out.
4. **Alignment is sacred.** Monospaced columns must align. Pixel-level precision.
5. **Escalation is visual.** As severity increases, the UI literally breaks down — color bleeds, pixelation increases, animation intensifies.
6. **Everything is labeled.** Scale bars, grid coordinates, sample numbers, pattern types. If it's on screen, it has an identifier.
7. **Bilingual is institutional, not decorative.** Japanese text means the organization operates in Japanese. It's not wallpaper.
8. **The CRT texture is always present.** Scanlines, vignette, subtle phosphor flicker. The interface exists on a physical monitor inside the fiction.
---
> Source: [TheGreatGildo/nerv-ui](https://github.com/TheGreatGildo/nerv-ui) — distributed by [TomeVault](https://tomevault.io).