Brand gradient

Allbirds gradient

The gradient Allbirds's published colour tokens imply, derived by a pure function of the palette: primary → secondary in OKLab (OKLCH shorter hue when the hues are more than 140° apart; a tonal ramp when they are within ΔE 0.15), then a hero background with an ink that passes AA at the worst point along the line, a button surface with hover and active states, and the variant contact sheet. Same inputs, same gradients, forever — which is what makes them citable; the same values are served as --brand-gradient in the brand's brand.css.

Extracted
Version
3
Verified from the live site at allbirds.com on 2 September 2026 (version 3).
Allbirds
white text · worst 8.59:1 · AA
white 8.59 AAblack 1.00 failsbanding high

Hero and button

Aa

Hero background

Open in maker →

Chroma ×0.35 so it can carry text; ink white (inkFor at the midpoint). Passes AA for that ink at the worst point (8.56:1) without adjusting L.

white 8.56 AAblack 1.00 failsbanding high
css
linear-gradient(135deg in oklch shorter hue, #4f4b4f 0%, #211e21 50%, #010001 100%)
tailwind v4
bg-linear-to-br/oklch from-[#4f4b4f] via-[#211e21] to-[#010001]
Aa

Button / CTA

Open in maker →

ΔL 0.08 top→bottom in the primary's hue (a lit surface, not a rainbow); hover L +0.03, active L −0.03. White ink passes AA on the surface and both states (worst 13.31:1).

white 14.66 AAblack 1.16 failsbanding high
Get started
hover
active
label ink passes AA on all three
css
linear-gradient(180deg in oklch shorter hue, #2e262e 0%, #1b131b 100%)
tailwind v4
bg-linear-to-b/oklch from-[#2e262e] to-[#1b131b]

Variants

Aa
white 8.59 AAblack 1.00 failsbanding high
css
linear-gradient(135deg in oklch shorter hue, #534953 0%, #241c24 50%, #020002 100%)
tailwind v4
bg-linear-to-br/oklch from-[#534953] via-[#241c24] to-[#020002]
Aa

Partner hue from the analogous rule at the source colour's lightness.

white 16.50 AAblack 1.26 failsbanding high
css
linear-gradient(135deg in oklab, #241c24 0%, #201d29 100%)
tailwind v4
bg-linear-to-br/oklab from-[#241c24] to-[#201d29]
Aa

Complementary

Open in maker →

Partner hue from the complementary rule at the source colour's lightness. ΔH 176° > 140° — interpolating in oklch (shorter hue) keeps the midpoint saturated.

white 16.35 AAblack 1.26 failsbanding high
css
linear-gradient(135deg in oklch shorter hue, #241c24 0%, #1b211c 100%)
tailwind v4
bg-linear-to-br/oklch from-[#241c24] to-[#1b211c]
Aa

Partner hue from the triadic rule at the source colour's lightness.

white 16.38 AAblack 1.26 failsbanding high
css
linear-gradient(135deg in oklab, #241c24 0%, #211f1b 100%)
tailwind v4
bg-linear-to-br/oklab from-[#241c24] to-[#211f1b]

Report — brand gradient

  • white ink: worst 8.59:1 at 0% (AA); black ink: worst 1.00:1 at 98% (fails AA) → use white text.
  • Black text disappears completely at 98% (1.00:1 crossing).
  • Banding high: ~21px bands at 1440px — add grain 41 (≈3% soft-light noise) or shorten the ramp.

Export

The custom properties below are byte-identical to the gradient block in brand.css; the DTCG token is what tokens.json carries.

css custom properties · brand.css
:root {
  /* Brand gradient (derived) */
  /* worst-case contrast: white 8.59:1 AA, black 1.00:1 */
  --brand-gradient: linear-gradient(135deg in oklch shorter hue, #534953 0%, #241c24 50%, #020002 100%);
  /* hero — worst-case contrast: white 8.56:1 AA, black 1.00:1; ink passes AA at the worst point */
  --brand-gradient-hero: linear-gradient(135deg in oklch shorter hue, #4f4b4f 0%, #211e21 50%, #010001 100%);
  --brand-gradient-hero-ink: #ffffff;
  /* button — worst-case contrast: white 14.66:1 AA, black 1.16:1 */
  --brand-gradient-button: linear-gradient(180deg in oklch shorter hue, #2e262e 0%, #1b131b 100%);
  --brand-gradient-button-hover: linear-gradient(180deg in oklch shorter hue, #352d35 0%, #221a22 100%);
  --brand-gradient-button-active: linear-gradient(180deg in oklch shorter hue, #261e26 0%, #140c14 100%);
  --brand-gradient-button-ink: #ffffff;
}
svg · brand gradient
<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="1440" height="600" viewBox="0 0 1440 600"><defs><linearGradient id="bs-gradient" gradientUnits="userSpaceOnUse" x1="210" y1="-210" x2="1230" y2="810"><stop offset="0%" stop-color="#534953"/><stop offset="3.57%" stop-color="#4f464f"/><stop offset="7.14%" stop-color="#4c424c"/><stop offset="10.71%" stop-color="#483f48"/><stop offset="14.29%" stop-color="#453c45"/><stop offset="17.86%" stop-color="#423842"/><stop offset="21.43%" stop-color="#3e353e"/><stop offset="25%" stop-color="#3b323b"/><stop offset="28.57%" stop-color="#372f37"/><stop offset="32.14%" stop-color="#342b34"/><stop offset="35.71%" stop-color="#312831"/><stop offset="39.29%" stop-color="#2e252e"/><stop offset="42.86%" stop-color="#2a222a"/><stop offset="46.43%" stop-color="#271f27"/><stop offset="50%" stop-color="#241c24"/><stop offset="53.57%" stop-color="#211921"/><stop offset="57.14%" stop-color="#1e161e"/><stop offset="60.71%" stop-color="#1b131b"/><stop offset="64.29%" stop-color="#181018"/><stop offset="67.86%" stop-color="#160d16"/><stop offset="71.43%" stop-color="#130a13"/><stop offset="75%" stop-color="#100810"/><stop offset="78.57%" stop-color="#0e050d"/><stop offset="82.14%" stop-color="#0b040b"/><stop offset="85.71%" stop-color="#080208"/><stop offset="89.29%" stop-color="#060106"/><stop offset="92.86%" stop-color="#040104"/><stop offset="96.43%" stop-color="#030003"/><stop offset="100%" stop-color="#020002"/></linearGradient></defs><rect width="1440" height="600" fill="url(#bs-gradient)"/></svg>
dtcg · tokens.json
{
  "gradient": {
    "brand": {
      "$type": "gradient",
      "$value": [
        {
          "color": {
            "colorSpace": "srgb",
            "components": [
              0.325,
              0.286,
              0.325
            ],
            "hex": "#534953"
          },
          "position": 0
        },
        {
          "color": {
            "colorSpace": "srgb",
            "components": [
              0.141,
              0.11,
              0.141
            ],
            "hex": "#241c24"
          },
          "position": 0.5
        },
        {
          "color": {
            "colorSpace": "srgb",
            "components": [
              0.008,
              0,
              0.008
            ],
            "hex": "#020002"
          },
          "position": 1
        }
      ],
      "$extensions": {
        "com.brandsweets": {
          "kind": "linear",
          "css": "linear-gradient(135deg in oklch shorter hue, #534953 0%, #241c24 50%, #020002 100%)",
          "interpolation": "oklch",
          "hue": "shorter",
          "angle": 135,
          "name": "brand",
          "contrast": {
            "white": {
              "ratio": 8.586,
              "at": 0,
              "passesAA": true,
              "passesAALarge": true
            },
            "black": {
              "ratio": 1.003,
              "at": 0.9841,
              "passesAA": false,
              "passesAALarge": false
            },
            "suggestedInk": "#ffffff"
          }
        }
      },
      "$description": "The canonical brand gradient (--brand-gradient)."
    },
    "hero": {
      "$type": "gradient",
      "$value": [
        {
          "color": {
            "colorSpace": "srgb",
            "components": [
              0.31,
              0.294,
              0.31
            ],
            "hex": "#4f4b4f"
          },
          "position": 0
        },
        {
          "color": {
            "colorSpace": "srgb",
            "components": [
              0.129,
              0.118,
              0.129
            ],
            "hex": "#211e21"
          },
          "position": 0.5
        },
        {
          "color": {
            "colorSpace": "srgb",
            "components": [
              0.004,
              0,
              0.004
            ],
            "hex": "#010001"
          },
          "position": 1
        }
      ],
      "$extensions": {
        "com.brandsweets": {
          "kind": "linear",
          "css": "linear-gradient(135deg in oklch shorter hue, #4f4b4f 0%, #211e21 50%, #010001 100%)",
          "interpolation": "oklch",
          "hue": "shorter",
          "angle": 135,
          "name": "hero",
          "ink": "#ffffff",
          "contrast": {
            "white": {
              "ratio": 8.565,
              "at": 0,
              "passesAA": true,
              "passesAALarge": true
            },
            "black": {
              "ratio": 1.002,
              "at": 0.9841,
              "passesAA": false,
              "passesAALarge": false
            },
            "suggestedInk": "#ffffff"
          }
        }
      },
      "$description": "Low-chroma hero background with a text-safe ink (--brand-gradient-hero)."
    },
    "button": {
      "$type": "gradient",
      "$value": [
        {
          "color": {
            "colorSpace": "srgb",
            "components": [
              0.18,
              0.149,
              0.18
            ],
            "hex": "#2e262e"
          },
          "position": 0
        },
        {
          "color": {
            "colorSpace": "srgb",
            "components": [
              0.106,
              0.075,
              0.106
            ],
            "hex": "#1b131b"
          },
          "position": 1
        }
      ],
      "$extensions": {
        "com.brandsweets": {
          "kind": "linear",
          "css": "linear-gradient(180deg in oklch shorter hue, #2e262e 0%, #1b131b 100%)",
          "interpolation": "oklch",
          "hue": "shorter",
          "angle": 180,
          "name": "button",
          "ink": "#ffffff",
          "states": {
            "hover": "linear-gradient(180deg in oklch shorter hue, #352d35 0%, #221a22 100%)",
            "active": "linear-gradient(180deg in oklch shorter hue, #261e26 0%, #140c14 100%)"
          },
          "contrast": {
            "white": {
              "ratio": 14.656,
              "at": 0,
              "passesAA": true,
              "passesAALarge": true
            },
            "black": {
              "ratio": 1.156,
              "at": 0.9841,
              "passesAA": false,
              "passesAALarge": false
            },
            "suggestedInk": "#ffffff"
          }
        }
      },
      "$description": "Button / CTA surface with hover and active states (--brand-gradient-button)."
    }
  }
}

Colours

mcpConnect your agent — Allbirds's gradients on demand
live endpoint

Point any MCP client at the shared gradients endpoint and your agent gets the same engine as this page — make_gradient returns CSS with the interpolation space, Tailwind v4, SVG, a PNG URL, a DTCG token and the contrast report in one call; brand_gradients derives the whole contact sheet from a brand or a palette. Read-only, no key. Every gradient is a /gradients/new/… link: open it, refine, paste it back.

endpointhttps://mcp.brandsweets.com/gradients/mcp
claude mcp add --transport http brandsweets-gradients https://mcp.brandsweets.com/gradients/mcp
try this prompt

brand_gradients for allbirds-com — give me the hero CSS and the ink that passes AA, then a version in oklch

Want the agent to remember your picks and write them into a living brand? Create a free BrandSweets workspace.

Allbirds and its marks belong to their owner. This page uses the name nominatively to describe gradients derived from the brand's published colour values; it does not reproduce logos or other brand assets, and it is not affiliated with or endorsed by Allbirds. Owner of this brand? Request a correction or removal → Machine-readable: gradients.md