# WorkRoot IT Solutions — Frontend Design Audit

**Date:** 2026-03-21
**Auditor:** frontend-specialist
**Scope:** Full codebase design system review

---

## Table of Contents

1. [Project Overview](#1-project-overview)
2. [Design System Tokens](#2-design-system-tokens)
3. [Typography System](#3-typography-system)
4. [Spacing & Layout](#4-spacing--layout)
5. [Component Inventory](#5-component-inventory)
6. [Page Inventory](#6-page-inventory)
7. [Interaction Patterns](#7-interaction-patterns)
8. [Accessibility Assessment](#8-accessibility-assessment)
9. [Performance Patterns](#9-performance-patterns)
10. [Design Consistency Findings](#10-design-consistency-findings)
11. [Issues & Recommendations](#11-issues--recommendations)

---

## 1. Project Overview

**Site:** WorkRoot IT Solutions
**Domain:** workroot.in
**Tech Stack:** Astro (SSR), Tailwind CSS v3, TypeScript
**Pages:** 10 (index, about, services, portfolio, contact, blog index, blog slug, privacy, terms, sitemap)
**Components:** 5 (Header, Footer, SEO, OptimizedImage, LazyImage)
**Layout:** 1 (BaseLayout)

---

## 2. Design System Tokens

### Color Palette

| Token | Value | Usage |
|-------|-------|-------|
| `primary` | `#0891b2` (Cyan 500) | CTAs, active states, icons, highlights |
| `primary-50` | `#ecfeff` | Light backgrounds, tag pills |
| `primary-400` | `#22d3ee` | Gradients, hero highlights |
| `primary-600` | `#0e7490` | Hover states on primary buttons |
| `primary-700` | `#155e75` | Pressed states, service gradient ends |
| `secondary` | `#1e293b` (Slate 800) | Body text, navbar text |
| `secondary-50` | `#f8fafc` | Section alternating backgrounds |
| `secondary-100` | `#f1f5f9` | Border accents, dividers |
| `secondary-200` | `#e2e8f0` | Lazy image placeholders |
| `secondary-400` | `#94a3b8` | Muted text, footer text |
| `secondary-500` | `#64748b` | Subheadings, secondary text |
| `secondary-600` | `#475569` | Service card text |
| `secondary-700` | `#334155` | Mobile nav links |
| `secondary-800` | `#1e293b` | Footer backgrounds, inputs |
| `secondary-900` | `#0f172a` | Hero gradient, footer bg |
| `accent` | `#f59e0b` (Amber 500) | Hero decorative elements, mobile service badges |
| `accent-50` | `#fffbeb` | Mobile service background |
| `accent-400` | `#fbbf24` | Trust badge icon |
| `accent-600` | `#d97706` | Hover state for accent buttons |

#### Non-System Colors Found (Issues)
- `emerald-500/600/50` — used in services.astro for the AI/ML service card gradient
- `red-900/300` — used in Footer newsletter error states (raw Tailwind, not system)
- `green-900/300` — used in Footer newsletter success states (raw Tailwind, not system)

---

### Button System

| Class | Description | States |
|-------|-------------|--------|
| `.btn-primary` | Solid cyan CTA | hover: `primary-600`, focus ring: `primary-400` |
| `.btn-secondary` | Outlined dark button | hover: solid `secondary` bg with white text |
| `.btn-accent` | Solid amber CTA | hover: `accent-600`, focus ring: `accent-400` |

**Note:** `.btn-accent` is defined in global.css but not observed in use anywhere on the current pages.

---

## 3. Typography System

### Font Families

| Role | Font | Weights Used |
|------|------|-------------|
| Primary (body/headings) | Plus Jakarta Sans | 400 (regular), 500 (medium), 600 (semibold), 700 (bold), 800 (extrabold) |
| Code/Mono | JetBrains Mono | Used for `code` and `pre` elements |

### Font Loading
- Loaded via Google Fonts CDN with `display=swap`
- Preconnect links present for `fonts.googleapis.com` and `fonts.gstatic.com`

### Heading Scale (Observed)

| Element | Size Classes | Notes |
|---------|-------------|-------|
| Hero H1 | `text-5xl sm:text-6xl lg:text-7xl xl:text-8xl` | `font-bold`, `tracking-tight` |
| Section H2 | `text-4xl sm:text-5xl` | `font-bold` |
| Card H3 | `text-xl` / `text-2xl` | `font-bold` or `font-semibold` |
| Footer heading | `text-lg` | `font-semibold` |
| Section tag pill | `text-sm` | `font-bold uppercase tracking-wider` |
| Body/paragraph | `text-xl` / `text-lg` / `text-base` / `text-sm` | `leading-relaxed` |

### Typographic Issues
- No consistent `line-height` token — `leading-relaxed` used ad-hoc
- `tracking-tight` applied globally to all headings via base layer (good)
- Hero H1 uses very large sizes (up to `text-8xl` = 6rem) which may be too heavy on smaller breakpoints

---

## 4. Spacing & Layout

### Container System

```css
.container-wrapper {
  @apply mx-auto max-w-7xl px-4 sm:px-6 lg:px-8;
}
```
- Max width: `1280px` (7xl)
- Horizontal padding: 16px → 24px → 32px (responsive)
- **Inconsistency:** Footer uses raw `max-w-7xl mx-auto px-4 sm:px-6 lg:px-8` instead of `.container-wrapper`

### Section Spacing

| Pattern | Value | Usage |
|---------|-------|-------|
| Section vertical padding | `py-24` | Benefits, Services, How-It-Works, Stats, Testimonials |
| Section heading bottom margin | `mb-20` | Consistent across most sections |
| Card gap | `gap-8` | All grid layouts |
| Section heading intro gap | `mb-6` | H2 to paragraph |

### Grid Patterns Used

| Pattern | Where Used |
|---------|-----------|
| `grid-cols-1 md:grid-cols-2 lg:grid-cols-4` | Benefits cards |
| `grid-cols-1 md:grid-cols-2` | Services cards |
| `grid-cols-1 md:grid-cols-2 lg:grid-cols-4` | Footer columns |
| `grid-cols-1 md:grid-cols-2 lg:grid-cols-4` | Stats row |
| `grid-cols-1 lg:grid-cols-3` | Testimonials |

---

## 5. Component Inventory

### Header (`src/components/Header.astro`)

**Type:** Fixed sticky header
**Height:** `h-16` mobile / `h-20` desktop
**Background:** `bg-white/95 backdrop-blur-sm`
**Behavior:** Scroll shadow via JS class toggle (`.header-scrolled`)

| Feature | Implementation |
|---------|---------------|
| Logo | "W" lettermark in cyan rounded square + "WorkRoot IT Solutions" text |
| Desktop nav | Horizontal links, active state = `bg-primary-50 text-primary` + dot indicator |
| Mobile nav | Slide-in panel (right drawer, `w-80`), overlay backdrop |
| CTA | "Get Started" → `/contact` with arrow icon |
| Hamburger | 3-line → X animation via CSS transform |
| Accessibility | `aria-label`, `aria-current`, `aria-expanded`, skip-to-content link |

**Issues:**
- Logo is a text-only lettermark ("W") — no actual SVG or image favicon shown in header
- Phone number in mobile footer is hardcoded `tel:+1234567890` (placeholder)

---

### Footer (`src/components/Footer.astro`)

**Background:** `bg-secondary-900`
**Layout:** 4-column grid (company info, quick links, services, newsletter)

| Feature | Implementation |
|---------|---------------|
| Social icons | LinkedIn, Twitter, GitHub, Facebook (inline SVG) |
| Newsletter | Email input + async submit with loading state |
| Bottom bar | Copyright + Privacy/Terms/Cookies links |
| Link animation | Arrow icon slides in on hover (CSS transition) |

**Issues:**
- Service links in footer point to non-existent sub-routes (e.g. `/services/web-development`)
- Cookie Policy link points to `/cookies` which doesn't exist in pages
- Newsletter submit is a mock (hardcoded `setTimeout` with no real API)
- Uses raw padding/max-width instead of `.container-wrapper` (minor inconsistency)

---

### SEO (`src/components/SEO.astro`)

Generates JSON-LD structured data blocks:
- `BreadcrumbList` schema
- `Article` schema (for blog posts)
- `Service` schema (for service pages)

**Issues:**
- No `type` prop validation — relies on string matching

---

### OptimizedImage (`src/components/OptimizedImage.astro`)
Image optimization wrapper. No further detail available without reading.

### LazyImage (`src/components/LazyImage.astro`)
Lazy loading with intersection observer pattern and placeholder support.

---

## 6. Page Inventory

### index.astro — Home Page

**Sections (in order):**

| Section | Background | Key Patterns |
|---------|-----------|-------------|
| Hero | `bg-gradient-to-br from-secondary-900 via-secondary-800 to-primary-900` | Entrance animations, blur orbs, grid overlay |
| Benefits | `bg-white` | 4-col grid, hover lift + rotate icon animation |
| Services | `bg-gradient-to-b from-secondary-50 to-white` | 2-col grid with feature bullets |
| How It Works | `bg-white` | 4-step numbered process, horizontal connector line |
| Stats | `bg-gradient-to-r from-secondary-900 to-primary-900` | Counter animation on scroll |
| Testimonials | `bg-secondary-50` | Auto-play carousel with manual dots |
| FAQ | `bg-white` | Accordion with single-open behavior |
| Final CTA | Dark gradient | Two CTA buttons |

**Animation Strategy:**
- Entry animations: `opacity-0 animate-slide-up` with staggered `animation-delay`
- Scroll counter: IntersectionObserver triggers `countUp()` on stats
- Carousel: `setInterval` auto-advance every 4s

---

### about.astro — About Page

**Sections:** Company hero, company stats, story/mission, values, timeline, team, awards, final CTA

| Notable Pattern | Detail |
|-----------------|--------|
| Timeline | Alternating left/right layout on desktop |
| Team cards | Member photo placeholder, role, bio, social links |
| Values | 6-item grid with icon + color-coded accent bars |

---

### services.astro — Services Page

**Color coding** used to differentiate services:
- Web Dev: Primary cyan gradient
- Mobile: Accent amber gradient
- AI/ML: **Emerald** (outside design system)
- Cloud: Secondary slate gradient

**Issues:**
- Emerald color for AI/ML is outside defined design tokens

---

### portfolio.astro — Portfolio Page

**Features:** Filter tabs (All/Web/Mobile/AI/Cloud), 8 project cards, case study modal

---

### contact.astro — Contact Page

**Features:** Form (name, email, phone, subject, message), honeypot anti-spam, contact info cards, map placeholder

---

### blog/index.astro — Blog Listing

**Features:** Category filter, blog card grid with reading time, author, tags, empty state handling

---

### blog/[...slug].astro — Blog Post

**Features:** MDX content rendering, hero image, metadata display

---

### privacy.astro / terms.astro

Long-form legal pages. Use BaseLayout with prose typography styles.

---

## 7. Interaction Patterns

| Pattern | Implementation | Quality |
|---------|---------------|---------|
| Button hover | Color darken + scale on hero CTAs | ✅ Consistent |
| Card hover | `hover:-translate-y-2 hover:shadow-2xl` | ✅ Used consistently |
| Link hover | Color transitions `transition-colors duration-200` | ✅ Consistent |
| Mobile menu | Right slide-in drawer with backdrop | ✅ Accessible |
| Carousel | Auto-play with manual dot navigation | ⚠️ No pause on hover |
| Accordion/FAQ | Single-open accordion | ✅ Good UX |
| Form validation | Real-time HTML5 + custom JS | ✅ Good |
| Counter animation | IntersectionObserver scroll trigger | ✅ Good |
| Image lazy load | IntersectionObserver via component | ✅ Good |
| Newsletter submit | Mock async with loading spinner | ⚠️ No real endpoint |

---

## 8. Accessibility Assessment

| Aspect | Status | Notes |
|--------|--------|-------|
| Skip link | ✅ Present | `href="#main-content"`, `sr-only` until focused |
| Semantic HTML | ✅ Good | `<main>`, `<header>`, `<footer>`, `<nav>`, `<section>` used correctly |
| ARIA labels | ✅ Present | Mobile menu, social links, nav landmarks |
| `aria-current="page"` | ✅ Present | Active nav state |
| `aria-expanded` | ✅ Present | Mobile hamburger button |
| `role="dialog"` | ✅ Present | Mobile menu panel |
| Focus management | ⚠️ Partial | Modal opens but focus not trapped |
| Color contrast | ⚠️ Unknown | Not verified programmatically — text-secondary-400 on dark bg needs testing |
| Focus styles | ✅ Present | `:focus-visible` outline in `global.css` |
| Images | ⚠️ Partial | Placeholder images from Unsplash — alt text depends on implementation |
| Keyboard navigation | ✅ Mostly good | Escape closes mobile menu, resize closes on desktop |

---

## 9. Performance Patterns

| Pattern | Implementation |
|---------|---------------|
| Font loading | `display=swap` |
| DNS prefetch | `fonts.googleapis.com`, `images.unsplash.com` |
| Preconnect | `fonts.gstatic.com`, `images.unsplash.com` |
| Critical CSS | Inlined in `<head>` via `<style is:inline>` |
| Lazy images | Component-based with IntersectionObserver |
| Image optimization | `OptimizedImage` component |
| Scroll listener | `{passive: true}` on scroll events |
| JS execution | `<script>` tags at end of page/component scope |

**Issues:**
- Images currently reference `images.unsplash.com` (external CDN) — not optimized at build time
- No `<link rel="preload">` for critical above-fold images

---

## 10. Design Consistency Findings

### Consistent Patterns ✅
- Section heading structure: pill tag → H2 → description paragraph
- Card pattern: icon → heading → description → features list
- CTA button placement at section ends
- `py-24` for section vertical padding (universal)
- `max-w-3xl mx-auto` for section intro text blocks
- `text-center` for all section headings
- Gradient hero sections with decorative blur orbs

### Inconsistencies ⚠️

| Issue | Location | Severity |
|-------|----------|----------|
| `emerald-*` colors outside design tokens | services.astro AI/ML card | Medium |
| Footer uses raw container classes instead of `.container-wrapper` | Footer.astro:41,175 | Low |
| Service sub-route links (non-existent pages) | Footer.astro:21-27 | High |
| `/cookies` page doesn't exist | Footer.astro:187 | Medium |
| Placeholder phone number `+1234567890` | Header.astro:183 | High |
| Mock newsletter API | Footer.astro:221 | Medium |
| `.btn-accent` defined but never used | global.css | Low |
| `animate-pulse-slow` / `animate-pulse-slower` / `animate-slide-up` / `animate-fade-in` custom keyframes | index.astro | — Need to verify they're defined in Tailwind config (not found in tailwind.config.mjs) |

---

## 11. Issues & Recommendations

### Critical Issues

1. **Missing custom animation classes**
   `animate-slide-up`, `animate-fade-in`, `animate-pulse-slow`, `animate-pulse-slower` are used in `index.astro` but are not defined in `tailwind.config.mjs`. These likely fail silently (elements stay `opacity-0`) unless defined elsewhere.
   *Recommendation: Add keyframe definitions to `tailwind.config.mjs` under `theme.extend.animation`/`keyframes`.*

2. **Broken footer service links**
   Footer links like `/services/web-development` point to pages that don't exist, causing 404s.
   *Recommendation: Either create sub-pages or change links to `/services#web-development` anchor links.*

3. **Missing `/cookies` page**
   Footer bottom bar references `/cookies` which 404s.
   *Recommendation: Create the page or remove the link.*

### Medium Issues

4. **Emerald green outside design system**
   The AI/ML service uses `from-emerald-500 to-emerald-700` which has no matching token in the Tailwind config. This breaks design system isolation.
   *Recommendation: Map AI/ML to a design-token color (e.g., primary) or add `emerald` as a named semantic color like `ai-accent`.*

5. **Newsletter form has no backend**
   The subscribe form uses a `setTimeout` mock.
   *Recommendation: Integrate with an email service API (Mailchimp, ConvertKit) or document as future work.*

6. **No testimonial carousel pause on hover**
   Auto-advance carousel without pause on hover is a UX/accessibility issue.
   *Recommendation: Add `mouseenter`/`mouseleave` event listeners to pause/resume the interval.*

### Low Priority / Improvements

7. **Footer container inconsistency**
   Use `.container-wrapper` utility class in Footer for consistency.

8. **Remove unused `.btn-accent`**
   Or use it somewhere to justify its inclusion.

9. **Hero typography scale**
   `xl:text-8xl` (6rem) may be too large on 1280px screens. Consider capping at `xl:text-7xl`.

10. **Missing `rel="preload"` for hero content**
    No preloaded fonts for the primary display font or hero image. Add `<link rel="preload">` for the Plus Jakarta Sans font weight most used.

11. **Hardcoded placeholder content**
    Phone number (`+1234567890`), address, email (`hello@workroot.io`) in BaseLayout structured data are US-based but site is `workroot.in`. Verify these match real business data.

---

## Summary Scorecard

| Category | Score | Notes |
|----------|-------|-------|
| Color system | 8/10 | Well-defined tokens, one off-system color |
| Typography | 8/10 | Good scale, minor consistency issues |
| Component quality | 7/10 | Good interactions, some placeholders |
| Accessibility | 7/10 | Strong fundamentals, focus trap missing |
| Performance | 7/10 | Good patterns, missing preloads |
| Design consistency | 7/10 | Mostly consistent, some deviations |
| **Overall** | **7.3/10** | Solid foundation, production-ready with fixes |
