Research framework

Goal

Define three full design systems for war.market that are visually distinct, historically grounded, and production-usable.

This phase avoids "same UI, different colors."

Archetypes in scope

1. DOS/Norton operator terminal
2. Bloomberg command grid
3. NORAD situation room

Method

For each archetype we document:

• information architecture logic
• typography behavior (not just family choice)
• interaction grammar (how actions are discovered and executed)
• state language (idle, armed, executing, failed, settled)
• performance and accessibility constraints

Shared product constraints (non-negotiable)

• Primary tasks (find thesis, pick side, place trade) stay obvious in under 5 seconds.
• Mobile tap targets are 44px minimum.
• Keyboard focus is always visible.
• Color is never the only state signal.
• Trade action remains one clear step.

Comparison scorecard

Score each system 1-5 against:

• Identity uniqueness
• Trade clarity
• Mobile usability
• Accessibility confidence
• Build effort
• Long-term maintainability

Recommended prototype scope

Build the same surfaces in each system for fair comparison:

1. landing first fold
2. trade shell (market feed + bet slip + status line)
3. one position card

Do not prototype extra pages until one system wins.

Decision rule

Choose the winner that maximizes:

1. instant recognizability from a screenshot
2. fastest reliable path to execution
3. lowest ongoing style drift risk