271 lines
9.4 KiB
Markdown
271 lines
9.4 KiB
Markdown
---
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name: neo-brutalism
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description: Web and App implementation guide for Neo-Brutalism. Trigger when user wants thick borders, hard shadows, bright colors, and a playful yet structured look.
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date_added: "2026-06-17"
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risk: safe
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source: self
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source_type: self
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---
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# Neo-Brutalism
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> "Brutalism, but make it pop. Hard lines, stark shadows, and vibrant, unashamed colors."
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## When to Use
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Use this sub-style when the user's request matches the aesthetic described above. This is a child reference of the `design-it` skill and is not meant to be triggered directly.
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## Core Principles
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1. **Hard Drop Shadows**: Solid black shadows with no blur. Usually offset by a few pixels down and to the right.
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2. **Thick Outlines**: Everything has a heavy, solid black border (usually 2px-4px).
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3. **Flat, High-Contrast Colors**: Bright, saturated pastels or primary colors contrasting against pure white or black.
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## Visual DNA
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- **Colors**: Start with an off-white background (like `#FDF8F5`), add stark black borders `#000000`, and use saturated accents like lemon yellow, bright cyan, or coral.
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- **Typography**: Very bold, geometric sans-serifs (e.g., `Space Grotesk`, `Archivo Black`, `Inter Black`).
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- **Shapes**: Sharp rectangles or completely rounded pill shapes, but always with a heavy stroke.
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## Web Implementation
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- The defining feature is the `box-shadow` with `0` blur.
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- **CSS Example**:
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```css
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:root {
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--neo-border: 3px solid #000000;
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--neo-shadow: 6px 6px 0px #000000;
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--neo-bg: #F4F4F0;
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--neo-accent: #FF3366;
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}
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body {
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background-color: var(--neo-bg);
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font-family: 'Space Grotesk', sans-serif;
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}
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.neo-card {
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background-color: #ffffff;
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border: var(--neo-border);
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box-shadow: var(--neo-shadow);
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border-radius: 8px; /* Optional, sharp is fine too */
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padding: 32px;
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transition: transform 0.1s, box-shadow 0.1s;
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}
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.neo-btn {
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background-color: var(--neo-accent);
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color: #000;
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font-weight: 800;
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text-transform: uppercase;
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border: var(--neo-border);
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box-shadow: 4px 4px 0px #000000;
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padding: 16px 32px;
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cursor: pointer;
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transition: all 0.1s ease;
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}
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.neo-btn:active {
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/* The "press" effect is removing the shadow and moving it down */
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transform: translate(4px, 4px);
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box-shadow: 0px 0px 0px #000000;
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}
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```
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## App Implementation
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### SwiftUI
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```swift
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struct NeoCard: View {
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@State private var isPressed = false
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let neoBorder: CGFloat = 3
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let neoShadow: CGFloat = 6
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var body: some View {
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Button(action: {}) {
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VStack(alignment: .leading, spacing: 16) {
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Text("NEO-BRUTALISM")
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.font(.system(size: 24, weight: .black, design: .default))
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.foregroundColor(.black)
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Text("Stark shadows, bright colors.")
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.font(.system(size: 16, weight: .bold))
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.foregroundColor(.black)
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}
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.padding(24)
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.frame(maxWidth: .infinity, alignment: .leading)
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.background(Color(red: 1.0, green: 0.2, blue: 0.4)) // Bright Coral
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// Neo-brutalist solid outline
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.overlay(
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Rectangle()
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.stroke(Color.black, lineWidth: neoBorder)
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)
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}
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.buttonStyle(.plain)
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// Hard drop shadow (0 blur)
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.shadow(color: .black, radius: 0, x: isPressed ? 0 : neoShadow, y: isPressed ? 0 : neoShadow)
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// Translate the button physically when pressed to cover the shadow
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.offset(x: isPressed ? neoShadow : 0, y: isPressed ? neoShadow : 0)
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.simultaneousGesture(
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DragGesture(minimumDistance: 0)
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.onChanged { _ in isPressed = true }
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.onEnded { _ in isPressed = false }
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)
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// Instant pop, no smooth animation
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.animation(.none, value: isPressed)
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}
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}
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```
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- `.shadow(radius: 0)` is the secret. Set an offset (e.g. `x: 6, y: 6`).
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- For interactions, remove the shadow and translate the element by the same offset amounts using `.offset()`.
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- Ensure `.animation(.none)` — Neo-brutalism interactions should be instant, snapping like physical switches.
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### Flutter
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```dart
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class NeoCard extends StatefulWidget {
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@override
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State<NeoCard> createState() => _NeoCardState();
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}
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class _NeoCardState extends State<NeoCard> {
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bool _isPressed = false;
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final double neoOffset = 6.0;
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@override
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Widget build(BuildContext context) {
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return GestureDetector(
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onTapDown: (_) => setState(() => _isPressed = true),
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onTapUp: (_) => setState(() => _isPressed = false),
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onTapCancel: () => setState(() => _isPressed = false),
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child: Transform.translate(
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// Move the container when pressed
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offset: Offset(_isPressed ? neoOffset : 0, _isPressed ? neoOffset : 0),
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child: Container(
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padding: const EdgeInsets.all(24),
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decoration: BoxDecoration(
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color: const Color(0xFFFF3366), // Bright coral
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border: Border.all(color: Colors.black, width: 3),
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// Sharp shadow disappears on press
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boxShadow: _isPressed ? [] : [
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BoxShadow(
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color: Colors.black,
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blurRadius: 0, // Critical: 0 blur
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spreadRadius: 0,
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offset: Offset(neoOffset, neoOffset),
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),
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],
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),
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child: Column(
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crossAxisAlignment: CrossAxisAlignment.start,
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mainAxisSize: MainAxisSize.min,
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children: const [
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Text('NEO-BRUTALISM',
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style: TextStyle(fontSize: 24, fontWeight: FontWeight.w900, color: Colors.black)),
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SizedBox(height: 16),
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Text('Stark shadows, bright colors.',
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style: TextStyle(fontSize: 16, fontWeight: FontWeight.bold, color: Colors.black)),
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],
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),
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),
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),
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);
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}
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}
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```
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- `blurRadius: 0` inside `BoxShadow` creates the solid block color.
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- Remove the shadow array entirely when `_isPressed` is true, and simultaneously use `Transform.translate` to shift the widget down-right.
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### React Native
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```jsx
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const NeoCard = () => {
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const [pressed, setPressed] = useState(false);
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const offset = 6;
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return (
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<Pressable
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onPressIn={() => setPressed(true)}
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onPressOut={() => setPressed(false)}
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style={{
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backgroundColor: '#FF3366',
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padding: 24,
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borderWidth: 3,
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borderColor: '#000',
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transform: [
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{ translateX: pressed ? offset : 0 },
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{ translateY: pressed ? offset : 0 }
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],
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// iOS Hard Shadow
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shadowColor: '#000',
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shadowOffset: { width: pressed ? 0 : offset, height: pressed ? 0 : offset },
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shadowOpacity: pressed ? 0 : 1,
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shadowRadius: 0,
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// Android elevation cannot do 0-blur offset shadows natively
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// elevation: 0
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}}
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>
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<Text style={{ fontSize: 24, fontWeight: '900', color: '#000' }}>
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NEO-BRUTALISM
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</Text>
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</Pressable>
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);
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};
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```
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- **Android Limitation**: Standard `elevation` CANNOT create an unblurred, offset drop shadow.
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- **Solution**: To make this work on Android, you MUST use the `react-native-drop-shadow` library or fake it by rendering an identical black `<View>` absolutely positioned directly behind the main card.
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### Jetpack Compose
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```kotlin
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@Composable
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fun NeoCard() {
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var isPressed by remember { mutableStateOf(false) }
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val neoOffset = 6.dp
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// Compose Modifier.shadow() always blurs.
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// To get a solid hard shadow, we use Modifier.drawBehind.
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Box(
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modifier = Modifier
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.padding(16.dp)
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.offset(
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x = if (isPressed) neoOffset else 0.dp,
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y = if (isPressed) neoOffset else 0.dp
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)
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.drawBehind {
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if (!isPressed) {
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drawRect(
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color = Color.Black,
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topLeft = Offset(neoOffset.toPx(), neoOffset.toPx()),
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size = size
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)
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}
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}
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.background(Color(0xFFFF3366))
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.border(3.dp, Color.Black)
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.pointerInput(Unit) {
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detectTapGestures(
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onPress = {
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isPressed = true
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tryAwaitRelease()
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isPressed = false
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}
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)
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}
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.padding(24.dp)
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) {
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Column {
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Text("NEO-BRUTALISM",
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fontSize = 24.sp, fontWeight = FontWeight.Black, color = Color.Black)
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Spacer(Modifier.height(16.dp))
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Text("Stark shadows, bright colors.",
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fontSize = 16.sp, fontWeight = FontWeight.Bold, color = Color.Black)
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}
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}
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}
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```
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- **Compose Limitation**: Native `Modifier.shadow()` applies ambient blur which breaks the neo-brutalist aesthetic.
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- Use `Modifier.drawBehind { drawRect(...) }` with an offset to manually draw the solid shadow block behind the container.
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- Shift the container using `Modifier.offset` on press, while hiding the shadow layer.
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## Do's and Don'ts
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- **DO**: Make the active/pressed state visually translate the button to cover its shadow, creating a physical "click" feel.
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- **DON'T**: Use gradients or blurred shadows. The aesthetic relies entirely on flat, sharp vectors.
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## Limitations
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- This is a styling reference and does not replace environment-specific validation, accessibility testing, or expert review.
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- Ensure appropriate contrast ratios and responsive behaviors are verified separately.
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