System Requirements Document for web-browser

1. Introduction

web-browser is a general-purpose, everyday web browser built for its single maker-user, Oluwacoded. The product intent is a browser that is fully functional: it must let its user open the application, enter or follow a URL, load and read real web content, and navigate between pages within a session — reliably, every day, without ceremony.

The audience is the requester themself. This is not a multi-tenant product, not a team tool, and not a marketing surface. It is a precision instrument for daily use: the chrome must be legible at a glance, the state of every control unambiguous, and the content — not the application — must be the hero of the surface.

The design authority for the product is a Dieter Rams reading of the browser: less, but better. Warm off-white ground, graphite controls, exactly one signal colour, ruled tabular lists instead of card grids, and motion that is mechanical rather than expressive.

2. System Overview

The current delivery is a custom-UI web application with two first-party pages:

• Landing — an anonymous public entry surface that explains the browser and hands the user into it.
• Browser — the core browsing workspace where URLs are entered or followed, web content is loaded and read, and the user navigates within the session.

Both pages are owned by the application and both are reachable without any account or sign-in. There is no identity establishment, no login, no registration, and no session-ownership requirement anywhere in the accepted scope: the accepted journeys are single-user, local, and continuous within a browsing session. No differentiated permissions, roles, or visibility controls exist, because no authoritative source establishes differentiated control over shared product state.

The single accepted human actor is the Browser User — the person who uses the browser as their everyday tool to reach the web.

2a. Product Interpretation and Delivery Boundary

Delivery ownership. The browser is delivered as a first-party web application. The Landing page and the Browser workspace are both application-owned custom pages. There is no provider-owned surface, no external destination, and no headless delivery in the accepted scope.

Access ownership. Both pages are anonymous-access surfaces. The user is never asked to create an account, sign in, or verify identity in order to browse. This is a hard, source-backed access fact from the accepted page contract, not a provisional default: the accepted journeys begin at the Landing page and continue directly into the Browser workspace with no identity step between them.

Current boundary. Current scope is: a public entry page that explains the browser, and a browsing workspace that accepts a URL, loads the requested web content, renders it for reading, and supports navigation within the session — including going back, going forward, reloading, and following links from loaded content. The browser must be fully functional for this everyday use.

Future boundary. Nothing in the authoritative thread commits to a future horizon. Features conventionally adjacent to a browser — bookmark management, history management, settings, tab management, extensions, sync, profiles, downloads, developer tools — are not accepted current requirements and are not current pages. Where the creative direction names ruled tabular treatments for bookmarks, history, and settings, that is a visual language for ruled lists and micro-labels, not an accepted capability; no bookmark, history, or settings page or feature is created by this document.

Exclusions. No account system, no authentication, no permissions model, no multi-user state, no provider-owned browsing surface, and no adjacent browser-suite modules are in scope.

2c. Page Content and Component Coverage

Landing

• Information and state. Anonymous, no session state required. Presents the product's identity and its single promise — a browser that gets out of the way — and the three label/value facts the direction specifies: ENGINE — Blink, PRIVACY — Local only, STATE — Fully functional.
• Primary action. Open the browser — the single primary CTA, graphite with a 2px orange left edge, which hands the user into the Browser workspace.
• Supporting actions. None required. No secondary navigation, no account entry, no newsletter, no pricing.
• Domain entities. Product identity (name web-browser), the three label/value facts, the line-art browser diagram.
• Component responsibilities.
  • Hero stage — full-width warm off-white (#F2F0EC) stage; 96px Archivo headline flush-left across columns 1–8.
  • Line-art browser diagram — columns 9–12; 1px graphite strokes at actual scale, with one orange active-tab underline.
  • Ruled fact row — three label/value pairs separated by 1px hairlines in #D9D5CE; micro-labels in 12px uppercase Archivo with +0.08em tracking.
  • Primary CTA — Open the browser; 1px graphite border, orange 2px left edge, 1px inset shadow on press.
• States.
  • Loading — not applicable; the page is static and renders immediately.
  • Empty — not applicable; content is fixed.
  • Success — page renders; CTA is focusable and activates the Browser workspace.
  • Error — not applicable to page render. If the Browser workspace cannot be reached, the CTA reports the failure inline and remains available for retry.
  • Recovery — retry the CTA; the Landing page itself never enters a broken state.

Browser

• Information and state. The current URL in the URL field; the load state of the current page (idle, loading, loaded, failed); the rendered web content in the viewport; the availability state of back and forward navigation for the current session.
• Primary action. Enter a URL and commit it (the right-aligned GO label in 12px uppercase Archivo) to load that page.
• Supporting actions. Back, forward, reload, and following links inside loaded content.
• Domain entities. URL (including scheme, host, port, and path — ports and IP addresses rendered with tabular numerals), the loaded document, the session's navigation position.
• Component responsibilities.
  • Tab strip — 40px horizontal ruled bar; flush-left tab labels; 2px orange underline sliding under the active tab; inactive tabs graphite at 60% opacity; close affordance appears on hover only.
  • Toolbar — 44px; back, forward, reload, URL field, and bookmark control, in that order.
  • URL field — single graphite hairline rectangle, 15px Fira Sans with tabular numerals, small lock pictogram at the left, right-aligned GO label; 2px orange focus ring offset by 2px.
  • Loading progress bar — 1px orange line that sweeps left-to-right under the URL field while a page loads, then stops.
  • Viewport — pure #FFFFFF, filling the remaining height; renders the loaded web content.
  • Micro-labels — 12px uppercase Archivo with +0.08em tracking above ruled sections, acting as wayfinding signage inside the tool.
• States.
  • Loading — the orange progress line sweeps once under the URL field; the viewport holds the previous document or a neutral ground until the new document is ready.
  • Empty — no URL committed yet: the viewport shows a neutral #FFFFFF ground with the URL field focused and ready for input.
  • Success — the requested document renders in the viewport; the URL field shows the resolved URL; back/forward availability updates to match the session position.
  • Error — the URL is malformed, the host cannot be resolved, the connection fails, or the page fails to load: the viewport shows a plain, ruled error state naming the failed URL and the failure reason, with the URL field still editable.
  • Recovery — the user edits the URL and commits again, or presses reload to retry the same URL; the progress line sweeps again and the viewport resolves to success or a fresh error.

3. Functional Requirements

FR-1 — Open the browser from a public entry page. (provenance: explicit — "a web browser"; page contract: Landing) As a Browser User, I should land on a public page that explains the browser and offers one clear way in, so that I can start browsing without any setup.

• Trigger/input: The user opens the application.
• Observable result: The Landing page renders with the headline, the line-art browser diagram, the three ruled label/value facts, and the Open the browser CTA.
• Access state: Anonymous; no account, no sign-in.
• Failure/recovery: If the Browser workspace cannot be reached from the CTA, the failure is reported inline and the CTA remains available to retry.
• Continuation: Activating the CTA opens the Browser workspace.

FR-2 — Enter a URL and load that page. (provenance: explicit — "fully functional"; page contract: Browser) As a Browser User, I should type or paste a URL into the URL field and commit it, so that the browser loads that page and shows me its content.

• Trigger/input: A URL typed or pasted into the URL field, committed via the GO label or the Enter key.
• Observable result: The 1px orange progress line sweeps under the URL field; on completion the requested document renders in the viewport and the URL field shows the resolved URL.
• Access state: Anonymous; no account required.
• Failure/recovery: A malformed URL, an unresolvable host, a refused connection, or a failed load produces a plain ruled error state in the viewport naming the URL and the reason; the URL field stays editable and the user can correct and recommit, or press reload to retry.
• Continuation: The loaded document is readable and its links are followable.

FR-3 — Follow a link inside loaded content. (provenance: explicit — "fully functional"; page contract: Browser) As a Browser User, I should click a link in the page I am reading, so that the browser loads the linked page in the same workspace.

• Trigger/input: A link activation inside the rendered document.
• Observable result: The progress line sweeps; the linked document renders in the viewport; the URL field updates to the linked URL; the session's navigation position advances.
• Access state: Anonymous.
• Failure/recovery: If the linked target fails to load, the error state names the failed URL and the user can go back to the previous document or edit the URL.
• Continuation: The user continues reading or navigating from the new document.

FR-4 — Go back and forward within the session. (provenance: explicit — "fully functional"; page contract: Browser) As a Browser User, I should move backward and forward through the pages I have visited in this session, so that I can return to something I was reading and come back again.

• Trigger/input: Activating the back or forward control in the toolbar.
• Observable result: The viewport renders the previous or next document in the session's navigation position; the URL field updates to that document's URL; the back and forward controls reflect whether further movement is available in each direction.
• Access state: Anonymous.
• Failure/recovery: When there is no further history in a direction, the corresponding control is visibly disabled rather than silently inert.
• Continuation: The user continues reading or navigating from the restored document.

FR-5 — Reload the current page. (provenance: explicit — "fully functional"; page contract: Browser) As a Browser User, I should reload the page I am on, so that I can recover from a stale, partial, or failed load.

• Trigger/input: Activating the reload control in the toolbar.
• Observable result: The progress line sweeps; the current URL is re-requested and the viewport re-renders the document.
• Access state: Anonymous.
• Failure/recovery: If the reload fails, the error state names the URL and the reason, and the reload control remains available for another attempt.
• Continuation: The user continues reading or navigating.

FR-6 — See unambiguous load state at all times. (provenance: explicit — "fully functional"; page contract: Browser) As a Browser User, I should always be able to tell whether a page is loading, loaded, or failed, so that I never have to guess what the browser is doing.

• Trigger/input: Any load, navigation, or reload.
• Observable result: While loading, the 1px orange progress line is visible under the URL field and stops when the load settles; on success the document is rendered; on failure the ruled error state is shown.
• Access state: Anonymous.
• Failure/recovery: A load that never settles must resolve to the error state rather than leaving the progress line running indefinitely.
• Continuation: The user acts on the settled state — reading, correcting the URL, or reloading.

FR-7 — Read the current URL exactly as resolved. (provenance: explicit — "fully functional"; page contract: Browser) As a Browser User, I should see the resolved URL of the page I am on, including scheme, host, port, and path, so that I always know where I am.

• Trigger/input: Any successful load or navigation.
• Observable result: The URL field displays the resolved URL in 15px Fira Sans with tabular numerals for ports and IP addresses.
• Access state: Anonymous.
• Failure/recovery: On a failed load, the URL field retains the attempted URL so the user can correct it.
• Continuation: The user edits or re-commits the URL, or continues reading.

FR-8 — Use the browser for general everyday use without setup. (provenance: explicit — "fully functional", "general everyday use by the requester (Oluwacoded)") As a Browser User, I should be able to open the browser and start browsing immediately, every day, without creating an account, signing in, or configuring anything first.

• Trigger/input: Opening the application at any time.
• Observable result: The Landing page renders and the Browser workspace is reachable in one action; no identity step is ever presented.
• Access state: Anonymous on both pages.
• Failure/recovery: If the application fails to start, the failure is reported plainly and the user can retry.
• Continuation: Normal browsing.

4. User Personas

Browser User

Product context. The Browser User is Oluwacoded — the maker and the sole everyday user of this browser. They are not evaluating the product, not administering it, and not sharing it. They open it many times a day, on the same machine, and they stay inside it for long stretches. The browser is the surface through which they reach everything else on the web, which means the browser itself must be the least interesting thing on screen.

Primary goal. Reach a specific page on the web quickly and read it without friction — and be able to move around the web from there without losing their place.

Distinct accepted responsibilities.

• Deciding to start browsing, and entering the browser from the public entry page.
• Supplying the destination: typing or pasting a URL and committing it.
• Choosing to follow a link inside content rather than typing a new address.
• Steering within the session: going back to something already read, going forward again, or reloading a page that came through stale or broken.
• Reading the resolved URL to confirm where they actually are.
• Recovering from a failed load by correcting the address or retrying.

Relevant inputs and decisions. The URL string (including scheme, host, port, and path); whether to commit the typed address or follow a link already on the page; whether a disappointing result means "wrong address" (edit and recommit) or "bad load" (reload); whether to go back or push forward.

Interactions with other accepted participants. None. The Browser User is the only accepted human actor in this product. There is no second participant, no counterparty, no recipient, and no administrator. The only other actors are non-human: the remote web servers the browser requests pages from, and the browser's own loading process.

Observable success. The requested page renders in the viewport, the URL field shows the resolved address, the load indicator has stopped, and the user can read the page and move on from it — with back, forward, and reload all behaving exactly as their state suggests.

What makes this role's work different. This is not a role defined by permissions, collaboration, or workflow handoffs — it is defined by continuous, low-attention tool use. The Browser User's competence is expressed in muscle memory: address, enter, read, back, address, enter. Every requirement in this document exists to keep that loop uninterrupted and to make the browser's state legible without the user having to look for it.

5. Core User Flows

Flow 1 — First entry: from the public page into browsing

1. Starting context. The Browser User opens the application. No account exists and none is needed.
2. Landing page. The Landing page renders: the 96px Archivo headline flush-left, the 1px line-art browser diagram to its right with one orange active-tab underline, the ruled row of three label/value facts (ENGINE — Blink, PRIVACY — Local only, STATE — Fully functional), and the graphite Open the browser button with its orange 2px left edge.
3. Decision. The user reads the promise and the three facts, and decides to proceed.
4. Action. The user activates Open the browser. The button depresses 1px with an inset shadow.
5. Observable result. The Browser workspace opens with the URL field focused and the viewport on a neutral #FFFFFF ground, ready for input.
6. Failure/recovery. If the Browser workspace cannot be reached, the Landing page reports the failure inline and the CTA remains available; the user retries.
7. Next step. Flow 2.

Flow 2 — Navigate to a page by address

1. Starting context. The Browser workspace is open with the URL field focused and empty.
2. Action. The user types or pastes a URL. The field shows 15px Fira Sans with tabular numerals for any port or IP address; the lock pictogram sits at the left.
3. Commit. The user presses Enter or activates the right-aligned GO label.
4. Observable result — loading. The 1px orange progress line sweeps left-to-right under the URL field. The viewport holds the previous document or the neutral ground.
5. Observable result — success. The requested document renders in the pure-white viewport; the progress line stops; the URL field shows the resolved URL; back and forward availability update to match the session position.
6. Failure/recovery. If the URL is malformed, the host cannot be resolved, the connection is refused, or the page fails to load, the viewport shows a plain ruled error state naming the failed URL and the reason. The URL field retains the attempted address and stays editable. The user either corrects the address and commits again, or presses reload to retry the same URL. The progress line sweeps again and resolves to success or a fresh error.
7. Next step. The user reads the page, then Flow 3, Flow 4, or Flow 5.

Flow 3 — Follow a link from the page being read

1. Starting context. A document is loaded and readable in the viewport.
2. Action. The user activates a link inside the document.
3. Observable result. The progress line sweeps; the linked document renders in the viewport; the URL field updates to the linked URL; the session's navigation position advances.
4. Failure/recovery. If the linked target fails to load, the error state names the failed URL. The user goes back to the document they were reading, or edits the URL directly.
5. Next step. The user continues reading, follows another link, or returns via Flow 4.

Flow 4 — Return to something already read, and come back again

1. Starting context. The user has visited several pages in this session and is on a page that is not the one they want.
2. Action. The user activates the back control in the 44px toolbar.
3. Observable result. The viewport renders the previous document in the session's navigation position; the URL field updates to that document's URL; the forward control becomes available.
4. Continuation. The user activates forward to return to the page they came from, or continues reading where they landed.
5. Failure/recovery. When there is no further history in a direction, that control is visibly disabled rather than silently inert, so the user is never left pressing a dead control.

Flow 5 — Recover a stale, partial, or failed page

1. Starting context. The user is on a page that loaded incompletely, went stale, or failed outright.
2. Action. The user activates the reload control in the toolbar.
3. Observable result. The progress line sweeps; the current URL is re-requested; the viewport re-renders the document.
4. Failure/recovery. If the reload fails again, the error state names the URL and the reason, and the reload control remains available for another attempt. The user may instead edit the URL and commit a different address.
5. Next step. The user continues reading or navigating.

Flow 6 — Everyday use with no setup

1. Starting context. Any later day. The user opens the application again.
2. Observable result. The Landing page renders and the Browser workspace is one action away. No account prompt, no sign-in, no configuration step is ever presented.
3. Continuation. The user proceeds directly into Flow 2, Flow 3, Flow 4, or Flow 5.

6. Visuals, Colors and Theme

Muse: Dieter Rams. Headline idea: Less, but better — a browser as a precision instrument. The register is trust, calm, and mechanical reliability: a well-machined tool that disappears behind the content, with controls whose function is legible at a glance and whose state is never ambiguous. Braun-radio energy, not SaaS-dashboard energy.

Colour tokens

Accent discipline. Orange #E8590C is reserved for exactly four things: the active tab underline, the focus ring, the loading progress bar, and the single primary CTA on the Landing page. No second accent. No blue or indigo anywhere — not #2563EB, not #4F46E5, not bootstrap blue, including links, which are graphite with an orange underline.

Ratio. ~70% warm off-white, ~20% graphite, ~8% white surfaces, ~2% orange.

Typography

• Headings: Archivo, semi-bold (600) and bold (700), tight tracking (−0.02em), sentence case. All-caps reserved for micro-labels.
• Body: Fira Sans.
• Scale: 1.25 modular — 96 / 64 / 40 / 28 / 20 / 16 / 14 / 12.
• Body copy: 16px / 1.6 line height.
• Micro-labels: 12px / 1.4, uppercase Archivo, +0.08em tracking (TABS, BOOKMARKS, HISTORY, SETTINGS).
• URL bar: 15px Fira Sans with tabular numerals for ports and IP addresses.
• Headline sizing by surface: 64–96px on the Landing page; drops to 20–28px inside the browser chrome so the tool stays quiet.
• Forbidden: Inter, Roboto, Arial, Helvetica, Open Sans, Lato, Poppins, and system-ui for headings or body. No italic display, no decorative weights.

Shape language

Rounded-rectangle controls with small, consistent radii: 4px on buttons and inputs, 6px on cards and panels, 8px on the browser window itself. No pills, no blobs, no organic curves. Every interactive element carries a 1px graphite hairline border and a subtle 1px lighter top-edge highlight suggesting a machined surface. Focus is a 2px orange ring offset by 2px. Pressed buttons take a 1px inset shadow — the click should feel mechanical, not springy.

Layout

A strict 12-column grid, 24px gutters, 32px outer margins on the Landing page. The browser chrome uses a dense but ordered modular layout: a 40px tab strip on top, a 44px toolbar (back / forward / reload / URL / bookmark) beneath it, and the viewport filling the rest. Label/value pairs align in ruled rows — bookmarks, history, and settings are tabular lists, never card grids. Section dividers are 1px hairlines in #D9D5CE. Nothing floats; everything sits on the grid.

Imagery

Diagrammatic and schematic, never photographic. The Landing page uses a single line-art illustration of the browser window in 1px graphite strokes on the warm ground, with the orange accent marking the active tab. Icons are drawn on a 20px grid with 1.5px strokes — geometric, legible at small sizes, a family of honest pictograms (back, forward, reload, star, lock, plus, close) that read like transit signage. No stock people, no 3D renders, no gradient blobs.

7. Signature Design Concept

The Braun control panel, not a SaaS hero.

The Landing page is a single full-width off-white stage (#F2F0EC) composed on the 12-column grid. A 96px Archivo headline sits flush-left across columns 1–8: "A browser that gets out of the way." To its right, in columns 9–12, sits a precise 1px line-art diagram of the browser window drawn at actual scale, with exactly one orange active-tab underline as the only saturated mark on the page.

Below the headline, a ruled row of three label/value pairs — ENGINE — Blink, PRIVACY — Local only, STATE — Fully functional — separated by 1px hairlines in #D9D5CE, with 12px uppercase Arch