Form language
This is proposed physical-product guidance, not approved Thorbis rules. src/data/product-guidelines.ts is the canonical owner of wording, reasons, status, and sources; product-guidelines-why.ts is a derived compatibility export. This Markdown is generated, not independently maintained.
A Thorbis product reads as one dark object from across the room. Seams, fasteners, and cables show up only when someone is close enough to use them.
One mass at a glance.
pd-form-one-mass
Status: proposed.
The first read is a single body: a slab, a box, a chair, a case. Vents, ports, and fasteners sit on the back or in shadow. Do not break the silhouette with fins, ribs, or fake vents.
Why: A tech across the counter should see one dark object, not a pile of panels, screws, and vents.
Sources: Apple Newsroom, 2008 unibody MacBook (opens in a new tab), Secretlab MAGNUS Pro (opens in a new tab), ProSettings, MAGNUS Pro review (opens in a new tab)
Hide the cables.
pd-hide
Status: proposed.
Route power and signal inside the product. A desk, a terminal, or a field case gets one cable to the wall, or none. Controls sit flush with the surface they live on.
Why: A cable hanging in the photo is the first thing a customer notices, and it reads as unfinished.
Sources: Secretlab MAGNUS Pro (opens in a new tab), Secretlab, integrated power column (opens in a new tab), PCMag, MAGNUS Pro review (opens in a new tab), Tom's Guide, MAGNUS Pro review (opens in a new tab), Mediaberry, MAGNUS Pro review (opens in a new tab)
One radius family.
pd-form-one-radius
Status: proposed.
Pick one corner radius for the body and stay with it. A sharp edge and a pillowed edge on the same object look like two products joined late.
Why: Mixed sharp and soft corners on one body look like two products bolted together.
Sources: Apple Newsroom, 2008 unibody MacBook (opens in a new tab), Secretlab TITAN Evo features (opens in a new tab)
Part lines are straight and few.
pd-form-part-lines
Status: proposed.
A seam follows a main axis and lines up with the next seam. If a split does not let you service, assemble, or change a material, remove it.
Why: A wandering seam looks like a crack; a straight seam looks like it was drawn.
Sources: Apple Newsroom, 2008 unibody MacBook (opens in a new tab), ZDNET, TITAN Evo review (opens in a new tab)
Detail is the second read.
pd-form-second-read
Status: proposed.
Texture, a joint, and the mark appear when the product is in the hand. They do not compete with the silhouette. Secretlab's magnetic covers hide the screws; the chair still reads as one chair.
Why: The first glance is the shape; the joint and the mark are for the person who picks it up.
Sources: ZDNET, TITAN Evo review (opens in a new tab), Secretlab TITAN Evo features (opens in a new tab), Apple Newsroom, 2008 unibody MacBook (opens in a new tab)