Target state · semantic encoding, not a brand

The Quantified Stewardship Model, in color

Four orthogonal axes, one rule each. Color separates within an axis. Form separates between axes. Mixing is reserved for derivation, never for primary identity. Every value here is canonical and governed upstream; nothing on this page may be forked in a product repo.

Axis 1 · How it is processed 3 questions, 8 layers. Layer is a pill; question is a mono tag. Layer color is a chakra step; each question color is the blend of its own layers.

Q1 Purpose

What is this for, and what does it care about?

#6A3AC8 · crown ⊕ throat

Intent Declares purpose, values, priorities #8A3FC9 · crown

Governance Authority, policy, escalation #2A6FB0 · throat

Q2 Awareness

What is happening, and what needs attention?

#C6461F · sacral ⊕ root

Intake Captures and routes incoming signals #DE7C2A · sacral

Observation Senses current state, completion, anomalies #C93A34 · root

Signal Surfaces attention. The one compound: Observation ⊕ Memory mix() · qsm.compound.signal

Q3 Action

What are we doing, and are we getting better?

#1B845A · heart, their center

Memory The authoritative record: models, decisions, docs #4340A0 · third eye

Practice The sustained work: routines, tasks, interventions #D8A521 · solar plexus

Adaptation Closes the loop: changes the system from experience #3E9B70 · heart

The generating rule

Layers are chakra steps. Each question color is the blend of the layers it contains. Signal, the emergent eighth, is the blend of its two parents. Nothing in the palette is picked by hand, so every value can be traced back and argued with.

⊕ = color-mix(in oklch, layer.observation 50%, layer.memory 50%)

Axis 2 · What is stewarded

Ontology is fixed and already shipped. It doubles as the public journey narrative, so it never moves. Squares, never pills.

Things and contextsLOCUS · where you stand #8F4527

Needs and valuesATLAS · your map and tools #383B66

Roles and relationshipsTENURE · sustain over time #2F5D51

Axis 3 · Whose system it is

Five context types, each with its own needs framework. Deliberately neutral: they are the frame, not the content, so they never compete with layer color.

SELF A person · Max-Neef, 9 simultaneous needs

HEARTH A household · Building Performance Hierarchy

ESTATE Property or portfolio · WELL, 10 parallel domains

CHARTER An organization · ERG, 3 quasi-hierarchical levels

CREST A community · implementation-defined

Axis 4 · Cross-cutting planes

Apply to every object in every layer, so they get no color at all. Ghost badges on the neutral ramp only.

Lifecycle state Ownership Versioning Metrics Security

All four axes on one object The test: a reader must separate them without reading a legend.

Who may shut off the water main

Governance Q1 · PURPOSE ESTATE

Authority and escalation for irreversible actions. The pill is the layer, the tag is its question, the bordered chip is the context, and the plane below is a ghost badge. Four axes, four forms.

Active v4 · 2026-05-20

Well pump draw is drifting

Signal Q2 · AWARENESS ESTATE

The compound case. Signal keeps the pill form, because it is still a layer, but takes a split fill so its derivation stays visible. Compound is only ever used where the spec says a thing is derived.

Parents: layer.observation + layer.memory