PRODUCT.md

# Product

## Register

product

## Users

A single technical user (the owner) running this proxy locally or on cheap personal hosting. They are comfortable editing `.env`, reading logs, and pointing client apps at a custom base URL. Context: personal experimentation, not production operations.

## Product Purpose

A lightweight OpenAI-compatible API gateway that forwards chat/completion requests to NVIDIA NIM based on the `sk-nvidia` proxy key the client uses. One server, one set of routes, one backend. It makes apps that only accept OpenAI-style keys work with non-OpenAI providers.

## Brand Personality

Minimal, capable, unobtrusive. The interface should feel like a well-organized shelf — everything in its place, nothing shouting.

## Anti-references

- Generic admin dashboards with dense data tables and sidebar navigation.
- AI-purple gradients, neon glows, or glassmorphism used decoratively.
- Bootstrap-style gray cards with identical spacing repeated endlessly.
- Landing-page hero sections with big marketing copy.

## Design Principles

1. **Clarity first**: the most important state (is the proxy running? which providers are configured?) should be visible at a glance.
2. **No noise**: show only what the owner needs to verify setup. No analytics charts, no user management, no feature lists.
3. **Respect the user's time**: copy-paste ready examples, masked keys, one-click visibility toggles.
4. **Information should be scannable**: use typography and spacing to group related facts, not borders and boxes.
5. **Personal, not corporate**: this is a single-user tool; the UI can be calm and opinionated rather than neutral-by-committee.

## Accessibility & Inclusion

WCAG AA contrast as a floor. Keyboard navigable. Respects `prefers-reduced-motion`. No essential information conveyed by color alone.