frontend-design
Design and implement distinctive, production-ready frontend interfaces with strong aesthetic direction. Use when asked to create or restyle web pages, components, or applications (HTML/CSS/JS, React, Vue, etc.).
What this skill does
# Frontend Design Skill Design and implement memorable frontend interfaces with a clear, intentional aesthetic. The output must be real, working code — not just mood boards. This skill is about **design thinking + execution**: every visual choice should be rooted in purpose and context. ## When to Use Use this skill when the user wants to: - Create a new web page, landing page, dashboard, or app UI - Design or redesign frontend components or screens - Improve typography, layout, color, motion, or overall visual polish - Convert a concept or brief into a high‑fidelity, coded interface ## Inputs to Gather (or Assume) Before coding, identify: - **Purpose & audience**: What problem does this UI solve? Who uses it? - **Brand/voice**: Any reference brands, tone, or visual inspiration? - **Technical constraints**: Framework, library, CSS strategy, accessibility, performance - **Content constraints**: Required copy, assets, data, features If the user did not provide this, ask **2–4 targeted questions**, or state reasonable assumptions in a short preface. ## Design Thinking (Required) Commit to a **single, bold aesthetic direction**. Name it and execute it consistently. Examples: - Brutalist / raw / utilitarian - Editorial / magazine / typographic - Luxury / refined / minimal - Retro‑futuristic / cyber / neon - Art‑deco / geometric / ornamental - Handcrafted / organic / textured **Avoid generic AI aesthetics.** No “default” fonts, color schemes, or stock layouts. Before writing code, define the system: 1. **Visual direction** — one sentence that describes the vibe 2. **Differentiator** — what should be memorable about this UI? 3. **Typography system** — display + body fonts, scale, weight, casing 4. **Color system** — dominant, accent, neutral; define as CSS variables 5. **Layout strategy** — grid rhythm, spacing scale, hierarchy plan 6. **Motion strategy** — 1–2 meaningful interaction moments If the user wants code only, skip the explanation but still follow this internally. ## Implementation Principles - **Working code**: HTML/CSS/JS or framework code that runs as‑is - **Semantic & accessible**: headings, labels, focus states, keyboard nav - **Responsive**: fluid layouts, breakpoints, responsive typography - **Tokenized styling**: CSS variables for colors, spacing, radii, shadows - **Modern layout**: prefer CSS Grid/Flex, avoid brittle positioning hacks ## Aesthetic Guidelines ### Typography - Typography should define the voice of the design - Avoid default fonts (Inter, Roboto, Arial, system stacks) - Use a **distinct display font** + a **refined body font** - Implement a clear hierarchy (size, weight, spacing, casing) ### Color & Theme - Commit to a palette with a strong point‑of‑view - Avoid timid, overused gradients (e.g., purple‑to‑pink on white) - Use contrast intentionally and check legibility ### Composition & Layout - Encourage asymmetry, scale contrast, overlap, or grid breaks - Use negative space deliberately (or controlled density if maximalist) - Create visual rhythm and hierarchy through spacing and alignment ### Detail & Atmosphere - Add texture or depth when appropriate (noise, grain, subtle patterns) - Use shadows/glows only when they serve the concept - Consider unique borders, masks, or clip‑paths for distinct shapes ### Motion & Interaction - Use motion sparingly but meaningfully - Favor one standout interaction over many tiny ones - Honor `prefers-reduced-motion` ## Avoid - Cookie‑cutter hero + 3 card layouts - Generic gradients and default font choices - Unmotivated decorative elements - Overly flat, characterless component libraries ## Deliverables - Provide full code with file names or component boundaries - Make customization easy with CSS variables or config objects - If assets are needed, provide inline SVGs or generative CSS patterns ## Quality Checklist (Self‑validate) - Aesthetic direction is unmistakable - Typography feels intentional and expressive - Layout and spacing are consistent and purposeful - Color palette feels cohesive and legible - Interactions enhance the experience without clutter - Code runs as provided and is production‑ready **Remember:** a design is only as strong as its commitment. Choose a direction and execute it relentlessly.
Related in Design
contribute
IncludedLocal-only OSS contribution command center. Auto-refreshes the user's in-flight PR and issue state on invoke so conversations start with full context — no need to brief Claude on what's in flight. Helps the user find issues to contribute to on GitHub, builds per-repo dossiers of what each upstream expects (CLA, DCO, branch convention, AI policy, draft-first, review bots, issue templates), runs deterministic gates before any external action so AI-assisted contributions don't reach maintainers as slop. State is markdown-only: candidate files at ~/.contribute-system/candidates/, repo dossiers at ~/.contribute-system/research/, append-only event log at ~/.contribute-system/log.jsonl. No database, no cloud calls. Use when the user asks about their PRs / issues / contributions, wants to find new work to take on, claim an issue, build/refresh a repo's dossier, or draft a Design Issue or PR. Trigger with "/contribute", "what's my PR status", "find a contribution", "claim issue X", "draft a Design Issue for Y", "refresh dossier for Z".
architectural-analysis
IncludedUser-triggered deep architectural analysis of a codebase or scoped subtree across eight modes — information architecture, data flow, integration points, UI surfaces, interaction patterns, data model, control flow, and failure modes. This skill should be used when the user asks to "diagram this codebase," "map the architecture," "show the data flow," "give me an ERD," "trace control flow," "find the integration points," "verify the layout pattern," "audit the UX architecture," or any similar request whose primary deliverable is mermaid diagrams plus cited reports under docs/architecture/. Dispatches haiku/sonnet sub-agents in parallel for per-mode exploration, then verifies every citation mechanically before any node lands in a diagram. Not for one-off prose explanations of code (use code-explanation) or for high-level system design from scratch (use system-design).
mcp
IncludedModel Context Protocol (MCP) server development and tool management. Languages: Python, TypeScript. Capabilities: build MCP servers, integrate external APIs, discover/execute MCP tools, manage multi-server configs, design agent-centric tools. Actions: create, build, integrate, discover, execute, configure MCP servers/tools. Keywords: MCP, Model Context Protocol, MCP server, MCP tool, stdio transport, SSE transport, tool discovery, resource provider, prompt template, external API integration, Gemini CLI MCP, Claude MCP, agent tools, tool execution, server config. Use when: building MCP servers, integrating external APIs as MCP tools, discovering available MCP tools, executing MCP capabilities, configuring multi-server setups, designing tools for AI agents.
react-native-skia
IncludedDesign, build, debug, and optimise high-polish animated graphics in React Native or Expo using @shopify/react-native-skia, Reanimated, and Gesture Handler. Use when the user wants canvas-driven UI, shaders, paths, rich text, image filters, sprite fields, Skottie, video frames, snapshots, web CanvasKit setup, or performance tuning for custom motion-heavy elements such as loaders, hero art, cards, charts, progress indicators, particle systems, or gesture-driven surfaces. Also use when the user asks for fluid, glow, glass, blob, parallax, 60fps/120fps, or GPU-friendly animated effects in React Native, even if they do not explicitly say "Skia". Do not use for ordinary form/layout work with standard views.
plaid
IncludedProduct Led AI Development — guides founders from idea to launched product. Six capabilities: Idea (discover a product idea), Validate (pressure-test the idea against fatal flaws, problem reality, competition, and 2-week MVP feasibility), Plan (vision intake + document generation), Design (translate image references into a design.md spec), Launch (go-to-market strategy), and Build (roadmap execution). Use when someone says "PLAID", "plaid idea", "help me find an idea", "product idea", "idea from my business", "idea from my expertise", "plaid validate", "validate my idea", "pressure-test", "is this idea good", "find fatal flaws", "validate the problem", "plan a product", "define my vision", "generate a PRD", "product strategy", "plaid design", "design from image", "translate image to design", "create design.md", "extract design tokens", "plaid launch", "go-to-market", "launch plan", "GTM strategy", "launch playbook", "plaid build", "build the app", "start building", or "execute the roadmap".
nextjs-framer-motion-animations
IncludedAdds production-safe Motion for React or Framer Motion animations to Next.js apps, including reveal, hover and tap micro-interactions, whileInView, stagger, AnimatePresence, layout and layoutId transitions, reorder, scroll-linked UI, and lightweight route-content transitions. Use when the user asks to add, refactor, or debug Motion or Framer Motion in App Router or Pages Router codebases, especially around server/client boundaries, reduced motion, LazyMotion, bundle size, hydration, or route transitions. Avoid for GSAP-style timelines, WebGL or 3D scenes, heavy scroll storytelling, or CSS-only effects unless Motion is explicitly requested.