frontend-design

What this skill does

This skill guides creation of distinctive, production-grade frontend interfaces that avoid generic "AI slop" aesthetics. Implement real working code with exceptional attention to aesthetic details and creative choices.

## Design Direction

Commit to a BOLD aesthetic direction:
- **Purpose**: What problem does this interface solve? Who uses it?
- **Tone**: Pick an extreme: brutally minimal, maximalist chaos, retro-futuristic, organic/natural, luxury/refined, playful/toy-like, editorial/magazine, brutalist/raw, art deco/geometric, soft/pastel, industrial/utilitarian, etc. There are so many flavors to choose from. Use these for inspiration but design one that is true to the aesthetic direction.
- **Constraints**: Technical requirements (framework, performance, accessibility).
- **Differentiation**: What makes this UNFORGETTABLE? What's the one thing someone will remember?

**CRITICAL**: Choose a clear conceptual direction and execute it with precision. Bold maximalism and refined minimalism both work—the key is intentionality, not intensity.

Then implement working code that is:
- Production-grade and functional
- Visually striking and memorable
- Cohesive with a clear aesthetic point-of-view
- Meticulously refined in every detail

## Frontend Aesthetics Guidelines

### Typography
→ *Consult [typography reference](references/typography.md) for scales, pairing, and loading strategies.*

Choose fonts that are beautiful, unique, and interesting. Pair a distinctive display font with a refined body font.

**DO**: Use a modular type scale with fluid sizing (clamp)
**DO**: Vary font weights and sizes to create clear visual hierarchy
**DON'T**: Use overused fonts—Inter, Roboto, Arial, Open Sans, system defaults
**DON'T**: Use monospace typography as lazy shorthand for "technical/developer" vibes
**DON'T**: Put large icons with rounded corners above every heading—they rarely add value and make sites look templated

### Color & Theme
→ *Consult [color reference](references/color-and-contrast.md) for OKLCH, palettes, and dark mode.*

Commit to a cohesive palette. Dominant colors with sharp accents outperform timid, evenly-distributed palettes.

**DO**: Use modern CSS color functions (oklch, color-mix, light-dark) for perceptually uniform, maintainable palettes
**DO**: Tint your neutrals toward your brand hue—even a subtle hint creates subconscious cohesion
**DON'T**: Use gray text on colored backgrounds—it looks washed out; use a shade of the background color instead
**DON'T**: Use pure black (#000) or pure white (#fff)—always tint; pure black/white never appears in nature
**DON'T**: Use the AI color palette: cyan-on-dark, purple-to-blue gradients, neon accents on dark backgrounds
**DON'T**: Use gradient text for "impact"—especially on metrics or headings; it's decorative rather than meaningful
**DON'T**: Default to dark mode with glowing accents—it looks "cool" without requiring actual design decisions

### Layout & Space
→ *Consult [spatial reference](references/spatial-design.md) for grids, rhythm, and container queries.*

Create visual rhythm through varied spacing—not the same padding everywhere. Embrace asymmetry and unexpected compositions. Break the grid intentionally for emphasis.

**DO**: Create visual rhythm through varied spacing—tight groupings, generous separations
**DO**: Use fluid spacing with clamp() that breathes on larger screens
**DO**: Use asymmetry and unexpected compositions; break the grid intentionally for emphasis
**DON'T**: Wrap everything in cards—not everything needs a container
**DON'T**: Nest cards inside cards—visual noise, flatten the hierarchy
**DON'T**: Use identical card grids—same-sized cards with icon + heading + text, repeated endlessly
**DON'T**: Use the hero metric layout template—big number, small label, supporting stats, gradient accent
**DON'T**: Center everything—left-aligned text with asymmetric layouts feels more designed
**DON'T**: Use the same spacing everywhere—without rhythm, layouts feel monotonous

### Visual Details
**DO**: Use intentional, purposeful decorative elements that reinforce brand
**DON'T**: Use glassmorphism everywhere—blur effects, glass cards, glow borders used decoratively rather than purposefully
**DON'T**: Use rounded elements with thick colored border on one side—a lazy accent that almost never looks intentional
**DON'T**: Use sparklines as decoration—tiny charts that look sophisticated but convey nothing meaningful
**DON'T**: Use rounded rectangles with generic drop shadows—safe, forgettable, could be any AI output
**DON'T**: Use modals unless there's truly no better alternative—modals are lazy

### Motion
→ *Consult [motion reference](references/motion-design.md) for timing, easing, and reduced motion.*

Focus on high-impact moments: one well-orchestrated page load with staggered reveals creates more delight than scattered micro-interactions.

**DO**: Use motion to convey state changes—entrances, exits, feedback
**DO**: Use exponential easing (ease-out-quart/quint/expo) for natural deceleration
**DO**: For height animations, use grid-template-rows transitions instead of animating height directly
**DON'T**: Animate layout properties (width, height, padding, margin)—use transform and opacity only
**DON'T**: Use bounce or elastic easing—they feel dated and tacky; real objects decelerate smoothly

### Interaction
→ *Consult [interaction reference](references/interaction-design.md) for forms, focus, and loading patterns.*

Make interactions feel fast. Use optimistic UI—update immediately, sync later.

**DO**: Use progressive disclosure—start simple, reveal sophistication through interaction (basic options first, advanced behind expandable sections; hover states that reveal secondary actions)
**DO**: Design empty states that teach the interface, not just say "nothing here"
**DO**: Make every interactive surface feel intentional and responsive
**DON'T**: Repeat the same information—redundant headers, intros that restate the heading
**DON'T**: Make every button primary—use ghost buttons, text links, secondary styles; hierarchy matters

### Responsive
→ *Consult [responsive reference](references/responsive-design.md) for mobile-first, fluid design, and container queries.*

**DO**: Use container queries (@container) for component-level responsiveness
**DO**: Adapt the interface for different contexts—don't just shrink it
**DON'T**: Hide critical functionality on mobile—adapt the interface, don't amputate it

### UX Writing
→ *Consult [ux-writing reference](references/ux-writing.md) for labels, errors, and empty states.*

**DO**: Make every word earn its place
**DON'T**: Repeat information users can already see

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## The AI Slop Test

**Critical quality check**: If you showed this interface to someone and said "AI made this," would they believe you immediately? If yes, that's the problem.

A distinctive interface should make someone ask "how was this made?" not "which AI made this?"

Review the DON'T guidelines above—they are the fingerprints of AI-generated work from 2024-2025.

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## Examples

### Example 1: Landing page with strong aesthetic
User says: "Build a landing page for a developer tools product, something that doesn't look like every other SaaS."
Actions: Pick a bold direction (e.g. brutalist or editorial); choose a distinctive type pairing and a cohesive palette; implement with fluid spacing and one clear focal point; avoid cards-in-cards and hero-metric clichés.
Result: A single-page layout with clear hierarchy, memorable typography, and no generic AI tells (no purple gradients, no rounded cards with thick accent borders).

### Example 2: Dashboard or app UI
User says: "Create a dashboard for viewing analytics with a dark theme."
Actions: Commit to a specific dark aesthetic (e.g. refined dark with tinted neutrals, not default glow-on-black); use container queries for panels; add one considered motion moment (e.g. staggered list load); ensure empty states are helpful.
Result: Func