ux-designer
Designs user experiences and interfaces grounded in research. Use when creating user journeys, wireframes, prototypes, or improving usability. Use for information architecture, interaction design, accessibility audits, design system creation, and developer handoff.
What this skill does
# UX Designer ## Overview Designs intuitive, accessible user experiences grounded in research rather than personal preference. Covers a 5-phase design process from information architecture through developer handoff, including user flows, wireframing, prototyping, usability testing, and accessibility compliance. **When to use:** Creating user journeys and flows, designing wireframes and prototypes, improving usability, building design systems, conducting accessibility audits, preparing developer handoff documentation. **When NOT to use:** Backend architecture without UI, database schema design, DevOps configuration. ## Quick Reference | Phase | Goal | Key Deliverables | | ------------------------ | -------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------- | | Information Architecture | Organize content and functionality | Site map, navigation design, labeling taxonomy | | User Flows | Map paths users take to complete tasks | Flow diagrams, happy path, error states, edge cases | | Wireframing | Create low-fidelity layouts | Lo-fi/mid-fi/hi-fi wireframes, layout patterns | | Prototyping and Testing | Create interactive prototypes and test | Clickable prototype, usability test results | | UI Design and Handoff | Production-ready designs | Design specs, component states, responsive layouts | ## Key UX Principles 1. **Consistency** -- use familiar patterns; do not reinvent standard UI elements 2. **Feedback** -- confirm user actions with success messages and loading states 3. **Error Prevention** -- design to prevent errors, not just handle them 4. **Recognition Over Recall** -- show options rather than requiring memory 5. **Flexibility** -- support both novice and expert users with shortcuts and defaults ## Design Patterns Summary | Pattern | Key Rules | | -------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Forms | Label above field, inline validation, one column, group related fields | | Navigation | Current page highlighted, breadcrumbs for depth, max 7 top nav items | | Empty States | Explain why empty, provide clear next action, use illustration or icon | | Loading States | Skeleton screens over spinners, progress indicators, optimistic UI | ## Common Mistakes | Mistake | Correct Pattern | | --------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Designing based on personal preference instead of user research | Ground every design decision in user research, card sorting, or usability test data | | Skipping empty, loading, and error state designs | Design all states for every screen: default, loading, empty, error, and success | | Using placeholder text as form labels | Place labels above fields; placeholders disappear on input and fail accessibility | | Ignoring keyboard navigation and focus states | Test Tab order, visible focus indicators, and ARIA labels for all interactive elements | | Designing a single layout for all screen sizes | Create separate responsive layouts for mobile, tablet, and desktop breakpoints | | Not testing with real users before development | Conduct usability testing with 5+ participants on interactive prototypes | ## Delegation - **User research and testing**: Use `Task` agent to plan card sorting, tree testing, and usability test sessions - **Accessibility audit**: Use `Explore` agent to verify WCAG 2.2 AA compliance across all screens using automated tools - **Design system architecture**: Use `Plan` agent to define color scales, typography hierarchy, spacing grid, and component library structure ## References - [Design Process](references/design-process.md) -- 5-phase UX process, information architecture, user flows, wireframing, prototyping, and handoff - [Visual Design Fundamentals](references/visual-design.md) -- color theory, typography scales, spacing systems, visual hierarchy, dark mode, and responsive patterns - [Accessibility Guide](references/accessibility-guide.md) -- WCAG 2.2 AA compliance, keyboard navigation, screen readers, color contrast, and audit checklists - [Tools and Resources](references/tools-and-resources.md) -- design tools, prototyping platforms, testing services, and accessibility checkers
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.