@theproductguy/create-mission-control 1.0.3 → 1.0.5

package/src/template/design-system/.gemini/commands/impeccable/simplify.md

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+# COMMAND: Simplify
+**Description**: Strip designs to their essence by removing unnecessary complexity. Great design is simple, powerful, and clean.
+
+
+Remove unnecessary complexity from designs, revealing the essential elements and creating clarity through ruthless simplification.
+
+## MANDATORY PREPARATION
+
+### Context Gathering (Do This First)
+
+You cannot do a great job without having necessary context, such as target audience (critical), desired use-cases (critical), and understanding what's truly essential vs nice-to-have for this product.
+
+Attempt to gather these from the current thread or codebase.
+
+1. If you don't find *exact* information and have to infer from existing design and functionality, you MUST STOP and ask the user directly to clarify what you cannot infer. whether you got it right.
+2. Otherwise, if you can't fully infer or your level of confidence is medium or lower, you MUST ask the user directly to clarify what you cannot infer. clarifying questions first to complete your context.
+
+Do NOT proceed until you have answers. Simplifying the wrong things destroys usability.
+
+### Use frontend-design skill
+
+Use the frontend-design skill for design principles and anti-patterns. Do NOT proceed until it has executed and you know all DO's and DON'Ts.
+
+---
+
+## Assess Current State
+
+Analyze what makes the design feel complex or cluttered:
+
+1. **Identify complexity sources**:
+   - **Too many elements**: Competing buttons, redundant information, visual clutter
+   - **Excessive variation**: Too many colors, fonts, sizes, styles without purpose
+   - **Information overload**: Everything visible at once, no progressive disclosure
+   - **Visual noise**: Unnecessary borders, shadows, backgrounds, decorations
+   - **Confusing hierarchy**: Unclear what matters most
+   - **Feature creep**: Too many options, actions, or paths forward
+
+2. **Find the essence**:
+   - What's the primary user goal? (There should be ONE)
+   - What's actually necessary vs nice-to-have?
+   - What can be removed, hidden, or combined?
+   - What's the 20% that delivers 80% of value?
+
+If any of these are unclear from the codebase, ask the user directly to clarify what you cannot infer.
+
+**CRITICAL**: Simplicity is not about removing features - it's about removing obstacles between users and their goals. Every element should justify its existence.
+
+## Plan Simplification
+
+Create a ruthless editing strategy:
+
+- **Core purpose**: What's the ONE thing this should accomplish?
+- **Essential elements**: What's truly necessary to achieve that purpose?
+- **Progressive disclosure**: What can be hidden until needed?
+- **Consolidation opportunities**: What can be combined or integrated?
+
+**IMPORTANT**: Simplification is hard. It requires saying no to good ideas to make room for great execution. Be ruthless.
+
+## Simplify the Design
+
+Systematically remove complexity across these dimensions:
+
+### Information Architecture
+- **Reduce scope**: Remove secondary actions, optional features, redundant information
+- **Progressive disclosure**: Hide complexity behind clear entry points (accordions, modals, step-through flows)
+- **Combine related actions**: Merge similar buttons, consolidate forms, group related content
+- **Clear hierarchy**: ONE primary action, few secondary actions, everything else tertiary or hidden
+- **Remove redundancy**: If it's said elsewhere, don't repeat it here
+
+### Visual Simplification
+- **Reduce color palette**: Use 1-2 colors plus neutrals, not 5-7 colors
+- **Limit typography**: One font family, 3-4 sizes maximum, 2-3 weights
+- **Remove decorations**: Eliminate borders, shadows, backgrounds that don't serve hierarchy or function
+- **Flatten structure**: Reduce nesting, remove unnecessary containers—never nest cards inside cards
+- **Remove unnecessary cards**: Cards aren't needed for basic layout; use spacing and alignment instead
+- **Consistent spacing**: Use one spacing scale, remove arbitrary gaps
+
+### Layout Simplification
+- **Linear flow**: Replace complex grids with simple vertical flow where possible
+- **Remove sidebars**: Move secondary content inline or hide it
+- **Full-width**: Use available space generously instead of complex multi-column layouts
+- **Consistent alignment**: Pick left or center, stick with it
+- **Generous white space**: Let content breathe, don't pack everything tight
+
+### Interaction Simplification
+- **Reduce choices**: Fewer buttons, fewer options, clearer path forward (paradox of choice is real)
+- **Smart defaults**: Make common choices automatic, only ask when necessary
+- **Inline actions**: Replace modal flows with inline editing where possible
+- **Remove steps**: Can signup be one step instead of three? Can checkout be simplified?
+- **Clear CTAs**: ONE obvious next step, not five competing actions
+
+### Content Simplification
+- **Shorter copy**: Cut every sentence in half, then do it again
+- **Active voice**: "Save changes" not "Changes will be saved"
+- **Remove jargon**: Plain language always wins
+- **Scannable structure**: Short paragraphs, bullet points, clear headings
+- **Essential information only**: Remove marketing fluff, legalese, hedging
+- **Remove redundant copy**: No headers restating intros, no repeated explanations, say it once
+
+### Code Simplification
+- **Remove unused code**: Dead CSS, unused components, orphaned files
+- **Flatten component trees**: Reduce nesting depth
+- **Consolidate styles**: Merge similar styles, use utilities consistently
+- **Reduce variants**: Does that component need 12 variations, or can 3 cover 90% of cases?
+
+**NEVER**:
+- Remove necessary functionality (simplicity ≠ feature-less)
+- Sacrifice accessibility for simplicity (clear labels and ARIA still required)
+- Make things so simple they're unclear (mystery ≠ minimalism)
+- Remove information users need to make decisions
+- Eliminate hierarchy completely (some things should stand out)
+- Oversimplify complex domains (match complexity to actual task complexity)
+
+## Verify Simplification
+
+Ensure simplification improves usability:
+
+- **Faster task completion**: Can users accomplish goals more quickly?
+- **Reduced cognitive load**: Is it easier to understand what to do?
+- **Still complete**: Are all necessary features still accessible?
+- **Clearer hierarchy**: Is it obvious what matters most?
+- **Better performance**: Does simpler design load faster?
+
+## Document Removed Complexity
+
+If you removed features or options:
+- Document why they were removed
+- Consider if they need alternative access points
+- Note any user feedback to monitor
+
+Remember: You have great taste and judgment. Simplification is an act of confidence - knowing what to keep and courage to remove the rest. As Antoine de Saint-Exupéry said: "Perfection is achieved not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away."

package/src/template/design-system/.gemini/commands/impeccable/teach-impeccable.md

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+# COMMAND: Teach-impeccable
+**Description**: One-time setup that gathers design context for your project and saves it to your AI config file. Run once to establish persistent design guidelines.
+
+
+Gather design context for this project, then persist it for all future sessions.
+
+## Step 1: Explore the Codebase
+
+Before asking questions, thoroughly scan the project to discover what you can:
+
+- **README and docs**: Project purpose, target audience, any stated goals
+- **Package.json / config files**: Tech stack, dependencies, existing design libraries
+- **Existing components**: Current design patterns, spacing, typography in use
+- **Brand assets**: Logos, favicons, color values already defined
+- **Design tokens / CSS variables**: Existing color palettes, font stacks, spacing scales
+- **Any style guides or brand documentation**
+
+Note what you've learned and what remains unclear.
+
+## Step 2: Ask UX-Focused Questions
+
+ask the user directly to clarify what you cannot infer. Focus only on what you couldn't infer from the codebase:
+
+### Users & Purpose
+- Who uses this? What's their context when using it?
+- What job are they trying to get done?
+- What emotions should the interface evoke? (confidence, delight, calm, urgency, etc.)
+
+### Brand & Personality
+- How would you describe the brand personality in 3 words?
+- Any reference sites or apps that capture the right feel? What specifically about them?
+- What should this explicitly NOT look like? Any anti-references?
+
+### Aesthetic Preferences
+- Any strong preferences for visual direction? (minimal, bold, elegant, playful, technical, organic, etc.)
+- Light mode, dark mode, or both?
+- Any colors that must be used or avoided?
+
+### Accessibility & Inclusion
+- Specific accessibility requirements? (WCAG level, known user needs)
+- Considerations for reduced motion, color blindness, or other accommodations?
+
+Skip questions where the answer is already clear from the codebase exploration.
+
+## Step 3: Write Design Context
+
+Synthesize your findings and the user's answers into a `## Design Context` section:
+
+```markdown
+## Design Context
+
+### Users
+[Who they are, their context, the job to be done]
+
+### Brand Personality
+[Voice, tone, 3-word personality, emotional goals]
+
+### Aesthetic Direction
+[Visual tone, references, anti-references, theme]
+
+### Design Principles
+[3-5 principles derived from the conversation that should guide all design decisions]
+```
+
+Write this section to GEMINI.md in the project root. If the file exists, append or update the Design Context section.
+
+Confirm completion and summarize the key design principles that will now guide all future work.

package/src/template/design-system/.gemini/hooks/ai-slop-guard.md

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+# Hook: AI Slop Guard
+
+## Purpose
+Warn when code or design patterns that indicate generic AI-generated output are detected.
+
+## Trigger
+- PreToolUse: Before writing to CSS/TSX/HTML files
+- PreCommit: Before committing changes
+
+## Patterns to Watch For
+
+### Typography Slop
+- ⚠️ `font-family: 'Inter'` — Generic AI default font
+- ⚠️ `font-family: 'Roboto'` — Overused AI choice
+- ⚠️ `font-family: 'Open Sans'` — Too common
+- ⚠️ `font-family: 'Poppins'` — AI favorite
+
+### Color Slop
+- ⚠️ `#808080` or `gray` — Dead gray
+- ⚠️ `#cccccc`, `#dddddd` — Lifeless neutral
+- ⚠️ `#f5f5f5` — The AI background color
+- ⚠️ Pure `#000000` or `#ffffff` — No warmth
+- ⚠️ `#3b82f6` or `#2563eb` — Everyone's blue
+
+### Layout Slop
+- ⚠️ Cards in cards — Nested containers
+- ⚠️ Hero with centered h1 + subtitle + CTA — The AI template
+- ⚠️ 3-column feature grid — Overused pattern
+- ⚠️ Centered everything — Lazy alignment
+
+### Effect Slop
+- ⚠️ `backdrop-filter: blur(10px)` — Glassmorphism default
+- ⚠️ `border-radius: 12px` — The AI corner radius
+- ⚠️ `box-shadow: 0 4px 6px -1px rgba(0,0,0,0.1)` — Tailwind default
+
+### Animation Slop
+- ⚠️ `transition: all` — Lazy animation
+- ⚠️ `animate-bounce` — Generic micro-interaction
+- ⚠️ `animate-pulse` — Loading skeleton overuse
+
+### Copy Slop
+- ⚠️ "Streamline your workflow" — Generic SaaS copy
+- ⚠️ "Unlock the power of" — AI cliché
+- ⚠️ "Seamlessly integrate" — Meaningless buzzword
+- ⚠️ "Best-in-class" — Tells nothing
+
+## Response When Detected
+
+```
+⚠️ AI Slop Guard Warning
+
+Detected potentially generic AI patterns:
+- [Pattern name]: [File:Line]
+
+Consider:
+1. Running `/audit` to get specific recommendations
+2. Consulting the frontend-design skill for alternatives
+3. Using `/bolder` if design is too safe
+
+Continue anyway? [y/N]
+```
+
+## Configuration
+Users can customize in `.gemini/settings.json`:
+```json
+{
+  "hooks": {
+    "ai-slop-guard": {
+      "enabled": true,
+      "strictness": "medium",  // low, medium, high
+      "ignore": ["Inter"]      // Patterns to ignore
+    }
+  }
+}
+```
+
+## Notes
+- This is a warning, not a blocker
+- Some patterns are acceptable in context
+- The goal is awareness, not restriction

package/src/template/design-system/.gemini/hooks/on-design-complete.md

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+# Hook: On Design Complete
+
+## Purpose
+Automatically run quality checks when a design phase is completed.
+
+## Trigger
+After completing:
+- `/design-tokens`
+- `/design-shell`
+- `/design-screen`
+
+## Actions
+
+### 1. Run Auto-Audit
+Execute a mini-audit focusing on the just-completed work:
+
+**After `/design-tokens`:**
+- Check for AI slop fonts
+- Verify color hierarchy exists
+- Ensure contrast ratios meet WCAG AA
+- Validate color format consistency
+
+**After `/design-shell`:**
+- Check for AI slop layout patterns
+- Verify touch targets (44x44 minimum)
+- Check spacing consistency
+- Validate responsive breakpoints
+
+**After `/design-screen`:**
+- Full component audit
+- Accessibility check
+- Performance impact assessment
+
+### 2. Generate Report
+Save audit results to `design-system/QA/[phase]-audit.md`
+
+### 3. Suggest Next Steps
+Based on audit results:
+- If issues found: Suggest specific fix commands
+- If clean: Suggest next phase
+
+## Output Format
+
+```
+✅ Design phase completed!
+
+Auto-audit results:
+├── Accessibility: ✓ Pass
+├── Typography: ⚠️ 1 warning (consider font alternatives)
+├── Colors: ✓ Pass
+└── Layout: ✓ Pass
+
+Suggestions:
+- Run `/critique` for UX evaluation
+- Continue to `/design-shell` when ready
+
+Full report: design-system/QA/tokens-audit.md
+```
+
+## Notes
+- This hook runs automatically, no user action needed
+- Reports accumulate, so you can see progress over time
+- Hook can be disabled in settings if desired

package/src/template/design-system/.gemini/skills/frontend-design/SKILL.md

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+---
+name: frontend-design
+description: Create distinctive, production-grade frontend interfaces with high design quality. Use this skill when the user asks to build web components, pages, artifacts, posters, or applications. Generates creative, polished code that avoids generic AI aesthetics.
+---
+
+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](reference/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](reference/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](reference/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](reference/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](reference/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](reference/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](reference/ux-writing.md) for labels, errors, and empty states.*
+
+**DO**: Make every word earn its place
+**DON'T**: Repeat information users can already see
+
+---
+
+## 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.
+
+---
+
+## Implementation Principles
+
+Match implementation complexity to the aesthetic vision. Maximalist designs need elaborate code with extensive animations and effects. Minimalist or refined designs need restraint, precision, and careful attention to spacing, typography, and subtle details.
+
+Interpret creatively and make unexpected choices that feel genuinely designed for the context. No design should be the same. Vary between light and dark themes, different fonts, different aesthetics. NEVER converge on common choices across generations.
+
+Remember: Gemini is capable of extraordinary creative work. Don't hold back—show what can truly be created when thinking outside the box and committing fully to a distinctive vision.

package/src/template/design-system/.gemini/skills/frontend-design/reference/color-and-contrast.md

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+# Color & Contrast
+
+## Color Spaces: Use OKLCH
+
+**Stop using HSL.** Use OKLCH (or LCH) instead. It's perceptually uniform, meaning equal steps in lightness *look* equal—unlike HSL where 50% lightness in yellow looks bright while 50% in blue looks dark.
+
+```css
+/* OKLCH: lightness (0-100%), chroma (0-0.4+), hue (0-360) */
+--color-primary: oklch(60% 0.15 250);      /* Blue */
+--color-primary-light: oklch(85% 0.08 250); /* Same hue, lighter */
+--color-primary-dark: oklch(35% 0.12 250);  /* Same hue, darker */
+```
+
+**Key insight**: As you move toward white or black, reduce chroma (saturation). High chroma at extreme lightness looks garish. A light blue at 85% lightness needs ~0.08 chroma, not the 0.15 of your base color.
+
+## Building Functional Palettes
+
+### The Tinted Neutral Trap
+
+**Pure gray is dead.** Add a subtle hint of your brand hue to all neutrals:
+
+```css
+/* Dead grays */
+--gray-100: oklch(95% 0 0);     /* No personality */
+--gray-900: oklch(15% 0 0);
+
+/* Warm-tinted grays (add brand warmth) */
+--gray-100: oklch(95% 0.01 60);  /* Hint of warmth */
+--gray-900: oklch(15% 0.01 60);
+
+/* Cool-tinted grays (tech, professional) */
+--gray-100: oklch(95% 0.01 250); /* Hint of blue */
+--gray-900: oklch(15% 0.01 250);
+```
+
+The chroma is tiny (0.01) but perceptible. It creates subconscious cohesion between your brand color and your UI.
+
+### Palette Structure
+
+A complete system needs:
+
+| Role | Purpose | Example |
+|------|---------|---------|
+| **Primary** | Brand, CTAs, key actions | 1 color, 3-5 shades |
+| **Neutral** | Text, backgrounds, borders | 9-11 shade scale |
+| **Semantic** | Success, error, warning, info | 4 colors, 2-3 shades each |
+| **Surface** | Cards, modals, overlays | 2-3 elevation levels |
+
+**Skip secondary/tertiary unless you need them.** Most apps work fine with one accent color. Adding more creates decision fatigue and visual noise.
+
+### The 60-30-10 Rule (Applied Correctly)
+
+This rule is about **visual weight**, not pixel count:
+
+- **60%**: Neutral backgrounds, white space, base surfaces
+- **30%**: Secondary colors—text, borders, inactive states
+- **10%**: Accent—CTAs, highlights, focus states
+
+The common mistake: using the accent color everywhere because it's "the brand color." Accent colors work *because* they're rare. Overuse kills their power.
+
+## Contrast & Accessibility
+
+### WCAG Requirements
+
+| Content Type | AA Minimum | AAA Target |
+|--------------|------------|------------|
+| Body text | 4.5:1 | 7:1 |
+| Large text (18px+ or 14px bold) | 3:1 | 4.5:1 |
+| UI components, icons | 3:1 | 4.5:1 |
+| Non-essential decorations | None | None |
+
+**The gotcha**: Placeholder text still needs 4.5:1. That light gray placeholder you see everywhere? Usually fails WCAG.
+
+### Dangerous Color Combinations
+
+These commonly fail contrast or cause readability issues:
+
+- Light gray text on white (the #1 accessibility fail)
+- **Gray text on any colored background**—gray looks washed out and dead on color. Use a darker shade of the background color, or transparency
+- Red text on green background (or vice versa)—8% of men can't distinguish these
+- Blue text on red background (vibrates visually)
+- Yellow text on white (almost always fails)
+- Thin light text on images (unpredictable contrast)
+
+### Never Use Pure Gray or Pure Black
+
+Pure gray (`oklch(50% 0 0)`) and pure black (`#000`) don't exist in nature—real shadows and surfaces always have a color cast. Even a chroma of 0.005-0.01 is enough to feel natural without being obviously tinted. (See tinted neutrals example above.)
+
+### Testing
+
+Don't trust your eyes. Use tools:
+
+- [WebAIM Contrast Checker](https://webaim.org/resources/contrastchecker/)
+- Browser DevTools → Rendering → Emulate vision deficiencies
+- [Polypane](https://polypane.app/) for real-time testing
+
+## Theming: Light & Dark Mode
+
+### Dark Mode Is Not Inverted Light Mode
+
+You can't just swap colors. Dark mode requires different design decisions:
+
+| Light Mode | Dark Mode |
+|------------|-----------|
+| Shadows for depth | Lighter surfaces for depth (no shadows) |
+| Dark text on light | Light text on dark (reduce font weight) |
+| Vibrant accents | Desaturate accents slightly |
+| White backgrounds | Never pure black—use dark gray (oklch 12-18%) |
+
+```css
+/* Dark mode depth via surface color, not shadow */
+:root[data-theme="dark"] {
+  --surface-1: oklch(15% 0.01 250);
+  --surface-2: oklch(20% 0.01 250);  /* "Higher" = lighter */
+  --surface-3: oklch(25% 0.01 250);
+
+  /* Reduce text weight slightly */
+  --body-weight: 350;  /* Instead of 400 */
+}
+```
+
+### Token Hierarchy
+
+Use two layers: primitive tokens (`--blue-500`) and semantic tokens (`--color-primary: var(--blue-500)`). For dark mode, only redefine the semantic layer—primitives stay the same.
+
+## Alpha Is A Design Smell
+
+Heavy use of transparency (rgba, hsla) usually means an incomplete palette. Alpha creates unpredictable contrast, performance overhead, and inconsistency. Define explicit overlay colors for each context instead. Exception: focus rings and interactive states where see-through is needed.
+
+---
+
+**Avoid**: Relying on color alone to convey information. Creating palettes without clear roles for each color. Using pure black (#000) for large areas. Skipping color blindness testing (8% of men affected).