learnship 1.9.0

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Files changed (171) hide show
  1. package/.claude-plugin/plugin.json +26 -0
  2. package/.cursor-plugin/plugin.json +26 -0
  3. package/LICENSE +21 -0
  4. package/README.md +791 -0
  5. package/SKILL.md +86 -0
  6. package/agents/debugger.md +102 -0
  7. package/agents/executor.md +115 -0
  8. package/agents/learnship-debugger.md +146 -0
  9. package/agents/learnship-executor.md +155 -0
  10. package/agents/learnship-phase-researcher.md +128 -0
  11. package/agents/learnship-plan-checker.md +119 -0
  12. package/agents/learnship-planner.md +146 -0
  13. package/agents/learnship-verifier.md +157 -0
  14. package/agents/planner.md +109 -0
  15. package/agents/researcher.md +80 -0
  16. package/agents/verifier.md +114 -0
  17. package/bin/install.js +1242 -0
  18. package/bin/learnship.js +56 -0
  19. package/commands/learnship/add-phase.md +22 -0
  20. package/commands/learnship/add-tests.md +24 -0
  21. package/commands/learnship/add-todo.md +21 -0
  22. package/commands/learnship/audit-milestone.md +21 -0
  23. package/commands/learnship/check-todos.md +22 -0
  24. package/commands/learnship/cleanup.md +22 -0
  25. package/commands/learnship/complete-milestone.md +22 -0
  26. package/commands/learnship/debug.md +27 -0
  27. package/commands/learnship/decision-log.md +22 -0
  28. package/commands/learnship/diagnose-issues.md +23 -0
  29. package/commands/learnship/discovery-phase.md +24 -0
  30. package/commands/learnship/discuss-milestone.md +23 -0
  31. package/commands/learnship/discuss-phase.md +23 -0
  32. package/commands/learnship/execute-phase.md +27 -0
  33. package/commands/learnship/execute-plan.md +26 -0
  34. package/commands/learnship/health.md +20 -0
  35. package/commands/learnship/help.md +19 -0
  36. package/commands/learnship/insert-phase.md +22 -0
  37. package/commands/learnship/knowledge-base.md +21 -0
  38. package/commands/learnship/list-phase-assumptions.md +21 -0
  39. package/commands/learnship/ls.md +20 -0
  40. package/commands/learnship/map-codebase.md +23 -0
  41. package/commands/learnship/milestone-retrospective.md +21 -0
  42. package/commands/learnship/new-milestone.md +23 -0
  43. package/commands/learnship/new-project.md +24 -0
  44. package/commands/learnship/next.md +22 -0
  45. package/commands/learnship/pause-work.md +21 -0
  46. package/commands/learnship/plan-milestone-gaps.md +22 -0
  47. package/commands/learnship/plan-phase.md +24 -0
  48. package/commands/learnship/progress.md +20 -0
  49. package/commands/learnship/quick.md +27 -0
  50. package/commands/learnship/reapply-patches.md +21 -0
  51. package/commands/learnship/release.md +21 -0
  52. package/commands/learnship/remove-phase.md +23 -0
  53. package/commands/learnship/research-phase.md +23 -0
  54. package/commands/learnship/resume-work.md +21 -0
  55. package/commands/learnship/set-profile.md +21 -0
  56. package/commands/learnship/settings.md +21 -0
  57. package/commands/learnship/transition.md +21 -0
  58. package/commands/learnship/update.md +21 -0
  59. package/commands/learnship/validate-phase.md +22 -0
  60. package/commands/learnship/verify-work.md +23 -0
  61. package/cursor-rules/learnship.mdc +60 -0
  62. package/gemini-extension.json +10 -0
  63. package/hooks/hooks-claude.json +15 -0
  64. package/hooks/hooks-cursor.json +10 -0
  65. package/hooks/session-start +43 -0
  66. package/install.sh +254 -0
  67. package/learnship/references/design-commands.md +119 -0
  68. package/learnship/references/git-integration.md +249 -0
  69. package/learnship/references/learning-design.md +142 -0
  70. package/learnship/references/model-profiles.md +90 -0
  71. package/learnship/references/planning-config.md +184 -0
  72. package/learnship/references/questioning.md +162 -0
  73. package/learnship/references/ui-brand.md +160 -0
  74. package/learnship/references/verification-patterns.md +608 -0
  75. package/learnship/templates/agents.md +166 -0
  76. package/learnship/templates/context.md +72 -0
  77. package/learnship/templates/plan.md +202 -0
  78. package/learnship/templates/project.md +184 -0
  79. package/learnship/templates/requirements.md +231 -0
  80. package/learnship/templates/state.md +176 -0
  81. package/learnship/templates/uat.md +80 -0
  82. package/learnship/workflows/add-phase.md +84 -0
  83. package/learnship/workflows/add-tests.md +191 -0
  84. package/learnship/workflows/add-todo.md +108 -0
  85. package/learnship/workflows/audit-milestone.md +178 -0
  86. package/learnship/workflows/check-todos.md +138 -0
  87. package/learnship/workflows/cleanup.md +107 -0
  88. package/learnship/workflows/complete-milestone.md +191 -0
  89. package/learnship/workflows/debug.md +245 -0
  90. package/learnship/workflows/decision-log.md +131 -0
  91. package/learnship/workflows/diagnose-issues.md +145 -0
  92. package/learnship/workflows/discovery-phase.md +183 -0
  93. package/learnship/workflows/discuss-milestone.md +136 -0
  94. package/learnship/workflows/discuss-phase.md +244 -0
  95. package/learnship/workflows/execute-phase.md +345 -0
  96. package/learnship/workflows/execute-plan.md +149 -0
  97. package/learnship/workflows/health.md +171 -0
  98. package/learnship/workflows/help.md +153 -0
  99. package/learnship/workflows/insert-phase.md +106 -0
  100. package/learnship/workflows/knowledge-base.md +168 -0
  101. package/learnship/workflows/list-phase-assumptions.md +129 -0
  102. package/learnship/workflows/ls.md +145 -0
  103. package/learnship/workflows/map-codebase.md +142 -0
  104. package/learnship/workflows/milestone-retrospective.md +178 -0
  105. package/learnship/workflows/new-milestone.md +200 -0
  106. package/learnship/workflows/new-project.md +340 -0
  107. package/learnship/workflows/next.md +100 -0
  108. package/learnship/workflows/pause-work.md +122 -0
  109. package/learnship/workflows/plan-milestone-gaps.md +160 -0
  110. package/learnship/workflows/plan-phase.md +288 -0
  111. package/learnship/workflows/progress.md +118 -0
  112. package/learnship/workflows/quick.md +256 -0
  113. package/learnship/workflows/reapply-patches.md +130 -0
  114. package/learnship/workflows/release.md +217 -0
  115. package/learnship/workflows/remove-phase.md +128 -0
  116. package/learnship/workflows/research-phase.md +137 -0
  117. package/learnship/workflows/resume-work.md +162 -0
  118. package/learnship/workflows/set-profile.md +78 -0
  119. package/learnship/workflows/settings.md +204 -0
  120. package/learnship/workflows/sync-upstream-skills.md +269 -0
  121. package/learnship/workflows/transition.md +165 -0
  122. package/learnship/workflows/update.md +166 -0
  123. package/learnship/workflows/validate-phase.md +174 -0
  124. package/learnship/workflows/verify-work.md +264 -0
  125. package/package.json +62 -0
  126. package/references/design-commands.md +119 -0
  127. package/references/git-integration.md +249 -0
  128. package/references/learning-design.md +142 -0
  129. package/references/model-profiles.md +90 -0
  130. package/references/planning-config.md +184 -0
  131. package/references/questioning.md +162 -0
  132. package/references/ui-brand.md +160 -0
  133. package/references/verification-patterns.md +608 -0
  134. package/skills/agentic-learning/SKILL.md +373 -0
  135. package/skills/agentic-learning/references/either-or-format.md +161 -0
  136. package/skills/agentic-learning/references/learning-science.md +190 -0
  137. package/skills/agentic-learning/references/struggle-ladder.md +140 -0
  138. package/skills/impeccable/SKILL.md +125 -0
  139. package/skills/impeccable/adapt/SKILL.md +199 -0
  140. package/skills/impeccable/animate/SKILL.md +190 -0
  141. package/skills/impeccable/audit/SKILL.md +129 -0
  142. package/skills/impeccable/bolder/SKILL.md +132 -0
  143. package/skills/impeccable/clarify/SKILL.md +180 -0
  144. package/skills/impeccable/colorize/SKILL.md +158 -0
  145. package/skills/impeccable/critique/SKILL.md +118 -0
  146. package/skills/impeccable/delight/SKILL.md +317 -0
  147. package/skills/impeccable/distill/SKILL.md +137 -0
  148. package/skills/impeccable/extract/SKILL.md +95 -0
  149. package/skills/impeccable/frontend-design/SKILL.md +127 -0
  150. package/skills/impeccable/frontend-design/reference/color-and-contrast.md +132 -0
  151. package/skills/impeccable/frontend-design/reference/interaction-design.md +123 -0
  152. package/skills/impeccable/frontend-design/reference/motion-design.md +99 -0
  153. package/skills/impeccable/frontend-design/reference/responsive-design.md +114 -0
  154. package/skills/impeccable/frontend-design/reference/spatial-design.md +100 -0
  155. package/skills/impeccable/frontend-design/reference/typography.md +131 -0
  156. package/skills/impeccable/frontend-design/reference/ux-writing.md +107 -0
  157. package/skills/impeccable/harden/SKILL.md +358 -0
  158. package/skills/impeccable/normalize/SKILL.md +67 -0
  159. package/skills/impeccable/onboard/SKILL.md +243 -0
  160. package/skills/impeccable/optimize/SKILL.md +269 -0
  161. package/skills/impeccable/polish/SKILL.md +202 -0
  162. package/skills/impeccable/quieter/SKILL.md +118 -0
  163. package/skills/impeccable/teach-impeccable/SKILL.md +69 -0
  164. package/templates/agents.md +166 -0
  165. package/templates/config.json +22 -0
  166. package/templates/context.md +72 -0
  167. package/templates/plan.md +202 -0
  168. package/templates/project.md +184 -0
  169. package/templates/requirements.md +231 -0
  170. package/templates/state.md +176 -0
  171. package/templates/uat.md +80 -0
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+ ---
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+ name: distill
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+ description: Strip designs to their essence by removing unnecessary complexity. Great design is simple, powerful, and clean.
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+ args:
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+ - name: target
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+ description: The feature or component to distill (optional)
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+ required: false
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+ user-invokable: true
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+ ---
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+
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+ Remove unnecessary complexity from designs, revealing the essential elements and creating clarity through ruthless simplification.
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+
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+ ## MANDATORY PREPARATION
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+
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+ ### Context Gathering (Do This First)
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+
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+ 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.
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+
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+ Attempt to gather these from the current thread or codebase.
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+
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+ 1. If you don't find *exact* information and have to infer from existing design and functionality, you MUST STOP and Ask the user: whether you got it right.
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+ 2. Otherwise, if you can't fully infer or your level of confidence is medium or lower, you MUST Ask the user: clarifying questions first to complete your context.
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+
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+ Do NOT proceed until you have answers. Simplifying the wrong things destroys usability.
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+
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+ ### Use frontend-design skill
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+
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+ 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.
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+
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+ ---
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+
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+ ## Assess Current State
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+
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+ Analyze what makes the design feel complex or cluttered:
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+
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+ 1. **Identify complexity sources**:
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+ - **Too many elements**: Competing buttons, redundant information, visual clutter
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+ - **Excessive variation**: Too many colors, fonts, sizes, styles without purpose
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+ - **Information overload**: Everything visible at once, no progressive disclosure
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+ - **Visual noise**: Unnecessary borders, shadows, backgrounds, decorations
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+ - **Confusing hierarchy**: Unclear what matters most
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+ - **Feature creep**: Too many options, actions, or paths forward
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+
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+ 2. **Find the essence**:
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+ - What's the primary user goal? (There should be ONE)
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+ - What's actually necessary vs nice-to-have?
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+ - What can be removed, hidden, or combined?
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+ - What's the 20% that delivers 80% of value?
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+
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+ If any of these are unclear from the codebase, Ask the user:
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+
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+ **CRITICAL**: Simplicity is not about removing features - it's about removing obstacles between users and their goals. Every element should justify its existence.
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+
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+ ## Plan Simplification
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+
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+ Create a ruthless editing strategy:
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+
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+ - **Core purpose**: What's the ONE thing this should accomplish?
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+ - **Essential elements**: What's truly necessary to achieve that purpose?
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+ - **Progressive disclosure**: What can be hidden until needed?
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+ - **Consolidation opportunities**: What can be combined or integrated?
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+
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+ **IMPORTANT**: Simplification is hard. It requires saying no to good ideas to make room for great execution. Be ruthless.
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+
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+ ## Simplify the Design
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+
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+ Systematically remove complexity across these dimensions:
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+
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+ ### Information Architecture
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+ - **Reduce scope**: Remove secondary actions, optional features, redundant information
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+ - **Progressive disclosure**: Hide complexity behind clear entry points (accordions, modals, step-through flows)
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+ - **Combine related actions**: Merge similar buttons, consolidate forms, group related content
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+ - **Clear hierarchy**: ONE primary action, few secondary actions, everything else tertiary or hidden
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+ - **Remove redundancy**: If it's said elsewhere, don't repeat it here
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+
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+ ### Visual Simplification
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+ - **Reduce color palette**: Use 1-2 colors plus neutrals, not 5-7 colors
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+ - **Limit typography**: One font family, 3-4 sizes maximum, 2-3 weights
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+ - **Remove decorations**: Eliminate borders, shadows, backgrounds that don't serve hierarchy or function
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+ - **Flatten structure**: Reduce nesting, remove unnecessary containers—never nest cards inside cards
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+ - **Remove unnecessary cards**: Cards aren't needed for basic layout; use spacing and alignment instead
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+ - **Consistent spacing**: Use one spacing scale, remove arbitrary gaps
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+
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+ ### Layout Simplification
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+ - **Linear flow**: Replace complex grids with simple vertical flow where possible
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+ - **Remove sidebars**: Move secondary content inline or hide it
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+ - **Full-width**: Use available space generously instead of complex multi-column layouts
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+ - **Consistent alignment**: Pick left or center, stick with it
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+ - **Generous white space**: Let content breathe, don't pack everything tight
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+
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+ ### Interaction Simplification
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+ - **Reduce choices**: Fewer buttons, fewer options, clearer path forward (paradox of choice is real)
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+ - **Smart defaults**: Make common choices automatic, only ask when necessary
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+ - **Inline actions**: Replace modal flows with inline editing where possible
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+ - **Remove steps**: Can signup be one step instead of three? Can checkout be simplified?
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+ - **Clear CTAs**: ONE obvious next step, not five competing actions
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+
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+ ### Content Simplification
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+ - **Shorter copy**: Cut every sentence in half, then do it again
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+ - **Active voice**: "Save changes" not "Changes will be saved"
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+ - **Remove jargon**: Plain language always wins
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+ - **Scannable structure**: Short paragraphs, bullet points, clear headings
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+ - **Essential information only**: Remove marketing fluff, legalese, hedging
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+ - **Remove redundant copy**: No headers restating intros, no repeated explanations, say it once
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+
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+ ### Code Simplification
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+ - **Remove unused code**: Dead CSS, unused components, orphaned files
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+ - **Flatten component trees**: Reduce nesting depth
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+ - **Consolidate styles**: Merge similar styles, use utilities consistently
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+ - **Reduce variants**: Does that component need 12 variations, or can 3 cover 90% of cases?
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+
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+ **NEVER**:
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+ - Remove necessary functionality (simplicity ≠ feature-less)
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+ - Sacrifice accessibility for simplicity (clear labels and ARIA still required)
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+ - Make things so simple they're unclear (mystery ≠ minimalism)
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+ - Remove information users need to make decisions
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+ - Eliminate hierarchy completely (some things should stand out)
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+ - Oversimplify complex domains (match complexity to actual task complexity)
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+
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+ ## Verify Simplification
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+
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+ Ensure simplification improves usability:
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+
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+ - **Faster task completion**: Can users accomplish goals more quickly?
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+ - **Reduced cognitive load**: Is it easier to understand what to do?
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+ - **Still complete**: Are all necessary features still accessible?
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+ - **Clearer hierarchy**: Is it obvious what matters most?
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+ - **Better performance**: Does simpler design load faster?
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+
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+ ## Document Removed Complexity
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+
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+ If you removed features or options:
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+ - Document why they were removed
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+ - Consider if they need alternative access points
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+ - Note any user feedback to monitor
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+
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+ 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."
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+ ---
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+ name: extract
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+ description: Extract and consolidate reusable components, design tokens, and patterns into your design system. Identifies opportunities for systematic reuse and enriches your component library.
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+ args:
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+ - name: target
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+ description: The feature, component, or area to extract from (optional)
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+ required: false
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+ user-invokable: true
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+ ---
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+
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+ Identify reusable patterns, components, and design tokens, then extract and consolidate them into the design system for systematic reuse.
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+
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+ ## Discover
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+
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+ Analyze the target area to identify extraction opportunities:
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+
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+ 1. **Find the design system**: Locate your design system, component library, or shared UI directory (grep for "design system", "ui", "components", etc.). Understand its structure:
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+ - Component organization and naming conventions
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+ - Design token structure (if any)
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+ - Documentation patterns
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+ - Import/export conventions
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+
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+ **CRITICAL**: If no design system exists, ask before creating one. Understand the preferred location and structure first.
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+
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+ 2. **Identify patterns**: Look for:
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+ - **Repeated components**: Similar UI patterns used multiple times (buttons, cards, inputs, etc.)
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+ - **Hard-coded values**: Colors, spacing, typography, shadows that should be tokens
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+ - **Inconsistent variations**: Multiple implementations of the same concept (3 different button styles)
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+ - **Reusable patterns**: Layout patterns, composition patterns, interaction patterns worth systematizing
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+
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+ 3. **Assess value**: Not everything should be extracted. Consider:
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+ - Is this used 3+ times, or likely to be reused?
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+ - Would systematizing this improve consistency?
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+ - Is this a general pattern or context-specific?
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+ - What's the maintenance cost vs benefit?
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+
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+ ## Plan Extraction
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+
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+ Create a systematic extraction plan:
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+
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+ - **Components to extract**: Which UI elements become reusable components?
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+ - **Tokens to create**: Which hard-coded values become design tokens?
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+ - **Variants to support**: What variations does each component need?
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+ - **Naming conventions**: Component names, token names, prop names that match existing patterns
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+ - **Migration path**: How to refactor existing uses to consume the new shared versions
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+
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+ **IMPORTANT**: Design systems grow incrementally. Extract what's clearly reusable now, not everything that might someday be reusable.
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+
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+ ## Extract & Enrich
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+
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+ Build improved, reusable versions:
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+
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+ - **Components**: Create well-designed components with:
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+ - Clear props API with sensible defaults
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+ - Proper variants for different use cases
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+ - Accessibility built in (ARIA, keyboard navigation, focus management)
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+ - Documentation and usage examples
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+
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+ - **Design tokens**: Create tokens with:
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+ - Clear naming (primitive vs semantic)
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+ - Proper hierarchy and organization
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+ - Documentation of when to use each token
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+
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+ - **Patterns**: Document patterns with:
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+ - When to use this pattern
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+ - Code examples
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+ - Variations and combinations
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+
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+ **NEVER**:
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+ - Extract one-off, context-specific implementations without generalization
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+ - Create components so generic they're useless
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+ - Extract without considering existing design system conventions
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+ - Skip proper TypeScript types or prop documentation
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+ - Create tokens for every single value (tokens should have semantic meaning)
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+
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+ ## Migrate
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+
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+ Replace existing uses with the new shared versions:
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+
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+ - **Find all instances**: Search for the patterns you've extracted
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+ - **Replace systematically**: Update each use to consume the shared version
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+ - **Test thoroughly**: Ensure visual and functional parity
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+ - **Delete dead code**: Remove the old implementations
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+
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+ ## Document
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+
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+ Update design system documentation:
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+
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+ - Add new components to the component library
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+ - Document token usage and values
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+ - Add examples and guidelines
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+ - Update any Storybook or component catalog
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+
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+ Remember: A good design system is a living system. Extract patterns as they emerge, enrich them thoughtfully, and maintain them consistently.
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+
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+ ---
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+ name: frontend-design
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+ 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.
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+ license: Apache 2.0. Based on Anthropic's frontend-design skill. See NOTICE.md for attribution.
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+ ---
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+
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+ 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.
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+
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+ ## Design Direction
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+
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+ Commit to a BOLD aesthetic direction:
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+ - **Purpose**: What problem does this interface solve? Who uses it?
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+ - **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.
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+ - **Constraints**: Technical requirements (framework, performance, accessibility).
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+ - **Differentiation**: What makes this UNFORGETTABLE? What's the one thing someone will remember?
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+
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+ **CRITICAL**: Choose a clear conceptual direction and execute it with precision. Bold maximalism and refined minimalism both work—the key is intentionality, not intensity.
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+
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+ Then implement working code that is:
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+ - Production-grade and functional
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+ - Visually striking and memorable
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+ - Cohesive with a clear aesthetic point-of-view
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+ - Meticulously refined in every detail
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+
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+ ## Frontend Aesthetics Guidelines
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+
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+ ### Typography
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+ → *Consult [typography reference](reference/typography.md) for scales, pairing, and loading strategies.*
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+
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+ Choose fonts that are beautiful, unique, and interesting. Pair a distinctive display font with a refined body font.
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+
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+ **DO**: Use a modular type scale with fluid sizing (clamp)
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+ **DO**: Vary font weights and sizes to create clear visual hierarchy
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+ **DON'T**: Use overused fonts—Inter, Roboto, Arial, Open Sans, system defaults
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+ **DON'T**: Use monospace typography as lazy shorthand for "technical/developer" vibes
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+ **DON'T**: Put large icons with rounded corners above every heading—they rarely add value and make sites look templated
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+
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+ ### Color & Theme
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+ → *Consult [color reference](reference/color-and-contrast.md) for OKLCH, palettes, and dark mode.*
40
+
41
+ Commit to a cohesive palette. Dominant colors with sharp accents outperform timid, evenly-distributed palettes.
42
+
43
+ **DO**: Use modern CSS color functions (oklch, color-mix, light-dark) for perceptually uniform, maintainable palettes
44
+ **DO**: Tint your neutrals toward your brand hue—even a subtle hint creates subconscious cohesion
45
+ **DON'T**: Use gray text on colored backgrounds—it looks washed out; use a shade of the background color instead
46
+ **DON'T**: Use pure black (#000) or pure white (#fff)—always tint; pure black/white never appears in nature
47
+ **DON'T**: Use the AI color palette: cyan-on-dark, purple-to-blue gradients, neon accents on dark backgrounds
48
+ **DON'T**: Use gradient text for "impact"—especially on metrics or headings; it's decorative rather than meaningful
49
+ **DON'T**: Default to dark mode with glowing accents—it looks "cool" without requiring actual design decisions
50
+
51
+ ### Layout & Space
52
+ → *Consult [spatial reference](reference/spatial-design.md) for grids, rhythm, and container queries.*
53
+
54
+ Create visual rhythm through varied spacing—not the same padding everywhere. Embrace asymmetry and unexpected compositions. Break the grid intentionally for emphasis.
55
+
56
+ **DO**: Create visual rhythm through varied spacing—tight groupings, generous separations
57
+ **DO**: Use fluid spacing with clamp() that breathes on larger screens
58
+ **DO**: Use asymmetry and unexpected compositions; break the grid intentionally for emphasis
59
+ **DON'T**: Wrap everything in cards—not everything needs a container
60
+ **DON'T**: Nest cards inside cards—visual noise, flatten the hierarchy
61
+ **DON'T**: Use identical card grids—same-sized cards with icon + heading + text, repeated endlessly
62
+ **DON'T**: Use the hero metric layout template—big number, small label, supporting stats, gradient accent
63
+ **DON'T**: Center everything—left-aligned text with asymmetric layouts feels more designed
64
+ **DON'T**: Use the same spacing everywhere—without rhythm, layouts feel monotonous
65
+
66
+ ### Visual Details
67
+ **DO**: Use intentional, purposeful decorative elements that reinforce brand
68
+ **DON'T**: Use glassmorphism everywhere—blur effects, glass cards, glow borders used decoratively rather than purposefully
69
+ **DON'T**: Use rounded elements with thick colored border on one side—a lazy accent that almost never looks intentional
70
+ **DON'T**: Use sparklines as decoration—tiny charts that look sophisticated but convey nothing meaningful
71
+ **DON'T**: Use rounded rectangles with generic drop shadows—safe, forgettable, could be any AI output
72
+ **DON'T**: Use modals unless there's truly no better alternative—modals are lazy
73
+
74
+ ### Motion
75
+ → *Consult [motion reference](reference/motion-design.md) for timing, easing, and reduced motion.*
76
+
77
+ Focus on high-impact moments: one well-orchestrated page load with staggered reveals creates more delight than scattered micro-interactions.
78
+
79
+ **DO**: Use motion to convey state changes—entrances, exits, feedback
80
+ **DO**: Use exponential easing (ease-out-quart/quint/expo) for natural deceleration
81
+ **DO**: For height animations, use grid-template-rows transitions instead of animating height directly
82
+ **DON'T**: Animate layout properties (width, height, padding, margin)—use transform and opacity only
83
+ **DON'T**: Use bounce or elastic easing—they feel dated and tacky; real objects decelerate smoothly
84
+
85
+ ### Interaction
86
+ → *Consult [interaction reference](reference/interaction-design.md) for forms, focus, and loading patterns.*
87
+
88
+ Make interactions feel fast. Use optimistic UI—update immediately, sync later.
89
+
90
+ **DO**: Use progressive disclosure—start simple, reveal sophistication through interaction (basic options first, advanced behind expandable sections; hover states that reveal secondary actions)
91
+ **DO**: Design empty states that teach the interface, not just say "nothing here"
92
+ **DO**: Make every interactive surface feel intentional and responsive
93
+ **DON'T**: Repeat the same information—redundant headers, intros that restate the heading
94
+ **DON'T**: Make every button primary—use ghost buttons, text links, secondary styles; hierarchy matters
95
+
96
+ ### Responsive
97
+ → *Consult [responsive reference](reference/responsive-design.md) for mobile-first, fluid design, and container queries.*
98
+
99
+ **DO**: Use container queries (@container) for component-level responsiveness
100
+ **DO**: Adapt the interface for different contexts—don't just shrink it
101
+ **DON'T**: Hide critical functionality on mobile—adapt the interface, don't amputate it
102
+
103
+ ### UX Writing
104
+ → *Consult [ux-writing reference](reference/ux-writing.md) for labels, errors, and empty states.*
105
+
106
+ **DO**: Make every word earn its place
107
+ **DON'T**: Repeat information users can already see
108
+
109
+ ---
110
+
111
+ ## The AI Slop Test
112
+
113
+ **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.
114
+
115
+ A distinctive interface should make someone ask "how was this made?" not "which AI made this?"
116
+
117
+ Review the DON'T guidelines above—they are the fingerprints of AI-generated work from 2024-2025.
118
+
119
+ ---
120
+
121
+ ## Implementation Principles
122
+
123
+ 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.
124
+
125
+ 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.
126
+
127
+ Remember: Cascade 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.
@@ -0,0 +1,132 @@
1
+ # Color & Contrast
2
+
3
+ ## Color Spaces: Use OKLCH
4
+
5
+ **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.
6
+
7
+ ```css
8
+ /* OKLCH: lightness (0-100%), chroma (0-0.4+), hue (0-360) */
9
+ --color-primary: oklch(60% 0.15 250); /* Blue */
10
+ --color-primary-light: oklch(85% 0.08 250); /* Same hue, lighter */
11
+ --color-primary-dark: oklch(35% 0.12 250); /* Same hue, darker */
12
+ ```
13
+
14
+ **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.
15
+
16
+ ## Building Functional Palettes
17
+
18
+ ### The Tinted Neutral Trap
19
+
20
+ **Pure gray is dead.** Add a subtle hint of your brand hue to all neutrals:
21
+
22
+ ```css
23
+ /* Dead grays */
24
+ --gray-100: oklch(95% 0 0); /* No personality */
25
+ --gray-900: oklch(15% 0 0);
26
+
27
+ /* Warm-tinted grays (add brand warmth) */
28
+ --gray-100: oklch(95% 0.01 60); /* Hint of warmth */
29
+ --gray-900: oklch(15% 0.01 60);
30
+
31
+ /* Cool-tinted grays (tech, professional) */
32
+ --gray-100: oklch(95% 0.01 250); /* Hint of blue */
33
+ --gray-900: oklch(15% 0.01 250);
34
+ ```
35
+
36
+ The chroma is tiny (0.01) but perceptible. It creates subconscious cohesion between your brand color and your UI.
37
+
38
+ ### Palette Structure
39
+
40
+ A complete system needs:
41
+
42
+ | Role | Purpose | Example |
43
+ |------|---------|---------|
44
+ | **Primary** | Brand, CTAs, key actions | 1 color, 3-5 shades |
45
+ | **Neutral** | Text, backgrounds, borders | 9-11 shade scale |
46
+ | **Semantic** | Success, error, warning, info | 4 colors, 2-3 shades each |
47
+ | **Surface** | Cards, modals, overlays | 2-3 elevation levels |
48
+
49
+ **Skip secondary/tertiary unless you need them.** Most apps work fine with one accent color. Adding more creates decision fatigue and visual noise.
50
+
51
+ ### The 60-30-10 Rule (Applied Correctly)
52
+
53
+ This rule is about **visual weight**, not pixel count:
54
+
55
+ - **60%**: Neutral backgrounds, white space, base surfaces
56
+ - **30%**: Secondary colors—text, borders, inactive states
57
+ - **10%**: Accent—CTAs, highlights, focus states
58
+
59
+ 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.
60
+
61
+ ## Contrast & Accessibility
62
+
63
+ ### WCAG Requirements
64
+
65
+ | Content Type | AA Minimum | AAA Target |
66
+ |--------------|------------|------------|
67
+ | Body text | 4.5:1 | 7:1 |
68
+ | Large text (18px+ or 14px bold) | 3:1 | 4.5:1 |
69
+ | UI components, icons | 3:1 | 4.5:1 |
70
+ | Non-essential decorations | None | None |
71
+
72
+ **The gotcha**: Placeholder text still needs 4.5:1. That light gray placeholder you see everywhere? Usually fails WCAG.
73
+
74
+ ### Dangerous Color Combinations
75
+
76
+ These commonly fail contrast or cause readability issues:
77
+
78
+ - Light gray text on white (the #1 accessibility fail)
79
+ - **Gray text on any colored background**—gray looks washed out and dead on color. Use a darker shade of the background color, or transparency
80
+ - Red text on green background (or vice versa)—8% of men can't distinguish these
81
+ - Blue text on red background (vibrates visually)
82
+ - Yellow text on white (almost always fails)
83
+ - Thin light text on images (unpredictable contrast)
84
+
85
+ ### Never Use Pure Gray or Pure Black
86
+
87
+ 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.)
88
+
89
+ ### Testing
90
+
91
+ Don't trust your eyes. Use tools:
92
+
93
+ - [WebAIM Contrast Checker](https://webaim.org/resources/contrastchecker/)
94
+ - Browser DevTools → Rendering → Emulate vision deficiencies
95
+ - [Polypane](https://polypane.app/) for real-time testing
96
+
97
+ ## Theming: Light & Dark Mode
98
+
99
+ ### Dark Mode Is Not Inverted Light Mode
100
+
101
+ You can't just swap colors. Dark mode requires different design decisions:
102
+
103
+ | Light Mode | Dark Mode |
104
+ |------------|-----------|
105
+ | Shadows for depth | Lighter surfaces for depth (no shadows) |
106
+ | Dark text on light | Light text on dark (reduce font weight) |
107
+ | Vibrant accents | Desaturate accents slightly |
108
+ | White backgrounds | Never pure black—use dark gray (oklch 12-18%) |
109
+
110
+ ```css
111
+ /* Dark mode depth via surface color, not shadow */
112
+ :root[data-theme="dark"] {
113
+ --surface-1: oklch(15% 0.01 250);
114
+ --surface-2: oklch(20% 0.01 250); /* "Higher" = lighter */
115
+ --surface-3: oklch(25% 0.01 250);
116
+
117
+ /* Reduce text weight slightly */
118
+ --body-weight: 350; /* Instead of 400 */
119
+ }
120
+ ```
121
+
122
+ ### Token Hierarchy
123
+
124
+ 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.
125
+
126
+ ## Alpha Is A Design Smell
127
+
128
+ 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.
129
+
130
+ ---
131
+
132
+ **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).
@@ -0,0 +1,123 @@
1
+ # Interaction Design
2
+
3
+ ## The Eight Interactive States
4
+
5
+ Every interactive element needs these states designed:
6
+
7
+ | State | When | Visual Treatment |
8
+ |-------|------|------------------|
9
+ | **Default** | At rest | Base styling |
10
+ | **Hover** | Pointer over (not touch) | Subtle lift, color shift |
11
+ | **Focus** | Keyboard/programmatic focus | Visible ring (see below) |
12
+ | **Active** | Being pressed | Pressed in, darker |
13
+ | **Disabled** | Not interactive | Reduced opacity, no pointer |
14
+ | **Loading** | Processing | Spinner, skeleton |
15
+ | **Error** | Invalid state | Red border, icon, message |
16
+ | **Success** | Completed | Green check, confirmation |
17
+
18
+ **The common miss**: Designing hover without focus, or vice versa. They're different. Keyboard users never see hover states.
19
+
20
+ ## Focus Rings: Do Them Right
21
+
22
+ **Never `outline: none` without replacement.** It's an accessibility violation. Instead, use `:focus-visible` to show focus only for keyboard users:
23
+
24
+ ```css
25
+ /* Hide focus ring for mouse/touch */
26
+ button:focus {
27
+ outline: none;
28
+ }
29
+
30
+ /* Show focus ring for keyboard */
31
+ button:focus-visible {
32
+ outline: 2px solid var(--color-accent);
33
+ outline-offset: 2px;
34
+ }
35
+ ```
36
+
37
+ **Focus ring design**:
38
+ - High contrast (3:1 minimum against adjacent colors)
39
+ - 2-3px thick
40
+ - Offset from element (not inside it)
41
+ - Consistent across all interactive elements
42
+
43
+ ## Form Design: The Non-Obvious
44
+
45
+ **Placeholders aren't labels**—they disappear on input. Always use visible `<label>` elements. **Validate on blur**, not on every keystroke (exception: password strength). Place errors **below** fields with `aria-describedby` connecting them.
46
+
47
+ ## Loading States
48
+
49
+ **Optimistic updates**: Show success immediately, rollback on failure. Use for low-stakes actions (likes, follows), not payments or destructive actions. **Skeleton screens > spinners**—they preview content shape and feel faster than generic spinners.
50
+
51
+ ## Modals: The Inert Approach
52
+
53
+ Focus trapping in modals used to require complex JavaScript. Now use the `inert` attribute:
54
+
55
+ ```html
56
+ <!-- When modal is open -->
57
+ <main inert>
58
+ <!-- Content behind modal can't be focused or clicked -->
59
+ </main>
60
+ <dialog open>
61
+ <h2>Modal Title</h2>
62
+ <!-- Focus stays inside modal -->
63
+ </dialog>
64
+ ```
65
+
66
+ Or use the native `<dialog>` element:
67
+
68
+ ```javascript
69
+ const dialog = document.querySelector('dialog');
70
+ dialog.showModal(); // Opens with focus trap, closes on Escape
71
+ ```
72
+
73
+ ## The Popover API
74
+
75
+ For tooltips, dropdowns, and non-modal overlays, use native popovers:
76
+
77
+ ```html
78
+ <button popovertarget="menu">Open menu</button>
79
+ <div id="menu" popover>
80
+ <button>Option 1</button>
81
+ <button>Option 2</button>
82
+ </div>
83
+ ```
84
+
85
+ **Benefits**: Light-dismiss (click outside closes), proper stacking, no z-index wars, accessible by default.
86
+
87
+ ## Destructive Actions: Undo > Confirm
88
+
89
+ **Undo is better than confirmation dialogs**—users click through confirmations mindlessly. Remove from UI immediately, show undo toast, actually delete after toast expires. Use confirmation only for truly irreversible actions (account deletion), high-cost actions, or batch operations.
90
+
91
+ ## Keyboard Navigation Patterns
92
+
93
+ ### Roving Tabindex
94
+
95
+ For component groups (tabs, menu items, radio groups), one item is tabbable; arrow keys move within:
96
+
97
+ ```html
98
+ <div role="tablist">
99
+ <button role="tab" tabindex="0">Tab 1</button>
100
+ <button role="tab" tabindex="-1">Tab 2</button>
101
+ <button role="tab" tabindex="-1">Tab 3</button>
102
+ </div>
103
+ ```
104
+
105
+ Arrow keys move `tabindex="0"` between items. Tab moves to the next component entirely.
106
+
107
+ ### Skip Links
108
+
109
+ Provide skip links (`<a href="#main-content">Skip to main content</a>`) for keyboard users to jump past navigation. Hide off-screen, show on focus.
110
+
111
+ ## Gesture Discoverability
112
+
113
+ Swipe-to-delete and similar gestures are invisible. Hint at their existence:
114
+
115
+ - **Partially reveal**: Show delete button peeking from edge
116
+ - **Onboarding**: Coach marks on first use
117
+ - **Alternative**: Always provide a visible fallback (menu with "Delete")
118
+
119
+ Don't rely on gestures as the only way to perform actions.
120
+
121
+ ---
122
+
123
+ **Avoid**: Removing focus indicators without alternatives. Using placeholder text as labels. Touch targets <44x44px. Generic error messages. Custom controls without ARIA/keyboard support.