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SKILL DETAIL
web-design-engineer
conardli/garden-skills/web-design-engineer
This skill positions the Agent as a top-tier design engineer who crafts elegant, refined Web artifacts using HTML/CSS/JavaScript/React. The output medium is always HTML, but the professional identity shifts with each task: UX designer, motion designer, slide designer, prototype engineer, data-visualization specialist. Core philosophy: The bar is "stunning," not "functional." Every pixel is intentional, every interaction is deliberate. Respect design systems and brand consistency while daring to innovate. This skill is applicable to visual front-end deliverables and redesigns, such as pages, dashboards, prototypes, slide decks, visualizations, animations, UI mockups, and design systems. It is not applicable to back-end APIs, CLI tools, data-processing scripts, pure logic development, source material to long-form HTML article conversion, or narration-beat to recordable web-video presentation.
Installationen · 149Quelle ansehen
Installation
npx skills add https://github.com/conardli/garden-skills --skill web-design-engineer
Skill-Dateien
SKILL.md
Zuletzt synchronisiert · 29.08.2026
agents/openai.yaml›
interface:
display_name: "Web Design Engineer"
short_description: "Build and refine polished browser-rendered visual experiences"
default_prompt: "Use $web-design-engineer to design and build a polished visual web artifact from my brief."
policy:
allow_implicit_invocation: true
manifest.json›
{
"name": "web-design-engineer",
"version": "1.3.0",
"category": "Design / Frontend",
"description": "Build and redesign high-quality visual Web artifacts using HTML/CSS/JavaScript/React with calibrated design dials, contextual anti-pattern checks, preservation-aware redesigns, reusable blocks, and an executable browser acceptance harness that runs only when explicitly requested.",
"homepage": "https://github.com/ConardLi/garden-skills/tree/main/skills/web-design-engineer",
"compat": [
"claude-code",
"claude-ai",
"cursor",
"codex-cli",
"gemini-cli",
"opencode"
]
}
README.md›
# Web Design Engineer Skill
**An AI agent skill that transforms AI-generated web pages from "functional" to "stunning."**
[中文文档](./README.zh-CN.md) · [Back to collection root](../../README.md)
---
## What Is This?
This is a reusable **Skill** (structured system prompt) for AI coding agents — such as [Claude Code](https://docs.anthropic.com/en/docs/claude-code), [Cursor](https://cursor.com), and other tools that support the `SKILL.md` format — that dramatically improves the design quality of AI-generated HTML/CSS/JavaScript artifacts.
It distills the core design philosophy from [Claude Design](https://www.anthropic.com/news/claude-design-anthropic-labs)'s system prompt into an open, portable, and customizable skill file that you can drop into any project.
### The Problem
Modern LLMs can already produce functional web pages from simple prompts. But their output tends to converge on the same aesthetic: Inter font, blue primary buttons, purple-pink gradients, large-radius cards, emoji as icons, fabricated testimonials. Technically correct, visually generic.
### The Solution
This skill injects **design taste** into the AI's decision-making process through:
- **Anti-cliché rules** — an explicit blocklist of overused AI design patterns
- **Design system declaration** — forces the AI to articulate color, typography, spacing, and motion choices *before writing code*
- **oklch color theory** — perceptually uniform color derivation instead of random hex guessing
- **Curated font & color pairings** — high-quality starting points that replace the default Inter + #3b82f6
- **Placeholder philosophy** — honest `[icon]` markers instead of poorly drawn SVG fakes
- **Five-dial Design Read** — turns audience, artifact, brand, and constraints into visible variance / motion / density / asset / fidelity decisions
- **Preservation-aware redesigns** — separates extension, preserve, and overhaul modes before touching an existing product
- **Contextual failure patterns** — detects recurring layout, content, imagery, motion, and dashboard failures without turning taste into universal bans
- **Structured workflow** — requirements → context → calibrated design system → v0 draft → full build → verification
- **Opt-in browser acceptance** — executable responsive / interaction / runtime QA only when the user explicitly requests acceptance or browser testing
---
## Quick Start
### For Claude Code / Cursor / AI Agents
Copy this skill folder into your project:
```
your-project/
├── .agents/skills/web-design-engineer/ # or .claude/skills/web-design-engineer/
│ ├── SKILL.md # Main skill file
│ ├── agents/openai.yaml # Host-facing display metadata and default prompt
│ └── references/
│ ├── advanced-patterns.md # Code template library (slide engine, device frames, motion timelines, data viz)
│ ├── block-library.md # Index of implemented reusable blocks
│ ├── browser-acceptance.md # Explicit-request-only executable browser QA harness
│ ├── design-calibration.md # Design Read + five dials + optional image-first branch
│ ├── design-directions.md # Design Direction Advisor (6 schools, differentiated 3-pick recommendation)
│ ├── failure-patterns.md # Contextual AI-design failure taxonomy and repairs
│ ├── redesign-protocol.md # Extension / Preserve / Overhaul audit and protected contracts
│ ├── style-recipes/ # 25 anchored style recipes — one .md file per anchor, loaded on demand
│ │ ├── INDEX.md # Catalog index + 3 cross-indexes + cross-cutting anti-patterns
│ │ ├── linear.md / aesop.md / pentagram.md / ... # 25 single-recipe files
│ └── critique-guide.md # 5-dimension scoring rubric + common issues catalog
└── ...
```
Or use the Claude Code plugin marketplace from the collection root — see the [top-level README](../../README.md#install).
The agent will automatically pick up the skill when your request involves visual/interactive front-end work.
### What It Covers
| Output Type | Examples |
|---|---|
| Web pages & landing pages | Marketing sites, product pages, portfolios |
| Interactive prototypes | Clickable app mockups with device frames |
| Slide decks | HTML presentations (1920×1080, keyboard nav) |
| Data visualizations | Dashboards with Chart.js or D3.js |
| Animations | CSS/JS motion design, timeline-driven demos |
| Design systems | Token exploration, component variants |
---
## How It Works
### The Calibrated Workflow
```
1. Understand requirements → Ask only when information is insufficient
2. Gather design context → Code > screenshots; classify existing-work mode
3. Produce a Design Read → Five dials connect the brief to visible decisions
4. Declare design system → Colors, fonts, spacing, motion — in Markdown, before code
5. Show v0 draft early → Placeholders + layout + tokens; let the user course-correct
6. Full build → Components, states, motion; pause at key decision points
7. Verify → Lightweight self-check; browser harness only on explicit request
```
### Key Design Principles
**Anti-AI-cliché checklist.** The skill explicitly bans:
- Purple-pink-blue gradient backgrounds
- Left-border accent cards
- Inter / Roboto / Arial / Fraunces / system-ui fonts
- Emoji as icon substitutes
- Fabricated stats, fake logo walls, dummy testimonials
**oklch color system.** Colors are derived in the perceptually uniform oklch space. Same lightness values actually *look* the same brightness to the human eye — unlike HSL, where yellow-at-50% looks much brighter than blue-at-50%.
**Curated starting points.** Six pre-validated color × font pairings for common use cases:
| Style | Color | Fonts | Use Case |
|---|---|---|---|
| Modern tech | Blue-violet | Space Grotesk + Inter | SaaS, dev tools |
| Elegant editorial | Warm brown | Newsreader + Outfit | Content, blogs |
| Premium brand | Near-black | Sora + Plus Jakarta Sans | Luxury, finance |
| Lively consumer | Coral | Plus Jakarta Sans + Outfit | E-commerce, social |
| Minimal professional | Teal-blue | Outfit + Space Grotesk | Dashboards, B2B |
| Artisan warmth | Caramel | Caveat + Newsreader | Food, education |
**Anchored style-recipe library (25 named recipes, progressively loaded).** When the user names an anchor ("Linear-style", "Aesop feeling", "Pentagram-grade type"), the agent reads **only the matching file** at `references/style-recipes/<anchor>.md` (~50 lines). The catalog index, 3 cross-indexes, and cross-cutting anti-patterns live in `references/style-recipes/INDEX.md` (~150 lines). The full catalog is never loaded at once. The 25 recipes are spread across 7 schools (the 6 Direction-Advisor schools plus a *Specialty / Genre* school reachable only via direct anchor names):
| School | Recipes |
|---|---|
| Editorial / Minimalist | `apple-hig` · `muji-kenya-hara` · `aesop` · `dieter-rams-braun` · `monocle-magazine` |
| Information Architecture | `pentagram` · `vignelli-swiss-helvetica` · `bloomberg-terminal` · `tufte-dataink` · `nyt-the-daily` |
| Modern Tool / Builder SaaS | `linear` · `vercel-mesh` · `raycast` · `notion-pre-ai` |
| Motion / Experimental | `field-io` · `active-theory` · `resn-storytelling` |
| Brutalist / Raw | `are-na` · `bloomberg-businessweek-turley` · `balenciaga-post-2017` |
| Warm Humanist | `mailchimp-freddie` · `stripe-press` · `headspace-meditation` |
| Specialty / Genre | `y2k-retrofuturism` · `mid-century-modern` |
---
## Style Recipe Gallery
The skill ships **25 named recipes**, each tied to a real brand, studio, or designer. Every recipe has a working, full-page artefact in the demo gallery — not a shared template, not a thumbnail mood-board, but the form each recipe was actually designed for: an apothecary product page for Aesop, a trading workstation for Bloomberg Terminal, a Saul-Bass poster for Mid-Century, a Y2K portal for Retrofuturism. Browse by school below, pick the one whose vibe matches your brief, or read the spec file at `references/style-recipes/<recipe>.md`. Click any preview to open the full-resolution 2:1 frame.
> Frames are real artefacts rendered by the live React + Vite gallery at [`demo/web-design-engineer-demo`](../../demo/web-design-engineer-demo/) — same fonts, same palettes, same signature moves as the recipe spec. Each demo is in `src/recipes/<id>.tsx`.
### Editorial / Minimalist · 5 recipes
> Whitespace, refined typography, quiet luxury — the apothecary, the museum catalogue, the hardware product page.
<table>
<tr>
<td align="center" width="50%">
<a href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/apple-hig.webp"><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/apple-hig.webp" alt="apple-hig preview" /></a>
<br /><strong><code>apple-hig</code></strong>
<br /><sub>SF Pro Display, generous whitespace, soft elevation — the Apple Store voice</sub>
<br /><sub><b>Best for</b> · hardware product pages · device launches · premium consumer tech</sub>
</td>
<td align="center" width="50%">
<a href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/muji-kenya-hara.webp"><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/muji-kenya-hara.webp" alt="muji-kenya-hara preview" /></a>
<br /><strong><code>muji-kenya-hara</code></strong>
<br /><sub>Emptiness as canvas, ash & paper, every object photographed in air</sub>
<br /><sub><b>Best for</b> · object catalogues · houseware brands · slow-living storefronts</sub>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" width="50%">
<a href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/aesop.webp"><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/aesop.webp" alt="aesop preview" /></a>
<br /><strong><code>aesop</code></strong>
<br /><sub>Warm chamois, sage & amber, serif copy that reads like a literary magazine</sub>
<br /><sub><b>Best for</b> · apothecary product pages · beauty & wellness · independent retailers</sub>
</td>
<td align="center" width="50%">
<a href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/dieter-rams-braun.webp"><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/dieter-rams-braun.webp" alt="dieter-rams-braun preview" /></a>
<br /><strong><code>dieter-rams-braun</code></strong>
<br /><sub>Ten principles, monochrome grids, technical orthographics — function as form</sub>
<br /><sub><b>Best for</b> · industrial-design archives · hardware specs · brand-principle pages</sub>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" width="50%">
<a href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/monocle-magazine.webp"><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/monocle-magazine.webp" alt="monocle-magazine preview" /></a>
<br /><strong><code>monocle-magazine</code></strong>
<br /><sub>Cosmopolitan briefings, navy & coral, footnoted curiosity</sub>
<br /><sub><b>Best for</b> · magazine contents · city & travel briefings · lifestyle journals</sub>
</td>
<td align="center" width="50%" valign="middle">
<br />
<strong>Best when the brief says</strong>
<br /><sub>"refined" · "premium" · "quiet" · "editorial" · "less is more"</sub>
<br /><br />
<sub>See specs in <a href="./references/style-recipes/">style-recipes/</a></sub>
<br /><br />
</td>
</tr>
</table>
### Information Architecture · 5 recipes
> Rational, data-driven, restrained — wayfinding, terminals, footnoted essays, the newspaper of record.
<table>
<tr>
<td align="center" width="50%">
<a href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/pentagram.webp"><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/pentagram.webp" alt="pentagram preview" /></a>
<br /><strong><code>pentagram</code></strong>
<br /><sub>One bold typeface used as artwork, grid as scaffold, ink + ground only</sub>
<br /><sub><b>Best for</b> · identity specimens · type-led portfolios · gallery announcements</sub>
</td>
<td align="center" width="50%">
<a href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/vignelli-swiss-helvetica.webp"><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/vignelli-swiss-helvetica.webp" alt="vignelli-swiss-helvetica preview" /></a>
<br /><strong><code>vignelli-swiss-helvetica</code></strong>
<br /><sub>Helvetica at every size, six primary colours, the NYC Subway diagram</sub>
<br /><sub><b>Best for</b> · wayfinding & transit · public-info posters · brand-system specimens</sub>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" width="50%">
<a href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/bloomberg-terminal.webp"><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/bloomberg-terminal.webp" alt="bloomberg-terminal preview" /></a>
<br /><strong><code>bloomberg-terminal</code></strong>
<br /><sub>Amber on navy-black, mono everywhere, density over comfort</sub>
<br /><sub><b>Best for</b> · trading dashboards · ops consoles · power-user dense tools</sub>
</td>
<td align="center" width="50%">
<a href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/tufte-dataink.webp"><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/tufte-dataink.webp" alt="tufte-dataink preview" /></a>
<br /><strong><code>tufte-dataink</code></strong>
<br /><sub>Sparklines in body copy, small multiples, no chartjunk</sub>
<br /><sub><b>Best for</b> · data narratives · research write-ups · academic essays</sub>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" width="50%">
<a href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/nyt-the-daily.webp"><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/nyt-the-daily.webp" alt="nyt-the-daily preview" /></a>
<br /><strong><code>nyt-the-daily</code></strong>
<br /><sub>Cheltenham over Imperial, dateline above all, the gravity of the broadsheet</sub>
<br /><sub><b>Best for</b> · news features · podcast hubs · long-form journalism</sub>
</td>
<td align="center" width="50%" valign="middle">
<br />
<strong>Best when the brief says</strong>
<br /><sub>"data-heavy" · "wayfinding" · "dense" · "rational" · "of record"</sub>
<br /><br />
<sub>See specs in <a href="./references/style-recipes/">style-recipes/</a></sub>
<br /><br />
</td>
</tr>
</table>
### Modern Tool / Builder SaaS · 4 recipes
> Hairline detail, warm dark, single accent — the developer-tool aesthetic of the late 2020s.
<table>
<tr>
<td align="center" width="50%">
<a href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/linear.webp"><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/linear.webp" alt="linear preview" /></a>
<br /><strong><code>linear</code></strong>
<br /><sub>Warm dark, hairline borders, purple flicks of accent, shortcut chips</sub>
<br /><sub><b>Best for</b> · dev-tool landing pages · issue / project SaaS · API & infra products</sub>
</td>
<td align="center" width="50%">
<a href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/vercel-mesh.webp"><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/vercel-mesh.webp" alt="vercel-mesh preview" /></a>
<br /><strong><code>vercel-mesh</code></strong>
<br /><sub>Pure black, geometric mesh gradient, Geist Sans, command-line clarity</sub>
<br /><sub><b>Best for</b> · deploy / runtime tools · framework launches · technical hero pages</sub>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" width="50%">
<a href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/raycast.webp"><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/raycast.webp" alt="raycast preview" /></a>
<br /><strong><code>raycast</code></strong>
<br /><sub>Glass card on red-tinted void, keyboard-first, condensed list cells</sub>
<br /><sub><b>Best for</b> · command palettes · launcher apps · keyboard-driven tooling</sub>
</td>
<td align="center" width="50%">
<a href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/notion-pre-ai.webp"><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/notion-pre-ai.webp" alt="notion-pre-ai preview" /></a>
<br /><strong><code>notion-pre-ai</code></strong>
<br /><sub>Off-white pages, drag-handle dots, casual emoji headings, callouts everywhere</sub>
<br /><sub><b>Best for</b> · workspace docs · internal wikis · friendly productivity apps</sub>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
### Motion / Experimental · 3 recipes
> Bold, generative, sensory — when the brief asks for "cinematic", "WebGL", or "award-bait".
<table>
<tr>
<td align="center" width="50%">
<a href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/field-io.webp"><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/field-io.webp" alt="field-io preview" /></a>
<br /><strong><code>field-io</code></strong>
<br /><sub>Particle systems behind editorial type, code-art aesthetic, dark studio</sub>
<br /><sub><b>Best for</b> · creative-tech studios · generative-art case studies · WebGL portfolios</sub>
</td>
<td align="center" width="50%">
<a href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/active-theory.webp"><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/active-theory.webp" alt="active-theory preview" /></a>
<br /><strong><code>active-theory</code></strong>
<br /><sub>WebGL ambitions, full-bleed type, candy colours over deep black</sub>
<br /><sub><b>Best for</b> · cinematic product launches · campaign sites · award-bait microsites</sub>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" width="50%">
<a href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/resn-storytelling.webp"><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/resn-storytelling.webp" alt="resn-storytelling preview" /></a>
<br /><strong><code>resn-storytelling</code></strong>
<br /><sub>Surreal, lush, every frame a tableau, headlines on textured noise</sub>
<br /><sub><b>Best for</b> · narrative scrolls · entertainment / IP sites · agency reels</sub>
</td>
<td align="center" width="50%" valign="middle">
<br />
<strong>Best when the brief says</strong>
<br /><sub>"cinematic" · "WebGL" · "experiential" · "Awwwards-grade"</sub>
<br /><br />
<sub>See specs in <a href="./references/style-recipes/">style-recipes/</a></sub>
<br /><br />
</td>
</tr>
</table>
### Brutalist / Raw · 3 recipes
> Anti-design, honest, unpolished — the system-default web, tabloid covers, anti-luxury luxury.
<table>
<tr>
<td align="center" width="50%">
<a href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/are-na.webp"><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/are-na.webp" alt="are-na preview" /></a>
<br /><strong><code>are-na</code></strong>
<br /><sub>System fonts on purpose, browser-default blue links, the honest web</sub>
<br /><sub><b>Best for</b> · research channels · indie communities · anti-design content tools</sub>
</td>
<td align="center" width="50%">
<a href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/bloomberg-businessweek-turley.webp"><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/bloomberg-businessweek-turley.webp" alt="bloomberg-businessweek-turley preview" /></a>
<br /><strong><code>bloomberg-businessweek-turley</code></strong>
<br /><sub>Yellow caution + black ink, type as collage, hand-cut headlines</sub>
<br /><sub><b>Best for</b> · editorial covers · opinion pieces · campaign posters</sub>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" width="50%">
<a href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/balenciaga-post-2017.webp"><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/balenciaga-post-2017.webp" alt="balenciaga-post-2017 preview" /></a>
<br /><strong><code>balenciaga-post-2017</code></strong>
<br /><sub>All caps, broken grids, deadpan product on white, anti-luxury luxury</sub>
<br /><sub><b>Best for</b> · fashion collections · drop announcements · contrarian luxury</sub>
</td>
<td align="center" width="50%" valign="middle">
<br />
<strong>Best when the brief says</strong>
<br /><sub>"raw" · "honest" · "anti-design" · "tabloid" · "uncomfortable"</sub>
<br /><br />
<sub>See specs in <a href="./references/style-recipes/">style-recipes/</a></sub>
<br /><br />
</td>
</tr>
</table>
### Warm Humanist · 3 recipes
> Approachable, organic, hand-touched — small-business cheerleader, hand-bound book, daily reset.
<table>
<tr>
<td align="center" width="50%">
<a href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/mailchimp-freddie.webp"><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/mailchimp-freddie.webp" alt="mailchimp-freddie preview" /></a>
<br /><strong><code>mailchimp-freddie</code></strong>
<br /><sub>Cavendish yellow, hand-drawn doodles, conversational copy, the SMB cheerleader</sub>
<br /><sub><b>Best for</b> · onboarding flows · SMB marketing tools · friendly consumer apps</sub>
</td>
<td align="center" width="50%">
<a href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/stripe-press.webp"><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/stripe-press.webp" alt="stripe-press preview" /></a>
<br /><strong><code>stripe-press</code></strong>
<br /><sub>Cream paper, GT Super, hand-bound luxury, ideas as objects</sub>
<br /><sub><b>Best for</b> · book detail pages · long-form essays · publisher / press sites</sub>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" width="50%">
<a href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/headspace-meditation.webp"><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/headspace-meditation.webp" alt="headspace-meditation preview" /></a>
<br /><strong><code>headspace-meditation</code></strong>
<br /><sub>Orange suns, rounded blobs, hand-illustrated calm, a daily reset</sub>
<br /><sub><b>Best for</b> · meditation & wellness · habit / mood apps · cosy consumer cards</sub>
</td>
<td align="center" width="50%" valign="middle">
<br />
<strong>Best when the brief says</strong>
<br /><sub>"friendly" · "approachable" · "human" · "cosy" · "hand-touched"</sub>
<br /><br />
<sub>See specs in <a href="./references/style-recipes/">style-recipes/</a></sub>
<br /><br />
</td>
</tr>
</table>
### Specialty / Genre · 2 recipes
> Period-coded, decade-coded, theme-coded — only reachable by direct anchor name.
<table>
<tr>
<td align="center" width="50%">
<a href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/y2k-retrofuturism.webp"><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/y2k-retrofuturism.webp" alt="y2k-retrofuturism preview" /></a>
<br /><strong><code>y2k-retrofuturism</code></strong>
<br /><sub>Chrome bevels, frosted glass, lava blobs, MSN-blue everywhere</sub>
<br /><sub><b>Best for</b> · Y2K nostalgia · early-web portals · gen-Z brand stunts</sub>
</td>
<td align="center" width="50%">
<a href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/mid-century-modern.webp"><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/mid-century-modern.webp" alt="mid-century-modern preview" /></a>
<br /><strong><code>mid-century-modern</code></strong>
<br /><sub>Mustard, brick, cyan; cut-paper geometry; the optimism of 1957</sub>
<br /><sub><b>Best for</b> · poster homages · cultural events · vintage-print brand voice</sub>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
### Run the gallery yourself
```bash
cd demo/web-design-engineer-demo
npm install && npm run dev # http://localhost:5181/
```
Hash-routed URLs (`#/linear`, `#/aesop`, …) deep-link to any recipe. Press `H` to toggle the recipe HUD, `Esc` to return to the gallery. See the demo's own [README](../../demo/web-design-engineer-demo/README.md) for layout details.
---
## Before & after: skill on / off
The repository's [`demo/web-design-demo/`](../../demo/web-design-demo) directory contains side-by-side comparisons of pages generated with and without this skill, using identical prompts. Open [`demo/web-design-demo/demo2/index.html`](../../demo/web-design-demo/demo2/index.html) for a side-by-side viewer.
### Demo 1: Space Exploration Museum
**Prompt:** *"Build a homepage for a fictional 'Space Exploration Museum' — full-screen hero, 4 exhibition sections, a timeline with 6+ milestones, a booking CTA, and a footer. Deep, immersive, cosmic feel."*
| | Without Skill | With Skill |
|---|---|---|
| **File** | `demo/web-design-demo/demo2/demo1.html` | `demo/web-design-demo/demo2/demo1-with-skill.html` |
| **Color system** | Hardcoded hex values (#7cf0ff, #b388ff) | oklch-based token system with CSS custom properties |
| **Typography** | Orbitron + Noto Serif SC | Instrument Serif + Space Grotesk + JetBrains Mono |
| **Layout** | Standard landing-page structure | Editorial magazine-style layout with grid compositions |
| **Details** | Heavy glow effects, neon gradients | Restrained palette, typographic hierarchy, decorative data elements |
| **Overall feel** | Enthusiastic junior designer | Experienced design director |
### Demo 2: Photographer Portfolio
**Prompt:** *"Build a homepage for an independent photographer's portfolio."*
| | With Skill |
|---|---|
| **File** | `demo/web-design-demo/demo2/demo2-with-skill.html` |
| **Character** | Creates a fictional Nordic photographer "Mira Høst" with a complete visual identity |
| **Color** | Paper-warm light (#f2efe8) + ink-dark (#161513) — extremely restrained two-tone palette |
| **Typography** | Instrument Serif (display) + Space Grotesk (UI) with extensive italic usage |
| **Layout** | Magazine-editorial structure with numbered sections, asymmetric grids, side rails |
| **Motion** | Slow Ken Burns on hero image (24s cycle), film-grain texture overlay |
| **Navigation** | `mix-blend-mode: difference` masthead — seamless across light/dark sections |
> The original Claude Design system prompt that inspired this skill is preserved at [`dist/prompt/claude-design-system-prompt.md`](../../dist/prompt/claude-design-system-prompt.md).
---
## Background
This skill is inspired by the system prompt of [Claude Design](https://www.anthropic.com/news/claude-design-anthropic-labs), Anthropic's visual design product launched in April 2026. Claude Design's system prompt (~420 lines) encodes a sophisticated set of design principles, anti-patterns, and workflow constraints that make its output consistently high-quality.
This project extracts and refines those core ideas into a portable skill that works with any AI coding agent — giving you Claude-Design-level design taste without the product lock-in or usage limits.
Key additions beyond the original Claude Design prompt:
- **Design system declaration step** — forces the AI to articulate design tokens in natural language before coding
- **v0 draft strategy** — a concrete methodology for showing work-in-progress early
- **Extended anti-cliché list** — additional patterns identified from real-world AI output
- **Placeholder philosophy** — a complete framework for handling missing assets professionally
- **Color × font pairing table** — six validated visual system starting points
- **Design Direction Advisor** — six-school conversational tool for vague requests, with explicit handoff to the recipe library
- **25-recipe anchored style library** — each recipe tied to a real brand / studio / designer with concrete copy-able values; defends against AI-default mush
- **Advanced pattern library** — ready-to-use code templates for common UI patterns
---
## License
MIT
README.zh-CN.md›
# Web Design Engineer Skill
**一个让 AI 生成网页从"能用"进阶到"惊艳"的 Agent 技能。**
[English](./README.md) · [返回集合首页](../../README.zh-CN.md)
---
## 这是什么？
这是一个面向 AI 编程代理（如 [Claude Code](https://docs.anthropic.com/en/docs/claude-code)、[Cursor](https://cursor.com) 以及其他支持 `SKILL.md` 格式的工具）的可复用 **Skill**（结构化系统提示词），能显著提升 AI 生成的 HTML/CSS/JavaScript 产物的设计品质。
它将 [Claude Design](https://www.anthropic.com/news/claude-design-anthropic-labs) 系统提示词中的核心设计理念提炼为一个开放、可移植、可自定义的技能文件，可以直接放进任何项目中使用。
### 问题
现代大语言模型已经能根据简单的提示词生成功能完整的网页。但它们的输出总是趋向同一种审美：Inter 字体、蓝色主按钮、紫粉渐变、大圆角卡片、emoji 充当图标、编造的好评数据。技术上没问题，视觉上千篇一律。
### 解决方案
这个 Skill 通过以下方式将**设计品位**注入 AI 的决策过程：
- **反俗套规则** —— 一份明确的 AI 设计雷区清单
- **设计系统宣告** —— 强制 AI 在写代码之前，先用自然语言说清配色、字体、间距和动效选择
- **oklch 色彩理论** —— 基于感知均匀色彩空间的配色派生，取代随机 hex 值
- **精选字体 × 配色组合** —— 高品质起点，替代默认的 Inter + #3b82f6
- **占位符哲学** —— 用诚实的 `[icon]` 标记代替拙劣的 SVG 假图
- **五旋钮 Design Read** —— 把受众、产物、品牌和约束转成可见的构图变化 / 动效 / 密度 / 素材 / 品牌保真决策
- **保留契约的改版协议** —— 动手前区分 Extension、Preserve 与 Overhaul
- **上下文化失败模式** —— 识别布局、内容、素材、动效与 Dashboard 的常见 AI 问题，同时保留合理例外
- **结构化工作流** —— 需求 → 上下文 → 校准后的设计系统 → v0 草稿 → 完整构建 → 验证
- **按需浏览器验收** —— 只有用户明确提出验收或浏览器测试时，才运行响应式 / 交互 / 运行时 QA harness
---
## 快速上手
### 用于 Claude Code / Cursor / AI Agent
将本 Skill 目录复制到你的项目中：
```
your-project/
├── .agents/skills/web-design-engineer/ # 或 .claude/skills/web-design-engineer/
│ ├── SKILL.md # 主技能文件
│ ├── agents/openai.yaml # 宿主展示信息与默认提示词
│ └── references/
│ ├── advanced-patterns.md # 代码模板库（slide engine / 设备框架 / 动效时间线 / 数据可视化）
│ ├── block-library.md # 已实现可复用 Block 索引
│ ├── browser-acceptance.md # 仅在用户明确要求时执行的浏览器验收 harness
│ ├── design-calibration.md # Design Read + 五旋钮 + 可选 image-first 分支
│ ├── design-directions.md # 设计方向顾问（6 学派，差异化 3 选 1 推荐）
│ ├── failure-patterns.md # 上下文化 AI 设计失败模式与修复方式
│ ├── redesign-protocol.md # Extension / Preserve / Overhaul 审计与受保护契约
│ ├── style-recipes/ # 25 套有 anchor 的风格配方（按需读单文件，每个 anchor 一个 .md）
│ │ ├── INDEX.md # 目录索引 + 3 张索引表 + 跨配方反模式
│ │ ├── linear.md / aesop.md / pentagram.md / ... # 25 个独立 recipe 文件
│ └── critique-guide.md # 5 维评分细则 + 常见问题清单
└── ...
```
也可以从集合首页通过 Claude Code 插件市场一键安装 —— 参见[根目录 README](../../README.zh-CN.md#%E5%AE%89%E8%A3%85)。
当你的请求涉及可视化/交互式前端工作时，Agent 会自动启用此技能。
### 覆盖范围
| 输出类型 | 示例 |
|---|---|
| 网页 & 落地页 | 营销页面、产品页、作品集 |
| 交互式原型 | 带设备框架的可点击 App 模型 |
| 幻灯片 | HTML 演示文稿（1920×1080，键盘导航） |
| 数据可视化 | 基于 Chart.js 或 D3.js 的仪表盘 |
| 动画 | CSS/JS 动效设计，时间线驱动的演示 |
| 设计系统 | Token 探索、组件变体 |
---
## 工作原理
### 校准式工作流
```
1. 理解需求 → 信息充足就干活，信息不足才提问
2. 获取设计上下文 → 代码 > 截图；现有项目先判断改动模式
3. 产出 Design Read → 五个旋钮把 brief 映射为可见决策
4. 宣告设计系统 → 配色、字体、间距、动效 —— 用 Markdown 说明，写代码之前
5. 尽早展示 v0 → 占位符 + 布局 + token；让用户提前纠偏
6. 完整构建 → 组件、状态、动效；在关键决策点暂停确认
7. 验证 → 默认轻量自检；仅在用户明确要求时运行浏览器 harness
```
### 核心设计原则
**反 AI 俗套清单。** Skill 明确禁止以下模式：
- 紫粉蓝渐变背景
- 带左侧彩色边框的卡片
- Inter / Roboto / Arial / Fraunces / system-ui 字体
- 用 emoji 充当图标
- 编造的数据、假 logo 墙、虚假好评
**oklch 色彩系统。** 在感知均匀的 oklch 色彩空间中派生颜色。相同的亮度值在人眼中看起来确实一样亮——HSL 做不到这一点，HSL 中亮度 50% 的黄色看起来比亮度 50% 的蓝色亮得多。
**精选起点。** 六套经过验证的配色 × 字体组合，覆盖常见场景：
| 风格 | 主色 | 字体组合 | 适用场景 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 现代科技感 | 蓝紫 | Space Grotesk + Inter | SaaS、开发者工具 |
| 优雅杂志风 | 暖棕 | Newsreader + Outfit | 内容平台、博客 |
| 高端品牌 | 近黑 | Sora + Plus Jakarta Sans | 奢侈品、金融 |
| 活泼消费 | 珊瑚 | Plus Jakarta Sans + Outfit | 电商、社交 |
| 极简专业 | 青蓝 | Outfit + Space Grotesk | 仪表盘、B2B |
| 手作温度 | 焦糖 | Caveat + Newsreader | 餐饮、教育 |
**风格配方库（25 套有 anchor，渐进式加载）。** 当用户点名"Linear 风" / "Aesop 风" / "Pentagram 级排版"时，Agent 只需读 `references/style-recipes/<anchor>.md` 单个文件（约 50 行）；目录索引、3 张索引表、跨配方反模式都在 `references/style-recipes/INDEX.md`（约 150 行）。整个目录从不一次性加载。25 套配方分布在 7 个学派（Direction Advisor 的 6 学派 + 一个只能通过直接点名 anchor 触达的 *Specialty / Genre* 学派）：
| 学派 | 配方 |
|---|---|
| Editorial / 极简 | `apple-hig` · `muji-kenya-hara` · `aesop` · `dieter-rams-braun` · `monocle-magazine` |
| 信息架构 | `pentagram` · `vignelli-swiss-helvetica` · `bloomberg-terminal` · `tufte-dataink` · `nyt-the-daily` |
| 现代工具 / Builder SaaS | `linear` · `vercel-mesh` · `raycast` · `notion-pre-ai` |
| 动效 / 实验 | `field-io` · `active-theory` · `resn-storytelling` |
| 粗粝 / Brutalist | `are-na` · `bloomberg-businessweek-turley` · `balenciaga-post-2017` |
| 温暖人文 | `mailchimp-freddie` · `stripe-press` · `headspace-meditation` |
| 特定风格 / 年代 | `y2k-retrofuturism` · `mid-century-modern` |
---
## 风格配方画廊
Skill 自带 **25 套有名字的配方**，每套都对应到真实的品牌、工作室或设计师。目录中的每个配方都在 demo 画廊里有一个完整的整页作品 —— 不是共用模板、不是缩略图情绪板，而是每套配方本来就该长成的那种东西：Aesop 是药剂师产品页、Bloomberg Terminal 是交易工作站、Mid-Century 是 Saul Bass 海报、Y2K 是世纪之交的门户网站。按学派浏览下方卡片，挑一套气质契合你 brief 的配方，或者直接读 `references/style-recipes/<recipe>.md` 的 spec 文件。点击任意预览图打开完整分辨率的 2:1 大图。
> 所有截图都是来自 [`demo/web-design-engineer-demo`](../../demo/web-design-engineer-demo/) 这个 React + Vite 画廊的真实渲染 —— 字体、配色、签名手法都和 spec 文件里一致。每个 demo 位于 `src/recipes/<id>.tsx`。
### Editorial / 极简 · 5 套
> 留白、考究的排版、安静的奢华 —— 药剂师、博物馆图录、硬件产品页。
<table>
<tr>
<td align="center" width="50%">
<a href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/apple-hig.webp"><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/apple-hig.webp" alt="apple-hig preview" /></a>
<br /><strong><code>apple-hig</code></strong>
<br /><sub>SF Pro Display、慷慨留白、柔和阴影 —— Apple Store 的语气</sub>
<br /><sub><b>适合</b> · 硬件产品页 · 设备发布 · 高端消费电子</sub>
</td>
<td align="center" width="50%">
<a href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/muji-kenya-hara.webp"><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/muji-kenya-hara.webp" alt="muji-kenya-hara preview" /></a>
<br /><strong><code>muji-kenya-hara</code></strong>
<br /><sub>空作为画布、灰与纸、器物悬浮在空气中拍摄</sub>
<br /><sub><b>适合</b> · 器物目录 · 家居品牌 · 慢生活店铺</sub>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" width="50%">
<a href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/aesop.webp"><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/aesop.webp" alt="aesop preview" /></a>
<br /><strong><code>aesop</code></strong>
<br /><sub>暖驼黄、鼠尾草 & 琥珀，衬线正文像文学杂志</sub>
<br /><sub><b>适合</b> · 药剂师产品页 · 美妆 & 健康 · 独立零售</sub>
</td>
<td align="center" width="50%">
<a href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/dieter-rams-braun.webp"><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/dieter-rams-braun.webp" alt="dieter-rams-braun preview" /></a>
<br /><strong><code>dieter-rams-braun</code></strong>
<br /><sub>十大设计原则、灰阶网格、技术正投影 —— 功能即形式</sub>
<br /><sub><b>适合</b> · 工业设计档案 · 硬件 spec · 品牌原则页</sub>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" width="50%">
<a href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/monocle-magazine.webp"><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/monocle-magazine.webp" alt="monocle-magazine preview" /></a>
<br /><strong><code>monocle-magazine</code></strong>
<br /><sub>世界主义简报、深海蓝与珊瑚色、脚注式好奇心</sub>
<br /><sub><b>适合</b> · 杂志目录 · 城市 / 旅行简报 · 生活方式期刊</sub>
</td>
<td align="center" width="50%" valign="middle">
<br />
<strong>当 brief 里出现这些词</strong>
<br /><sub>"考究" · "高端" · "安静" · "编辑感" · "少即是多"</sub>
<br /><br />
<sub>spec 文件在 <a href="./references/style-recipes/">style-recipes/</a></sub>
<br /><br />
</td>
</tr>
</table>
### 信息架构 · 5 套
> 理性、数据驱动、克制 —— 指示系统、交易终端、脚注长文、报纸头版的重量。
<table>
<tr>
<td align="center" width="50%">
<a href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/pentagram.webp"><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/pentagram.webp" alt="pentagram preview" /></a>
<br /><strong><code>pentagram</code></strong>
<br /><sub>一种大字体即艺术品、网格作骨架、仅墨色与底色</sub>
<br /><sub><b>适合</b> · 标识样本 · 字体主导的作品集 · 画廊公告</sub>
</td>
<td align="center" width="50%">
<a href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/vignelli-swiss-helvetica.webp"><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/vignelli-swiss-helvetica.webp" alt="vignelli-swiss-helvetica preview" /></a>
<br /><strong><code>vignelli-swiss-helvetica</code></strong>
<br /><sub>全字号 Helvetica、六种主色、纽约地铁信号图</sub>
<br /><sub><b>适合</b> · 公共指示 & 交通 · 公共信息海报 · 品牌系统样本</sub>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" width="50%">
<a href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/bloomberg-terminal.webp"><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/bloomberg-terminal.webp" alt="bloomberg-terminal preview" /></a>
<br /><strong><code>bloomberg-terminal</code></strong>
<br /><sub>深海军蓝底上的琥珀色、全等宽、密度高于舒适</sub>
<br /><sub><b>适合</b> · 交易仪表盘 · 运维控制台 · 高密度专业工具</sub>
</td>
<td align="center" width="50%">
<a href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/tufte-dataink.webp"><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/tufte-dataink.webp" alt="tufte-dataink preview" /></a>
<br /><strong><code>tufte-dataink</code></strong>
<br /><sub>段落内嵌微图、小型多重图、零图表杂质</sub>
<br /><sub><b>适合</b> · 数据叙事 · 研究报告 · 学术长文</sub>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" width="50%">
<a href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/nyt-the-daily.webp"><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/nyt-the-daily.webp" alt="nyt-the-daily preview" /></a>
<br /><strong><code>nyt-the-daily</code></strong>
<br /><sub>Cheltenham 衬线压在 Imperial 之上、日期线居首、宽幅报纸的重量</sub>
<br /><sub><b>适合</b> · 新闻特稿 · 播客中枢 · 长篇深度报道</sub>
</td>
<td align="center" width="50%" valign="middle">
<br />
<strong>当 brief 里出现这些词</strong>
<br /><sub>"数据密集" · "指示系统" · "高密度" · "理性" · "权威感"</sub>
<br /><br />
<sub>spec 文件在 <a href="./references/style-recipes/">style-recipes/</a></sub>
<br /><br />
</td>
</tr>
</table>
### 现代工具 / Builder SaaS · 4 套
> 发丝级细节、暖色暗夜、单一点缀色 —— 2020 年代后期的开发者工具美学。
<table>
<tr>
<td align="center" width="50%">
<a href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/linear.webp"><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/linear.webp" alt="linear preview" /></a>
<br /><strong><code>linear</code></strong>
<br /><sub>暖色调暗夜、发丝边、紫色点缀、键盘快捷键芯片</sub>
<br /><sub><b>适合</b> · 开发者工具落地页 · Issue / 项目 SaaS · API & 基础设施产品</sub>
</td>
<td align="center" width="50%">
<a href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/vercel-mesh.webp"><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/vercel-mesh.webp" alt="vercel-mesh preview" /></a>
<br /><strong><code>vercel-mesh</code></strong>
<br /><sub>纯黑、几何网格渐变、Geist Sans、命令行式清晰</sub>
<br /><sub><b>适合</b> · 部署 / 运行时工具 · 框架发布 · 技术 hero 页</sub>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" width="50%">
<a href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/raycast.webp"><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/raycast.webp" alt="raycast preview" /></a>
<br /><strong><code>raycast</code></strong>
<br /><sub>红光雾里的玻璃卡片、键盘优先、紧凑列表行</sub>
<br /><sub><b>适合</b> · 命令面板 · launcher 应用 · 键盘驱动型工具</sub>
</td>
<td align="center" width="50%">
<a href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/notion-pre-ai.webp"><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/notion-pre-ai.webp" alt="notion-pre-ai preview" /></a>
<br /><strong><code>notion-pre-ai</code></strong>
<br /><sub>米白页面、拖拽点、随性 emoji 标题、随处可见的提示条</sub>
<br /><sub><b>适合</b> · 工作区文档 · 内部 Wiki · 友好的生产力应用</sub>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
### 动态 / 实验 · 3 套
> 张扬、生成式、感官 —— brief 里写"电影感""WebGL""能拿 Awwwards"的时候。
<table>
<tr>
<td align="center" width="50%">
<a href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/field-io.webp"><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/field-io.webp" alt="field-io preview" /></a>
<br /><strong><code>field-io</code></strong>
<br /><sub>粒子系统衬着编辑式字体、代码艺术美学、暗色工作室</sub>
<br /><sub><b>适合</b> · 创意科技工作室 · 生成艺术案例 · WebGL 作品集</sub>
</td>
<td align="center" width="50%">
<a href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/active-theory.webp"><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/active-theory.webp" alt="active-theory preview" /></a>
<br /><strong><code>active-theory</code></strong>
<br /><sub>WebGL 野心、全屏字、深黑底上的糖果色</sub>
<br /><sub><b>适合</b> · 电影感产品发布 · 战役站 · 冲奖型微型站点</sub>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" width="50%">
<a href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/resn-storytelling.webp"><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/resn-storytelling.webp" alt="resn-storytelling preview" /></a>
<br /><strong><code>resn-storytelling</code></strong>
<br /><sub>超现实、浓郁、每帧都是布景、标题压在噪点纹理上</sub>
<br /><sub><b>适合</b> · 叙事滚动 · 娱乐 / IP 站 · 工作室作品集</sub>
</td>
<td align="center" width="50%" valign="middle">
<br />
<strong>当 brief 里出现这些词</strong>
<br /><sub>"电影感" · "WebGL" · "沉浸式" · "Awwwards 级"</sub>
<br /><br />
<sub>spec 文件在 <a href="./references/style-recipes/">style-recipes/</a></sub>
<br /><br />
</td>
</tr>
</table>
### 粗野 / Brutalist · 3 套
> 反设计、诚实、未抛光 —— 系统默认的网页、小报封面、反奢侈的奢侈。
<table>
<tr>
<td align="center" width="50%">
<a href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/are-na.webp"><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/are-na.webp" alt="are-na preview" /></a>
<br /><strong><code>are-na</code></strong>
<br /><sub>刻意的系统字体、浏览器默认蓝色链接、诚实的网页</sub>
<br /><sub><b>适合</b> · 研究型频道 · 独立社区 · 反设计内容工具</sub>
</td>
<td align="center" width="50%">
<a href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/bloomberg-businessweek-turley.webp"><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/bloomberg-businessweek-turley.webp" alt="bloomberg-businessweek-turley preview" /></a>
<br /><strong><code>bloomberg-businessweek-turley</code></strong>
<br /><sub>警示黄 + 黑墨、字体作拼贴、手工剪切式标题</sub>
<br /><sub><b>适合</b> · 编辑封面 · 评论文章 · 战役式海报</sub>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" width="50%">
<a href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/balenciaga-post-2017.webp"><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/balenciaga-post-2017.webp" alt="balenciaga-post-2017 preview" /></a>
<br /><strong><code>balenciaga-post-2017</code></strong>
<br /><sub>全大写、破碎网格、白底冷面产品、反奢侈的奢侈</sub>
<br /><sub><b>适合</b> · 时装系列 · drop 公告 · 逆向思考的奢侈品牌</sub>
</td>
<td align="center" width="50%" valign="middle">
<br />
<strong>当 brief 里出现这些词</strong>
<br /><sub>"粗粝" · "诚实" · "反设计" · "小报感" · "不舒服"</sub>
<br /><br />
<sub>spec 文件在 <a href="./references/style-recipes/">style-recipes/</a></sub>
<br /><br />
</td>
</tr>
</table>
### 温暖人文 · 3 套
> 平易近人、有机、手工感 —— 小生意的拉拉队长、手工装帧的书、每日重置。
<table>
<tr>
<td align="center" width="50%">
<a href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/mailchimp-freddie.webp"><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/mailchimp-freddie.webp" alt="mailchimp-freddie preview" /></a>
<br /><strong><code>mailchimp-freddie</code></strong>
<br /><sub>Cavendish 黄、手绘涂鸦、对话式文案 —— 小生意的拉拉队长</sub>
<br /><sub><b>适合</b> · 引导流程 · 中小企业营销工具 · 友好的消费类应用</sub>
</td>
<td align="center" width="50%">
<a href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/stripe-press.webp"><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/stripe-press.webp" alt="stripe-press preview" /></a>
<br /><strong><code>stripe-press</code></strong>
<br /><sub>奶白纸、GT Super、手工装帧式奢华、思想作器物</sub>
<br /><sub><b>适合</b> · 书籍详情页 · 长篇散文 · 出版社 / 出版品牌站</sub>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" width="50%">
<a href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/headspace-meditation.webp"><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/headspace-meditation.webp" alt="headspace-meditation preview" /></a>
<br /><strong><code>headspace-meditation</code></strong>
<br /><sub>橙色太阳、圆润色团、手绘平静感、每日重置</sub>
<br /><sub><b>适合</b> · 冥想 & 健康 · 习惯 / 情绪应用 · 温馨的消费类卡片</sub>
</td>
<td align="center" width="50%" valign="middle">
<br />
<strong>当 brief 里出现这些词</strong>
<br /><sub>"友好" · "亲切" · "人情味" · "温馨" · "手工感"</sub>
<br /><br />
<sub>spec 文件在 <a href="./references/style-recipes/">style-recipes/</a></sub>
<br /><br />
</td>
</tr>
</table>
### 类型 / 流派 · 2 套
> 时代编码、十年编码、主题编码 —— 只能通过直接 anchor 名字唤起。
<table>
<tr>
<td align="center" width="50%">
<a href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/y2k-retrofuturism.webp"><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/y2k-retrofuturism.webp" alt="y2k-retrofuturism preview" /></a>
<br /><strong><code>y2k-retrofuturism</code></strong>
<br /><sub>铬合金倒角、磨砂玻璃、熔岩色块、随处可见的 MSN 蓝</sub>
<br /><sub><b>适合</b> · Y2K 怀旧 · 早期网络门户 · Z 世代品牌大型整活</sub>
</td>
<td align="center" width="50%">
<a href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/mid-century-modern.webp"><img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/ConardLi/assets@main/imgs/web-design/mid-century-modern.webp" alt="mid-century-modern preview" /></a>
<br /><strong><code>mid-century-modern</code></strong>
<br /><sub>芥末黄、砖红、青蓝；剪纸式几何；1957 年的乐观主义</sub>
<br /><sub><b>适合</b> · 海报致敬 · 文化活动 · 复古印刷品牌语调</sub>
</td>
</tr>
</table>
### 自己跑画廊
```bash
cd demo/web-design-engineer-demo
npm install && npm run dev # http://localhost:5181/
```
Hash 路由 URL（`#/linear`、`#/aesop`、…）可深链到任意配方。按 `H` 切换配方 HUD，`Esc` 返回画廊。布局细节见 demo 自己的 [README](../../demo/web-design-engineer-demo/README.md)。
---
## 启用前后对比：Skill 开 / 关
仓库的 [`demo/web-design-demo/`](../../demo/web-design-demo) 目录包含使用相同提示词、分别在有 Skill 和无 Skill 条件下生成的页面对比。打开 [`demo/web-design-demo/demo2/index.html`](../../demo/web-design-demo/demo2/index.html) 查看对比展示页。
### Demo 1：太空探索博物馆
**提示词：** *"帮我做一个'太空探索博物馆'的线上展览首页——全屏 Hero、4 个核心展览介绍、一个至少 6 个节点的时间线、参观预约 CTA、页脚。整体风格要沉浸感强、有宇宙的深邃感。"*
| | 无 Skill | 有 Skill |
|---|---|---|
| **文件** | `demo/web-design-demo/demo2/demo1.html` | `demo/web-design-demo/demo2/demo1-with-skill.html` |
| **色彩系统** | 硬编码 hex 值（#7cf0ff, #b388ff） | 基于 oklch 的 token 系统，使用 CSS 自定义属性 |
| **字体** | Orbitron + Noto Serif SC | Instrument Serif + Space Grotesk + JetBrains Mono |
| **布局** | 标准落地页结构 | 杂志编辑式布局，grid 组合排版 |
| **细节** | 大量发光效果、霓虹渐变 | 克制的色彩方案、字体层级、装饰性数据元素 |
| **整体感受** | 热情的初级设计师 | 有经验的设计总监 |
### Demo 2：摄影师作品集
**提示词：** *"帮我做一个独立摄影师的个人作品集网站首页。"*
| | 有 Skill |
|---|---|
| **文件** | `demo/web-design-demo/demo2/demo2-with-skill.html` |
| **角色塑造** | 虚构了北欧摄影师 "Mira Høst"，设计了一整套视觉身份 |
| **配色** | 暖纸色浅底（#f2efe8）+ 墨色深文（#161513）—— 极度克制的双色调 |
| **字体** | Instrument Serif（展示标题）+ Space Grotesk（界面）, 大量使用斜体 |
| **布局** | 杂志编排式结构，编号分节、不对称网格、侧边竖排文字 |
| **动效** | Hero 图片的慢速 Ken Burns 动画（24秒周期），胶片噪点纹理叠加 |
| **导航** | `mix-blend-mode: difference` 顶栏 —— 在深浅背景间无缝过渡 |
> 启发本 Skill 的 Claude Design 原始系统提示词保留在 [`dist/prompt/claude-design-system-prompt.md`](../../dist/prompt/claude-design-system-prompt.md)。
---
## 背景
此 Skill 的灵感来自 [Claude Design](https://www.anthropic.com/news/claude-design-anthropic-labs) 的系统提示词。Claude Design 是 Anthropic 于 2026 年 4 月推出的视觉设计产品。其系统提示词（约 420 行）编码了一套精密的设计原则、反模式和工作流约束，使其输出保持稳定的高品质。
本项目将这些核心理念提取并精炼为一个可移植的 Skill，适用于任何 AI 编程代理——让你获得 Claude Design 级别的设计品位，同时摆脱产品锁定和用量限制。
相比 Claude Design 原始提示词的主要新增内容：
- **设计系统宣告步骤** —— 强制 AI 在编码前用自然语言说明设计 token
- **v0 草稿策略** —— 一套具体的方法论，确保尽早展示半成品
- **扩展的反俗套清单** —— 从真实 AI 输出中识别出的额外模式
- **占位符哲学** —— 一套完整的框架，专业地处理缺失素材
- **配色 × 字体配对表** —— 六套经过验证的视觉系统起点
- **设计方向顾问** —— 模糊需求场景的 6 学派差异化 3 选 1 推荐机制，且显式接入到 recipe 库做落地
- **25 套有 anchor 的风格配方库** —— 每套绑定一个真实品牌 / studio / 设计师，含可粘贴的具体值；用来抵御 AI 默认味
- **高级模式库** —— 常见 UI 模式的即用代码模板
---
## 许可证
MIT
references/advanced-patterns.md›
# Advanced Reference: Component Patterns & Code Templates
This file contains advanced patterns and code templates to reference when implementing specific tasks.
## Table of Contents
1. [Responsive Slide Engine](#responsive-slide-engine)
2. [Device Simulation Frames](#device-simulation-frames)
3. [Tweaks Panel Implementation](#tweaks-panel-implementation)
4. [Animation Timeline Engine](#animation-timeline-engine)
5. [Design Canvas (Multi-option Comparison)](#design-canvas)
6. [Dark Mode Toggle](#dark-mode-toggle)
7. [Data Visualization Templates](#data-visualization-templates)
---
## Responsive Slide Engine
For building fixed-size presentations that auto-fit to any viewport.
**Key conventions**:
- Internal arrays use 0-indexed, **but numbers displayed to the user are always 1-indexed**
- Each `<section class="slide">` gets `data-screen-label="01 Title"`, `data-screen-label="02 Agenda"`, etc. for easy reference
- Control buttons go **outside** the `.stage` scaled container to ensure usability on small screens
```html
<style>
* { margin: 0; padding: 0; box-sizing: border-box; }
body {
background: #000;
display: flex;
align-items: center;
justify-content: center;
height: 100vh;
overflow: hidden;
font-family: system-ui, sans-serif;
}
.stage {
width: 1920px;
height: 1080px;
position: relative;
transform-origin: center center;
}
.slide {
position: absolute;
inset: 0;
display: none;
padding: 80px;
}
.slide.active { display: flex; }
.controls {
position: fixed;
bottom: 20px;
left: 50%;
transform: translateX(-50%);
display: flex;
gap: 12px;
z-index: 1000;
}
.controls button {
padding: 8px 16px;
border: none;
border-radius: 6px;
background: rgba(255,255,255,0.15);
color: white;
cursor: pointer;
font-size: 14px;
}
.slide-counter {
position: fixed;
bottom: 20px;
right: 20px;
color: rgba(255,255,255,0.6);
font-size: 14px;
}
</style>
<script>
// Auto-fit scaling
function scaleStage() {
const stage = document.querySelector('.stage');
const scaleX = window.innerWidth / 1920;
const scaleY = window.innerHeight / 1080;
const scale = Math.min(scaleX, scaleY);
stage.style.transform = `scale(${scale})`;
}
window.addEventListener('resize', scaleStage);
scaleStage();
// Slide navigation
let current = parseInt(localStorage.getItem('slideIndex') || '0');
const slides = document.querySelectorAll('.slide');
function showSlide(n) {
current = Math.max(0, Math.min(n, slides.length - 1));
slides.forEach((s, i) => s.classList.toggle('active', i === current));
localStorage.setItem('slideIndex', current);
// Display 1-indexed to user, store 0-indexed internally
document.querySelector('.slide-counter').textContent = `${current + 1} / ${slides.length}`;
}
document.addEventListener('keydown', e => {
if (e.key === 'ArrowRight' || e.key === ' ') showSlide(current + 1);
if (e.key === 'ArrowLeft') showSlide(current - 1);
});
showSlide(current);
</script>
```
---
## Device Simulation Frames
### iPhone Frame
```jsx
const IPhoneFrame = ({ children, title = "App" }) => (
<div style={{
width: 390,
height: 844,
borderRadius: 48,
border: '12px solid #1a1a1a',
overflow: 'hidden',
position: 'relative',
boxShadow: '0 25px 50px -12px rgba(0,0,0,0.25)',
background: '#fff'
}}>
{/* Status bar */}
<div style={{
height: 54,
display: 'flex',
alignItems: 'center',
justifyContent: 'space-between',
padding: '0 24px',
fontSize: 14,
fontWeight: 600
}}>
<span>9:41</span>
<div style={{
width: 126,
height: 34,
background: '#1a1a1a',
borderRadius: 20,
position: 'absolute',
left: '50%',
transform: 'translateX(-50%)',
top: 8
}} />
<span>⚡ 📶</span>
</div>
{/* Content */}
<div style={{ height: 'calc(100% - 54px)', overflow: 'auto' }}>
{children}
</div>
{/* Home indicator */}
<div style={{
position: 'absolute',
bottom: 8,
left: '50%',
transform: 'translateX(-50%)',
width: 134,
height: 5,
background: '#1a1a1a',
borderRadius: 3
}} />
</div>
);
```
### Browser Window Frame
```jsx
const BrowserFrame = ({ children, url = "https://example.com", title = "Page" }) => (
<div style={{
borderRadius: 12,
overflow: 'hidden',
boxShadow: '0 25px 50px -12px rgba(0,0,0,0.25)',
border: '1px solid #e5e5e5'
}}>
{/* Title bar */}
<div style={{
background: '#f5f5f5',
padding: '12px 16px',
display: 'flex',
alignItems: 'center',
gap: 12,
borderBottom: '1px solid #e5e5e5'
}}>
<div style={{ display: 'flex', gap: 8 }}>
<div style={{ width: 12, height: 12, borderRadius: '50%', background: '#ff5f57' }} />
<div style={{ width: 12, height: 12, borderRadius: '50%', background: '#febc2e' }} />
<div style={{ width: 12, height: 12, borderRadius: '50%', background: '#28c840' }} />
</div>
<div style={{
flex: 1,
background: '#fff',
borderRadius: 6,
padding: '6px 12px',
fontSize: 13,
color: '#666',
border: '1px solid #e0e0e0'
}}>
{url}
</div>
</div>
{/* Content */}
<div style={{ background: '#fff' }}>
{children}
</div>
</div>
);
```
---
## Tweaks Panel Implementation
```jsx
const TweaksPanel = ({ config, onChange, visible }) => {
if (!visible) return null;
return (
<div style={{
position: 'fixed',
bottom: 20,
right: 20,
width: 280,
background: 'rgba(24, 24, 27, 0.95)',
backdropFilter: 'blur(12px)',
borderRadius: 12,
padding: 16,
color: '#fff',
fontSize: 13,
zIndex: 9999,
boxShadow: '0 20px 60px rgba(0,0,0,0.3)',
border: '1px solid rgba(255,255,255,0.1)'
}}>
<div style={{ fontWeight: 600, marginBottom: 12, fontSize: 14 }}>Tweaks</div>
{Object.entries(config).map(([key, value]) => (
<div key={key} style={{ marginBottom: 12 }}>
<label style={{ display: 'block', marginBottom: 4, opacity: 0.7 }}>
{key}
</label>
{typeof value === 'boolean' ? (
<input
type="checkbox"
checked={value}
onChange={e => onChange({ ...config, [key]: e.target.checked })}
/>
) : typeof value === 'number' ? (
<input
type="range"
min="0"
max="100"
value={value}
onChange={e => onChange({ ...config, [key]: Number(e.target.value) })}
style={{ width: '100%' }}
/>
) : value.startsWith('#') ? (
<input
type="color"
value={value}
onChange={e => onChange({ ...config, [key]: e.target.value })}
/>
) : (
<input
type="text"
value={value}
onChange={e => onChange({ ...config, [key]: e.target.value })}
style={{
width: '100%',
background: 'rgba(255,255,255,0.1)',
border: '1px solid rgba(255,255,255,0.2)',
borderRadius: 4,
padding: '4px 8px',
color: '#fff'
}}
/>
)}
</div>
))}
</div>
);
};
```
---
## Animation Timeline Engine
```jsx
const useTime = (duration = 5000) => {
const [time, setTime] = React.useState(0);
const [playing, setPlaying] = React.useState(true);
const frameRef = React.useRef();
const startRef = React.useRef();
React.useEffect(() => {
if (!playing) return;
const animate = (timestamp) => {
if (!startRef.current) startRef.current = timestamp;
const elapsed = (timestamp - startRef.current) % duration;
setTime(elapsed / duration); // 0 to 1
frameRef.current = requestAnimationFrame(animate);
};
frameRef.current = requestAnimationFrame(animate);
return () => cancelAnimationFrame(frameRef.current);
}, [playing, duration]);
return { time, playing, setPlaying };
};
const Easing = {
linear: t => t,
easeInOut: t => t < 0.5 ? 2 * t * t : -1 + (4 - 2 * t) * t,
easeOut: t => 1 - Math.pow(1 - t, 3),
easeIn: t => t * t * t,
spring: t => 1 - Math.pow(Math.E, -6 * t) * Math.cos(8 * t)
};
const interpolate = (t, from, to, easing = Easing.easeInOut) => {
const progress = easing(Math.max(0, Math.min(1, t)));
return from + (to - from) * progress;
};
// Usage example:
// const { time } = useTime(3000);
// const opacity = interpolate(time, 0, 1);
// const x = interpolate(time, -100, 0, Easing.spring);
```
---
## Design Canvas
For displaying multiple design options side by side for comparison:
```jsx
const DesignCanvas = ({ options, columns = 3 }) => (
<div style={{
display: 'grid',
gridTemplateColumns: `repeat(${columns}, 1fr)`,
gap: 24,
padding: 40,
background: '#f8f9fa',
minHeight: '100vh'
}}>
{options.map((option, i) => (
<div key={i} style={{
background: '#fff',
borderRadius: 12,
overflow: 'hidden',
boxShadow: '0 1px 3px rgba(0,0,0,0.1)'
}}>
<div style={{
padding: '12px 16px',
borderBottom: '1px solid #eee',
fontSize: 13,
fontWeight: 600,
color: '#666'
}}>
Option {String.fromCharCode(65 + i)}: {option.label}
</div>
<div style={{ padding: 16 }}>
{option.content}
</div>
</div>
))}
</div>
);
```
---
## Dark Mode Toggle
```jsx
const ThemeProvider = ({ children }) => {
const [dark, setDark] = React.useState(
window.matchMedia('(prefers-color-scheme: dark)').matches
);
const theme = dark ? {
bg: '#0a0a0b',
surface: '#18181b',
border: '#27272a',
text: '#fafafa',
textMuted: '#a1a1aa',
primary: '#3b82f6'
} : {
bg: '#ffffff',
surface: '#f4f4f5',
border: '#e4e4e7',
text: '#18181b',
textMuted: '#71717a',
primary: '#2563eb'
};
return (
<ThemeContext.Provider value={{ theme, dark, setDark }}>
<div style={{ background: theme.bg, color: theme.text, minHeight: '100vh' }}>
{children}
</div>
</ThemeContext.Provider>
);
};
```
---
## Data Visualization Templates
### Chart.js Quick Start
```html
<canvas id="myChart" width="800" height="400"></canvas>
<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/chart.js"></script>
<script>
const ctx = document.getElementById('myChart').getContext('2d');
new Chart(ctx, {
type: 'line', // bar, pie, doughnut, radar, etc.
data: {
labels: ['Jan', 'Feb', 'Mar', 'Apr', 'May', 'Jun'],
datasets: [{
label: 'Revenue',
data: [12, 19, 3, 5, 2, 3],
borderColor: '#3b82f6',
backgroundColor: 'rgba(59, 130, 246, 0.1)',
tension: 0.4,
fill: true
}]
},
options: {
responsive: true,
plugins: {
legend: { display: false }
},
scales: {
y: { beginAtZero: true, grid: { color: '#f0f0f0' } },
x: { grid: { display: false } }
}
}
});
</script>
```
---
## Color System Best Practices
Use oklch to define a harmonious color system:
```css
:root {
/* oklch-based color system */
--primary-h: 250; /* hue */
--primary: oklch(0.55 0.25 var(--primary-h));
--primary-light: oklch(0.75 0.15 var(--primary-h));
--primary-dark: oklch(0.35 0.2 var(--primary-h));
/* Neutrals */
--gray-50: oklch(0.98 0.002 250);
--gray-100: oklch(0.96 0.004 250);
--gray-200: oklch(0.92 0.006 250);
--gray-300: oklch(0.87 0.008 250);
--gray-400: oklch(0.71 0.01 250);
--gray-500: oklch(0.55 0.014 250);
--gray-600: oklch(0.45 0.014 250);
--gray-700: oklch(0.37 0.014 250);
--gray-800: oklch(0.27 0.014 250);
--gray-900: oklch(0.21 0.014 250);
}
```
---
## Font Recommendations (Non-default Choices)
> ⚠️ **These are experience-based suggestions, not hard rules.**
> - Always prefer fonts already specified by the brand or design system; only refer to this table when the user hasn't provided any font scheme.
> - The only hard rule: **Avoid Inter / Roboto / Arial / Fraunces / system-ui — fonts overused by AI-generated content** that instantly signal "this was assembled by AI."
> - When choosing fonts, focus on "personality fit" rather than "what's trendy." The table below lists common high-quality choices, not an exhaustive list.
| Use Case | Recommendation | Google Fonts Name |
|------|------|------------------|
| Modern headings | Plus Jakarta Sans | Plus+Jakarta+Sans |
| Elegant body text | Outfit | Outfit |
| Technical feel | Space Grotesk | Space+Grotesk |
| Premium brand | Sora | Sora |
| Editorial feel | Newsreader | Newsreader |
| Handwritten style | Caveat | Caveat |
| Monospace / code | JetBrains Mono | JetBrains+Mono |
```html
<link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Plus+Jakarta+Sans:wght@400;500;600;700;800&display=swap" rel="stylesheet">
```
---
## Color × Font Pairing Reference
> ⚠️ **These are experience-based pairing suggestions, not hard rules.** When you have **absolutely no design context**, pick one as a starting point — it's far better than starting from Inter + #3b82f6.
> Once the user provides a brand / design system / reference site, drop this table immediately and follow their materials.
For quickly establishing a visual system with personality:
| Style | Primary Color (oklch) | Font Pairing | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Modern tech | `oklch(0.55 0.25 250)` blue-violet | Space Grotesk + Inter | SaaS, dev tools, AI products |
| Elegant editorial | `oklch(0.35 0.10 30)` warm brown | Newsreader + Outfit | Content platforms, blogs, editorial |
| Premium brand | `oklch(0.20 0.02 250)` near-black | Sora + Plus Jakarta Sans | Luxury, consulting, finance |
| Lively consumer | `oklch(0.70 0.20 30)` coral | Plus Jakarta Sans + Outfit | E-commerce, lifestyle, social |
| Minimal professional | `oklch(0.50 0.15 200)` teal-blue | Outfit + Space Grotesk | Data products, dashboards, B2B |
| Artisan warmth | `oklch(0.55 0.15 80)` caramel | Caveat (decorative) + Newsreader | Food & beverage, education, creative |
Avoid these combos:
- ❌ Inter + Roboto + blue buttons (peak AI aesthetic)
- ❌ Fraunces + purple-pink gradients (overused)
- ❌ More than three font families (visual chaos)
references/block-library.md›
# Implemented Block Library
Use this index to reach an existing working pattern before inventing a new implementation. The implementations currently live in `advanced-patterns.md`; load only the targeted section.
| Need | Implemented block | Source section |
|---|---|---|
| Fixed 16:9 presentation | Responsive Slide Engine | `advanced-patterns.md#responsive-slide-engine` |
| Phone or browser framing | Device Simulation Frames | `advanced-patterns.md#device-simulation-frames` |
| Live visual controls | Tweaks Panel | `advanced-patterns.md#tweaks-panel-implementation` |
| Timeline-driven motion | Animation Timeline Engine | `advanced-patterns.md#animation-timeline-engine` |
| Side-by-side option review | Design Canvas | `advanced-patterns.md#design-canvas` |
| Theme switching | Dark Mode Toggle | `advanced-patterns.md#dark-mode-toggle` |
| Charts and analytical views | Data Visualization Templates | `advanced-patterns.md#data-visualization-templates` |
## Reuse Contract
Before copying a block:
1. Confirm it matches the artifact, stack, and calibrated dials.
2. Preserve its accessibility and responsive behavior.
3. Adapt tokens to the declared design system.
4. Remove features that do not serve the request.
5. Verify dependency availability before importing anything.
## Adding a New Block
Add a reusable block only after it has solved a real task. Document:
- when to use and when not to use it;
- visual structure and props/data contract;
- minimum working implementation;
- mobile/fixed-canvas behavior;
- interaction and motion variants where relevant;
- reduced-motion and accessibility behavior;
- dark/light theme notes where relevant;
- common failures and repairs.
Prefer one implemented block over a catalog of names without code.
references/browser-acceptance.md›
# Executable Browser Acceptance
## Contents
1. Trigger Gate
2. Resolve the Acceptance Contract
3. Start Safely
4. Automated Pass
5. Visual Pass
6. Repair Loop
7. Acceptance Report
## 1. Trigger Gate
Run this harness only when the user explicitly requests acceptance / 验收, browser QA/testing / 浏览器测试, responsive verification / 响应式检查, cross-browser inspection, visual regression, interaction testing, or equivalent executable validation.
Do **not** run it merely because the user says build, implement, polish, finish, review the code, or verify your work. Those requests receive the lightweight pre-delivery self-check unless browser execution is explicitly named or unmistakably requested.
If the user asks only for a design critique, inspect the supplied render or artifact and use `critique-guide.md`; do not silently expand into browser acceptance.
## 2. Resolve the Acceptance Contract
Infer from the request and project before asking questions:
- Entry URL or local command
- Critical routes / screens
- Primary interaction path
- Required viewport(s)
- Target browser(s), if specified
- Whether the user wants evidence, repairs, or report-only QA
Use the project's existing dev command and dependencies. Do not replace the stack or install a new test framework unless necessary and authorized.
Default viewports only when the user asked for responsive acceptance but did not provide targets:
| Name | Viewport |
|---|---|
| Small mobile | 390 × 844 |
| Tablet | 768 × 1024 |
| Small laptop | 1280 × 720 |
| Desktop | 1440 × 900 |
For fixed 16:9 artifacts, test the intended internal canvas plus at least one smaller outer viewport to verify non-distorting scale behavior.
## 3. Start Safely
1. Inspect `package.json` and project docs for the intended command.
2. Reuse an already-running server when available.
3. Start the minimum required local process and wait for a real ready signal.
4. Record the actual URL and build/dev mode.
5. Do not modify production services or external data.
## 4. Automated Pass
Use the environment's available browser-control or test tooling. Check the agreed scope:
### Runtime
- Page loads without fatal errors.
- Console contains no new actionable errors; classify unrelated third-party noise rather than hiding it.
- Local assets, fonts, images, and primary network requests succeed.
- No hydration or framework mismatch appears.
### Layout
- No unintended horizontal overflow.
- Navigation, primary CTA, key content, dialogs, and controls remain reachable.
- Text does not clip, collide, or become unreadably narrow.
- Images preserve intended crop and focal point.
- Fixed-canvas artifacts scale without distortion.
### Interaction
- Primary links and buttons perform the intended action.
- Keyboard focus is visible and follows a sensible order.
- Forms expose labels, validation, errors, and submission feedback as applicable.
- Overlays can be opened and closed without trapping or losing the user.
- Loading, empty, error, and disabled states are exercised when they are in scope and safely reachable.
### Motion and preferences
- Animations complete and do not block interaction.
- Reduced-motion behavior preserves content and task completion.
- Auto-playing or looping motion can be paused when required by the artifact.
## 5. Visual Pass
Capture evidence at each requested viewport and critical state. Inspect screenshots for:
- hierarchy and focal order;
- spacing rhythm and alignment;
- design-token drift;
- repeated layout formulas;
- contrast and legibility;
- awkward folds, orphaned controls, and large accidental voids;
- visual differences from supplied references or baselines.
If a formal baseline exists, compare against it. If not, call the pass “visual acceptance,” not “visual regression.”
## 6. Repair Loop
When the user authorized implementation or asked to fix acceptance failures:
1. Record the failure and reproduction condition.
2. Make the smallest causal repair.
3. Re-run the failed check at the same viewport/state.
4. Re-run a nearby smoke path when the change could regress another area.
5. Stop after the contract passes or report the concrete blocker.
For report-only QA, do not edit files. Provide evidence-backed findings ordered by severity.
## 7. Acceptance Report
Keep the report concise and reproducible:
```text
Acceptance scope:
Environment / URL:
Viewports / browsers:
Paths exercised:
Passed:
Repaired:
Remaining issues:
Evidence:
```
Never claim browser acceptance from code inspection alone. If the executable harness could not run, say exactly what was and was not verified.
references/critique-guide.md›
# Critique Mode — Detailed Reference
Read this when running Step 7 of the workflow (user asked for review, or self-check before delivery). The main `SKILL.md` already covers the **5 dimensions and output format**. This file provides **scoring rubrics, per-output-type weighting, and the common-issue catalog**.
**Critique the design, not the designer.** Be specific, actionable, and grounded in design language — not vague taste claims.
---
## The Five Dimensions — Detailed Rubrics
### 1. Philosophy Alignment
How well does every detail trace back to the chosen design direction (Pentagram-style information architecture, Kenya Hara-style minimalism, etc.)?
| Score | Standard |
|---|---|
| 9–10 | Every detail embodies the chosen philosophy; nothing reads as "borrowed from elsewhere" |
| 7–8 | Direction is correct, signature traits land, 1–2 minor drift moments |
| 5–6 | Intent visible, but mixed-in foreign elements dilute purity (e.g., "minimalism" with 6 cards per row) |
| 3–4 | Surface mimicry only; the underlying values aren't understood |
| 1–2 | No discernible relationship to any stated direction |
**What to look for**:
- Are signature moves of the chosen designer/studio actually present?
- Do color, type, layout, motion all agree on the same philosophy?
- Any "self-contradicting" elements? (Picked Kenya Hara then crammed the page full → contradiction)
### 2. Visual Hierarchy
Does the eye flow where the designer intends?
| Score | Standard |
|---|---|
| 9–10 | Eye flows naturally along the intended path; zero friction reading the information |
| 7–8 | Primary/secondary clear; 1–2 spots where hierarchy is muddy |
| 5–6 | Title vs. body distinguishable, but middle layers (subtitles, captions) collapse together |
| 3–4 | Information sits flat with no clear entry point |
| 1–2 | Chaotic — viewer doesn't know where to look first |
**What to look for**:
- Title vs. body size ratio ≥ 2.5× (ideally 4–6× for hero)?
- Color / weight / size building 3–4 clear levels?
- Whitespace actively guiding the eye?
- **Squint test**: squint at the screen — is the hierarchy still legible?
### 3. Craft Quality
Pixel-level execution: alignment, spacing, color discipline.
| Score | Standard |
|---|---|
| 9–10 | Pixel-perfect; alignment, spacing, color all flawless |
| 7–8 | Refined overall; 1–2 minor alignment or spacing issues |
| 5–6 | Basically aligned, but spacing is inconsistent and color use is unsystematic |
| 3–4 | Obvious alignment errors, chaotic spacing, too many colors |
| 1–2 | Sloppy — looks like a draft |
**What to look for**:
- Consistent spacing system (8pt grid: 8 / 16 / 24 / 32 / 48 / 64)?
- Same-class elements use identical spacing?
- Color count controlled (typically ≤ 4 — primary + accent + neutral scale + 1 emphasis)?
- Font families ≤ 2 (1 display + 1 body)?
- Edges align precisely?
### 4. Functionality
Does each element earn its place?
| Score | Standard |
|---|---|
| 9–10 | Every element serves a goal; zero redundancy |
| 7–8 | Function-led overall, with minor decoration that could be cut |
| 5–6 | Usable, but obvious decorative elements compete for attention |
| 3–4 | Form > function; users have to work to find information |
| 1–2 | Decoration drowns the content's ability to communicate |
**What to look for**:
- The deletion test: "If I delete this element, does the design get worse?" If no → delete
- Is the CTA / key information in the most prominent position?
- Anything added "because it looked good"?
- Is the information density appropriate for the medium? (PPT sparse; PDF can be denser; landing page conversion-focused)
### 5. Originality
Avoids clichés while staying coherent within the philosophy.
| Score | Standard |
|---|---|
| 9–10 | Refreshing; finds a unique expression *within* the chosen philosophy |
| 7–8 | Has its own ideas; not template-by-numbers |
| 5–6 | Average; reads as a template execution |
| 3–4 | Heavy use of clichés (gradient orbs for "AI", chat bubbles for "conversation") |
| 1–2 | Pure template / stock-asset assembly |
**What to look for**:
- Has it avoided the AI-slop list (purple gradients, emoji icons, left-border accent cards, Inter as display)?
- Is there at least one "unexpected but right" decision?
- Any element that screams "made by AI"?
---
## Per-Output-Type Weighting
Different outputs need different priorities. When scoring, weight these dimensions higher for each context:
| Output type | Most important | Secondary | Can relax |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landing page / marketing site | Functionality, Visual hierarchy | Originality | — (must be all-around) |
| Dashboard / data product | Functionality, Craft quality | Visual hierarchy | Originality (clarity wins) |
| HTML slide deck | Visual hierarchy, Functionality | Craft | Originality (legibility wins) |
| Mobile app prototype | Functionality, Craft | Visual hierarchy | Philosophy alignment (usability wins) |
| Brand launch animation / hero film | Originality, Visual hierarchy | Philosophy | Functionality (it's the moment, not the form) |
| Editorial / portfolio | Originality, Philosophy | Visual hierarchy | Functionality (vibe matters most) |
| Documentation site | Functionality, Visual hierarchy | Craft | Originality (find-the-answer wins) |
| Interactive prototype for user testing | Functionality, Visual hierarchy | Craft | Originality (testing the flow, not the look) |
---
## Common Issues — Top 10 Catalog
Use these as a checklist when running a critique. Each entry has the issue, why it matters, and the fix.
### 1. AI-tech cliché
**Issue**: Gradient orbs, digital rain, blue circuit boards, robot faces
**Why it's a problem**: Audience is exhausted by these — your product becomes indistinguishable
**Fix**: Use abstract metaphors instead of literal symbols (e.g., a "conversation" metaphor instead of a chat bubble icon)
### 2. Insufficient type-size hierarchy
**Issue**: Title and body are too similar in size (< 2.5×)
**Why**: Users can't find key information quickly
**Fix**: Title at least 3× body (16px body → 48–64px title; for hero, 6× is normal)
### 3. Too many colors
**Issue**: 5+ colors in use without a clear primary/secondary structure
**Why**: Visual chaos; weak brand identity
**Fix**: Limit to 1 primary + 1 secondary + 1 accent + grayscale; everything else has to justify itself
### 4. Inconsistent spacing
**Issue**: Element spacing chosen ad-hoc with no system
**Why**: Reads as unprofessional; visual rhythm broken
**Fix**: Adopt an 8pt grid (only use spacing values from {8, 16, 24, 32, 48, 64, 96})
### 5. Insufficient whitespace
**Issue**: Every region is filled with content
**Why**: Cognitive overload reduces information transfer; dense ≠ informative
**Fix**: Whitespace should be at least 40% of total area (60%+ for minimalist)
### 6. Too many fonts
**Issue**: 3+ font families in use
**Why**: Visual noise; weakens unity
**Fix**: At most 2 (1 display + 1 body); use weight and size variation for richness
### 7. Inconsistent alignment
**Issue**: Mixed left-, center-, and right-aligned blocks
**Why**: Breaks visual order
**Fix**: Pick one alignment (typically left) and apply globally; centered alignment only for hero / pull-quote moments
### 8. Decoration eclipses content
**Issue**: Background patterns / gradients / shadows steal focus from primary content
**Why**: Inverts the priority — users came for information, not for decoration
**Fix**: Apply the deletion test: "if I remove this decoration, does the design get worse?" If no → remove
### 9. Cyber-neon overuse
**Issue**: Dark navy `#0D1117` + neon-glow accents
**Why**: This is the GitHub-dark / "AI dev tool" cliché — every clone looks the same
**Fix**: Pick a more distinctive palette; if dark mode is mandatory, choose a non-default base (deep warm gray, near-black with hint of color)
### 10. Information density mismatched to medium
**Issue**: A wall of text on a slide; 10 elements crammed into a social cover
**Why**: Different media have different optimal density
**Fix**:
- Slides: 1 core idea per page
- Cover image: 1 visual focal point
- Infographic: layered (overview → detail)
- PDF / docs: can be dense, but needs clear navigation
---
## Output Template (copy this when delivering a critique)
```markdown
## Design Critique
**Overall: X.X / 10** [Excellent (8+) / Good (6–7.9) / Needs work (4–5.9) / Failing (<4)]
**By dimension**:
- Philosophy alignment: X / 10 — [one-sentence reason]
- Visual hierarchy: X / 10 — [one-sentence reason]
- Craft quality: X / 10 — [one-sentence reason]
- Functionality: X / 10 — [one-sentence reason]
- Originality: X / 10 — [one-sentence reason]
### Keep
- [Specific things done well, in design language — not "the colors are nice", say "the muted terracotta against warm off-white reads as confident and editorial"]
### Fix (sorted by severity)
**1. [Issue name]** — ⚠️ Critical / ⚡ Important / 💡 Polish
- Current: [what it looks like now]
- Why: [why it's a problem, anchored in a principle above]
- Fix: [concrete change with specific values — "increase title size from 32px to 56px", not "make titles bigger"]
**2. [Issue name]** — ⚠️ / ⚡ / 💡
…
### Quick Wins (top 3 if you only have 5 minutes)
- [ ] [Highest-impact change that takes the least time]
- [ ] [Second]
- [ ] [Third]
```
---
## Critique Anti-Patterns
❌ **Vague taste claims**: "the colors are off" → bad. "The accent saturation is too high — at oklch(0.65 0.25 25) it competes with the primary; reduce to 0.18 chroma to subordinate it" → good.
❌ **Praise without specifics**: "looks great!" provides zero learning. Always say *what* is great and *why*.
❌ **Mixing severity**: putting a critical hierarchy bug next to a polish-level color tweak in the same list. Always sort by ⚠️ → ⚡ → 💡.
❌ **More than 7 fix items**: cognitive overload. If there are more, group them — "five spacing inconsistencies" as one item, not five.
❌ **Critiquing without grounding**: every "Fix" should reference a principle (hierarchy, craft, philosophy, etc.) so the user understands the *why*, not just the *what*.
❌ **Critiquing the designer instead of the design**: "you didn't think this through" is unhelpful and not the agent's role. "This element doesn't earn its place — consider removing" is the right framing.
references/design-calibration.md›
# Design Calibration
Use this reference after gathering context and before declaring the design system. Its purpose is to turn a brief into visible decisions, not to decorate the response with scores.
## Contents
1. Design Read
2. Five Dials
3. Presets
4. Resolve Conflicts
5. Optional Image-First Branch
6. Completion Test
## 1. Design Read
Write a compact read containing:
- **Artifact**: landing page, dashboard, prototype, slide deck, visualization, campaign page, and so on.
- **Audience**: who must understand, trust, or act.
- **Visual language**: a specific family such as restrained builder SaaS, kinetic editorial, warm humanist, or institutional data-first. Avoid empty labels such as “modern” or “clean.”
- **Mode**: greenfield, extension, redesign-preserve, or redesign-overhaul.
- **Constraints**: brand, accessibility, platform, viewport, content, deadline, and supplied assets.
If two plausible readings would produce materially different work, ask one focused question. Otherwise state the read and proceed.
## 2. Five Dials
Use whole numbers from 1 to 10.
### Visual Variance
Controls compositional departure from familiar patterns.
| Band | Behavior |
|---|---|
| 1–3 | Stable grids, symmetry, familiar navigation, low surprise |
| 4–6 | One or two asymmetric moves, varied section rhythm, controlled novelty |
| 7–8 | Strong art direction, off-grid moments, multiple layout families |
| 9–10 | Experimental composition; use only when comprehension and brand permit |
### Motion Intensity
Controls how much meaning is carried through time.
| Band | Behavior |
|---|---|
| 1–2 | Static; state feedback only |
| 3–4 | Hover, focus, short entry transitions |
| 5–7 | Sequenced reveals, state choreography, restrained scroll response |
| 8–10 | Cinematic transitions, pinning, scrubbing, spatial storytelling |
Every animation must communicate hierarchy, feedback, causality, or narrative. Honor reduced motion whenever motion exceeds simple state feedback.
### Information Density
Controls useful information per viewport, not visual clutter.
| Band | Behavior |
|---|---|
| 1–3 | Gallery-like, one dominant idea, generous pauses |
| 4–6 | Balanced marketing/product density |
| 7–8 | Analytical, operational, comparison-heavy |
| 9–10 | Cockpit-like; requires strong grouping, scanning, and progressive disclosure |
### Asset Dependence
Controls how much the result relies on real imagery, screenshots, illustration, identity assets, or generated visual references.
| Band | Behavior |
|---|---|
| 1–3 | Typography, data, or interface structure can carry the artifact |
| 4–6 | A few key visuals materially improve recognition or explanation |
| 7–10 | The product, brand, campaign, or story fails without high-fidelity assets |
At 7+, inventory assets before layout. Do not hide missing assets with decorative CSS.
### Brand Fidelity
Controls how strictly existing identity and interaction language must be preserved.
| Band | Behavior |
|---|---|
| 1–3 | New or intentionally exploratory identity |
| 4–6 | Adapt recognizable cues while allowing meaningful evolution |
| 7–8 | Preserve core assets, tokens, voice, and signature patterns |
| 9–10 | Extension-level fidelity; new work should appear native to the existing system |
## 3. Presets
Treat these as starting points, not mandatory values.
| Brief | Variance | Motion | Density | Assets | Fidelity |
|---|---:|---:|---:|---:|---:|
| Mainstream SaaS landing | 6 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 5 |
| Creative studio / campaign | 8 | 7 | 3 | 8 | 4 |
| Developer tool landing | 6 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Data dashboard | 4 | 3 | 8 | 3 | 7 |
| Public-sector service | 3 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 9 |
| Editorial presentation | 7 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 5 |
| Existing-product extension | match | match | match | match | 10 |
| Redesign · Preserve | current + 1 max | current + 1 max | match | match | 9 |
| Redesign · Overhaul | 6–8 | 4–7 | match content | 6–9 | 5–7 |
## 4. Resolve Conflicts
- **High variance + high density**: preserve a stable navigation and grid spine; concentrate experimentation in one layer.
- **High motion + high density**: animate transitions or focus, not every element.
- **High assets + low fidelity**: establish a new visual bible before generating or sourcing a set.
- **High assets + high fidelity**: source official assets first; generation may extend the world but must not replace identity-critical material.
- **High fidelity + overhaul request**: explicitly identify which brand invariants survive before changing the visual language.
- **Accessibility constraints** override aesthetic scores. Reduce motion, clarify hierarchy, and preserve contrast without asking permission.
## 5. Optional Image-First Branch
Use image-first exploration only when it materially improves a visually important greenfield or overhaul task, such as a campaign landing page, brand launch, product hero, or highly art-directed portfolio.
Skip it when:
- the user supplied Figma, screenshots, or a mature design system;
- the task is an extension, repair, dashboard, form, or data table;
- the main uncertainty is behavior rather than visual direction;
- image generation would add cost without reducing design risk.
When used:
1. Define a visual bible: palette, typography character, radius, material, image treatment, and forbidden drift.
2. Generate only the critical references needed to resolve uncertainty; one image per section is not a requirement.
3. Prefer fresh, readable section references over cropping tiny details from a compressed full-page board.
4. Extract implementation decisions from the references.
5. Treat code and supplied brand assets as higher-authority sources when they conflict with generated pixels.
Use `gpt-image-2` when available for structured generation; otherwise follow the host's image workflow or leave honest asset requirements.
## 6. Completion Test
The calibration is successful only if someone can point from each dial to concrete consequences in the artifact. If changing a score would not change the plan, remove the score or make the mapping explicit.
references/design-directions.md›
# Design Direction Advisor — Extended Reference
Read this when the request is vague ("make something nice", "I don't know what style I want") and no design context exists. The main `SKILL.md` already covers the **mechanism** (3 differentiated directions, named designer references, hard rule against same-school picks). This file provides the **school taxonomy** — six high-level philosophical lenses, each with named anchors and the sample copy you use to recommend it.
> **Terminology lock**: this file deals in **schools** (six high-level lenses) and **anchors** (named studios / brands / designers per school). The companion folder `style-recipes/` contains 25 **recipe** files — one file per anchor — with concrete, ready-to-paste configurations. When a user picks a school here, hand them off to the recipe files in that school for concrete palette / typography / spacing values. Load only the recipe files you actually need; the catalog index is at `style-recipes/INDEX.md`.
---
## How to Use This File
1. Read the user's request and the four positioning questions (narrative role / viewing distance / visual temperature / capacity)
2. Pick **3 schools from different rows** below that genuinely fit the user's context
3. Recommend each with: named designer/studio + 2–3 lines of "why this fits you" + 3–4 signature visual cues + (optional) one famous touchstone work
4. Wait for the user to pick one (or remix two)
5. **After the user picks a school → read 2–3 recipe files from `style-recipes/` in that school** (e.g., picked *Information Architecture* → read `style-recipes/pentagram.md` + `style-recipes/bloomberg-terminal.md` + `style-recipes/tufte-dataink.md`). The recipe files carry the concrete values; this file does not duplicate them.
6. The chosen recipe becomes the design context — write it into `brand-spec.md` and proceed to the main workflow
---
## The Six Schools (1 of 3 must come from each different row)
### 1. Information Architecture
**Vibe**: Rational, data-driven, restrained, hierarchy-led
**Best for**: Safe / professional / B2B / data products / institutional
**Why it works**: Treats the page as a *system* of typographic and grid relationships. The "design" disappears so the information speaks.
| Anchor | What to borrow |
|---|---|
| **Pentagram** (Paula Scher, Michael Bierut) | Bold typography as image; identity through type relationships; sparing color use |
| **Edward Tufte** | Maximum data-ink ratio; small multiples; smallest sufficient difference |
| **Massimo Vignelli** | Helvetica-style restraint; strict grid; 6 typefaces is enough for a lifetime |
| **Bloomberg Terminal** | Mission-critical density; amber-on-near-black; monospaced data |
| **NYT / Broadsheet editorial** | Multi-deck hierarchy; serif headlines; place-rich photography |
**Concrete starting points** (each is a single file in `style-recipes/` — read one): [`pentagram`](./style-recipes/pentagram.md) · [`vignelli-swiss-helvetica`](./style-recipes/vignelli-swiss-helvetica.md) · [`bloomberg-terminal`](./style-recipes/bloomberg-terminal.md) · [`tufte-dataink`](./style-recipes/tufte-dataink.md) · [`nyt-the-daily`](./style-recipes/nyt-the-daily.md) — each carries the palette, typography, spacing, and signature moves to paste straight into Step 3.
**Sample copy when recommending**:
> "Pentagram-style information architecture — your dashboard becomes a system of typographic relationships rather than a UI. Headlines do the heavy visual lifting; everything else recedes. Best when you want institutional credibility and your data is the hero."
---
### 2. Editorial / Minimalist
**Vibe**: Whitespace, refined typography, quiet luxury, considered
**Best for**: Premium / high-end / quiet / lifestyle / prestige B2C
**Why it works**: Treats whitespace as the primary design material. The reader/viewer gets room to breathe; restraint reads as confidence.
| Anchor | What to borrow |
|---|---|
| **Kenya Hara (MUJI)** | Whiteness as a value; *ex-formation*; emptiness as fullness |
| **Apple HIG / Marketing** | Generous negative space; hero product on white; one-thought-per-screen |
| **Dieter Rams (Braun)** | "Less but better"; honest materials; functional decoration is a contradiction |
| **Aesop** | Cream/sage palette; serif copy as conversation; product as protagonist |
| **Monocle** | Magazine-grade kicker / headline / dek hierarchy; international considered |
**Concrete starting points** (each is a single file in `style-recipes/` — read one): [`apple-hig`](./style-recipes/apple-hig.md) · [`muji-kenya-hara`](./style-recipes/muji-kenya-hara.md) · [`aesop`](./style-recipes/aesop.md) · [`dieter-rams-braun`](./style-recipes/dieter-rams-braun.md) · [`monocle-magazine`](./style-recipes/monocle-magazine.md) — each carries the palette, typography, spacing, and signature moves to paste straight into Step 3.
**Sample copy when recommending**:
> "Kenya Hara-style editorial minimalism — the page is mostly whitespace, with one serif headline carrying emotional weight and the product anchored in a single hero shot. Best when premium positioning matters more than feature density."
---
### 3. Motion / Experimental
**Vibe**: Bold, generative, sensory, kinetic, technical
**Best for**: Distinctive / launch films / brand moments / awwwards-style / tech storytelling
**Why it works**: Movement and surprise are the brand. Static screenshots can't capture the experience.
| Anchor | What to borrow |
|---|---|
| **Field.io** | Generative type and form; data-driven motion; the page is a system that *makes* itself |
| **Active Theory** | WebGL hero moments; physics-driven interactions; cinematic transitions |
| **Resn** | Storytelling through scroll; payoff for exploration; surprise is the reward |
**Concrete starting points** (each is a single file in `style-recipes/` — read one): [`field-io`](./style-recipes/field-io.md) · [`active-theory`](./style-recipes/active-theory.md) · [`resn-storytelling`](./style-recipes/resn-storytelling.md) — each carries the palette, typography, spacing, and signature moves to paste straight into Step 3.
> Note: Vercel / Linear marketing pages use motion *as restraint*, not as the show — they live in the **Modern Tool / Builder SaaS** school below, not here. Reach for this school only when motion is genuinely the brand.
**Sample copy when recommending**:
> "Field.io-style motion-led identity — the page generates itself in front of the visitor through choreographed scroll-driven sequences. Best when the launch *moment* matters and your audience will share clips. Note: this is the most labor-intensive of the three; budget accordingly."
---
### 4. Brutalist / Raw
**Vibe**: Anti-design, honest, unpolished, confrontational
**Best for**: Differentiated / confident / counter-culture / publishing / artist platforms
**Why it works**: Ugly-on-purpose reads as authentic in a sea of polished AI defaults. The lack of consensus aesthetic *is* the aesthetic.
| Anchor | What to borrow |
|---|---|
| **Are.na** | Raw HTML feel; system fonts on purpose; content > chrome |
| **Bloomberg Businessweek covers** (Richard Turley era) | Typographic violence; magazine grid abused; copy as image |
| **Balenciaga** (post-2017) | Default browser styling weaponized; hero text in Helvetica at absurd scale |
| **Craigslist (yes, really)** | Information density without apology; everything is a link |
**Concrete starting points** (each is a single file in `style-recipes/` — read one): [`are-na`](./style-recipes/are-na.md) · [`bloomberg-businessweek-turley`](./style-recipes/bloomberg-businessweek-turley.md) · [`balenciaga-post-2017`](./style-recipes/balenciaga-post-2017.md) — each carries the palette, typography, spacing, and signature moves to paste straight into Step 3.
**Sample copy when recommending**:
> "Are.na/Bloomberg-style brutalism — system fonts, harsh type contrast, no rounded corners, no shadows. Confrontational on purpose. Best when you're a strong contrarian voice and want to repel the crowd that wants 'modern SaaS.' Warning: half-measures here look broken, not bold."
---
### 5. Warm Humanist
**Vibe**: Approachable, organic, hand-touched, friendly without being childish
**Best for**: Lifestyle / education / approachable B2C / community products / health
**Why it works**: Conveys that real humans made this for real humans. Counters the "robot wrote my landing page" perception.
| Anchor | What to borrow |
|---|---|
| **Mailchimp** (early Freddie era) | Hand-drawn marks; warm illustration; personality in microcopy |
| **Stripe Press** | Editorial serif + warm palette + tactile object photography |
| **Studio Dumbar** | Identity through movement and personality, not through restraint |
| **Headspace / Calm** | Soft pastels, rounded everything, breathing-pace motion |
**Concrete starting points** (each is a single file in `style-recipes/` — read one): [`mailchimp-freddie`](./style-recipes/mailchimp-freddie.md) · [`stripe-press`](./style-recipes/stripe-press.md) · [`headspace-meditation`](./style-recipes/headspace-meditation.md) — each carries the palette, typography, spacing, and signature moves to paste straight into Step 3.
> Note: Notion (pre-AI era) borrows from this school's friendly tone but lives in the **Modern Tool / Builder SaaS** school below — it's a tool first, warmth second.
**Sample copy when recommending**:
> "Stripe Press / early Mailchimp warmth — humanist serifs, cream palette, illustrations that feel hand-touched. Best when you want trust and approachability over institutional polish. Tone is 'friend who happens to be expert,' not 'expert addressing client.'"
---
### 6. Modern Tool / Builder SaaS
**Vibe**: Quiet luxury for tools, hairline detail, warm dark + monospace accents
**Best for**: Developer tools, B2B SaaS, AI tools, infrastructure / platform products, productivity apps
**Why it works**: Confident restraint reads as "made by people who use tools," not "made by marketers." Hairline borders, monospace shortcut chips, and a single accent color signal craft-led culture without shouting. This is the most under-served school in AI-default output — every model wants to reach for the purple-pink-blue gradient instead.
| Anchor | What to borrow |
|---|---|
| **Linear** | Hairline 1px borders, warm dark ground, selective purple accent < 5% of pixels, keyboard-first chips |
| **Vercel** (recent) | Black + white precision broken by *one* feathered gradient mesh; deploy-log realism in the hero |
| **Raycast** | Glassy command-palette as hero; per-extension color dots used as small accents |
| **Notion** (pre-AI era) | Friendly serif headlines + emoji-as-icon on cream surfaces; structure first, warmth second |
**Concrete starting points** (each is a single file in `style-recipes/` — read one): [`linear`](./style-recipes/linear.md) · [`vercel-mesh`](./style-recipes/vercel-mesh.md) · [`raycast`](./style-recipes/raycast.md) · [`notion-pre-ai`](./style-recipes/notion-pre-ai.md) — each carries the palette, typography, spacing, and signature moves to paste straight into Step 3.
**Sample copy when recommending**:
> "Linear-style modern-tool aesthetic — warm dark ground, hairline 1px borders, a single purple accent used on less than 5% of pixels, monospace shortcut chips. Best when your audience is technical and 'serious but designed' matters more than 'fun and accessible.' This is the recipe that defends most directly against AI-default Inter + blue button + 16px-radius output."
---
## When the User Picks (or Remixes)
Common user responses:
- **"I'll go with #2."** → Direction confirmed. Write it into `brand-spec.md`. Proceed to Step 2 with this as design context.
- **"I like A's color but C's layout."** → Confirm the remix in writing ("So: minimalist editorial palette + motion-led layout choreography. Right?"), then proceed.
- **"None of these feel right — show me more."** → Ask one targeted question to narrow ("Are you closer to formal/institutional or playful/expressive?"), then offer 3 fresh directions from rows you didn't show before.
- **"I don't know, you pick."** → Pick the safest one (usually Editorial / Minimalist), state your reasoning, and propose a 5-minute v0 to validate before committing.
---
## AI-Prompt Templates (when generating imagery to support a direction)
Format: `[philosophy DNA] + [content description] + [technical params]`
✅ **Good** (specific characteristics):
> "Kenya Hara-influenced minimalism with 80% whitespace, single muted terracotta (#C04A1A) accent, GT Sectra serif headline, single product hero on warm off-white (#F2EFE8) ground, soft top-down lighting, 3:2 aspect"
❌ **Bad** (style names without DNA):
> "minimalist style, premium feel, high quality"
Always include:
- Color HEX (not "warm" / "cool")
- Aspect ratio and dimensions
- Composition rules (rule-of-thirds, centered, asymmetric)
- What to *avoid* (e.g., "no purple gradient, no emoji, no rounded cards")
> Each recipe file in `style-recipes/` ships a pre-written **AI prompt seed** tuned to that recipe's DNA — start from the one you're using rather than writing prompts from scratch.
---
## Anti-Patterns in Direction Recommendation
❌ **Recommending 3 picks from the same row** — the user can't tell them apart; the entire point of "differentiated directions" collapses
❌ **Recommending "minimalism" / "modern" / "clean"** as the direction name — these are not directions, they are AI-default words. Always anchor on a named designer/studio.
❌ **Recommending without any "why this fits you"** — the user wanted *guidance*, not a multiple-choice quiz. Each option must explain its fit to their context (audience, purpose, budget, brand maturity).
❌ **Showing 5+ directions** — choice paralysis. 3 is the sweet spot. If the first 3 all miss, ask one narrowing question and offer 3 fresh ones.
❌ **Asking the user to score each direction 1–10** — that's offloading the recommendation back to them. Make a recommendation; the user will agree or push back.
references/failure-patterns.md›
# Contextual Failure Patterns
Use this catalog to catch recurring AI-generated design failures. Read only the sections relevant to the artifact. These are strong defaults with explicit exceptions, not universal taste laws.
## Contents
- Marketing and Multi-section Pages
- Layout and Components
- Typography and Content
- Imagery and Brand
- Motion and Interaction
- Dashboards and Product UI
- Final Use
## Marketing and Multi-section Pages
### Repeated section header formula
- **Default**: Do not put a tiny uppercase eyebrow above every heading.
- **Why**: It creates a mechanically templated rhythm.
- **Detect**: The same label + headline + paragraph stack appears in most sections.
- **Exceptions**: Manuals, intentionally indexed editorial systems, or an established brand pattern.
- **Repair**: Remove low-information labels; vary hierarchy using a lead sentence, image, number, quote, or direct headline.
### Zigzag monotony
- **Default**: Avoid three or more consecutive left/right image-text splits.
- **Why**: Alternation alone is not composition.
- **Detect**: Mirroring is the only difference between adjacent sections.
- **Repair**: Introduce a full-width proof point, vertical narrative, comparison, gallery, diagram, or focused text break.
### Default centered hero
- **Default**: Do not choose centered headline + gradient + two CTAs without brief support.
- **Why**: It is a statistical default, not a design decision.
- **Exceptions**: Manifestos, launch statements, search-first utilities, and deliberately ceremonial pages.
- **Repair**: Re-evaluate content hierarchy, asset role, audience, and viewport; choose the composition that makes those constraints clearest.
### Decorative trust theater
- **Default**: No fabricated metrics, testimonials, logos, security badges, or “used by” claims.
- **Why**: False credibility is worse than an honest gap.
- **Repair**: Use a labeled placeholder or request real proof.
### CTA duplication
- **Default**: Keep labels for the same intent consistent.
- **Detect**: “Get started,” “Try free,” and “Create account” all route to the same action without a meaningful distinction.
- **Exceptions**: Tested funnel copy or different commitment levels.
- **Repair**: Normalize the label or clarify the distinct outcomes.
## Layout and Components
### Cardification
- **Default**: Use containers only when grouping, selection, or elevation carries meaning.
- **Detect**: Every paragraph, metric, and icon lives in a rounded card.
- **Repair**: Use whitespace, alignment, dividers, typography, or one shared surface.
### Bento without rhythm
- **Default**: Every cell needs content and a compositional role.
- **Detect**: Blank filler cells, uniform text-only tiles, or arbitrary spans.
- **Repair**: Match cell count to content; create hierarchy through size, media, data, or interaction rather than empty geometry.
### Shape drift
- **Default**: Define a radius grammar and follow it.
- **Detect**: Pills, sharp cards, soft cards, and circular controls appear without semantic rules.
- **Repair**: Assign radius by component role and consolidate tokens.
### Split-header filler
- **Default**: Avoid a large left headline paired with a small floating right paragraph when the split communicates nothing.
- **Repair**: Stack the content or give the second column a real visual, action, or evidence role.
## Typography and Content
### Generic display typography
- **Default**: Do not reach automatically for Inter, Roboto, Arial, system-ui, Fraunces, or Instrument Serif as the identity-bearing display choice.
- **Exceptions**: Existing brand/system requirements, accessibility contexts, or intentional platform neutrality.
- **Repair**: Use the chosen recipe, supplied brand font, or a justified pairing.
### Micro-label noise
- **Detect**: Decorative version numbers, fake coordinates, weather, status dots, section numbers, or metadata that does not help the user.
- **Repair**: Delete it or connect it to real state/content.
### Copy-shaped decoration
- **Detect**: Vague claims, fake precision, agency slogans, or captions written only to fill space.
- **Repair**: Replace with user-provided truth, a clear placeholder, or fewer words.
### Unreadable hero
- **Detect**: CTA falls below the intended initial viewport, display text clips, or copy/image competition destroys hierarchy.
- **Repair**: Recompose; do not enforce a universal word or line cap when the artifact needs a different reading experience.
## Imagery and Brand
### CSS as counterfeit asset
- **Default**: Do not replace a recognizable product, logo, or interface with decorative CSS shapes.
- **Repair**: Source official material, generate a clearly non-identity-critical extension, or expose an honest asset slot.
### Image-label clutter
- **Default**: Do not overlay pills and captions on imagery unless they identify, control, or explain it.
- **Repair**: Move necessary metadata into a stable caption or remove it.
### Generated-world drift
- **Detect**: Multi-image output changes palette, material, lighting, typography character, device treatment, or brand symbols.
- **Repair**: Reuse a visual bible and regenerate the divergent frame rather than patching it with unrelated decoration.
## Motion and Interaction
### Motion for spectacle only
- **Default**: Every animation needs a hierarchy, feedback, causality, or narrative purpose.
- **Detect**: Removing the animation changes no understanding or feedback.
- **Repair**: Remove it, lower the Motion dial, or tie it to meaningful state.
### Scroll-state rendering
- **Default**: Do not update broad React state on every scroll or pointer frame.
- **Repair**: Use CSS, motion values, IntersectionObserver, or an animation library appropriate to the stack.
### Repeated spectacle
- **Default**: Avoid multiple marquees, pinned chapters, magnetic controls, or competing ambient loops on one surface.
- **Repair**: Select one signature moment and make other transitions quieter.
### Missing reduced-motion path
- **Default**: Motion beyond simple state feedback must collapse cleanly under reduced motion.
- **Repair**: Preserve content order and interaction completion without relying on animation.
## Dashboards and Product UI
### Marketing styling on operational UI
- **Detect**: Giant headlines, excessive whitespace, cinematic cards, and low-density gestures impede scanning.
- **Repair**: Raise density, stabilize the grid, clarify state, and prioritize task completion.
### Decorative data visualization
- **Detect**: Gradients, 3D, shadows, or animation obscure comparison and scale.
- **Repair**: Improve data-ink ratio, labels, semantic color, and accessible alternatives.
### Happy-path-only components
- **Detect**: Only populated success states exist.
- **Repair**: Add relevant loading, empty, error, permission, disabled, and overflow states.
## Final Use
Report only consequential failures. Do not dump the whole catalog into the user-facing response. Fix safe in-scope problems directly; surface exceptions and tradeoffs when they affect intent.
references/redesign-protocol.md›
# Existing UI and Redesign Protocol
Read this reference before modifying an existing visual product.
## Contents
1. Classify the Mode
2. Audit Before Editing
3. Protected Contracts
4. Modernization Order
5. Dial Guidance
6. Before-and-After Plan
7. Verification
## 1. Classify the Mode
### Extension
Add or change a bounded element inside the current system. Match the existing vocabulary. Do not “improve” unrelated surfaces.
### Redesign · Preserve
Modernize while retaining identity, information architecture, content voice, and behavioral contracts. Prefer targeted evolution.
### Redesign · Overhaul
Introduce a new visual language while retaining the agreed product, content, and technical contracts. Overhaul is not permission to rewrite everything.
If preserve versus overhaul would materially change the result and the request is ambiguous, ask one focused question.
## 2. Audit Before Editing
Record the current state in project notes or a concise redesign brief.
### Visual system
- Color roles and actual usage ratios
- Type families, scale, weights, and line lengths
- Spacing rhythm and container widths
- Radius, border, shadow, and elevation rules
- Icons, illustration, photography, and image treatment
- Motion durations, easing, triggers, and feedback style
### Product and content
- Page tree, navigation, key journeys, and conversion paths
- Existing content blocks and their purpose
- Brand voice, legal copy, localization, and real data
- Loading, empty, error, disabled, and permission states
### Technical contracts
- Routes, slugs, anchors, and deep links
- Form field names, order, validation, and autofill expectations
- Analytics events, data attributes, test selectors, and experiment hooks
- Component APIs and downstream consumers
- Accessibility semantics, keyboard behavior, focus order, and announcements
- SEO metadata, canonical URLs, structured data, and social cards
### Quality debt
Separate observations into:
- **Preserve**: recognizable or contract-critical strengths
- **Improve**: weak hierarchy, spacing, contrast, responsiveness, or craft
- **Remove**: unsupported clutter, broken patterns, dead interactions, or fabricated content
## 3. Protected Contracts
Never change these silently:
- Route structure, slugs, anchor IDs, or primary navigation labels
- Brand logo, wordmark, or identity-critical assets
- Form field names/order or submission behavior
- Legal, consent, privacy, pricing, or compliance copy
- Analytics events, selectors, and experiment identifiers
- Existing accessibility wins
- Public component APIs or persistent-state keys
- User-provided content and real data
Ask for authorization when the requested outcome genuinely requires a protected-contract change.
## 4. Modernization Order
Apply the lowest-risk lever that solves the problem, then reassess:
1. Correct functional and accessibility failures.
2. Repair hierarchy and typography.
3. Normalize spacing, alignment, and responsive behavior.
4. Consolidate tokens and remove rogue styling.
5. Improve states and interaction feedback.
6. Add justified motion.
7. Recompose hero or key sections.
8. Replace full blocks only when they cannot be repaired.
In Preserve mode, stop once the brief is satisfied. Do not turn incremental work into a portfolio redesign.
## 5. Dial Guidance
- **Extension**: match all existing dials; set Brand Fidelity to 10.
- **Preserve**: keep density and assets stable; change variance/motion by at most one point unless requested.
- **Overhaul**: derive new variance/motion from the brief, but retain a content-density map so information is not lost.
## 6. Before-and-After Plan
For non-trivial redesigns, state:
```text
Mode:
Preserve:
Improve:
Remove:
Protected contracts:
Design Read + dials:
Highest-risk change:
Rollback / fallback:
```
This is a decision record, not a long design essay.
## 7. Verification
The default pre-delivery self-check confirms the requested scope and protected contracts by inspection. Run executable browser acceptance only when the user explicitly asks for it; then use `browser-acceptance.md` and include regression checks for the preserved journeys.
references/style-recipes/active-theory.md›
# active-theory — Active Theory (Cinematic WebGL)
- **School**: Motion / Experimental
- **Vibe**: Cinematic web experiences, WebGL heroes, physical-feeling interaction
- **Best for**: Brand launch sites, game / entertainment products, "experience marketing" pieces
- **Touchstone**: activetheory.net, NASA / Apple WWDC dev portals they've made, Doritos / movie tie-in launches
**Palette**
- Often a single dramatic hue from the project's content — black + one signature color from the brand or film
- High contrast — deep black + bright accent
- Tinted neutrals — never plain gray; gray-with-cast (cool blue cast for sci-fi, warm amber for cinematic)
**Typography**
- Display: a strong grotesque or a custom display face built for the campaign — Druk, Editorial New, ABC Diatype Mono
- Body type secondary — most content rides over imagery; less reading, more witnessing
- All-caps display common, with very tight or very open tracking depending on tone
**Spacing**: cinematic — content sits centered or in unexpected corners against a full-bleed canvas
**Radius**: 0
**Shadow**: from WebGL lighting, not CSS
**Motion**: feature-film-grade. Camera moves through a 3D space. Physics-driven debris / particles. The page is a stage.
**Signature moves**
- A full-screen WebGL hero scene that the user moves through (scroll = camera path)
- Real-time physics or particle systems responding to cursor / device tilt
- Carefully art-directed transitions between scenes (not generic fades)
- Sound design integrated (subtle ambient audio that ducks during text passages)
- A single moment of maximum impact — the recipe builds toward one payoff frame
**Avoid**
- Many small WebGL moments (one big set-piece is the recipe, not five small ones)
- Trying to ship a content-heavy site this way (cinematic recipes work for marketing moments, not docs)
- Reaching for off-the-shelf Three.js demos (this recipe demands hand-crafted scenes — generic WebGL reads as cheap)
**AI prompt seed**
> Cinematic VFX still, single dramatic moment from a sci-fi launch film, key light from one direction, deep shadows, single brand-accent hue floating in the scene, particle debris in air, 2.39:1 aspect.
**Don't use when**
- Performance / accessibility constraints rule out heavy WebGL
- The product is utilitarian (this recipe is for moments, not for daily use)
- The build budget is sub-3-weeks
---
> **Same school — Motion / Experimental**: [`field-io`](./field-io.md) · [`resn-storytelling`](./resn-storytelling.md)
> **Browse all 25 recipes**: [INDEX.md](./INDEX.md)
references/style-recipes/aesop.md›
# aesop — Aesop Skincare
- **School**: Editorial / Minimalist
- **Vibe**: Apothecary refinement, sage and ink, serif copy as conversation
- **Best for**: Premium consumer goods (skincare, candles, eyewear), restaurants with literary aspirations, hospitality
- **Touchstone**: aesop.com, Aesop store windows, the brown amber bottle
**Palette**
- Ground: `#E8E4D9` (warm chamois) — sometimes `#F2EFE5`
- Ink: `#1B1B1B` (true near-black for copy)
- Sage muted: `#7A8470`
- Amber bottle accent: `#7A4623` (used very sparingly, e.g., a single rule or seal mark)
- Cream surface: `#F0EDE4`
**Typography**
- Display & body: a single transitional serif at every size — Suisse Works, Lyon Text, or GT Sectra (weight 400, italic available). Aesop pairs serif for body copy with a single sans for UI labels (Söhne or Helvetica Now).
- Body size: 16–18px; line-height ~1.65
- Labels in small caps (10–11px, letter-spaced 0.12em)
**Spacing**: 8 / 16 / 24 / 40 / 72 / 120
**Radius**: 0 throughout, including form fields. Aesop is square-edged.
**Shadow**: none.
**Motion**: subtle fades, slow drawer slide-ins (~450ms ease-out). Never spring-bounce.
**Signature moves**
- Body copy reads like product writing in a literary magazine — long, well-cadenced sentences, justified text, no marketing punchiness
- Product is photographed on a warm chamois surface with a single sage prop (leaf, marble dish, linen) and a long shadow
- Small-caps section labels (`INGREDIENTS` / `RITUAL`) above each block
- All-text navigation in the masthead, letter-spaced
- Asymmetric layouts: image left, generous right-margin block of copy; never centered-everything
**Avoid**
- Bold weights anywhere — Aesop is all regular and italic
- Color other than sage / amber / ink — no blues, no purples, no UI-blue accents
- Pop-up modals (Aesop's UI politely waits)
- Lifestyle stock photography of smiling models — props and product only
**AI prompt seed**
> Amber-glass apothecary bottle on warm chamois #E8E4D9 textured paper, single linen napkin and dried sage sprig, raking afternoon window light, deep soft shadow at lower right, 4:5, editorial product photography, color grading warm with slight green cast.
**Don't use when**
- The product is software or digital-first — Aesop's tactile object photography defines half the recipe; you can't fake it with CSS
- The audience expects price-comparison utility — Aesop never shows pricing prominently
- The voice needs to be funny or casual — Aesop is sincere and slow
---
> **Same school — Editorial / Minimalist**: [`apple-hig`](./apple-hig.md) · [`muji-kenya-hara`](./muji-kenya-hara.md) · [`dieter-rams-braun`](./dieter-rams-braun.md) · [`monocle-magazine`](./monocle-magazine.md)
> **Browse all 25 recipes**: [INDEX.md](./INDEX.md)
references/style-recipes/apple-hig.md›
# apple-hig — Apple Human Interface
- **School**: Editorial / Minimalist
- **Vibe**: Generous space, hero product on white, one thought per screen
- **Best for**: Premium hardware, premium software, "this product deserves a stage" feel
- **Touchstone**: apple.com product pages, Apple keynote slides, HIG documentation
**Palette**
- Ground: `#FFFFFF` (paper-pure white) or `#000000` (deep black, hero film moments only)
- Ink: `#1D1D1F` (Apple's not-quite-black)
- Soft surface: `#F5F5F7`
- Muted text: `#86868B`
- Accent (sparingly): system-blue `#0071E3`
**Typography**
- Display: SF Pro Display (weight 600 for headlines, 400 for sub-display) — fall back to Inter Tight only when SF Pro is unreachable
- Body: SF Pro Text at 17px, line-height ~1.47
- Captions: SF Pro at 12–14px, weight 400, color `#86868B`
**Spacing**: 4 / 8 / 16 / 24 / 40 / 64 / 96 / 160. Section breaks are large (160px+ vertical). Headlines breathe.
**Radius**: 12 (small components) / 18 (cards) / 22 (large panels). Apple is rarely sharp-cornered, never gummy-bear rounded.
**Shadow**: barely visible. `0 1px 2px rgba(0,0,0,0.04)` at most. Elevation through whitespace and color contrast, not shadow.
**Motion**: cubic-bezier expo-out; durations 350–650ms for layout moves, 150–250ms for hover. Never bouncy. Often a slow Ken Burns on hero imagery.
**Signature moves**
- One product photograph centered on whitespace, occupying ~40% of the hero
- Hero headline in big display weight, body line below in muted gray (`#86868B`), single CTA in system-blue text-link form (no chunky button on hero — that comes later)
- Section anatomy: tiny eyebrow label → big headline → one paragraph → one product shot → repeat. No tabs, no cards, no bento.
- Hairline `#D2D2D7` dividers between sections, never anything heavier
- Numbers are display-weight characters (e.g., a stat reads `12.9″`, with the `″` set in a smaller weight)
**Avoid**
- Any gradient mesh, glow, or "tech atmosphere" — Apple's gradients are almost always subtle silver-to-charcoal on a product surface, not background decoration
- Stacking multiple CTAs in the hero
- Card grids of features (Apple uses long vertical sections, one idea each)
- Emoji of any kind on marketing pages
**AI prompt seed** (for hero imagery)
> Studio-lit product photograph, single object centered on pure-white #FFFFFF ground, soft top-down diffused light, subtle floor reflection, 16:9, no text, no people, no shadow drama, color grading neutral.
**Don't use when**
- The product is software-only and doesn't have a "hero object" to photograph — you'll end up with a blank stage
- The brand wants to feel scrappy / startup / accessible — Apple HIG reads as expensive and serious
- Audience is anti-tech-corporate — it'll feel "stale Apple cosplay"
---
> **Same school — Editorial / Minimalist**: [`muji-kenya-hara`](./muji-kenya-hara.md) · [`aesop`](./aesop.md) · [`dieter-rams-braun`](./dieter-rams-braun.md) · [`monocle-magazine`](./monocle-magazine.md)
> **Browse all 25 recipes**: [INDEX.md](./INDEX.md)
references/style-recipes/are-na.md›
# are-na — Are.na (Honest Web)
- **School**: Brutalist / Raw
- **Vibe**: System fonts on purpose, content > chrome, the web of the late 90s but considered
- **Best for**: Indie tools, creative platforms, "research-flavored" products, artist communities
- **Touchstone**: are.na, the Are.na annual
**Palette**
- Ground: `#FFFFFF`
- Ink: `#000000`
- Are.na blue link: `#0000EE` (the classic browser-default blue, used unironically)
- Visited link: `#551A8B` (also classic browser-default)
- Hairline: `#CCCCCC`
- Optional: warm cream surface `#F4F1E8` for cards
**Typography**
- Display & body: system serif (Times / Georgia) and / or system sans (the OS's default sans) on purpose
- No custom font loading — the recipe leans on letting the browser pick
- Body at 14–16px, line-height ~1.45
- Italic and underlined links (also browser-default)
**Spacing**: 4 / 8 / 16 / 24 / 32. Tight. Content-dense.
**Radius**: 0
**Shadow**: none
**Motion**: none, or instant
**Signature moves**
- Underlined blue links, visited purple — left as browser default
- Headings are just larger versions of body type, no special font
- Tables, lists, and prose all flow without ornament
- Footers are tiny, plain, link-rich (the early-web "all links" footer)
- Cards (if used) are flat rectangles with a 1px gray border and no shadow
**Avoid**
- Custom fonts of any kind
- Color other than the blue / purple link colors and the ink + ground
- Hover animations, transitions of any kind
- Modals, tooltips, micro-interactions
- Any sense of "polish"
**AI prompt seed**
> Found-photograph collage on plain white paper, mixed sources, no Photoshop polish, slight imperfection, hand-cut feel, 4:3.
**Don't use when**
- The brand needs to feel "premium" — Are.na's recipe explicitly rejects premium signaling
- The audience expects modern SaaS UX cues — they may bounce, reading the page as broken
- Half-measures will be tempted — commit fully or pick another recipe; partial Are.na looks broken, not curated
---
> **Same school — Brutalist / Raw**: [`bloomberg-businessweek-turley`](./bloomberg-businessweek-turley.md) · [`balenciaga-post-2017`](./balenciaga-post-2017.md)
> **Browse all 25 recipes**: [INDEX.md](./INDEX.md)
references/style-recipes/balenciaga-post-2017.md›
# balenciaga-post-2017 — Balenciaga (post-Demna era)
- **School**: Brutalist / Raw
- **Vibe**: Default browser styling weaponized, Helvetica at absurd scale, anti-luxury luxury
- **Best for**: Fashion / counter-culture / fragrance brands, "we're too cool to design this" positioning
- **Touchstone**: balenciaga.com (any 2018+ snapshot via Wayback), Vetements campaigns, post-2017 luxury anti-design
**Palette**
- Ink: `#000000`
- Ground: `#FFFFFF`
- One muted off-white surface: `#F5F4F0`
- No color. None. If a color appears it's in a single photograph and never as a UI element.
**Typography**
- Display & body: Helvetica or Arial — all weights, all sizes, *only this one family*
- Headlines often set in all-caps at hero scale (140px+)
- Body type small — 11–13px
- Mixing weight is fine; mixing family is not
**Spacing**: 8 / 16 / 24 / 40 — restrained, but not luxurious-spacious; more "we didn't bother to soften it"
**Radius**: 0
**Shadow**: none
**Motion**: none — pages don't animate. Hover at most changes underline.
**Signature moves**
- All-caps Helvetica headlines at extreme scale, tightly tracked, often left-aligned hard against the page edge
- Product photography is editorial / fashion-style — model + product, harsh lighting, awkward poses; never the smiling-stock-model pattern
- Navigation is plain text links, sometimes just a vertical list at the top of the page
- Captions and metadata stripped to minimum (model name, designer, location)
- No buttons styled as buttons — CTAs are underlined text links
**Avoid**
- Any font other than Helvetica / Arial
- Color
- Polished UI affordances (rounded buttons, drop shadows, hover effects)
- Decorative anything
**AI prompt seed**
> Fashion editorial photograph, single model against a plain off-white #F5F4F0 backdrop, harsh direct flash, awkward static pose, deadpan expression, 4:5.
**Don't use when**
- The brand has no fashion / counter-culture claim — recipe will read as cosplay
- The audience expects to be "sold to" — Balenciaga's recipe ignores the audience on purpose
- Conversion is critical — this recipe converts the in-group, not the casual visitor
---
> **Same school — Brutalist / Raw**: [`are-na`](./are-na.md) · [`bloomberg-businessweek-turley`](./bloomberg-businessweek-turley.md)
> **Browse all 25 recipes**: [INDEX.md](./INDEX.md)
references/style-recipes/bloomberg-businessweek-turley.md›
# bloomberg-businessweek-turley — Bloomberg Businessweek (Turley Era)
- **School**: Brutalist / Raw
- **Vibe**: Typographic violence, magazine grid abused, copy *is* image
- **Best for**: Editorial features, agency portfolios, opinionated content sites
- **Touchstone**: Bloomberg Businessweek 2014–2019 covers (Richard Turley → Tracy Ma era), *Eye* magazine archive issues
**Palette**
- Aggressive — `#FF3D00` (high-alert orange), `#FFE800` (signal yellow), `#001AFF` (alert blue)
- Always on `#FFFFFF` for max contrast — or inverted onto `#000000`
- Black `#000000` text on white where readable; otherwise contrasting hue
- Maximum 3 colors per spread
**Typography**
- Display: a single bold grotesque used at absurd scale — Founders Grotesk, Druk, ABC Whyte. Weight 800–900, set 200px+
- Headlines often broken across lines on purpose, kerned tighter than comfortable
- Body type left small in contrast — 12–14px serif (Plantin / Mercury)
- All-caps + condensed common in display
**Spacing**: deliberately broken — content pushed off-grid, sometimes touching edges or overflowing intentionally
**Radius**: 0
**Shadow**: none
**Motion**: jarring cuts, not smooth eases. If anything moves it slams into place.
**Signature moves**
- Headline set so large it visibly breaks the grid (letters touching page edges)
- Color blocks of saturated orange / yellow / blue placed under or behind type
- Photo cutouts (subjects silhouetted, dropped onto color fields) — often awkwardly cropped on purpose
- Tables of data styled like magazine spreads, not like UI components — bold, contrasty, opinionated
- Captions in tiny serif italic positioned in unexpected corners
**Avoid**
- Tasteful design (the recipe is anti-tasteful on purpose)
- More than 3 colors per spread
- Smooth transitions
- Web defaults (every element should feel set, not generated)
**AI prompt seed**
> Magazine cover composition, single bold word set in massive black grotesque at 200pt, behind it a flat field of saturated alert-orange #FF3D00, with a clumsily-cut photo silhouette overlaid at unexpected angle, slight print misregistration, 3:4.
**Don't use when**
- The brand voice is meant to feel calm or trustworthy — Turley-era Bloomberg is loud
- The content is utility-focused — recipe is editorial only
- The team is squeamish about deliberate ugliness — this recipe requires committing to it
---
> **Same school — Brutalist / Raw**: [`are-na`](./are-na.md) · [`balenciaga-post-2017`](./balenciaga-post-2017.md)
> **Browse all 25 recipes**: [INDEX.md](./INDEX.md)
references/style-recipes/bloomberg-terminal.md›
# bloomberg-terminal — Bloomberg Terminal
- **School**: Information Architecture
- **Vibe**: Maximum data-ink, mission-critical density, chrome-amber on near-black
- **Best for**: Finance / trading / monitoring dashboards, "professionals don't have time for whitespace" products
- **Touchstone**: a real Bloomberg Terminal screenshot (always reference the real thing — it's denser than memory suggests)
**Palette**
- Ground: `#0A0E1A` (deep navy-black)
- Surface 1: `#11172A`
- Surface 2: `#1A2138`
- Amber primary: `#FFA02F` (the signature)
- Positive (price-up): `#00B96B`
- Negative (price-down): `#F23645`
- Muted label: `#5E6680`
- High-importance text: `#E8ECF4`
**Typography**
- Display & body: a monospaced workhorse — IBM Plex Mono, JetBrains Mono, or Berkeley Mono. Bloomberg itself uses a proprietary mono.
- Sizes: 11 / 12 / 13 / 14px — densely packed. No 16px body. No 32px headlines.
- All numerals tabular-aligned (right-aligned columns of digits)
**Spacing**: 2 / 4 / 8 / 12. Multi-pane layouts with no luxury margins.
**Radius**: 0 or 2px. Terminals don't round.
**Shadow**: none. Elevation through hairline borders only (`#2A3050` 1px lines).
**Motion**: ticker scroll (uniform linear), instant state flips, blink on data update (50–80ms flash). No eased animations.
**Signature moves**
- Multi-pane workspaces with hairline dividers — 4 to 9 panels visible at once
- Amber text on near-black for the most important data; chrome-white for secondary
- Status / ticker bar at top with marquee-scrolling tickers, color-coded up/down
- Keyboard-shortcut chips in the margins (`F9: TRADE`)
- Tabular data with monospaced digits, color-coded by delta
**Avoid**
- Any rounded corners
- Hero sections / marketing-style headlines
- Photography or illustration of any kind
- Decorative gradients (gradient meshes are not data-ink)
- Sans-serif body type (the monospace is the recipe)
**AI prompt seed**
> Trading workstation user interface, deep navy #0A0E1A background, multi-pane layout with amber #FFA02F headlines, monospaced data tables, ticker scroll across the top, no rounded corners, no illustrations, fixed-width font throughout.
**Don't use when**
- The audience is consumer (they'll bounce in 3 seconds — terminal density is acquired taste)
- You can't fill the screen with real data — terminal aesthetic + dummy "Lorem 1,234" placeholders looks broken
- The task is a marketing landing page — terminals are for working in, not for selling
---
> **Same school — Information Architecture**: [`pentagram`](./pentagram.md) · [`vignelli-swiss-helvetica`](./vignelli-swiss-helvetica.md) · [`tufte-dataink`](./tufte-dataink.md) · [`nyt-the-daily`](./nyt-the-daily.md)
> **Browse all 25 recipes**: [INDEX.md](./INDEX.md)
references/style-recipes/dieter-rams-braun.md›
# dieter-rams-braun — Dieter Rams / Braun
- **School**: Editorial / Minimalist
- **Vibe**: "Less but better", functional honesty, industrial restraint
- **Best for**: Hardware product pages, audio gear, industrial / tool brands, design-led B2B
- **Touchstone**: Braun T3 radio, Braun ET66 calculator, Rams's *Ten Principles of Good Design*
**Palette**
- Ground: `#E4E1DC` (concrete light) or `#F5F4F0` (paper)
- Ink: `#191919`
- Industrial gray: `#A8A8A8`, `#5C5C5C`
- Accent: single signal — Braun orange `#E96A26` or signal yellow `#F5C518`, used only on functional elements (a power dot, an active state)
**Typography**
- Display & body: a precision grotesk — Akzidenz-Grotesk, Helvetica Now, or Söhne. Weight 400 body, weight 500 for emphasis, never 700.
- Numerals love a monospaced variant for spec tables
**Spacing**: based on a 4px sub-grid; visible values 4 / 8 / 16 / 24 / 32 / 64 / 128. Functional, no "luxury whitespace" inflation.
**Radius**: 2–4px maximum. Sharp by default.
**Shadow**: none.
**Motion**: utilitarian — instant state changes (~80–120ms), no flourish.
**Signature moves**
- Diagrammatic exploded views of the product with measurement callouts (real or fictional)
- A single signal-orange dot on the page indicating "active" or "power" — never decorative
- Tabular spec listings as a first-class layout element (not hidden behind a "Specs" toggle)
- Every label exactly what it is, in plain language ("ON / OFF" not "Toggle interaction mode")
- The page itself feels like a piece of equipment
**Avoid**
- Photography that romanticizes the product — Braun shoots it on a grid background like an engineering specimen
- Multiple accent colors
- Curves anywhere — even hover effects shouldn't bounce
- Lifestyle imagery
**AI prompt seed**
> Industrial product photograph, 1960s Braun design language, single hardware object on light gray #E4E1DC grid background, frontal orthographic view, dimensions and labels in thin sans serif, color palette restricted to gray / black / single orange marker, 4:3.
**Don't use when**
- The product is soft / emotional / lifestyle — Rams discipline reads as cold for skincare or hospitality
- The team wants warmth or personality — this recipe is impersonal by design
- The audience is consumer / non-technical — they may read it as "boring spec sheet"
---
> **Same school — Editorial / Minimalist**: [`apple-hig`](./apple-hig.md) · [`muji-kenya-hara`](./muji-kenya-hara.md) · [`aesop`](./aesop.md) · [`monocle-magazine`](./monocle-magazine.md)
> **Browse all 25 recipes**: [INDEX.md](./INDEX.md)
references/style-recipes/field-io.md›
# field-io — Field.io (Generative Motion Identity)
- **School**: Motion / Experimental
- **Vibe**: The brand is movement; the page generates itself in front of the visitor
- **Best for**: Brand films, launch moments, agency portfolios, "the visit is the experience" sites
- **Touchstone**: field.io, FIELD.SYSTEMS work, kinetic identity case studies
**Palette**
- Often dark base — `#0B0B0F` to `#000000`
- One or two generative gradient hues used throughout the motion — frequently a single bold hue cycled through hue rotation, e.g., a deep cyan `#0CE0E5` blending into electric violet `#5B2EFF`, or generated procedurally
- Ink for type: high-contrast white `#FFFFFF`
- Secondary type: cool gray `#A0A4B0`
**Typography**
- Display: a variable font that *animates* on its own axes — Söhne Variable, Editorial New Variable, or Inter Display Variable
- Type often morphs weight, width, or optical-size during scroll
- Body type kept restrained — a single grotesque at neutral weight; the motion is the show, not the body
**Spacing**: irregular by design — content lands in unexpected positions; the grid sometimes appears and disappears
**Radius**: 0 — Field.io's work is rarely soft-cornered
**Shadow**: not via CSS — through generative lighting in WebGL / Canvas scenes
**Motion**: the entire recipe is motion. Multi-stage choreographed sequences. Scroll-driven not just for parallax but for state changes. Pages frequently feel like a video playing itself.
**Signature moves**
- Generative type sequences where letters appear, morph, and resolve into headlines on scroll
- Particle / mesh systems that respond to cursor and scroll position
- Long-tail eased curves (expo-out, quint-out) — `cubic-bezier(0.83, 0, 0.17, 1)` and similar
- Section breaks where the entire page state transforms (a full-bleed canvas overtakes the layout)
- Choreographed multi-element entries — six elements arrive on staggered delays, not all at once
**Avoid**
- Static recipes (this isn't a static recipe — a static screenshot will feel underwhelming)
- Too many cursor-reactive elements (one or two key WebGL moments is the recipe, not the whole page)
- Heavy text content — this recipe is for moments, not for reading
**AI prompt seed**
> Generative type composition, single phrase resolving from particle field, electric violet #5B2EFF and deep cyan #0CE0E5 light traces, on near-black background, long motion trails, 16:9 cinematic.
**Don't use when**
- The deliverable will live as a static screenshot (the recipe loses ~70% of its impact)
- Build budget is small (this is the most labor-intensive of the 25)
- The target audience uses low-end hardware or care about performance / accessibility above wow
---
> **Same school — Motion / Experimental**: [`active-theory`](./active-theory.md) · [`resn-storytelling`](./resn-storytelling.md)
> **Browse all 25 recipes**: [INDEX.md](./INDEX.md)
references/style-recipes/headspace-meditation.md›
# headspace-meditation — Headspace / Calm
- **School**: Warm Humanist
- **Vibe**: Soft pastels, rounded everything, calming hand-drawn illustration
- **Best for**: Wellness / meditation / health apps, sleep / kids products, "approachable expert" services
- **Touchstone**: headspace.com, the Headspace app, Calm.com lock-screen aesthetic
**Palette**
- Ground: warm peach `#FFE2C5` or `#FFEDD5`
- Surface darker: warm coral `#F4A573`
- Ink: warm dark teal `#1B3A47`
- Secondary: `#5C6B7A`
- Pop accents: muted lavender `#B0A5D1`, sage `#9DB67A`, salmon `#F5867B` (one per scene, rotating)
**Typography**
- Display: a rounded friendly sans — Apercu, GT America (rounded variant), Söhne Breit. Weight 600.
- Body: same family at 16–17px, weight 400
- Optional script for emotional moments — a single soft handwritten line in something like Caveat, used very sparingly
**Spacing**: generous — 8 / 16 / 24 / 40 / 64 / 96
**Radius**: large — 16 (small) / 24 (medium) / 32 (large). Buttons are pills (radius = height / 2).
**Shadow**: soft and warm — `0 8px 24px rgba(244, 165, 115, 0.2)`. Often colored to match the ground.
**Motion**: gentle, slow, breathing. 400–800ms eases. Hover lifts have a "buoyant" feel. A subtle breathing animation (1.5–4s cycle) on key elements.
**Signature moves**
- A central character / mascot illustrated in simple round shapes (Headspace's orange circle character)
- Animated breathing circles that expand and contract in sync with body copy ("breathe in… breathe out…")
- Warm peach gradient grounds that slowly drift between hues
- Rounded everything — every container is a pill or a soft-corner rectangle
- Calming microcopy ("Take a moment. We'll wait.")
**Avoid**
- Cool palettes — Headspace lives in warm tones, even at night-mode (warm dark teal not cool navy)
- Sharp corners anywhere
- Harsh motion (no bouncy springs — too jolting; gentle eases only)
- More than 2 colors per scene
**AI prompt seed**
> Simple flat illustration in warm peach #FFE2C5 background, single round mascot character in coral with friendly face, soft pastel shapes around it (sage, lavender), no harsh edges anywhere, gentle hand-drawn imperfection, 4:5.
**Don't use when**
- The product is meant to feel sharp / sophisticated — Headspace's recipe reads as soft / caring
- The brand has no wellness / care positioning — it'll feel infantilizing
- The voice is meant to be authoritative or expert-led — recipe is gentle, not commanding
---
> **Same school — Warm Humanist**: [`mailchimp-freddie`](./mailchimp-freddie.md) · [`stripe-press`](./stripe-press.md)
> **Browse all 25 recipes**: [INDEX.md](./INDEX.md)
references/style-recipes/INDEX.md›
# Style Recipes — Catalog Index
A catalog of 25 named, anchored design recipes — each one tied to a real brand / studio / designer and **stored as its own file in this directory**. Read this INDEX to discover what's available and how to choose; then read **one recipe file** to get the concrete values for Step 3.
```
references/style-recipes/
├── INDEX.md ← you are here
├── apple-hig.md
├── muji-kenya-hara.md
├── aesop.md
├── ... (25 recipe files total)
```
This catalog is the **anchored library**; `../design-directions.md` is the **school taxonomy** for vague-request conversations. The two work together:
| Route | Tool | When |
|---|---|---|
| User has no idea — needs guidance | `../design-directions.md` (6-school 3-pick conversation) | "Make me something nice" / "I don't know what style I want" |
| User has an anchor in mind | Read **one** file here directly | "Make it Linear-style" / "Stripe Press feeling" / "Are.na vibe" |
| Direction Advisor narrowed to a school but user wants concreteness | Read this INDEX for the school's recipes → then read the 2–3 specific recipe files | Mid-conversation handoff |
---
## When to Read Recipe Files
**Read a single recipe file** when:
1. **The user names an anchor by brand, studio, or designer** — "make a Linear-style landing page", "Aesop-feeling product page", "MUJI quietness", "Pentagram-grade type system". Read **only that anchor's file** (`linear.md`, `aesop.md`, etc.) — never the whole catalog.
2. **The Direction Advisor narrowed to a school** — read this INDEX to see which recipes live in that school, then read 2–3 specific files to present the user concrete choices.
3. **You're in Step 3 and need a known-good palette / typography / spacing combo** — pick the closest recipe by school or best-for table below, then read that single file and adapt.
Do **not** load every recipe file up front. The entire catalog is ~1400 lines if loaded together; loading one recipe is ~50 lines. **Loading the whole catalog when you only need one recipe is the exact anti-pattern this split is designed to prevent.**
Do **not** read recipe files when:
- The user provided their own brand assets / Figma / codebase — extract from those instead (Asset > Spec).
- The task is dictated by an existing UI you're extending — match the visual vocabulary already there, don't impose a recipe.
- The user gave you a screenshot of a specific reference page — that screenshot *is* the recipe; extract directly.
---
## File Format Conventions (every recipe file follows this anatomy)
- **Title line** — `# <anchor-id> — <Human-readable name>`
- **Anchor & school** — which real-world reference and which Direction-Advisor school it belongs to
- **Vibe & best-for** — 1-line vibe summary plus the scenarios it actually serves
- **Touchstone** — at least one named real product / object / publication to look at (search and verify before relying on memory)
- **Palette** — hex values, named by role (ink / surface / accent / ground). Always restricted; never a 12-stop ramp.
- **Typography** — real font names with weight numbers and size guidance. No "Inter / Roboto" fallbacks unless the anchor itself uses them.
- **Spacing system** — concrete value ladder
- **Radius / Shadow / Motion character** — described in **design language**, not code
- **Signature moves** — 3–5 specific, opinionated, copy-able design decisions that make this recipe *recognisable*. This is the design DNA.
- **Avoid** — anti-patterns inside this recipe (i.e., things that would silently turn it into AI slop)
- **AI prompt seed** — when generating supporting imagery, what to ask for to stay in DNA
- **Don't use when** — the boundary; situations where this recipe will misfire
- **Footer** — peer recipes in the same school + a link back to this INDEX
**These files contain no code.** Hex codes, font names, and spacing ladders are *design tokens described in words*, not code. The agent translates them to CSS / JSX in Step 3+ using the project's stack.
---
## Index 1 — By School
| School | Recipes |
|---|---|
| **Editorial / Minimalist** | [`apple-hig`](./apple-hig.md) · [`muji-kenya-hara`](./muji-kenya-hara.md) · [`aesop`](./aesop.md) · [`dieter-rams-braun`](./dieter-rams-braun.md) · [`monocle-magazine`](./monocle-magazine.md) |
| **Information Architecture** | [`pentagram`](./pentagram.md) · [`vignelli-swiss-helvetica`](./vignelli-swiss-helvetica.md) · [`bloomberg-terminal`](./bloomberg-terminal.md) · [`tufte-dataink`](./tufte-dataink.md) · [`nyt-the-daily`](./nyt-the-daily.md) |
| **Modern Tool / Builder SaaS** | [`linear`](./linear.md) · [`vercel-mesh`](./vercel-mesh.md) · [`raycast`](./raycast.md) · [`notion-pre-ai`](./notion-pre-ai.md) |
| **Motion / Experimental** | [`field-io`](./field-io.md) · [`active-theory`](./active-theory.md) · [`resn-storytelling`](./resn-storytelling.md) |
| **Brutalist / Raw** | [`are-na`](./are-na.md) · [`bloomberg-businessweek-turley`](./bloomberg-businessweek-turley.md) · [`balenciaga-post-2017`](./balenciaga-post-2017.md) |
| **Warm Humanist** | [`mailchimp-freddie`](./mailchimp-freddie.md) · [`stripe-press`](./stripe-press.md) · [`headspace-meditation`](./headspace-meditation.md) |
| **Specialty / Genre** (not surfaced via Advisor) | [`y2k-retrofuturism`](./y2k-retrofuturism.md) · [`mid-century-modern`](./mid-century-modern.md) |
The first 6 schools mirror the Direction Advisor's 6 schools (in `../design-directions.md`) — so when the Advisor picks one of those, you know which recipe files to surface. The 7th school (Specialty / Genre) is **only reachable through direct anchor naming** — users wanting Y2K or Mid-Century always arrive with the anchor in hand, never through Advisor.
## Index 2 — By Best-For
| Scenario | First-choice recipes |
|---|---|
| B2B SaaS / developer tools | [`linear`](./linear.md) · [`vercel-mesh`](./vercel-mesh.md) · [`raycast`](./raycast.md) · [`pentagram`](./pentagram.md) |
| Premium consumer / lifestyle | [`aesop`](./aesop.md) · [`muji-kenya-hara`](./muji-kenya-hara.md) · [`stripe-press`](./stripe-press.md) · [`monocle-magazine`](./monocle-magazine.md) |
| Data product / dashboard / finance | [`bloomberg-terminal`](./bloomberg-terminal.md) · [`tufte-dataink`](./tufte-dataink.md) · [`vignelli-swiss-helvetica`](./vignelli-swiss-helvetica.md) |
| Editorial / publishing / longform | [`nyt-the-daily`](./nyt-the-daily.md) · [`monocle-magazine`](./monocle-magazine.md) · [`stripe-press`](./stripe-press.md) · [`mailchimp-freddie`](./mailchimp-freddie.md) |
| Launch moment / brand film / awwwards | [`field-io`](./field-io.md) · [`active-theory`](./active-theory.md) · [`resn-storytelling`](./resn-storytelling.md) · [`vercel-mesh`](./vercel-mesh.md) |
| Differentiated / counter-culture / artist | [`are-na`](./are-na.md) · [`bloomberg-businessweek-turley`](./bloomberg-businessweek-turley.md) · [`balenciaga-post-2017`](./balenciaga-post-2017.md) |
| Approachable B2C / community / health | [`mailchimp-freddie`](./mailchimp-freddie.md) · [`headspace-meditation`](./headspace-meditation.md) · [`notion-pre-ai`](./notion-pre-ai.md) |
| Retro / theme / decade-coded | [`y2k-retrofuturism`](./y2k-retrofuturism.md) · [`mid-century-modern`](./mid-century-modern.md) |
## Index 3 — By Mode (light / dark / either)
| Mode | Recipes |
|---|---|
| Light-first | [`apple-hig`](./apple-hig.md) · [`muji-kenya-hara`](./muji-kenya-hara.md) · [`aesop`](./aesop.md) · [`dieter-rams-braun`](./dieter-rams-braun.md) · [`monocle-magazine`](./monocle-magazine.md) · [`pentagram`](./pentagram.md) · [`nyt-the-daily`](./nyt-the-daily.md) · [`stripe-press`](./stripe-press.md) · [`headspace-meditation`](./headspace-meditation.md) · [`mailchimp-freddie`](./mailchimp-freddie.md) · [`mid-century-modern`](./mid-century-modern.md) |
| Dark-first | [`linear`](./linear.md) · [`vercel-mesh`](./vercel-mesh.md) · [`raycast`](./raycast.md) · [`bloomberg-terminal`](./bloomberg-terminal.md) · [`field-io`](./field-io.md) · [`active-theory`](./active-theory.md) · [`resn-storytelling`](./resn-storytelling.md) · [`y2k-retrofuturism`](./y2k-retrofuturism.md) |
| Works either way | [`vignelli-swiss-helvetica`](./vignelli-swiss-helvetica.md) · [`tufte-dataink`](./tufte-dataink.md) · [`notion-pre-ai`](./notion-pre-ai.md) · [`are-na`](./are-na.md) · [`bloomberg-businessweek-turley`](./bloomberg-businessweek-turley.md) · [`balenciaga-post-2017`](./balenciaga-post-2017.md) |
---
## Cross-Cutting Anti-Patterns (apply to all 25 recipes)
These apply across every recipe in this catalog. Violating them collapses the recipe back into AI-default slop. **Read these even before reading an individual recipe file** — they're not duplicated in each file.
### ❌ Don't combine two recipes mid-page
Pick **one** recipe and instantiate it fully. Adding "Linear with Aesop accents" or "Pentagram with a Y2K hero" usually reads as confused rather than original. Two-recipe remixes work only when the user explicitly asks and you can articulate *why* the marriage is coherent (e.g., "Aesop palette on Pentagram grid for an apothecary catalog with editorial bones").
### ❌ Don't half-commit to brutalism / Y2K / mid-century
The Specialty / Genre and Brutalist / Raw recipes need full commitment. Half-Y2K reads as "broken modern site". Half-brutalism reads as "unfinished design". Either go all-in or pick a different recipe.
### ❌ Don't default to Inter / Roboto / Arial / system-ui as display
If your chosen recipe specifies a font, use that font (or a real substitute *named in the recipe*). Defaulting to Inter erases the recipe's typographic identity, which is usually 30–40% of its signature.
### ❌ Don't import every color in the palette
Each recipe lists a restricted palette intentionally. If a recipe gives you 4 colors, don't add a 5th to "balance things out". The restriction *is* the recipe.
### ❌ Don't add your own AI-default touches "to make it pop"
If the recipe says "no shadow," don't add a subtle shadow. If it says "no gradient," don't add a gradient mesh. If it says "no emoji," don't add one. Every AI-default addition you make reduces the recipe's distinctiveness toward the mean.
### ❌ Don't fake the photography style with CSS
Recipes like Aesop, Stripe Press, MUJI, Apple HIG, Mailchimp, and Headspace rely on a specific photography or illustration style. If you can't source / generate that imagery, **say so to the user** — don't substitute CSS shapes. A recipe with a real hero photograph at 60% quality lands better than the same recipe with a CSS substitute at 0% recognition value.
### ❌ Don't invent new recipes silently
If you find yourself drifting outside the listed recipes, **tell the user**: "None of the 25 recipes fits — here's what I propose instead." A new recipe deserves its own anchor, its own concrete values, and its own signature moves articulated. Drifting silently produces the AI-default that this whole catalog is built to prevent.
### ❌ Don't read the whole catalog when you need one recipe
Load only the recipe files you actually need. If the user said "Linear-style", read [`linear.md`](./linear.md) — not all 25. The 1-file-at-a-time pattern is what makes this catalog efficient; loading everything up front defeats progressive disclosure.
---
## When None of the 25 Fits
Options in this order:
1. **Re-read the user's request** — sometimes the right recipe is obvious in hindsight (a "data-led research tool" is almost always [`tufte-dataink`](./tufte-dataink.md) or [`bloomberg-terminal`](./bloomberg-terminal.md), even when the user didn't name those)
2. **Combine two recipes deliberately**, with explicit framing — see the warning above
3. **Hand off to `../design-directions.md`** — propose 3 differentiated schools and let the user pick
4. **Articulate a new recipe** — name an anchor, list concrete values, get user sign-off, then proceed
Always make the recipe choice explicit in your Step 3 design-system declaration so the user can confirm before code starts.
references/style-recipes/linear.md›
# linear — Linear (Modern Builder Tool)
- **School**: Modern Tool / Builder SaaS
- **Vibe**: Quiet luxury for developer tools; warm dark, hairline detail, restraint as confidence
- **Best for**: Developer tools, AI tools, B2B SaaS where "serious + designed" matters
- **Touchstone**: linear.app, the Linear changelog page, Linear Method site
**Palette**
- Ground: `#08090A` (near-black with warm undertone, not pure black)
- Surface 1: `#16171C`
- Surface 2: `#1E1F25`
- Surface 3 (raised): `#26272E`
- Hairline border: `rgba(255,255,255,0.06)`
- Primary text: `#F7F8F8`
- Secondary text: `#9CA3AF`
- Muted text: `#6B7280`
- Accent: Linear purple `#5E6AD2` — used on < 5% of pixels
- Gradient meshes (very controlled, < 8% opacity) in the hero only
**Typography**
- Display: Inter Tight at weight 600 (or Söhne, or Geist Sans) — never plain Inter at default weight, that's the AI-default
- Body: Inter at 14–15px, weight 400–500, line-height 1.55
- Mono: GeistMono, JetBrains Mono, or Berkeley Mono for inline code and shortcut chips
- Letter-spacing on display headlines: -0.02em (tight)
**Spacing**: 4 / 8 / 12 / 16 / 24 / 40 / 64 / 96
**Radius**: 6 (small UI) / 12 (medium cards) / 16 (large panels). **Never above 16.** Linear's radius character is "modest, precise, never gummy."
**Shadow**: barely there — soft `0 1px 2px rgba(0,0,0,0.3)` on raised surfaces. **Never glow, never colored shadow.**
**Motion**: ease-out around 150ms for hover, 350–450ms for layout moves with a quint curve (e.g., the famous cubic-bezier(0.22, 1, 0.36, 1)). State changes feel "snappy but not bouncy."
**Signature moves**
- Hairline 1px borders in `rgba(255,255,255,0.06)` separating every panel, everywhere
- Selective accent use — purple appears on focused / active states, on tiny pills, on key brand surfaces; never on body backgrounds
- Inline code styled with monospaced font and dim background `#1E1F25`, color `#A78BFA`
- Subtle gradient meshes in the hero (extremely controlled saturation, < 8% opacity) — *not* the bright purple-pink-blue AI cliché
- Keyboard-shortcut chips throughout the UI (the brand celebrates keyboard-first)
- A bottom-pinned screenshot of the actual product on landing pages
**Avoid**
- Emoji
- Bouncy springs or elastic easings
- More than one saturated color (Linear's purple is the only accent)
- Border-radius above 16
- Stock photography of people
- "Get Started Free" hero CTAs styled like a 2018 SaaS landing page
**AI prompt seed**
> Abstract product UI screenshot, warm dark #08090A background, hairline borders, panels with #16171C and #1E1F25 surfaces, very subtle blue-purple ambient lighting at top edge, no people, no text on the image itself, 16:9.
**Don't use when**
- The brand is consumer-friendly / playful — Linear reads as professional and serious
- The product needs warmth or hand-touched feel
- The audience is non-technical (the keyboard-shortcut and monospace signals don't land)
---
> **Same school — Modern Tool / Builder SaaS**: [`vercel-mesh`](./vercel-mesh.md) · [`raycast`](./raycast.md) · [`notion-pre-ai`](./notion-pre-ai.md)
> **Browse all 25 recipes**: [INDEX.md](./INDEX.md)
references/style-recipes/mailchimp-freddie.md›
# mailchimp-freddie — Mailchimp (Freddie Era, c. 2018–2022)
- **School**: Warm Humanist
- **Vibe**: Hand-drawn marks, warm yellow, personality in microcopy
- **Best for**: Small-business tools, creator products, community / education / approachable B2C
- **Touchstone**: mailchimp.com pre-2023 redesigns (Wayback), Freddie illustration sets
**Palette**
- Ground: `#FFE01B` (Mailchimp yellow) for hero / brand moments, `#FFFFFF` for body
- Ink: `#241C15` (warm near-black, never pure black)
- Cream surface: `#FBEFE3`
- Secondary: `#88837C`
- Accent: a hot pop-pink `#FF4D74` or a warm coral, used very sparingly
**Typography**
- Display: a friendly grotesque — Helvetica Now Display, Söhne, Inter Tight at weight 700–800
- Body: same family at 17–18px, weight 400, line-height 1.6
- Decorative: occasional hand-drawn script or text-set-by-hand feel
**Spacing**: 4 / 8 / 16 / 24 / 40 / 64 — generous but not airy
**Radius**: 8 (small) / 16 (medium) / 24 (large pills). Buttons are pill-shaped.
**Shadow**: soft and warm — `0 4px 12px rgba(36, 28, 21, 0.08)`
**Motion**: bouncy welcomed. Spring physics on hover lifts, friendly easings.
**Signature moves**
- Freddie-style hand-drawn illustrations (winking mascot, line-drawn characters with personality) — never AI-generated, must be commissioned or use a single illustrator's hand
- Yellow flood-fill section backgrounds breaking up the page
- Pill-shaped buttons with a 2–3px black outline (Memphis-style)
- Personality in microcopy ("Send better email" not "Optimize delivery metrics")
- Asymmetric "tilted" illustration placement — never centered on a grid
**Avoid**
- Pure black anywhere (the recipe is warm-near-black)
- Stock illustrations — the hand-drawn style is the differentiator
- More than 3 colors visible at once (yellow + ink + one accent)
- Cold corporate microcopy
**AI prompt seed**
> Hand-drawn illustration, single line-drawn character with warm color washes (yellow, coral), winking expression, on warm cream #FBEFE3 background, friendly approachable line style, deliberate imperfection, 4:5.
**Don't use when**
- Brand needs to feel premium / luxury — Mailchimp warmth reads as accessible / mass-market
- Illustration can't be sourced from a real illustrator (recipe loses 50% impact)
- Audience is enterprise-only and skeptical of "friendly"
---
> **Same school — Warm Humanist**: [`stripe-press`](./stripe-press.md) · [`headspace-meditation`](./headspace-meditation.md)
> **Browse all 25 recipes**: [INDEX.md](./INDEX.md)
references/style-recipes/mid-century-modern.md›
# mid-century-modern — Mid-Century Modern (Paul Rand / Saul Bass)
- **School**: Specialty / Genre (also touches Information Architecture)
- **Vibe**: 1950s–60s American graphic modernism — geometric shapes, considered hand-feel, jazz-album confidence
- **Best for**: Cultural / film / publishing identity, premium consumer brands with heritage claim, "tasteful sophistication"
- **Touchstone**: IBM logo (Paul Rand), Saul Bass Vertigo / Anatomy of a Murder posters, Alvin Lustig book covers, mid-century jazz album sleeves (Reid Miles / Blue Note)
**Palette**
- Ground: warm cream `#EBE3D2` or mustard `#D9A441` or muted teal `#3D6E70`
- Ink: `#1A1A18`
- Limited palette per piece — 3 colors max, one bold, two muted
- Common mid-century pairings: mustard + brick + cream; teal + cream + black; sienna + ink + bone
**Typography**
- Display: a geometric grotesque (Futura, Avenir, ITC Avant Garde) at large scale, often condensed weight
- Or a slab serif (Egyptian / Memphis) for editorial moments
- Body: humanist serif (Sabon, Garamond) at 16–17px
- Numerals often set in figures-as-image (a single big numeral as a graphic element)
**Spacing**: structured grid; 4 / 8 / 16 / 24 / 32 / 48
**Radius**: 0 throughout. Mid-century is geometric, not soft.
**Shadow**: none — flat color shapes only
**Motion**: minimal. Shapes slide into place on a single beat, like a Saul Bass title sequence.
**Signature moves**
- Geometric shape compositions — a single big circle, a triangle, a half-moon — as the primary visual
- Hand-cut paper feel (shapes have slightly imperfect edges, suggesting they were cut and pasted)
- Type integrated with the shapes (a headline curving around a circle, or sitting *inside* a colored block)
- A single illustrative motif repeated (a stylized bird, an abstract figure) tying the piece together
- Print-feel grain or paper texture at low opacity
**Avoid**
- Gradients — mid-century is flat color
- Photography as the lead visual (illustration leads; photography supports)
- More than 3 colors per piece
- Rounded / soft-corner UI
**AI prompt seed**
> Mid-century modern poster composition in the style of Saul Bass, single bold geometric shape (large circle in mustard #D9A441) on warm cream #EBE3D2 paper background, flat color shapes, slight paper texture, hand-cut edges, no gradient, no shadow, 3:4.
**Don't use when**
- The product is feature-dense / utility-focused (mid-century is editorial / poster thinking)
- The brand has no heritage / cultural / craft claim
- Realistic photography is essential to the message
---
> **Same school — Specialty / Genre**: [`y2k-retrofuturism`](./y2k-retrofuturism.md)
> **Browse all 25 recipes**: [INDEX.md](./INDEX.md)
references/style-recipes/monocle-magazine.md›
# monocle-magazine — Monocle Magazine
- **School**: Editorial / Minimalist
- **Vibe**: International, considered, magazine-grade kicker / headline / dek hierarchy
- **Best for**: Editorial, travel / hospitality, journals, considered lifestyle publications
- **Touchstone**: monocle.com, the Monocle quarterly, Cereal magazine
**Palette**
- Ground: `#F2EFE7` (cream paper)
- Ink: `#1A1A1A`
- Editorial accent red: `#C7322E` (Monocle's signature)
- Olive: `#5E6347`
- Hairline rules: `#C8C2B0`
**Typography**
- Display: a refined slab or transitional serif — Plantin, Mercury, or Tiempos Headline. Italic widely used.
- Body: Plantin or Tiempos Text at 16–17px, line-height ~1.6
- Sans for kickers / labels: a precision grotesk like Söhne at 10–11px, letter-spaced 0.08em, often in editorial red
- Drop caps welcome on long-form features
**Spacing**: 4 / 8 / 16 / 24 / 32 / 48 / 96. Multi-column work uses tight gutters (16–24px between columns).
**Radius**: 0. Magazine pages don't round corners.
**Shadow**: none.
**Motion**: minimal. Page-turn fades. Slow Ken Burns on lead photographs.
**Signature moves**
- Three-deck hierarchy: tiny red kicker → bold serif headline → italic serif dek
- Multi-column body copy (2–3 columns) with hairline column rules
- Numbered features (`Feature 04 — Lisbon`) and small numerals in the margin
- Lead photograph cropped tight at one edge, headline tucked into the empty negative space
- Pull-quotes in italic, much larger than body, set in a single column
**Avoid**
- Sans-serif headlines — Monocle's signature is the serif voice
- Stock photography — the recipe requires commissioned-feeling photography (warm, peopled, place-rich)
- Card grids — this is magazine spread thinking, not SaaS thinking
- More than one accent color (the editorial red is enough)
**AI prompt seed**
> Editorial magazine photograph, place-specific scene (e.g., Tokyo back street at dusk), warm color grading, slight film grain, one human subject in middle-ground, 3:2, color palette restricted to warm earth tones with one red object.
**Don't use when**
- The task is a SaaS product page — magazine craft will feel mismatched
- There's no editorial / human / place content to lead with — without photography this recipe is hollow
- The audience expects fast scanning — Monocle rewards reading, not skimming
---
> **Same school — Editorial / Minimalist**: [`apple-hig`](./apple-hig.md) · [`muji-kenya-hara`](./muji-kenya-hara.md) · [`aesop`](./aesop.md) · [`dieter-rams-braun`](./dieter-rams-braun.md)
> **Browse all 25 recipes**: [INDEX.md](./INDEX.md)
references/style-recipes/muji-kenya-hara.md›
# muji-kenya-hara — MUJI / Kenya Hara
- **School**: Editorial / Minimalist
- **Vibe**: Emptiness as fullness, off-white as a value, near-silence
- **Best for**: Premium quiet positioning, lifestyle goods, "everyday craft" identity
- **Touchstone**: muji.com (any region), Kenya Hara's book *White*, MUJI ryokan signage
**Palette**
- Ground: `#F4F2EC` (warm paper off-white — never `#FFFFFF`)
- Ink: `#2A2A28` (warm ink, never `#000000`)
- Secondary text: `#7C7B76`
- Hairline: `#D9D6CD`
- Accent: there is none. If you must add one, a single brand red `#C8161D` used only as a tiny corner mark or rule.
**Typography**
- Display: a humanist sans like Söhne, Inter Tight, or Klim's Calibre — weight 400, never bolder than 500. Letterspacing slightly open (0.01em–0.02em).
- Body: same family at 15–16px, line-height ~1.8
- Japanese-bilingual deployments: Noto Sans CJK JP paired weight-for-weight
**Spacing**: 8 / 16 / 32 / 48 / 96 / 160 / 240. The big numbers matter — 240px between sections is normal.
**Radius**: 0. Hard, honest edges. Maybe 2px on form fields.
**Shadow**: none.
**Motion**: imperceptible. Fades over 600–900ms. Nothing translates more than a few px. Never bouncy.
**Signature moves**
- 60–80% of the page is empty space — content lives in a narrow column, far from edges
- One product image per "screen", small relative to the page, captioned plainly
- Tiny labels (10–11px, letter-spaced) describing what each section is — "01 — Cotton" — never headlines that shout
- Square-bracket-style asides, kept neutral
- Rules (1px hairlines) are the only ornament
**Avoid**
- Any saturated color other than the MUJI red as a corner mark
- Drop shadows, glows, gradients of any kind
- Tabs, accordions, mega-menus, sticky banners
- "Above the fold" thinking — MUJI lets the eye start in the middle of the page
**AI prompt seed**
> Single household object on warm off-white #F4F2EC paper ground, raked daylight from upper left, very long quiet space around the object, 3:2, photographed on film, no shadow drama, neutral tone.
**Don't use when**
- The product needs to communicate feature density (specs, pricing tiers, comparison tables) — MUJI's quietness will hide the message
- The audience scrolls fast and demands signal density (news / SaaS / dashboard) — they'll bounce
- The brand is in a noisy competitive set and needs to shout — quietness is luxury, but luxury isn't always what's needed
---
> **Same school — Editorial / Minimalist**: [`apple-hig`](./apple-hig.md) · [`aesop`](./aesop.md) · [`dieter-rams-braun`](./dieter-rams-braun.md) · [`monocle-magazine`](./monocle-magazine.md)
> **Browse all 25 recipes**: [INDEX.md](./INDEX.md)
references/style-recipes/notion-pre-ai.md›
# notion-pre-ai — Notion (pre-AI era, c. 2017–2022)
- **School**: Modern Tool / Builder SaaS (warm-leaning, near Humanist border)
- **Vibe**: Friendly serif headline + emoji as first-class design element + soft cream + black ink
- **Best for**: Productivity tools for non-engineers, collaborative software, "your second brain" products
- **Touchstone**: notion.so pre-2023 redesigns (Wayback), early Notion marketing decks
**Palette**
- Ground: `#FFFFFF`
- Soft cream surface: `#F7F6F3`
- Ink: `#37352F` (Notion's specific not-quite-black, warm cast)
- Secondary text: `#787774`
- Hairline: `#E9E9E7`
- Accent palette: muted Notion colors — `#E4F4F1` (mint), `#FFEDD5` (peach), `#FCE7F3` (rose), `#FEF3C7` (sand) — used as soft block backgrounds, never as bright accents
**Typography**
- Display: a friendly modern serif — GT Sectra, Sentinel, or Source Serif Pro. Weight 500 for headlines.
- Body: Inter or Söhne at 16px, line-height 1.6, weight 400
- Emoji set at 1.25× body size, used as section markers and "page icons"
**Spacing**: 4 / 8 / 16 / 24 / 40 / 64
**Radius**: 4 (small UI) / 8 (cards) / 16 (large panels)
**Shadow**: very soft — `0 2px 8px rgba(15, 15, 15, 0.04)`. Notion's shadows are felt, not seen.
**Motion**: gentle ease-out around 200–300ms. Hover lifts cards by 2–4px with a soft shadow expansion.
**Signature moves**
- Section headers prefixed with a single emoji icon (`📖 Notes`, `🌱 Ideas`) — the emoji *is* the visual hierarchy
- Hand-drawn doodles or simple line illustrations integrated into the hero (Notion's signature illustration style)
- Block-based content metaphor visible in the layout — content reads like draggable cards rather than columns
- Color-tagged soft pills for category labels (mint = active, peach = idea, etc.)
- Friendly conversational microcopy
**Avoid**
- Too many emoji in close proximity (one per section header is the recipe, not five)
- Dark mode unless explicitly required (Notion's identity is light)
- Sans-serif headlines — the friendly serif is the differentiator
- Aggressive CTAs — Notion's hero CTA reads as an invitation, not a demand
**AI prompt seed**
> Hand-drawn doodle illustration, simple black-line drawing of an organized desk scene with notebooks and houseplants, on cream #F7F6F3 background, friendly approachable line work, small color washes in soft mint and peach, 3:2.
**Don't use when**
- The audience is enterprise-serious — emoji as design will read as unprofessional
- The product is graphics-heavy or needs visual density — Notion's recipe is text-led
- The voice is meant to be authoritative — Notion is approachable, not commanding
---
> **Same school — Modern Tool / Builder SaaS**: [`linear`](./linear.md) · [`vercel-mesh`](./vercel-mesh.md) · [`raycast`](./raycast.md)
> **Browse all 25 recipes**: [INDEX.md](./INDEX.md)
references/style-recipes/nyt-the-daily.md›
# nyt-the-daily — New York Times Editorial
- **School**: Information Architecture
- **Vibe**: Authoritative broadsheet, generations of typographic craft
- **Best for**: Longform editorial, news / journalism products, narrative explainers
- **Touchstone**: nytimes.com homepage, NYT Cooking, NYT investigative features
**Palette**
- Ground: `#FFFFFF`
- Ink: `#121212`
- Secondary text: `#666666`
- NYT red `#D0021B` — used only for breaking-news indicators or sparingly
- Soft section background: `#F7F7F7`
- Hairline: `#E2E2E2`
**Typography**
- Display: Cheltenham (NYT's proprietary) — substitute Sentinel or Tiempos Headline. Weight 700 for hero, italic widely used.
- Subhead: Imperial or Lyon Display at weight 400
- Body: Imperial / Georgia / source serif at 18–20px, line-height ~1.55
- Sans for UI / kickers: Franklin (NYT) — substitute Söhne Mono or Söhne, weight 500, often in small caps
**Spacing**: 4 / 8 / 16 / 24 / 32 / 48 / 96. Multi-column grids for stories.
**Radius**: 0 throughout.
**Shadow**: none.
**Motion**: minimal — sticky bylines, lazy-loaded images fading in, slow zoom on hero photo over 8–15s.
**Signature moves**
- Three-deck hierarchy: tiny eyebrow ("OPINION" / "ANALYSIS" / "INVESTIGATION" in small-caps sans) → bold serif headline → italic serif standfirst
- Byline + timestamp block in sans below the headline, always
- Pull-quotes set in italic serif at 1.5–2× body size, with hairline rules above and below
- Multi-column body copy on wide viewports; single column on mobile (always readable)
- Inline images with serif captions; captions matter and are styled distinctively
**Avoid**
- Sans-serif headlines (the recipe's signature is the serif voice)
- Card grids of articles — NYT lays articles out as a front page, with hierarchy by size
- Pretty UI buttons in the body of articles
- Centered alignment for body (left-aligned justified is the recipe)
**AI prompt seed**
> Editorial photojournalism, single decisive moment image, natural lighting, 3:2 aspect, color grading neutral with slight desaturation, real-feeling not staged, place-specific.
**Don't use when**
- The product is a SaaS dashboard — NYT craft reads as overformal there
- Content is short and punchy (one-line CTAs) — NYT needs longform to land
- The brand has no editorial / authority claim — using NYT voice without the substance reads as cosplay
---
> **Same school — Information Architecture**: [`pentagram`](./pentagram.md) · [`vignelli-swiss-helvetica`](./vignelli-swiss-helvetica.md) · [`bloomberg-terminal`](./bloomberg-terminal.md) · [`tufte-dataink`](./tufte-dataink.md)
> **Browse all 25 recipes**: [INDEX.md](./INDEX.md)
references/style-recipes/pentagram.md›
# pentagram — Pentagram / Paula Scher
- **School**: Information Architecture
- **Vibe**: Bold typography as image; type does the visual work; everything else recedes
- **Best for**: B2B identity, cultural institutions, "we mean business" moments
- **Touchstone**: pentagram.com, Paula Scher's Public Theater posters, MIT Media Lab identity
**Palette**
- High-contrast two-color: ink on ground. Common pairings:
- Black `#000000` on white `#FFFFFF`
- Cobalt `#1E3FFF` on cream `#F4F1E7`
- Brick `#B83A1F` on bone `#EFE9DC`
- A single secondary accent only if the project demands a third color (used very sparingly)
**Typography**
- Display: a single grotesque used at massive scale — Helvetica Now (weight 700–900), Söhne Breit, or Druk. Headlines are often **set bigger than the column they live in**, breaking the margin on purpose.
- Body: the same family at body weight, 16–17px, line-height 1.45–1.55
- Numerals: tabular figures from the same family
**Spacing**: strict 12-column grid, generous gutters (24–32px). Baseline-grid alignment of every text element.
**Radius**: 0.
**Shadow**: none.
**Motion**: typographic moves only — letters shift in, headlines slide on a baseline. No 3D, no bouncy, no parallax.
**Signature moves**
- Headlines so large they touch (or visibly break past) the column edges
- Type as image — a single word or phrase at hero scale becomes the only graphic
- Color blocks (a flat rectangle of accent color) used as section dividers, often with a single huge number on them (`02`)
- Captions and metadata pinned to the grid in tiny precise type, often in the column gutter
- A single rule line (1px) sometimes drawn across the entire page width, anchoring everything
**Avoid**
- Photography as the visual lead (type leads, not photo) — exception: if there is a hero photo, it lives behind / under enormous type
- Multiple type families
- Gradients, shadows, decorative anything
- Card grids of content (Pentagram thinks in spreads, not cards)
**AI prompt seed**
> Editorial poster composition, single phrase set in massive black Helvetica weight 900, characters bleeding past the layout margins, behind it a flat field of cobalt #1E3FFF, no photography, no illustration, 3:4.
**Don't use when**
- Headlines can't be made bold and short (3–6 word phrases) — Pentagram needs strong copy
- Many tiers of feature density must be communicated (this is institutional voice, not feature catalog)
- The brand is meant to feel quiet — Pentagram is the opposite of quiet
---
> **Same school — Information Architecture**: [`vignelli-swiss-helvetica`](./vignelli-swiss-helvetica.md) · [`bloomberg-terminal`](./bloomberg-terminal.md) · [`tufte-dataink`](./tufte-dataink.md) · [`nyt-the-daily`](./nyt-the-daily.md)
> **Browse all 25 recipes**: [INDEX.md](./INDEX.md)
references/style-recipes/raycast.md›
# raycast — Raycast (Productivity Tool)
- **School**: Modern Tool / Builder SaaS
- **Vibe**: Glassy command-palette aesthetic, color extensions for personality, keyboard-first culture
- **Best for**: Productivity tools, command-palette / launcher products, dev utilities
- **Touchstone**: raycast.com, Raycast app screenshots, raycast.com/store extension cards
**Palette**
- Ground: `#0F0F11` (charcoal with hint of blue)
- Surface translucent: `rgba(255,255,255,0.06)` over a colored gradient backdrop
- Hairline: `rgba(255,255,255,0.10)`
- Primary text: `#FFFFFF`
- Secondary text: `#B0B3B8`
- Brand red accent: `#FF6363` — Raycast's signature, used on icons and key CTAs
- Extension chips: bright per-tile colors (lime, coral, lavender, cyan) used as accent dots on small surfaces only
**Typography**
- Display: Söhne weight 600, or Inter Tight weight 600
- Body: Inter at 14–15px, weight 500 (slightly heavier than Linear's 400 — Raycast feels punchier)
- Mono: SF Mono or JetBrains Mono for shortcut chips
- Letter-spacing on display: -0.02em
**Spacing**: 4 / 8 / 12 / 16 / 24 / 40 / 64
**Radius**: 8 (small) / 12 (medium) / 16 (cards) / 24 (large modal). Raycast's signature radius is the soft-corner command palette.
**Shadow**: cushiony — `0 16px 40px rgba(0,0,0,0.4)` on the command palette card; barely any shadow elsewhere
**Motion**: bouncy welcomed for key moments (the palette appearing, hover lift) — spring physics with mild overshoot. Otherwise quick 150ms ease-out.
**Signature moves**
- A floating command-palette screenshot in the hero, slightly tilted, casting a generous cushioned shadow, with a blurred colorful gradient backdrop visible through it (glass)
- Every keyboard shortcut shown as a styled chip — `⌘` `↵` `⌥` set in a precision mono with a hairline border and dim background
- Bright per-extension colors used as small accent dots on tile cards (a Notion tile has a tiny lavender dot, a GitHub tile has a charcoal one)
- Sticky color-banded gradient backdrop behind the hero (oranges → magentas, but soft-focused)
- Generously spaced section anatomy with clear hover lift on tiles
**Avoid**
- Too many bright extension colors on the same screen — they only work as small accents on a dark ground
- Solid bright-color buttons (Raycast buttons are usually translucent white pills with shortcut chips)
- Pure monochrome scenes — Raycast leans on color *just enough* to feel playful
**AI prompt seed**
> Productivity application interface, floating command palette card centered on the page, soft-focused colorful gradient backdrop in warm oranges and magentas behind it, dark charcoal foreground UI, cushioned drop shadow under the palette, no people, 16:9.
**Don't use when**
- The product isn't a launcher / command-palette / keyboard-first tool — the central glass palette image won't land otherwise
- The audience doesn't know keyboard shortcuts (they'll miss the recipe's main signal)
- A strictly enterprise tone is needed — Raycast skews playful
---
> **Same school — Modern Tool / Builder SaaS**: [`linear`](./linear.md) · [`vercel-mesh`](./vercel-mesh.md) · [`notion-pre-ai`](./notion-pre-ai.md)
> **Browse all 25 recipes**: [INDEX.md](./INDEX.md)
references/style-recipes/resn-storytelling.md›
# resn-storytelling — Resn (Story Through Scroll)
- **School**: Motion / Experimental
- **Vibe**: Surprise as the reward; the page tells a story to those who scroll
- **Best for**: Brand storytelling, agency portfolios, campaign microsites
- **Touchstone**: resn.co, Resn's case-study pages, awwwards site-of-the-day archives
**Palette**
- Project-driven — Resn's recipe is more about composition than a fixed palette
- Often warm-cool contrasted within one piece (warm character against cool environment, or vice versa)
- Saturated where the story demands; muted where it breathes
**Typography**
- A campaign-specific display face is almost always present — custom or unusual
- Body type quiet, often a humanist sans at small sizes
- Text often integrated *into* the scene (titles set in WebGL space, not on a fixed UI layer)
**Spacing**: irregular and composition-driven; not grid-strict
**Radius**: project-dependent
**Shadow**: scene-baked, not component
**Motion**: long-form choreography — a single page might tell a 90-second story across 8–12 scroll triggers, with payoffs at specific moments
**Signature moves**
- Scroll triggers reveal narrative beats — a character moves across the screen, a product is unveiled, a punchline lands
- Easter eggs hidden for repeat visitors
- Cursor-reactive surface materials (a hover changes a texture, an audio cue plays)
- Multi-scene composition — each section is treated as a film scene with its own art direction
- A reward at the end — a special interaction or scene only revealed on full scroll-through
**Avoid**
- Bloating with too many beats — Resn's recipe is "fewer, better" beats
- Pure decoration without narrative — every motion moment should advance the story
- Forgetting the punchline — the recipe needs a payoff scene
**AI prompt seed**
> Narrative scene from a brand microsite, mid-action moment, character or object in motion with intentional motion blur, warm-cool palette contrast, theatrical lighting, 16:9.
**Don't use when**
- There's no story to tell (the recipe needs narrative content)
- Audience won't scroll patiently (Resn rewards patience — for impatient audiences, choose a static recipe)
- The build is rushed — Resn's recipe demands choreography time
---
> **Same school — Motion / Experimental**: [`field-io`](./field-io.md) · [`active-theory`](./active-theory.md)
> **Browse all 25 recipes**: [INDEX.md](./INDEX.md)
references/style-recipes/stripe-press.md›
# stripe-press — Stripe Press
- **School**: Warm Humanist (with editorial bones)
- **Vibe**: Books as objects, cream + ink, warm photography, the kind of design only a successful infrastructure company funds
- **Best for**: Editorial / publishing, longform features, "books and ideas" products
- **Touchstone**: press.stripe.com, the physical Stripe Press books (cloth-bound, foil-stamped)
**Palette**
- Ground: `#F1ECDE` (warm bone)
- Surface darker: `#E6DCC4`
- Ink: `#1A1A18` (very warm near-black)
- Secondary text: `#736D5A`
- Foil-stamp accent: deep teal `#1B4B5A` or burnt sienna `#A04A2A` (book-cover-specific colors)
- Hairline: `#C8BEA4`
**Typography**
- Display: a refined transitional or modern serif — GT Sectra, Domaine Display, Italian Old Style. Italic everywhere.
- Body: an old-style serif at 18–19px, line-height 1.65 — Source Serif, Lyon Text, ITC Galliard
- Sans for UI only: a humanist sans at small sizes for nav and captions — Söhne or GT America
- Often pairs a wide display serif with a slim body serif
**Spacing**: 4 / 8 / 16 / 24 / 32 / 48 / 96. Editorial breathing room.
**Radius**: 0 throughout (books don't have rounded corners)
**Shadow**: present on book objects — `0 24px 48px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.18)` to make books feel three-dimensional on the page
**Motion**: slow, slow, slow. Crossfades over 1–2 seconds. Books rotate gently in 3D on hover (~15° max). Ken Burns on hero photography (~20s).
**Signature moves**
- Book-cover photography as hero — the actual physical object photographed on cream paper with a warm raking light and an honest shadow
- Wide-set serif italic for emphasis, set 1.5–2× body size
- Author / chapter quotes in oversized italic serif, hung against a wide margin
- Cloth-textured backgrounds for section breaks (subtle textile pattern at low opacity)
- A single foil-stamp color per book / chapter (gold, deep teal, burnt sienna) — never combined
**Avoid**
- Pure white grounds (the warm cream is part of the recipe)
- Sans-serif body type (the editorial serif is the signature)
- Card grids of books — Stripe Press lays each book out as a feature, not a tile
- Cold neutral gray — every gray here has a warm cast
**AI prompt seed**
> Hardcover book photographed on warm cream paper #F1ECDE, raking afternoon window light, deep soft shadow, single book object, cloth-bound spine visible, foil-stamped title in burnt sienna, 4:5, editorial product photography.
**Don't use when**
- The deliverable has no editorial / book / publication content
- The brand voice is light or playful (Stripe Press is sincere and considered)
- The audience won't sit for longform — recipe rewards reading
---
> **Same school — Warm Humanist**: [`mailchimp-freddie`](./mailchimp-freddie.md) · [`headspace-meditation`](./headspace-meditation.md)
> **Browse all 25 recipes**: [INDEX.md](./INDEX.md)
references/style-recipes/tufte-dataink.md›
# tufte-dataink — Edward Tufte / Maximum Data-Ink
- **School**: Information Architecture
- **Vibe**: Every pixel earns its place; the chart is the page
- **Best for**: Analytical reports, scientific publications, data-led storytelling
- **Touchstone**: *The Visual Display of Quantitative Information*, *Beautiful Evidence*, edwardtufte.com
**Palette**
- Ground: `#FBFAF6` (warm paper)
- Ink: `#1B1B1A`
- Two data colors only — typically a warm red `#A6300E` and a cool slate `#3E4A5C`. Add a third only if a third dimension genuinely needs it.
- Faint reference rules: `#D8D2C2`
**Typography**
- Display & body: an old-style or transitional serif — ET Book (Tufte's own family), Equity, or Lyon Text. Weight 400 for body, italic for emphasis.
- Body at 12–14px (Tufte deliberately uses small body text — the reader leans in)
- Sans for axis labels only — a humanist sans at 10–11px, color `#5C5550`
**Spacing**: tight. 4 / 8 / 12 / 16 / 24 / 48. Margins are filled with side-notes, not whitespace.
**Radius**: 0.
**Shadow**: none.
**Motion**: none. The page is meant to be read still.
**Signature moves**
- Sparklines inline with body copy (a tiny chart embedded in a sentence)
- Side-notes (marginalia) used heavily — annotations live in the right margin, not in tooltips
- Charts have no chart-junk: no gridlines except faint ones, no border boxes, no 3D, no legends if direct labels work
- Small multiples — a 3×3 grid of the same chart with different data
- Direct labels on data series (the line is labeled at its endpoint, not in a legend box)
**Avoid**
- Pie charts (Tufte would not approve)
- 3D anything
- Gridlines darker than `#D8D2C2`
- Multiple chart types on the same page when one would do
- Color for decoration (every color must encode meaning)
**AI prompt seed**
> Editorial scientific figure, warm paper #FBFAF6 background, multi-line time-series chart with two data series in muted red and slate, direct labels at line endpoints, side-note callouts in italic serif, no chart frame, no legend, 4:3.
**Don't use when**
- The chart is decorative (Tufte demands the chart be the *point*)
- The reader expects interactive tooltips / filters (Tufte is for static editorial figures)
- The medium is mobile (small body type plus margin notes doesn't fit)
---
> **Same school — Information Architecture**: [`pentagram`](./pentagram.md) · [`vignelli-swiss-helvetica`](./vignelli-swiss-helvetica.md) · [`bloomberg-terminal`](./bloomberg-terminal.md) · [`nyt-the-daily`](./nyt-the-daily.md)
> **Browse all 25 recipes**: [INDEX.md](./INDEX.md)
references/style-recipes/vercel-mesh.md›
# vercel-mesh — Vercel (Gradient Mesh Era)
- **School**: Modern Tool / Builder SaaS (also touches Motion / Experimental)
- **Vibe**: Black-and-white precision broken by a single shimmering gradient mesh
- **Best for**: Platform / infrastructure tools, AI tools, deeply technical products that want to feel modern but not AI-cliché
- **Touchstone**: vercel.com, the v0.dev landing, nextjs.org
**Palette**
- Ground: `#000000` (true black)
- Surface 1: `#0A0A0A`
- Surface 2: `#111111`
- Hairline: `#1F1F1F` or `rgba(255,255,255,0.08)`
- Primary text: `#EDEDED`
- Secondary text: `#888888`
- Gradient mesh accents (used only in hero / section breaks):
- Cyan `#0070F3` → magenta `#FF0080` → orange `#F5A623` — but mixed at low saturation and high feathering, never a hard purple-pink AI gradient
- One sharp accent for CTAs: white `#FFFFFF` button on black ground (high contrast)
**Typography**
- Display: Geist Sans (weight 500–600) — Vercel's own family. Substitute Inter Tight weight 600.
- Body: Geist Sans at 15–16px, weight 400, line-height 1.6
- Mono: Geist Mono — for code, terminal-style commands, deploy logs
**Spacing**: 4 / 8 / 16 / 24 / 40 / 64 / 96 / 128
**Radius**: 8 (small) / 12 (medium) / 16 (large). Slightly more generous than Linear, but still disciplined.
**Shadow**: minimal at component level; the *page* feels lit by the gradient mesh, not by shadows.
**Motion**: snappy ease-out (cubic-bezier(0.16, 1, 0.3, 1)), 200ms hovers, 500–700ms for layout. The mesh itself slowly drifts (10–20s loop).
**Signature moves**
- One full-bleed gradient mesh in the hero — diffuse, dreamy, feathered to black edges
- Otherwise the page is black-and-white with hairline detail and monospace accents
- Deploy / terminal log readouts as a hero element (real-feeling, not lorem)
- Animated mesh on hover for cards (the card "lights up" with a soft glow from below)
- White solid buttons (`#FFFFFF` on `#000000`) — high contrast, no gradient, no shadow
**Avoid**
- Bright saturated purple → pink gradients (that's the AI cliché the recipe is *replacing*)
- More than one mesh per page
- Glow on every component (selective use — one hero, maybe one section break, that's it)
- Colored buttons (the brand button is white)
**AI prompt seed**
> Abstract atmospheric gradient on pure black #000000 background, deep blue #0070F3 fading into magenta #FF0080 and orange #F5A623, feathered edges blending into black, dreamy soft focus, no objects, no text, 16:9, very low saturation overall.
**Don't use when**
- The brand isn't a platform / infra / tooling product — meshes on a consumer site read as "trying too hard"
- Multiple gradient meshes are needed (use one or none, never several)
- The audience expects warm / human feel
---
> **Same school — Modern Tool / Builder SaaS**: [`linear`](./linear.md) · [`raycast`](./raycast.md) · [`notion-pre-ai`](./notion-pre-ai.md)
> **Browse all 25 recipes**: [INDEX.md](./INDEX.md)
references/style-recipes/vignelli-swiss-helvetica.md›
# vignelli-swiss-helvetica — Vignelli / Swiss International
- **School**: Information Architecture
- **Vibe**: Strict grid, Helvetica throughout, "six typefaces are enough"
- **Best for**: Wayfinding / transit systems, institutional identity, deeply ordered information
- **Touchstone**: 1972 NYC Subway map (Vignelli), Knoll catalogues, *The Vignelli Canon*
**Palette**
- Black `#000000` and white `#FFFFFF`
- Plus one of: red `#E2231A` / yellow `#F5C518` / blue `#0033A0` / orange `#FF6F00` (only one — never two accents)
- Cool gray `#8A8A8A` for secondary content
**Typography**
- Display & body: Helvetica or Helvetica Now exclusively. Weights: 400 / 500 / 700, no italic.
- Hierarchy by size, not weight or color
- Common scale: 72 / 48 / 32 / 24 / 16 / 12, all on the same baseline grid
**Spacing**: 8px baseline grid, 12-column layout, generous baseline-to-baseline spacing equal to or greater than the type size.
**Radius**: 0, always.
**Shadow**: none.
**Motion**: none, or instant. Swiss design is static by nature; if anything moves, it moves like signage being rotated into place.
**Signature moves**
- A bold horizontal or vertical color bar carries the section header in white Helvetica
- The grid is **visible** when it helps — column gutters sometimes drawn as faint lines
- Information sets (data, schedules, lists) get tabular layouts with strict baseline alignment
- Body copy is left-aligned in a single readable measure (~60–70 characters); never centered
- A single oversized number (chapter / section) sits at the top-left corner of each block
**Avoid**
- Serifs entirely
- Color combinations other than ink + ground + one accent
- Italic, drop shadows, gradients, any softness
- "Friendly" copywriting tone — Swiss is matter-of-fact
**AI prompt seed**
> Transit-signage style composition, large directional arrow set in black on flat field of single accent color, condensed Helvetica destination labels, no decoration, 16:9 flat vector aesthetic.
**Don't use when**
- The brand needs warmth — Helvetica + grid reads as institutional / cold
- The content is emotional / storytelling — Swiss strips emotion out
- Modernity / freshness is the goal — Swiss design now reads as classical / archival
---
> **Same school — Information Architecture**: [`pentagram`](./pentagram.md) · [`bloomberg-terminal`](./bloomberg-terminal.md) · [`tufte-dataink`](./tufte-dataink.md) · [`nyt-the-daily`](./nyt-the-daily.md)
> **Browse all 25 recipes**: [INDEX.md](./INDEX.md)
references/style-recipes/y2k-retrofuturism.md›
# y2k-retrofuturism — Y2K / Frutiger Aero Retrofuturism
- **School**: Specialty / Genre
- **Vibe**: Late-90s / early-2000s techno-optimism: chrome, glassy bubbles, jelly translucency, lens flare
- **Best for**: Fashion / music / nostalgia-coded products, creative campaigns, anything referencing 1999–2005 internet
- **Touchstone**: late-90s Apple iMac G3 ads, Windows Vista Aero, the original iPod aqua buttons, MySpace pages
**Palette**
- Ground: electric ice blue `#A3D5FF` or chrome silver `#E0E4EA`
- Glass accents: cyan `#5FC9F8` → magenta `#FF66C4` (the iridescent / oil-slick gradient)
- Chrome: brushed-steel highlights at `#C4C9D2` to `#F2F4F8`
- Acid green pops: `#A8FF00` (used sparingly)
- Ink: `#000000` or `#FFFFFF` depending on ground
**Typography**
- Display: a chunky rounded sans with personality — Frutiger, Eurostile, or Sharp Grotesk in heavy weight; sometimes a chrome-effect treatment
- Body: friendly humanist sans like Frutiger or Avenir at 14–16px
- Numerals love an LCD / digital-readout treatment for hero counters
- Underline + sparkle treatments common on link hover
**Spacing**: 4 / 8 / 16 / 24 — packed but bubbly
**Radius**: gummy — 16 / 24 / 32 / 9999 (full circle). Buttons are pill-shaped jelly bubbles.
**Shadow**: heavy and colored — glossy reflections, drop shadows like `0 16px 32px rgba(95, 201, 248, 0.4)`. Inner highlights to simulate glass.
**Motion**: bouncy springs, glow pulses, lens flare sweeps. Anything that recalls early-Flash interactions.
**Signature moves**
- Glassy translucent buttons with an inner top highlight (faking aqua / lozenge)
- Iridescent oil-slick gradients on hero / character imagery
- Chrome-effect type with sparkle overlays
- Lens flare or specular highlight on any glass surface
- 3D / dimensional UI elements (the OS-X-Aqua dock effect)
- Floating circular orbs / bubbles drifting in the background
**Avoid**
- Sharp corners
- Muted / earthy palettes — Y2K is bright and synthetic
- Restrained typography — Y2K is exuberant
- Anything that reads as "tasteful 2020s minimalism"
**AI prompt seed**
> Y2K retrofuturism scene, chrome silver and ice-blue iridescent gradient background, floating glass orbs with cyan and magenta oil-slick reflections, lens flare in upper right, single bright translucent pill-shaped button, late-1990s techno-optimism vibe, 16:9.
**Don't use when**
- The brand has no nostalgic / retro / playful claim
- The audience is enterprise / professional — this recipe is consumer-fashion-music coded
- Long-form readability matters (Y2K is for moments, not for reading)
---
> **Same school — Specialty / Genre**: [`mid-century-modern`](./mid-century-modern.md)
> **Browse all 25 recipes**: [INDEX.md](./INDEX.md)
SKILL.md›
---
name: web-design-engineer
description: "Build or redesign polished browser-rendered visual artifacts with HTML/CSS/JavaScript/React: pages, dashboards, prototypes, slide decks, animations, UI mockups, and data visualizations. Use for visual front-end creation, design-system exploration, design critique, or explicit browser acceptance / QA of a web artifact. Not for back-end, CLI, non-visual coding, source-to-longform article conversion, or narration-driven click-through video presentations."
---
# Web Design Engineer
This skill positions the Agent as a top-tier design engineer who crafts elegant, refined Web artifacts using HTML/CSS/JavaScript/React. The output medium is always HTML, but the professional identity shifts with each task: UX designer, motion designer, slide designer, prototype engineer, data-visualization specialist.
Core philosophy: **The bar is "stunning," not "functional." Every pixel is intentional, every interaction is deliberate. Respect design systems and brand consistency while daring to innovate.**
---
## Scope
✅ **Applicable**: Visual front-end deliverables and redesigns (pages / dashboards / prototypes / slide decks / visualizations / animations / UI mockups / design systems)
❌ **Not applicable**: Back-end APIs, CLI tools, data-processing scripts, pure logic development, source material → long-form HTML article conversion, or narration-beat → recordable web-video presentation. Route the last two to their dedicated skills when available.
---
## Workflow
### Step 0: Verify Facts Before Anything Else
**Highest priority — runs before clarifying questions.**
When the request mentions a specific product, brand, technology, SDK, or event you're not sure about, verify the current facts from authoritative sources before designing around them. Never assert unstable facts from memory.
**Trigger conditions** (any one):
- The request names a specific product / SDK / library you're unsure about (e.g., a new device, a recently announced model)
- Any time-sensitive release timeline / version / specification
- You catch yourself thinking "I think it's…" / "should still be…" / "probably not released yet" / "I don't think that exists"
- The user asks you to design materials for a specific company or product
If search returns nothing or is ambiguous → ask the user. Don't guess. Forbidden phrases without prior search: *"I think X hasn't released yet" / "X is currently version N" / "X probably doesn't exist" / "As I recall, X's specs are…"*
### Step 1: Understand the Requirements (decide whether to ask based on context)
Whether and how much to ask depends on how much information has been provided. **Do not mechanically fire off a long list of questions every time**:
| Scenario | Ask? |
|---|---|
| "Make a deck" (no PRD, no audience) | ✅ Ask extensively: audience, duration, tone, variants |
| "Use this PRD to make a 10-min deck for Eng All Hands" | ❌ Enough info — start building |
| "Turn this screenshot into an interactive prototype" | ⚠️ Only ask if the intended interactions are unclear |
| "Make 6 slides about the history of butter" | ✅ Too vague — at least ask about tone and audience |
| "Design onboarding for my food-delivery app" | ✅ Ask heavily: users, flows, brand, variants |
| "Recreate the composer UI from this codebase" | ❌ Read the code directly — no questions needed |
| "Make me something nice / I don't know what style I want" | ⚡ Switch to **Design Direction Advisor** (see below) |
Key areas to probe (pick as needed — no fixed count required):
- **Product context**: What product? Target users? Existing design system / brand guidelines / codebase?
- **Output type**: Web page / prototype / slide deck / animation / dashboard? Fidelity level?
- **Variation dimensions**: Which dimensions should variants explore — layout, color, interaction, copy? How many?
- **Constraints**: Responsive breakpoints? Dark/light mode? Accessibility? Fixed dimensions?
> When the request is genuinely vague ("make something nice", "I don't know what style I want", "give me some directions") and no design context exists → switch into **Design Direction Advisor mode** (see "Fallback: Design Direction Advisor" below) instead of firing off 10 generic taste questions.
### Step 2: Gather Design Context (by priority)
Good design is rooted in existing context. **Never start from thin air.** Priority order:
1. **Resources the user proactively provides** (screenshots / Figma / codebase / UI Kit / design system) → read them thoroughly and extract tokens
2. **Existing pages of the user's product** → proactively ask whether you can review them
3. **Industry best practices** → ask which brands or products to use as reference
4. **User names an anchor** ("make it Linear-style" / "Aesop feeling" / "MUJI quietness") → read the single recipe file at `references/style-recipes/<anchor>.md` (e.g., `references/style-recipes/linear.md`). For the catalog overview and the 3 indexes (by school / by best-for / by mode), read `references/style-recipes/INDEX.md` first.
5. **Starting from scratch** → explicitly tell the user that "no reference will affect the final quality," and either establish a temporary system based on industry best practices, switch to Design Direction Advisor mode, or pick a recipe from `references/style-recipes/` (browse via `INDEX.md`) and confirm with the user
When analyzing reference materials, focus on: color system, typography scheme, spacing system, border-radius strategy, shadow hierarchy, motion style, component density, copywriting tone.
> **Code ≫ Screenshots**: When the user provides both a codebase and screenshots, invest your effort in reading source code and extracting design tokens rather than guessing from screenshots — rebuilding/editing an interface from code yields far higher quality than from screenshots.
#### When the Task Involves a Specific Brand — Asset Protocol
**Asset > Spec.** A brand's identity is "being recognized." Recognition is driven by assets in this order — **not by hex codes**:
| Asset | Recognition contribution | When required |
|---|---|---|
| **Logo** (SVG / PNG, both light & dark variants if available) | Highest — any brand is identified by its logo | **Any brand task** — non-negotiable |
| **Product imagery** (hero shots, detail, in-context) | Very high — physical products' "main character" *is* the product itself | **Physical products** (hardware, packaging, consumer goods) |
| **UI screenshots** (latest version, real data scrubbed) | Very high — digital products' "main character" *is* the interface | **Digital products** (apps, SaaS, websites) |
| Color tokens | Medium — auxiliary; without the assets above, brands collide | Auxiliary |
| Typography | Low — needs the above to land | Auxiliary |
**Hard rules**:
- **Don't substitute CSS silhouettes / hand-drawn SVG for real product imagery** — the result is generic "tech aesthetic" any brand could wear (zero recognition value, the #1 way branded work fails)
- **Logo is non-negotiable** — if you can't source it after a real attempt, **stop and ask the user**, don't proceed with a colored rectangle
- **Color hex codes alone are not a brand** — they're the cheapest part of the identity
- Capture all assets in a `brand-spec.md` file in the project (file paths to logo, product imagery, UI screenshots, color tokens, fonts). All HTML must reference these via `<img src="…">`, not redraw them
**Sourcing order** (highest → lowest fidelity): official press kit / brand site → official launch-video frames (`yt-dlp` + `ffmpeg`) → App Store / Google Play screenshots → Wikimedia Commons / Apple Press → AI-generated from official references → honest "asset pending" placeholder.
#### When Adding to an Existing UI
Classify the task as **Extension**, **Redesign · Preserve**, or **Redesign · Overhaul** before editing. Read `references/redesign-protocol.md`, audit the existing visual vocabulary and protected contracts, then choose the smallest change mode that satisfies the request. New elements in Extension mode should be indistinguishable from the originals.
### Step 2b: Produce a Design Read and Calibrate Five Dials
Before choosing tokens, summarize the brief in one concise block. Infer rather than interrogate when context is sufficient:
```yaml
Design Read:
artifact: [landing / dashboard / prototype / slides / visualization / ...]
audience: [primary audience]
visual-language: [specific family, not "modern / clean"]
mode: [greenfield / extension / preserve / overhaul]
visual-variance: [1-10]
motion-intensity: [1-10]
information-density: [1-10]
asset-dependence: [1-10]
brand-fidelity: [1-10]
```
Use the dials as decision variables, not decorative scores. They must affect layout variation, motion, content per viewport, real-asset effort, and preservation strictness. Read `references/design-calibration.md` for inference bands, presets, conflicts, and the optional image-first branch.
### Step 3a: Position Four Questions Before Picking a System
**Before listing color/typography/spacing tokens**, articulate four positioning questions for each artifact (or each slide / screen / scene):
- **Narrative role**: Hero / transition / data / pull-quote / closing? (Each demands a different visual register.)
- **Viewing distance**: 10cm phone / 1m laptop / 10m projector? (Drives type scale and information density.)
- **Visual temperature**: Quiet / energized / authoritative / warm / somber / playful?
- **Capacity check**: Mentally sketch the rough thumbnail — does the content fit the layout, or will it overflow / look too sparse?
The system that follows must serve these answers. Picking aesthetics in a vacuum is the root cause of generic output.
### Step 3: Declare the Design System Before Writing Code
**Before writing the first line of code**, articulate the design system in Markdown and let the user confirm before proceeding:
```markdown
Design Decisions:
- Design Read: [one-line synthesis + five dials]
- Anchor / recipe (if any): [e.g., "linear" → `references/style-recipes/linear.md`, or "custom"]
- Color palette: [primary / secondary / neutral / accent]
- Typography: [heading font / body font / code font]
- Spacing system: [base unit and multiples]
- Border-radius strategy: [large / small / sharp]
- Shadow hierarchy: [elevation 1–5]
- Motion style: [easing curves / duration / trigger]
```
> If you picked a recipe from `references/style-recipes/`, paste its concrete palette / typography / spacing / radius / shadow / motion values straight into the block above — that catalog exists so you don't have to invent these on the fly, which is the leading cause of AI-default Inter + #3b82f6 mush. **Load only the one recipe file you're using**, not the whole catalog.
🛑 **Checkpoint 1**: After articulating Steps 3a + 3, stop. Tell the user "I plan to use this system. Confirm and I'll start the v0." Then **actually wait** — don't say it and immediately start coding.
### Step 4: Show a v0 Draft Early
**Don't hold back a big reveal.** Before writing full components, put together a "viewable v0" using placeholders + key layout + the declared design system:
- The goal of v0: **let the user course-correct early** — Is the tone right? Is the layout direction right? Are the variant directions right?
- Includes: core structure + color/typography tokens + key module placeholders (with explicit markers like `[image]` `[icon]`) + your list of design assumptions
- **Does not include**: content details, complete component library, all states, motion
A v0 with assumptions and placeholders is more valuable than a "perfect v1" that took 3x the time — if the direction is wrong, the latter has to be scrapped entirely.
🛑 **Checkpoint 2**: Push v0 to the user before continuing. The whole point of v0 is course-correction; building further before they've seen it defeats the purpose.
### Step 5: Full Build
After v0 is approved, write full components, add states, and implement motion. Follow the technical specifications and design principles below.
🛑 **Checkpoint 3**: When you hit a non-trivial decision point during the build (interaction approach choice, content variant, fundamental layout shift), pause and confirm again — don't silently push through.
### Step 6: Verification
Always run the lightweight **Pre-delivery Checklist** as a code/design self-check.
Run an executable browser acceptance harness **only when the user explicitly asks for acceptance / 验收, QA, browser testing / 浏览器测试, visual regression, responsive testing / 响应式检查, cross-viewport verification, or equivalent hands-on validation**. Do not infer this request merely from “build,” “finish,” “polish,” or “verify your work.” When triggered, read and follow `references/browser-acceptance.md`; report evidence and repair failures before delivery.
### Step 7: Critique on Request (or as Self-Check Before Delivery)
When the user asks "review this", "is it good?", "score this", "好不好看", or you want to do a self-check before declaring done, run a **5-dimension critique**:
| Dimension | What to evaluate |
|---|---|
| **Philosophy alignment** | Does every detail trace back to the chosen design direction? Or has it drifted into a generic mishmash? |
| **Visual hierarchy** | Does the eye flow where intended? Squint test passes? Title/body ratio ≥ 2.5×? |
| **Craft quality** | Pixel-level alignment, consistent spacing system (e.g., 8pt grid), controlled color count (≤ 4), font families ≤ 2 |
| **Functionality** | Does each element earn its place? "If I delete this, does the design get worse?" If no → delete |
| **Originality** | Avoids clichés while staying coherent? Any "unexpected but right" decisions, or pure template? |
Score each 0–10; report overall score, dimension scores, Keep, severity-sorted Fixes, and three Quick Wins. **Critique the design, not the designer.** Read `references/critique-guide.md` for the exact format, weighting, issue catalog, and detailed rubrics.
---
## Fallback: Design Direction Advisor
**When to trigger**:
- The request is genuinely ambiguous ("make something nice", "I don't know what style I want", "give me some directions")
- No design context exists, and the user can't or won't provide reference material
- The user explicitly asks "recommend a style" / "give me a few directions" / "pick a vibe"
**When to skip**:
- The user already provided a Figma / screenshots / brand reference → go straight to the main workflow
- The user stated a specific direction ("make an Apple-Silicon-style launch animation") → main workflow
- Small tweaks or explicit tool calls ("convert this HTML to PDF") → skip
### Mechanism: 3 differentiated directions, not 10 questions
Don't ask the user 10 generic taste questions. Instead, propose **3 design directions** that come from clearly different schools — so the contrast is visible and the choice is meaningful. Each direction must include:
- **A named designer or studio reference** (e.g., "Pentagram-style information architecture", not just "minimalist")
- **2–3 lines of why this direction fits the user's context**
- **Signature visual cues** (3–4 concrete details: color, typography, layout, motion)
- **Optional**: one famous touchstone work
### School library — pick 3 from different rows
| School | Vibe | Sample anchors | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| **Information architecture** | Rational, data-driven, restrained | Pentagram, Edward Tufte, Massimo Vignelli, Bloomberg Terminal | Safe / professional / B2B / data products |
| **Editorial / minimalist** | Whitespace, refined typography, quiet luxury | Kenya Hara (MUJI), Apple HIG, Dieter Rams, Aesop | Premium / high-end / quiet |
| **Modern tool / Builder SaaS** | Hairline detail, warm dark, single accent, monospace chips | Linear, Vercel, Raycast, Notion | Developer tools / B2B SaaS / AI tools / infra |
| **Motion / experimental** | Bold, generative, sensory | Field.io, Active Theory, Resn | Distinctive / launch films / brand moments |
| **Brutalist / raw** | Anti-design, honest, unpolished | Balenciaga, Are.na, Bloomberg Businessweek covers | Differentiated / confident / counter-culture |
| **Warm humanist** | Approachable, organic, hand-touched | Mailchimp (early), Stripe Press, Headspace | Lifestyle / education / approachable B2C / wellness |
❌ **Hard rule**: never recommend 3 picks from the same row — the user can't tell them apart and the contrast that makes the choice meaningful collapses.
### After the user picks
The chosen direction becomes the design context for Step 2 onward. Document it in `brand-spec.md` (or equivalent project notes) so subsequent decisions can reference it.
> **Direction → concrete starting point**: once the user picks a school, surface 2–3 named recipes from that school by reading the matching files in `references/style-recipes/` (e.g., picked *Information Architecture* → read `references/style-recipes/pentagram.md`, `references/style-recipes/bloomberg-terminal.md`, etc.). Each recipe file brings concrete palette, typography, spacing, and signature moves you can paste into the Step 3 design-system declaration.
> Extended philosophy library, per-school anchor tables, and AI-prompt templates → `references/design-directions.md`. Anchored recipe catalog → `references/style-recipes/INDEX.md` (catalog index + 3 indexes + cross-cutting anti-patterns) + 25 single-recipe files alongside it.
---
## Technical Specifications
### React + Babel (Inline JSX)
For React prototypes, use **pinned-version** CDN scripts with `integrity` hashes — see the exact `<script>` tags in `references/advanced-patterns.md`. Do not change versions, do not add `type="module"` (breaks the Babel transpilation pipeline). Import order: React → ReactDOM → Babel → your component files.
#### Three Non-negotiable Hard Rules
**1. Never use `const styles = { ... }`** — multiple component files with `styles` as a global object will silently overwrite each other. Always namespace: `const terminalStyles = { ... }`, `const headerStyles = { ... }`. Or use inline `style={{...}}` directly. **Never use `styles` as a variable name.**
**2. Separate `<script type="text/babel">` blocks do not share scope** — each Babel script is compiled independently. To share components across files, explicitly attach them to `window` at the end of each file: `Object.assign(window, { Terminal, Line });`
**3. Do not use `scrollIntoView`** — in iframe-embedded preview environments, it disrupts outer-frame scrolling. Use `element.scrollTop = ...` or `window.scrollTo({...})` instead.
### CSS Best Practices
- Prefer CSS Grid + Flexbox for layout
- Manage design tokens with CSS custom properties
- **Prefer brand colors for palette**; when more colors are needed, derive harmonious variants using `oklch()` — **never invent new hues from scratch**
- Use `text-wrap: pretty` for better line breaking
- Use `clamp()` for fluid typography
- Use `@container` queries for component-level responsiveness
- Leverage `@media (prefers-color-scheme)` and `@media (prefers-reduced-motion)`
### File Management
- Use descriptive filenames: `Landing Page.html`, `Dashboard Prototype.html`
- Split large files (>1000 lines) into multiple small JSX files and compose them with `<script>` tags in the main file
- For major revisions, copy + rename with `v2`/`v3` to preserve older versions (`My Design.html` → `My Design v2.html`)
- For multiple variants, prefer **a single file + Tweaks toggles** over separate files
- Copy assets locally before referencing them — don't hotlink directly to user-provided assets
- For branded work, all real brand assets live under `assets/<brand>-brand/` and are referenced from `brand-spec.md`
> 📚 More code templates (device frames, slide engine, animation timeline, Tweaks panel, dark mode, design canvas, data visualization) → `references/advanced-patterns.md`
---
## Design Principles
### Avoid AI-Style Clichés (the WHY matters)
Anti-cliché is **not aesthetic snobbery** — it's protecting the user's brand recognition. The reasoning chain:
1. The user wants their brand to be recognized
2. AI defaults = average of training data = all brands averaged together = **no brand recognized**
3. So AI-default output dilutes the user's identity into "yet another AI-generated page"
This is why the only legitimate exception to every anti-cliché rule below is **"the brand spec uses it"** — at that point it stops being slop and becomes a brand signature.
| Pattern | Why it's slop | When it's actually fine |
|---|---|---|
| Aggressive purple → pink → blue gradient | The "tech vibe" formula AI training data converged on; on every SaaS / AI / web3 landing page | The brand itself uses it, or the task is satirizing this aesthetic |
| Rounded card + colored left-border accent | Material/Tailwind era leftover; now visual noise in every dashboard | The user explicitly asks, or the brand spec preserves it |
| Emoji as icon substitute | "Not professional → slap emoji on it" tic from training data | The brand uses emoji (Notion, Slack, early Linear), or audience is kids / casual |
| SVG-drawn imagery (faces, scenes, objects) | AI-drawn SVG humans always have misaligned features and feel cheap | **Almost never** — use real images, AI-generated images, or honest placeholder |
| CSS silhouette substituting for real product imagery | Generic "tech aesthetic" — same look across every brand | **Never** for branded work — go fetch the real product image |
| Inter / Roboto / Arial / Fraunces / system-ui as display | Too common; reads as "demo page" rather than "designed product" | The brand spec specifies these (and usually with custom adjustments) |
| Cyber-neon on `#0D1117` dark | GitHub-dark cosplay; baseline noise in dev-tool clones | The brand actually lives in this aesthetic |
| Fabricated stats, fake logo walls, dummy testimonials | Damages credibility; users notice when numbers don't match reality | **Never** — use placeholders that say "real data needed" |
These are baseline examples, not the whole taxonomy. When designing a multi-section marketing page, redesign, dashboard, or motion-heavy artifact, read only the matching parts of `references/failure-patterns.md`. Treat each pattern as **default → reason → exceptions → detection → repair**, not as an unconditional aesthetic ban.
### Emoji Rules
**No emoji by default.** Only use emoji when the target design system/brand itself uses them (e.g., Notion, early Linear, certain consumer brands), and match their density and context precisely.
- ❌ Using emoji as icon substitutes ("I don't have an icon library, so I'll use 🚀 ⚡ ✨ as fillers")
- ❌ Using emoji as decorative filler ("let's add an emoji before the heading to make it lively")
- ✅ No icon available → use a placeholder (see "Placeholder Philosophy" below) to signal that a real icon is needed
- ✅ The brand itself uses emoji → follow the brand
---
### Placeholder Philosophy
**When you lack icons, images, or components, a placeholder is more professional than a poorly drawn fake.**
- Missing icon → square + label (e.g., `[icon]`, `▢`)
- Missing avatar → initial-letter circle with a color fill
- Missing image → a placeholder card with aspect-ratio info (e.g., `16:9 image`)
- Missing data → proactively ask the user for it; never fabricate
- Missing logo → **stop and ask the user** (see Asset Protocol); never substitute "brand name in a colored box" for a logo on branded work
A placeholder signals "real material needed here." A fake signals "I cut corners."
### Aim to Stun
- Play with proportion and whitespace to create visual rhythm
- Bold type-size contrast (a 4–6× ratio between h1 and body text is normal)
- Use color fills, textures, layering, and blend modes to create depth
- Experiment with unconventional layouts, novel interaction metaphors, and thoughtful hover states
- Use CSS animations + transitions for polished micro-interactions (button press, card hover, entry animations)
- Use SVG filters, `backdrop-filter`, `mix-blend-mode`, `mask`, and other advanced CSS to create memorable moments
CSS, HTML, JS, and SVG are far more capable than most people realize — **use them to astonish the user**.
### Appropriate Scale
| Context | Minimum Size |
|---|---|
| 1920×1080 presentations | Text ≥ 24px (ideally larger) |
| Mobile mockups | Touch targets ≥ 44px |
| Print documents | ≥ 12pt |
| Web body text | Start at 16–18px |
### Content Principles
- **No filler content** — every element must earn its place
- **Don't add sections/pages unilaterally** — if more content seems needed, ask the user first; they know their audience better
- **Placeholders > fabricated data** — fake data damages credibility more than admitting a gap
- **Less is more** — "1,000 no's for every yes"; whitespace is design
- If the page looks empty → it's a layout problem, not a content problem. Solve it with composition, whitespace, and type-scale rhythm, not by stuffing content in
---
## Output Type Guidelines
### Interactive Prototypes
- **No title screen / cover page** — prototypes should center in the viewport or fill it (with sensible margins), letting the user see the product immediately
- Use device frames (iPhone / Android / browser window) to enhance realism (see references file)
- Implement key interaction paths so the user can click through them
- At least 3 variants, toggled via the Tweaks panel
- Complete state coverage: default / hover / active / focus / disabled / loading / empty / error
### HTML Slide Decks / Presentations
- Fixed canvas at 1920×1080 (16:9), auto-fitted to any viewport via JS `transform: scale()`
- Centered with letterbox bars; prev/next buttons placed **outside** the scaled container (to remain usable on small screens)
- Keyboard navigation: ← → to change slides, Space for next
- Persist current position in `localStorage` (so refreshes don't lose position — a frequent action during iterative design)
- **Slide numbering is 1-indexed**: use labels like `01 Title`, `02 Agenda`, matching human speech ("slide 5" corresponds to label `05` — never use 0-indexed labels that cause off-by-one confusion)
- Each slide should have a `data-screen-label` attribute for easy reference
- Don't cram too much text — visuals lead, text supports; use at most 1–2 background colors per deck
### Data Visualization Dashboards
- Chart.js (simple) or D3.js (complex custom) — loaded via CDN
- Responsive chart containers (`ResizeObserver`)
- Provide dark/light mode toggle
- Focus on **data-ink ratio**: remove unnecessary gridlines, 3D effects, and shadows; let the data speak
- Color encoding should carry semantic meaning (up/down / category / time), not serve as decoration
### Animation / Video Demos
Choose animation approach by complexity, from simplest to heaviest — don't reach for a heavy library from the start:
1. **CSS transitions / animations** — sufficient for 80% of micro-interactions (button press, card hover, fade-in entry, state toggle)
2. **Simple React state + setTimeout / requestAnimationFrame** — simple frame-by-frame or event-driven animations
3. **Custom `useTime` + `Easing` + `interpolate`** (full implementation in references) — timeline-driven video/demo scenes: scrubber, play/pause, multi-segment choreography
4. **Fallback: Popmotion** (`https://unpkg.com/[email protected]/dist/popmotion.min.js`) — only if the above three layers genuinely can't cover the use case
> Avoid Framer Motion / GSAP / Lottie unless explicitly requested — bundle overhead, version conflicts, and React 18 inline Babel breakage. Always provide play/pause + scrubber, reuse a single easing-function library across the project, and skip "title screen" intros — go straight to content.
### Static Visual Comparison vs. Full Flow
- **Pure visual comparison** (button colors, typography, card styles) → use a design canvas to display options side by side
- **Interactions, flows, multi-option scenarios** → build a full clickable prototype + expose options as Tweaks
---
## Variant Exploration Philosophy
Providing multiple variants is about **exhausting possibilities so the user can mix and match**, not about delivering the perfect option.
Explore "atomic variants" across at least these dimensions — mixing conservative, safe options with bold, novel ones:
1. **Layout**: content organization (split pane / card grid / list / timeline)
2. **Visual**: color palette, typography, texture, layering
3. **Interaction**: motion, feedback, navigation patterns
4. **Creative**: convention-breaking metaphors, novel UX, strong visual concepts
Strategy: **Start the first few variants safely within the design system; then progressively push boundaries.** Vary the calibrated dials intentionally rather than producing cosmetic recolors. Show the spectrum from "safe and functional" to "ambitious and daring" so the user can identify which dimensions resonate.
---
## Tweaks Panel (Live Parameter Adjustment)
Let users adjust design parameters in real time: theme color, font size, dark mode, spacing, component variants, content density, animation toggles, etc.
Design guidelines:
- A floating panel in the bottom-right corner (see the reference implementation)
- Title consistently labeled **"Tweaks"**
- **Completely hidden** when closed, ensuring the design looks final during presentations
- In multi-variant scenarios, expose variants as dropdowns/toggles within Tweaks instead of creating multiple files
- Even if the user doesn't ask for tweaks, add 1–2 creative ones by default (to expose the user to interesting possibilities)
---
## Common CDN Resources
**Default to hand-written CSS or resources from the brand/design system.** Only load a CDN when the scenario clearly calls for it — never include everything by default.
| When clearly needed | Library |
|---|---|
| Charts (line / bar / pie) | Chart.js (`https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/chart.js`) |
| Complex custom visualizations | D3 v7 (`https://d3js.org/d3.v7.min.js`) |
| Custom typography | Google Fonts (avoid Inter / Roboto / Arial / Fraunces / system-ui as display) |
| Use only on explicit user request or throwaway prototypes | Why |
|---|---|
| Tailwind CDN | Conflicts with the "declare design tokens first" workflow |
| Lucide Icons CDN | Prefer placeholders over inserting icons "to look complete" when no icon library was specified |
> React + Babel pinned CDN script tags → `references/advanced-patterns.md`. Do not change versions.
---
## Pre-delivery Checklist
Complete this lightweight self-check before delivery. It does **not** require launching a browser unless the user explicitly requested executable acceptance in Step 6:
- [ ] **Step 0 ran** if any specific product/brand was named — facts verified via WebSearch, not assumed
- [ ] **Design Read** exists; five dials influenced real decisions instead of being decorative labels
- [ ] Existing-work mode was classified correctly; preserve/extension contracts were not changed silently
- [ ] **If the task is branded**: `brand-spec.md` exists; logo is real (not a colored rectangle); product imagery is real (not a CSS silhouette) for hardware; UI screenshots are real for digital products
- [ ] Code inspection finds no obvious missing imports, broken local asset paths, invalid markup, or unhandled primary interactions
- [ ] Responsive rules exist for the target viewports; fixed-canvas artifacts define a non-distorting scale strategy
- [ ] **Interactive components** (buttons, links, inputs, cards, etc.) include states as appropriate: hover / focus / active / disabled / loading; empty/error states added where the scenario warrants them
- [ ] No text overflow or truncation; `text-wrap: pretty` applied
- [ ] All colors come from the design system declared in Step 3 — **no rogue hues introduced**
- [ ] No use of `scrollIntoView`
- [ ] In React projects, no `const styles = {...}`; cross-file components exported via `Object.assign(window, {...})`
- [ ] No AI clichés (purple-pink gradients, emoji abuse, left-border accent cards, Inter/Roboto) — unless the brand spec explicitly uses them
- [ ] No filler content, no fabricated data
- [ ] Relevant failure patterns were checked; repeated layouts and decorative UI do not overpower the brief
- [ ] Semantic naming, clean structure, easy to modify later
- [ ] Visual quality at Dribbble / Behance showcase level
- [ ] **Only if executable acceptance was requested**: `references/browser-acceptance.md` was run, evidence was recorded, and discovered failures were repaired or disclosed
---
## Collaborating with the User
- **Show work-in-progress early**: a v0 with assumptions + placeholders is more valuable than a polished v1 — the user can course-correct sooner
- Explain decisions using **design language** ("I tightened the spacing to create a tool-like feel"), not technical language
- When user feedback is ambiguous, **proactively ask for clarification** — don't guess
- Offer plenty of variants and creative options so the user sees the boundaries of what's possible
- When summarizing, **only mention important caveats and next steps** — don't recap what you did; the code speaks for itself
- **Honor checkpoints**: when you say "I'll wait for your confirmation," actually wait — don't say it and immediately keep working
---
## References Routing
Read on demand based on task type — don't preload everything:
| Task | Read |
|---|---|
| Infer Design Read + five dials; resolve dial conflicts; decide whether image-first exploration is justified | `references/design-calibration.md` |
| Extend or redesign an existing project; classify Extension / Preserve / Overhaul; protect routes, IA, analytics, forms, accessibility, and brand | `references/redesign-protocol.md` |
| Check recurring AI-design failure modes by artifact type; apply contextual detection and repairs | `references/failure-patterns.md` |
| User explicitly asks for browser acceptance / 验收 / QA / responsive verification / visual regression | `references/browser-acceptance.md` |
| Reuse a known working component pattern before inventing a new implementation | `references/block-library.md` → targeted section in `references/advanced-patterns.md` |
| Slide engine, device frames, Tweaks panel, animation timeline, design canvas, dark mode, data viz, oklch color system, font recommendations | `references/advanced-patterns.md` |
| Vague request → recommend 3 design directions; extended philosophy library + per-direction visual recipes + AI-prompt templates | `references/design-directions.md` |
| User named an anchor ("Linear-style" / "Aesop feeling") → load **only that one file** | `references/style-recipes/<anchor>.md` (e.g., `linear.md`, `aesop.md`) |
| Browse the recipe catalog / compare options after Direction Advisor picks a school | `references/style-recipes/INDEX.md` (3 indexes + cross-cutting anti-patterns; then read 1–3 specific recipe files) |
| Critique mode — detailed scoring rubrics, per-output-type weighting, common-issue catalog (top 10) | `references/critique-guide.md` |