frontend-design

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

Design Direction

Commit to a BOLD aesthetic direction:

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

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

Then implement working code that is:

• Production-grade and functional
• Visually striking and memorable
• Cohesive with a clear aesthetic point-of-view
• Meticulously refined in every detail

Frontend Aesthetics Guidelines

Typography

→ Consult typography reference for scales, pairing, and loading strategies.

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

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

Color & Theme

→ Consult color reference for OKLCH, palettes, and dark mode.

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

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

Layout & Space

→ Consult spatial reference for grids, rhythm, and container queries.

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

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

Visual Details

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

Motion

→ Consult motion reference for timing, easing, and reduced motion.

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

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

Interaction

→ Consult interaction reference for forms, focus, and loading patterns.

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

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

Responsive

→ Consult responsive reference for mobile-first, fluid design, and container queries.

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

UX Writing

→ Consult ux-writing reference for labels, errors, and empty states.

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

---

The AI Slop Test

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

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

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

---

Multi-Agent Strategy for Complex UI Projects

For large frontend projects with multiple pages or complex component systems, multi-agent approaches accelerate development and improve quality.

Use subagents (default) for:

• Parallel design audits (accessibility, performance, responsiveness checked independently)
• Code-explorer agents analyzing existing UI patterns before building new components
• Code-reviewer agents checking design quality, code quality, and performance simultaneously
• Dispatching Playwright agents to test UI at different viewports (if available)

Consider agent teams for:

• Multi-page applications where page-level agents need to coordinate shared design tokens, component APIs, and navigation patterns
• Design system extraction where agents analyzing different pages need to agree on shared components
• Full redesigns where one agent handles visual design while another handles interaction patterns, and they need to resolve conflicts (e.g., a visual animation that hurts interaction latency)

Agent teams are experimental and more expensive. For most frontend tasks — even complex ones — subagents work well because you synthesize their outputs into a cohesive design. Use agent teams only when agents genuinely need to negotiate and coordinate in real-time.

---

Implementation Principles

Match implementation complexity to the aesthetic vision. Maximalist designs need elaborate code with extensive animations and effects. Minimalist or refined designs need restraint, precision, and careful attention to spacing, typography, and subtle details.

Interpret creatively and make unexpected choices that feel genuinely designed for the context. No design should be the same. Vary between light and dark themes, different fonts, different aesthetics. NEVER converge on common choices across generations.

Remember: Claude is capable of extraordinary creative work. Don't hold back—show what can truly be created when thinking outside the box and committing fully to a distinctive vision.

---

Reference Library

This skill includes extensive reference documentation for specialized tasks. Load references based on what you're doing:

• Page build: Start with typography + color-and-contrast + spatial-design
• Polish pass: Start with audit + polish
• Specialized work: Load animate, harden, or extract only when needed

Design Foundations

These references provide core design knowledge. Consult them when building any frontend:

Reference	Purpose
typography	Type scales, font pairing, web font loading
color-and-contrast	OKLCH, palettes, dark mode, accessibility
spatial-design	Grids, rhythm, container queries
motion-design	Timing, easing, reduced motion
interaction-design	Forms, focus, loading patterns
responsive-design	Mobile-first, fluid design
ux-writing	Labels, errors, empty states
tailwind-design-system	Tailwind CSS design tokens, CVA components, theming, dark mode

Quality Assessment

Use these references to evaluate and critique your work:

Reference	When to Use
audit	Run systematic checks across accessibility, performance, theming, and responsive design. Generates a comprehensive report with severity ratings.
critique	Conduct a holistic design critique evaluating visual hierarchy, information architecture, and emotional resonance.

When to apply: After completing a design checkpoint or before final delivery. Use audit for comprehensive technical checks; use critique for UX-focused design review.

Visual Adjustments

Use these references to tune the visual intensity of your designs:

Reference	When to Use
bolder	Amplify designs that are too safe, generic, or underwhelming.
quieter	Tone down overly bold or aggressive designs for refinement.
colorize	Add strategic color to monochromatic or bland interfaces.
simplify	Strip designs to their essence by removing unnecessary complexity.

When to apply: When the design feels off in terms of visual intensity—too bland, too loud, too gray, or too cluttered.

Specialized Transformations

Use these references for specific enhancement tasks:

Reference	When to Use
animate	Add purposeful animations and micro-interactions.
delight	Add moments of joy and personality that make interfaces memorable.
clarify	Improve unclear UX copy, error messages, and labels.
adapt	Adapt designs for different screen sizes, devices, or platforms.
onboard	Design onboarding flows, empty states, and first-time experiences.
harden	Improve resilience: error handling, i18n, text overflow, edge cases.
normalize	Align designs to match a design system's standards and patterns.
extract	Extract reusable components and design tokens into a design system.

When to apply: When a specific aspect of the design needs focused improvement.

Final Polish

Use these references before shipping:

Reference	When to Use
polish	Final quality pass fixing alignment, spacing, consistency, and details.
optimize	Improve performance across loading, rendering, animations, and bundle size.

When to apply: After the design is functionally complete, before delivery.

Setup

Reference	When to Use
teach-impeccable	One-time setup to gather design context for a project and save to CLAUDE.md.

---

React & Next.js Best Practices

When building React or Next.js applications, apply these performance optimization patterns. Detailed rules with code examples are in reference/react-rules/.

→ For the complete guide, consult react-rules/REACT-BEST-PRACTICES.md

Priority Categories

Priority	Category	Impact	When to Apply
1	Eliminating Waterfalls	CRITICAL	Data fetching, API routes, async operations
2	Bundle Size Optimization	CRITICAL	Imports, dynamic loading, third-party libraries
3	Server-Side Performance	HIGH	Server components, caching, serialization
4	Client-Side Data Fetching	MEDIUM-HIGH	SWR, event listeners, localStorage
5	Re-render Optimization	MEDIUM	State management, memoization, effects
6	Rendering Performance	MEDIUM	Hydration, SVGs, content-visibility
7	JavaScript Performance	LOW-MEDIUM	DOM batching, lookups, iterations
8	Advanced Patterns	LOW	Refs, initialization, stable callbacks

Key Rules to Remember

Eliminating Waterfalls (CRITICAL):

• Use Promise.all() for independent operations
• Move await into branches where actually needed
• Use Suspense boundaries to stream content

Bundle Size (CRITICAL):

• Import directly from modules, not barrel files
• Use next/dynamic for heavy components
• Defer non-critical third-party scripts

Re-renders (MEDIUM):

• Extract expensive work into memoized components
• Use primitive dependencies in effects
• Derive state during render, not in effects

When to consult detailed rules: When writing new components, implementing data fetching, reviewing code for performance, refactoring existing React/Next.js code, or optimizing bundle size and load times.

---

Related Skills

These complementary skills extend frontend-design capabilities. Use them when you need specialized functionality beyond core design and implementation.

Raster vs Vector Decision

Need	Format	Skill
Photos, textures, backgrounds	Raster (PNG)	generate-image-nb
Icons, logos, illustrations, hero graphics	Vector (SVG)	generate-svg
Animated web elements	Vector (SVG)	generate-svg
Diagrams, flowcharts	Either	generate-image-nb (complex) / generate-svg (simple)

Image Generation: generate-image-nb

Generate custom images, logos, icons, illustrations, and visual assets using the Nano Banana model (via Gemini CLI).

When to use:

• Creating blog featured images, thumbnails, or banners
• Generating app icons, favicons, or UI illustrations
• Designing diagrams, flowcharts, or architecture visuals
• Creating patterns, textures, or decorative graphics
• When the user needs a custom image that can't be found online

How to invoke: Use the generate-image-nb skill. It provides commands like /generate, /icon, /diagram, /pattern for different image types.

Example scenarios:

• "Create a hero image for my landing page" → Use generate-image-nb
• "Design an app icon for my productivity tool" → Use generate-image-nb with /icon
• "Make a flowchart showing the user auth flow" → Use generate-image-nb with /diagram

SVG Generation: generate-svg

Generate production-quality SVG graphics — hero sections, icons, illustrations, logos, and UI components — using Gemini Pro as a text model.

When to use:

• Creating hero section illustrations with gradients and geometry
• Generating icons, logos, or UI component graphics
• Building animated web elements (loading spinners, transitions)
• When you need scalable vector graphics that stay crisp at any size

How to invoke: Use the generate-svg skill. It supports types: hero, icon, illustration, logo, component.

Example scenarios:

• "Create a hero illustration for my landing page" → Use generate-svg with -t hero
• "Design a settings gear icon" → Use generate-svg with -t icon
• "Make an animated loading spinner" → Use generate-svg with -t component

Browser Testing: Playwright

Automate browser interactions for testing, screenshots, form filling, and visual verification of your frontend work.

When to use:

• Testing the UI after implementation
• Taking screenshots to verify visual changes
• Testing user flows and form interactions
• Verifying responsive design at different viewports
• Debugging layout or interaction issues

How to install: Install Playwright via Claude Code by running /install-github-mcp playwright or add the Playwright MCP server to your settings.

Example scenarios:

• "Test the login form I just built" → Use Playwright to fill and submit the form
• "Take screenshots at mobile and desktop sizes" → Use Playwright with viewport changes
• "Check if the button hover states work" → Use Playwright to hover and capture

Visual Feedback: agentation

Add a visual feedback/annotation toolbar to Next.js projects for development-time design iteration.

When to use:

• Setting up a new Next.js project that needs design feedback tools
• When the user wants to annotate and mark up the UI during development
• For collaborative design review workflows

How to invoke: Use the agentation skill. It adds a floating toolbar component that only loads in development mode.

Example scenarios:

• "Set up design feedback tools for this Next.js app" → Use agentation
• "I want to annotate the UI while developing" → Use agentation