frontend-design

Files (1)

• SKILL.md

SKILL.md (first lines)

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.

The user provides frontend requirements: a component, page, application, or interface to build. They may include context about the purpose, audience, or technical constraints.

## Design Thinking

Before coding, understand the context and 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 (HTML/CSS/JS, React, Vue, etc.) 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

Focus on:
- **Typography**: Choose fonts that are beautiful, unique, and interesting. Avoid generic fonts like Arial and Inter; opt instead for distinctive choices that elevate the frontend's aesthetics; unexpected, characterful font choices. Pair a distinctive display font with a refined body font.
- **Color & Theme**: Commit to a cohesive aesthetic. Use CSS variables for consistency. Dominant colors with sharp accents outperform timid, evenly-distributed palettes.
- **Motion**: Use animations for effects and micro-interactions. Prioritize CSS-only solutions for HTML. Use Motion library for React when available. Focus on high-impact moments: one well-orchestrated page load with staggered reveals (animation-delay) creates more delight than scattered micro-interactions. Use scroll-triggering and hover states that surprise.
- **Spatial Composition**: Unexpected layouts. Asymmetry. Overlap. Diagonal flow. Grid-breaking elements. Generous negative space OR controlled density.
- **Backgrounds & Visual Details**: Create atmosphere and depth rather than defaulting to solid colors. Add contextual effects and textures that match the overall aesthetic. Apply creative forms like gradient meshes, noise textures, geometric patterns, layered transparencies, dramatic shadows, decorative borders, custom cursors, and grain overlays.

NEVER use generic AI-generated aesthetics like overused font families (Inter, Roboto, Arial, system fonts), cliched color schemes (particularly purple gradients on white backgrounds), predictable layouts and component patterns, and cookie-cutter design that lacks context-specific character.

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. Avoid converging on the same fonts across generations. **Exception:** When mk3y-design is active, use its specified fonts (Space Grotesk + JetBrains Mono).

**IMPORTANT**: 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. Elegance comes from executing the vision well.

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.

## Rules

### Accessibility

- Icon-only buttons need `aria-label`
- Form controls need `<label>` or `aria-label`
- Interactive elements need keyboard handlers (`onKeyDown`/`onKeyUp`)
- `<button>` for actions, `<a>`/`<Link>` for navigation (not `<div onClick>`)
- Images need `alt` (or `alt=""` if decorative)
- Decorative icons need `aria-hidden="true"`
- Async updates (toasts, validation) need `aria-live="polite"`
- Use semantic HTML (`<button>`, `<a>`, `<label>`, `<table>`) before ARIA
- Headings hierarchical `<h1>`–`<h6>`; include skip link for main content
- `scroll-margin-top` on heading anchors

### Focus States

- Interactive elements need visible focus: `focus-visible:ring-*` or equivalent
- Never `outline-none` / `outline: none` without focus replacement
- Use `:focus-visible` over `:focus` (avoid focus ring on click)
- Group focus with `:focus-within` for compound controls

### Forms

- Inputs need `autocomplete` and meaningful `name`
- Use correct `type` (`email`, `tel`, `url`, `number`) and `inputmode`
- Never block paste (`onPaste` + `preventDefault`)
- Labels clickable (`htmlFor` or wrapping control)
- Disable spellcheck on emails, codes, usernames (`spellCheck={false}`)
- Checkboxes/radios: label + control share single hit target (no dead zones)
- Submit button stays enabled until request starts; spinner during request
- Errors inline next to fields; focus first error on submit
- Placeholders end with `…` and show example pattern
- `autocomplete="off"` on non-auth fields to avoid password manager triggers
- Warn before navigation with unsaved changes (`beforeunload` or router guard)
- Mark required fields explicitly (asterisk or `(required)` text)
- Password fields: include a show/hide visibility toggle

### Animation

- Honor `prefers-reduced-motion` (provide reduced variant or disable)
- Animate `transform`/`opacity` only (compositor-friendly)
- Never `transition: all`—list properties explicitly
- Set correct `transform-origin`
- SVG: transforms on `<g>` wrapper with `transform-box: fill-box; transform-origin: center`
- Animations interruptible—respond to user input mid-animation
- Duration: 150–300ms for micro-interactions; never >500ms for UI transitions
- Easing: `ease-out` for entering, `ease-in` for exiting; never `linear` for UI

### Typography

- `…` not `...`
- Curly quotes `"` `"` not straight `"`
- Non-breaking spaces: `10&nbsp;MB`, `⌘&nbsp;K`, brand names
- Loading states end with `…`: `"Loading…"`, `"Saving…"`
- `font-variant-numeric: tabular-nums` for number columns/comparisons
- Use `text-wrap: balance` or `text-pretty` on headings (prevents widows)
- Body line-height 1.5–1.75; tighter for headings (1.1–1.3)
- Body line-length 65–75ch max (use `max-w-prose` or equivalent)
- Mobile body text minimum 16px (anything smaller triggers iOS zoom-on-focus)
- Use a consistent modular scale for sizes—no arbitrary one-off values

### Content Handling

- Text containers handle long content: `truncate`, `line-clamp-*`, or `break-words`
- Flex children need `min-w-0` to allow text truncation
- Handle empty states—don't render broken UI for empty strings/arrays
- User-generated content: anticipate short, average, and very long inputs

### Images

- `<img>` needs explicit `width` and `height` (prevents CLS)
- Below-fold images: `loading="lazy"`
- Above-fold critical images: `priority` or `fetchpriority="high"`

### Performance

- Large lists (>50 items): virtualize (`virtua`, `content-visibility: auto`)
- No layout reads in render (`getBoundingClientRect`, `offsetHeight`, `offsetWidth`, `scrollTop`)
- Batch DOM reads/writes; avoid interleaving
- Prefer uncontrolled inputs; controlled inputs must be cheap per keystroke
- Add `<link rel="preconnect">` for CDN/asset domains

From 1337hero/claude-toolkit, WTFPL.

More from 1337hero/claude-toolkit