Design Style Skill

How It Works

Step 1: Understand User Intent

When the user requests frontend work, first determine:

1. Tech stack - What framework are they using? (React, Vue, Next.js, etc.)
2. Design preference - Did they mention a specific style or aesthetic?
3. Component scope - Single component, full page, or entire application?

Step 2: Select Design Style

If user specifies a style:

• Match their request to available styles (e.g., "brutalist" → Neo-brutalism)
• Case-insensitive matching (brutalism, Brutalism, BRUTALISM all work)

If user doesn't specify:

• For modern, professional projects → ModernDark or Professional
• For creative, bold projects → Neo-brutalism or BoldTypography
• For minimal, clean projects → FlatDesign or Swiss
• For enterprise/corporate → Enterprise

Ask the user if you're uncertain about which style fits their needs.

Step 3: Retrieve Design System

Use the Read tool to load the appropriate prompt file:

Read: prompts/<StyleName>.md

For example:

• prompts/Neo-brutalism.md
• prompts/ModernDark.md
• prompts/Cyberpunk.md

Step 4: Apply Design System

Once you've loaded the design system prompt:

1. Internalize the design philosophy - Understand the core principles, visual signatures, and differentiation factors
2. Extract design tokens - Colors, typography, spacing, shadows, borders
3. Follow component patterns - Use the specified button styles, card layouts, etc.
4. Apply the "Bold Factor" - Implement signature elements that make the design authentic
5. Avoid anti-patterns - Don't use techniques that break the aesthetic

Step 5: Build with Context

Before writing code:

• Identify the user's existing tech stack
• Understand their component architecture
• Note any constraints (CSS frameworks, design libraries, etc.)

When writing code:

• Match their existing patterns and conventions
• Centralize design tokens in CSS variables or a config file
• Create reusable, composable components
• Explain your architectural choices briefly

Quality standards:

• Preserve or improve accessibility
• Ensure responsive design across devices
• Make deliberate, creative design choices (not generic boilerplate)
• Leave the codebase cleaner than you found it

Examples

Example 1: User Specifies Style

User: "Create a landing page for my SaaS product with a neo-brutalist design"

Skill Actions:

1. Detect keywords: "landing page", "neo-brutalist"
2. Map "neo-brutalist" → prompts/Neo-brutalism.md
3. Read the design system prompt
4. Ask clarifying questions: "What tech stack are you using? React, Vue, or plain HTML/CSS?"
5. Build the landing page following Neo-brutalism principles (thick borders, hard shadows, bold colors, etc.)

Example 2: User Doesn't Specify Style

User: "Help me build a portfolio website"

Skill Actions:

1. Detect: "portfolio website" (creative context)
2. Suggest options: "Would you like a specific design style? I can create it in Modern Dark (sophisticated), Neo-brutalism (bold and creative), or Swiss (minimal and clean)."
3. User responds with preference
4. Load appropriate prompt and build

Example 3: Component Request

User: "Add a contact form to my Next.js app. Make it look modern and professional."

Skill Actions:

1. Keywords: "Next.js", "modern and professional"
2. Select: ModernDark.md (modern) or Professional.md (professional)
3. Read design system
4. Build form component matching their Next.js patterns
5. Use design tokens from the prompt (colors, typography, shadows, etc.)

Quick Reference Commands

When implementing, you can quickly reference specific sections:

Colors:

Grep: pattern "Token|Value|Usage" path "prompts/<Style>.md"

Typography:

Grep: pattern "Font|Weight|Size" path "prompts/<Style>.md"

Component Patterns:

Grep: pattern "Button|Card|Input" path "prompts/<Style>.md"

Tips for Best Results

1. Read the full prompt - Don't just skim. The design philosophy and differentiation sections are critical.
2. Implement signature elements - Every design system has a "Bold Factor" section. These elements are what make it authentic.
3. Avoid anti-patterns - Each prompt lists what NOT to do. Follow these rules strictly.
4. Ask questions - If the user's needs are unclear, ask before building.
5. Match existing code - Don't fight their tech stack. Integrate the design system into their existing patterns.

Notes

• All design system prompts follow the same structure: <role> and <design-system> sections
• Prompts include detailed color palettes, typography scales, component patterns, and implementation examples
• Each style is production-ready and has been carefully crafted for visual distinctiveness
• The prompts are designed to prevent generic, AI-looking interfaces

Future Enhancements

Potential improvements to this skill:

• Style combination support (e.g., "Cyberpunk + Minimal")
• Custom style creation workflow
• Design token extraction to JSON/CSS
• Component library generation from prompts