This skill should be used when the user asks to "review design", "check UI against Railway principles", "evaluate UX", "design review", "apply design cards", "walk through design principles", or mentions the 5 core values (Clear, Precise, Efficient, Durable, Delightful).
Railway solutions should be Clear, Precise, Efficient, Durable, and Delightful.
These qualities are reached progressively across iterations—starting functional and rough, becoming polished and delightful over time. Each card includes evaluation questions to surface gaps in how thoroughly a solution has been considered.
Making complexity invisible through thoughtful organization and presentation.
| Card | Focus |
|---|---|
| Place | Follow user workflow, not system structure |
| Clarity | Turn system complexity into user confidence |
| Purposeful Composition | Arrange elements with clear intent and visual harmony |
| Minimalism | Remove everything non-essential to reveal clarity |
Ensuring the interface accurately represents reality and maintains spatial coherence.
| Card | Focus |
|---|---|
| Accurate Representation | Interface reflects capabilities, state, and behavior |
| Spatial Continuity | Maintain visual connection between interface states |
| Physical Authenticity | Physical-world elements behave realistically |
Reducing effort and friction to help users accomplish goals faster.
| Card | Focus |
|---|---|
| Effort Reduction | Infer what you can, ask only what you must |
| Step Minimization | More steps mean fewer completions |
| Progressive Disclosure | Show only what's needed, when it's needed |
Building resilience and recoverability into every interaction.
| Card | Focus |
|---|---|
| Error Recovery | Turn error states into recovery opportunities |
| Resilience | Make experimentation safe and consequence-free |
| Reversible Actions | Make mistakes fixable rather than preventable |
Creating moments of joy and craftsmanship that inspire.
| Card | Focus |
|---|---|
| Ingenuity | "I haven't seen this before, but it makes perfect sense" |
| Iconic | Work that stands out instantly and lasts over time |
| Emotional Resonance | Design for joy, not just utility |
When asked about specific principles or cards, load and present the relevant content from references/design-cards.md. Examples:
When asked to review a design or walk through principles, conduct a structured review session:
To conduct an interactive design review:
Ask what's being reviewed (screenshot, Figma link, feature description, or code).
Determine review focus:
For each relevant card:
After completing the review:
| Value | Key Question |
|---|---|
| CLEAR | Can users find and understand this without effort? |
| PRECISE | Does the interface accurately represent what will happen? |
| EFFICIENT | Are we asking only what we must and minimizing steps? |
| DURABLE | Can users recover from mistakes and experiment safely? |
| DELIGHTFUL | Would this inspire someone or make them want to share it? |
For the complete set of 16 cards with all evaluation questions and guidance, see:
references/design-cards.md - Full card content organized by valueThese principles are from railway.design/cards.