Frontend Design

---
name: frontend-design
description: >-
  Sets the visual direction for UI work, avoiding generic AI aesthetics. Use
  for any user-facing UI change: new surfaces, screenshot-driven feedback,
  copy/density cleanup, settings, control placement, or a "make this look
  good" pass. Do not load it only for purely mechanical wiring or formatting.
scope: dev
license: Complete terms in LICENSE.txt
source: https://github.com/anthropics/skills/blob/main/skills/frontend-design/SKILL.md
local-changes: >-
  Description deliberately widened on 2026-08-09 because the previous narrow
  trigger excluded routine UI edits, including screenshot-driven cleanup, copy
  and density changes, settings, and control placement. An upstream sync must
  not re-narrow it. Verification remains deliberately rescoped; an upstream
  sync must not restore screenshot-everything or broad browser-automation steps.
metadata:
  internal: true
---

# Frontend Design

This skill guides creation of distinctive, production-grade frontend interfaces. Implement real working code with strong product judgment, excellent accessibility, and a clear visual point of view.

The user may ask for a component, page, full app, dashboard, marketing surface, or restyle. Before coding, understand the audience and pick a direction that fits the product instead of defaulting to generic SaaS polish.

## Design Thinking

Before coding, decide:

- **Purpose**: What workflow does this surface make easier? What does the user
  need to understand, decide, or do next?
- **Audience**: Who will use it repeatedly, and what should feel fast, calm, playful, premium, editorial, technical, or utilitarian?
- **Tone**: Choose a concrete aesthetic direction: refined minimal, dense operations console, editorial, playful, industrial, warm handmade, high-contrast data tool, etc.
- **Information hierarchy**: What must be visible to orient and act, and what
  can wait until context or intent makes it relevant?
- **Differentiation**: What makes this feel designed for this exact domain?

Then implement working code that is cohesive, accessible, responsive, and polished in small details: typography, spacing, motion, empty states, loading states, focus states, and error states. Polish means removing copy, not writing more of it.

## Visual Direction Contract

Before styling a new app or workspace surface, define its product mode,
audience, visual world, palette family, type treatment, composition, shape
language, and anti-references in `DESIGN.md`. Read
`references/visual-direction.md` for the direction families and review
vocabulary. This is the Impeccable-inspired design contract for Agent-Native
apps: understand the product, name the mode, deal a few coherent directions,
commit to one, and audit the result instead of averaging back to a starter.

Preserve an existing brand system and component library. When no brand exists,
choose a deliberate direction based on the domain and compare sibling apps
before selecting its accent family. Shared behavior and semantic token names
should stay consistent; palette, density, composition, type contrast, and
shape language should not be identical by default.

## Default Surface Density

This is the most repeated correction in this repo, tracked as `text-heavy-ui` in
`node scripts/agent-friction-report.mjs`. Every item below has been asked for by
name more than once, usually right after a previous surface was corrected for the
same thing. So treat the list as the default shape you apply, not a tradeoff you
weigh per surface. If the user wants one of these, they will ask.

Density comes from data, not from prose. Linear, Vercel, and ChatGPT/Codex are
dense — with rows, values, and state, and almost no explanatory sentences. That
is the target: a surface full of information and nearly empty of narration. So
"make it minimal" is never satisfied by removing data or by burying it behind
extra clicks, and never blocked by deleting a sentence.

Keep on-screen text and badging minimal: show the shortest label needed for the
next action, remove decorative or duplicate status chips, and put context in a
tooltip or progressive disclosure when it is not needed to decide.

Do not add, unless asked:

- A page title that repeats the nav item or route the user just clicked, or a
  breadcrumb on a page that already has a back arrow.
- A description, subtitle, tagline, or eyebrow under any title — page, card,
  panel, tab, dialog, settings group, or list row. A surface gets a title or a
  description, never both.
- A count, stat, or summary strip over content already on screen: "11 apps",
  "25 results", "0 signals · 0 decisions · 0 runs".
- An About, help, or "what this does" section in settings.
- Helper text under each option in a chooser. The option label carries it.
- A placeholder that restates its own label.

The explanation goes in a tooltip, a `Manage` popover, a menu, or nowhere.
Settings use one shape: a compact row with the label and its current state, one
action on the right, and `Manage` revealing the form once something is
configured. Do not spell every input out on the default surface.

**Chrome is not content.** These rules govern strings you write into JSX. A
`description` the user typed and the app stored is data — render it, and render
nothing when it is empty. Never add a `|| "No description yet."` fallback; an
empty field is empty, not an opening to explain the feature.

### The Shape That Got Approved

A multi-step connect flow the user accepted on 2026-08-12, after rejecting a
dense dialog of the same content as "HORRIBLE ... overwhelming":

- Full-screen takeover rather than a crowded modal. Generous empty space is fine.
- One question per step as the heading ("Who should use this?"), at most one
  short line under it, and nothing under the options.
- Choices are single-line rows — icon plus label — with the common one
  preselected, so the happy path is one click.
- "Step 2 of 2" and a thin progress bar instead of every field at once.
- Advanced and rare detail behind a labeled collapsed row ("Advanced details",
  "App grants"): label only, no preview of the contents.
- Current state shown rather than explained: "Dispatch can reuse this account".
- Quiet Cancel on the left, primary action on the right.

Use that same treatment for sibling flows. When the user points at another
surface — "like forms", "like the integrations grid" — copy that surface's
structure instead of inventing a second language for the same job.
`templates/forms/` is the reference implementation: no page title, no
breadcrumbs, no eyebrows, no card descriptions, and row subtext only where it
renders a user-authored field.

Before shipping, verify collapsed, expanded, loading, empty, error, and
narrow-width states. The default state fails review when its first viewport
carries explanatory paragraphs, several unrelated forms, or controls for another
task. `guard:no-default-chrome` checks the structural half of this on lines your
branch adds; it cannot see a sentence you wrote, so the list above is still
yours to apply.

## Aesthetic Guidelines

- **Typography**: Use the product's existing type system first. For SaaS and
  operational apps, make a clear sans-serif hierarchy the default; reserve a
  serif or editorial face for a deliberate content preview or brand moment,
  not the whole application shell.
- **Color and theme**: Use semantic tokens and CSS variables. Avoid one-note palettes, default warm beige/terracotta, and default purple/blue gradients unless the brand demands them. New apps should choose a product-fitting accent family rather than inherit the previous app's color.
- **Motion**: Prefer purposeful transitions and small state changes. Use CSS transitions/keyframes unless the app already uses a motion library. Never `transition-all` — list the properties that actually change (e.g. `transition-[opacity,transform]`). Use the shared easing tokens defined in `packages/core/src/styles/agent-native.css` instead of hand-typing curves: `var(--ease-drawer)` (260ms, drawers/app chrome), `var(--ease-collapse)` (200ms, expand/collapse), `var(--ease-out-strong)` (snappy entrances) — in Tailwind, `ease-[var(--ease-collapse)]`. Enter/exit with ease-out, never `ease-in`. Overlays that zoom in must set the Radix origin var (e.g. `origin-[--radix-popover-content-transform-origin]`). Animate `transform`/`opacity`, not width/height/padding/box-shadow. Gate looping or large-movement animations with `motion-reduce:`. Command palettes and keyboard-triggered actions get no animation.
- **Composition**: Match the workflow. Operational apps should be dense and scannable; marketing or portfolio pages can be more immersive.
- **Visual assets**: Websites, games, and object-focused pages need real or generated media when images help users understand the subject.
- **Responsive fit**: Text must not overflow buttons, cards, tabs, sidebars, or fixed-format tools. Use stable dimensions for boards, grids, toolbars, and counters.

**Beat convergence, not just defaults.** You sample toward the "on-distribution" center, so naming what to avoid is not enough: every "don't" needs a "do", or you converge on the next safe option. Commit to one named direction, pair any reference with the reason it fits, and match implementation effort to the vision. If the brief is open, consider two or three coherent visual worlds, then commit to one instead of averaging them. When building on an existing app, inspect its tokens/type/components first and treat any drift back to a default as a missing token to pin, not something to re-prompt.

## Agent-Native UI Rules

- Agent-Native apps use React and Vite. The default adapter uses Tailwind CSS,
  shadcn/ui, and `@tabler/icons-react`, but an app may register a different
  company design system in `app/design-system.ts`.
- **Use the app's design-system seam for standard UI.** Inspect
  `app/design-system.ts`, `ToolkitProvider`, and the local UI adapter directory
  before choosing a primitive. Use shadcn primitives when they are the active
  adapter; use the registered company components when they are not.
- **When touching shadcn/ui components, also read `shadcn-ui` if it exists.** That skill covers `components.json`, CLI docs, component composition, theming, and registry workflows.
- Check `app/components/ui/` before importing a shadcn component. If a primitive is missing, add it from the app root with `pnpm dlx shadcn@latest add <component>`, then review the generated file.
- Pages, routes, and domain components must import controls through the app's
  local adapter path, usually `@/components/ui/*`. Never import
  `@agent-native/toolkit/ui/*` directly in app product code.
- Toolkit/Core feature presentation flows through the semantic components from
  `@agent-native/toolkit/design-system`. Their props express intent, emphasis,
  size, controlled values, and behavior; they do not require Tailwind, CVA, or
  `className`.
- For deeper feature customization, consume the feature-level headless
  controller through its product render slot. The same controller must power
  the default and custom views. Eject the smallest supported unit only after
  tokens, semantic components, controllers, and slots are insufficient.
- Do not build custom dropdowns, menus, popovers, modals, or confirmations with manual absolute positioning and click-outside effects.
- Never use browser dialogs (`window.alert`, `window.confirm`, `window.prompt`). Use `AlertDialog`, `Dialog`, or app-specific confirmation UI.
- Use Tabler icons for all first-party UI icons. Do not add Lucide, Heroicons, inline SVG icon sets, or emoji icons.
- Never guess a Tabler icon name. Names like `IconPartyPopper` or `IconConfettiCannon` feel
  plausible but don't exist and crash Vite with a "Named export not found" error. Before importing
  an icon you haven't used elsewhere in this app, confirm it exists by grepping
  `node_modules/@tabler/icons-react/dist/tabler-icons-react.d.ts` (or the package's icon list)
  for the exact name, and pick the closest real match if your first guess isn't there.
- Keep inline help/info glyphs next to labels at `size-3` (12px) or smaller than the adjacent text. Preserve a larger hit area on the trigger, not the glyph. Use `guard:allow-large-help-icon` only for deliberate heading documentation or menu action exceptions.
- Use `useActionQuery` and `useActionMutation` from `@agent-native/core/client` for action-backed UI. Standard CRUD should go through actions, not custom `/api/` routes.
- Keep UI optimistic where possible: update cache and navigation immediately, then reconcile or roll back on mutation result.
- Custom styles belong in Tailwind classes, component CSS, or the existing global CSS theme file; avoid inline styles.

### Agent Surface And Page Boundaries

- Treat the domain UI and the agent as two coordinated surfaces. The domain
  page should make the repeatable job fast; the agent should handle judgment,
  exploration, and actions that benefit from conversation.
- Keep domain work on a named domain route such as `/automations`, `/block`, or
  `/workflow`. Preserve the starter's full-page chat route (`/` or `/chat/*`)
  when it exists; do not replace it with a domain form while leaving the shell
  configured as if it were chat.
- Use the persistent right `AgentSidebar` for contextual AI. A button that
  sends work to `sendToAgentChat` must open or focus that sidebar and leave the
  user on the current domain surface. Use full-page chat for chat-first work,
  not as a hidden transport for a domain button.
- Keep the left navigation domain-specific. A page called Automations,
  Block time, or Create deck should not be nested under a generic Chat item;
  Chat is its own destination and the right rail is the contextual assistant.
- Never use sparkle, wand, magic, robot, or similar decorative AI icons. Use a
  familiar message, assistant, or neutral action icon, and let the button copy
  explain the intent. An icon-only control needs a tooltip and accessible name.
- Give the persistent agent drawer a quiet but intentional boundary: a subtle
  surface shift, divider, or both. The sidebar and domain page should not read
  as one undifferentiated slab, and the treatment should remain calm when the
  drawer opens or closes.
- Treat an AI-labeled button as a contract. Buttons named Ask agent, Review
  with agent, Refine, Generate with AI, or similar must call
  `sendToAgentChat` with bounded context, `openSidebar: true`, and the intended
  `submit` mode. A deterministic local action is useful, but label it local,
  preview, or analyze rather than implying it invoked an agent.

### Product Surface Review

Before shipping a new app or a substantial redesign, review the surface as an
operator would use it repeatedly:

- Count the sentences in the first viewport. If any of them explains the UI
  rather than reporting state, delete it. "Could a user identify where they are?"
  is a question every surface passes; a sentence count is not.
- Remove competing or redundant elements, then place optional inputs, provider
  choices, diagnostics, long explanations, and secondary actions where they
  remain discoverable without crowding the current task.
- Match the composition to the workflow. Use a focused page or step flow when
  the work is sequential; use an overview when comparing or monitoring several
  things is genuinely the job. Preserve the user's progress in either case.
- Remove generic hero copy, feature tours, repeated helper text, nested cards,
  status-chip soup, and decorative AI treatment before adding more styling.
- For review flows, choose stacking, side-by-side comparison, or another
  composition based on content length, scanability, and the user's comparison
  task.
- Compare the result with sibling apps. Shared toolkit behavior should feel
  consistent, but a repeated palette, hero composition, type pairing, and
  radius language without a product reason is visual drift, not consistency.
- Check the result with realistic content at the target desktop width and a
  narrow width. If it feels like documentation instead of a tool, subtract until
  it does not — restyling it is not the fix.

## shadcn/ui Design Rules

- Use built-in component variants first (`variant`, `size`) before overriding classes.
- Use semantic tokens (`bg-background`, `text-muted-foreground`, `border-border`, `bg-primary`) instead of raw Tailwind colors for app chrome and reusable components.
- Use `gap-*` in flex/grid layouts instead of `space-x-*` or `space-y-*`.
- Use `size-*` when width and height are equal, and `truncate` instead of spelling out overflow/ellipsis/nowrap.
- Use `cn()` from the local utils alias for conditional classes.
- Dialog, Sheet, Drawer, and AlertDialog content must have an accessible title. Use `sr-only` only when the visible design already communicates the title.
- Put menu/list items inside their group primitives: `SelectGroup`, `DropdownMenuGroup`, `CommandGroup`, and equivalents.
- Compose cards from `CardHeader`, `CardTitle`, `CardContent`, and `CardFooter`. Do not add `CardDescription`, and do not hand-roll a muted `<p>` under a `CardTitle` — a card gets a title or a description, never both.
- Use `ToggleGroup` for small option sets, `Switch` for binary settings, `Checkbox` for multi-select, `RadioGroup` for one-of-many, and `Slider`/inputs for numeric values.
- For forms, prefer the app's existing shadcn form pattern. If newer `Field`, `FieldGroup`, or `InputGroup` primitives are installed or appropriate to add, use them instead of raw layout divs.
- Page and section data loading uses layout-matching `Skeleton` geometry. Do
  not show generic "Loading..." text for content loads; reserve `Spinner` for
  brief mutations, uploads, and progress actions. Use the app's existing
  loading primitive when it is a genuine design-system adapter. Empty states
  should communicate the state and offer the appropriate next step or small set
  of choices.

## Anti-Patterns

Avoid patterns that add visual noise, obscure state, or compete with the user's
task without a clear product reason:

- Generic AI aesthetics: purple gradients, glassy cards everywhere, vague sparkle language, decorative blobs, and context-free hero sections.
- Custom reimplementations of shadcn primitives.
- Raw color overrides on shared components when semantic tokens or variants would work.
- New always-visible controls for rare actions when a contextual surface would
  preserve discoverability and reduce noise.
- Full-width banners, persistent helper rows, decorative cards, or explanatory
  chrome for status that could be communicated more clearly with less weight.
- Dropping a label, focus state, hit target, accessible name, or recovery path in
  the name of minimalism. Defer complexity freely; never defer the ability to
  operate the control.
- UI cards nested inside other cards.
- Text or icons that resize or shift fixed-format UI on hover/loading.

## Verification

Match verification effort to the size of the change. For one component, one
form, one page, or a restyle, run the app's existing checks — formatter,
`pnpm typecheck`, existing tests — and stop there.

Escalate to browser verification only when the user asks for it, or when the
change is a multi-step user-visible flow that cannot be confirmed any other
way. Never author a new Playwright/Puppeteer script, add a browser-automation
dependency, or stand up an e2e harness to check work the user did not ask you
to test that way; use an available browser tool, or say what you could not
verify.

For substantial frontend work:

1. Run the relevant formatter/checks.
2. Start the dev server when the app needs one.
3. Verify with the available browser tooling at desktop and mobile widths.
4. Check interactive states: hover, focus, loading, empty, error, and destructive confirmations.
5. When registering or changing a company adapter, run
   `@agent-native/toolkit/conformance`, including mixed-overlay focus,
   `portalContainer`, and z-index stacking checks.
6. For a new app or a visual redesign, review `DESIGN.md` against the rendered
   surface and run the anti-slop audit in `references/visual-direction.md`.

## Related Skills

- **shadcn-ui** — shadcn CLI, component docs, composition rules, theming, and registries
- **customizing-agent-native** — Design-system registration, feature controllers, product slots, conformance, and ejection
- **self-modifying-code** — The agent can edit source code to apply design changes
- **storing-data** — All data lives in SQL; use actions for data access
- **actions** — `useActionQuery`/`useActionMutation` hooks for frontend data fetching