Hot Skills

# Taste Skill

<img src="../../assets/badges/hot-skill.svg" alt="Hot Skill" height="28" />

![Frontend Design](https://img.shields.io/badge/Frontend%20Design-3B82F6?style=for-the-badge)
![Anti Slop](https://img.shields.io/badge/Anti%20Slop-F97316?style=for-the-badge)
![Agent Skill](https://img.shields.io/badge/Agent%20Skill-8B5CF6?style=for-the-badge)
![UI Taste](https://img.shields.io/badge/UI%20Taste-10B981?style=for-the-badge)

## Tags

`hot-skill` `frontend-design` `anti-slop` `ui-ux` `design-taste` `claude-code` `codex` `cursor` `ai-agents` `image-to-code` `redesign` `motion` `typography` `layout`

## What it is

Taste Skill is a portable AI agent skill system for improving AI-built frontend interfaces.

It helps coding agents avoid generic UI output by giving them stronger rules for layout, typography, motion, spacing, visual hierarchy, and design direction.

Official repo:
[https://github.com/Leonxlnx/taste-skill](https://github.com/Leonxlnx/taste-skill)

## Why it is a Hot Skill

Taste Skill is a Hot Skill because it solves a problem that shows up in almost every vibe-coded frontend project:

The app works, but the interface looks generic.

Most coding agents can create a page, but they often default to safe, centered, predictable, template-looking layouts. Taste Skill gives the agent sharper visual judgment and pushes it toward more intentional design choices.

It is especially useful when the goal is not only to ship a working interface, but to make the UI look like someone with taste reviewed it.

## Best use cases

### 1. Improving AI-generated frontend

Use it when the first UI version works technically but looks boring, generic, or unfinished.

### 2. Building landing pages

Good for SaaS pages, product pages, agency pages, creator tools, waitlists, and launch pages.

### 3. Redesigning existing projects

Use the redesign skill when you already have a project and want the agent to audit the UI before changing it.

### 4. Image-to-code workflows

Useful when you want to generate visual references first, analyze them, then implement the frontend.

### 5. Design direction control

Helpful when you want a specific visual direction such as soft premium UI, minimalist editorial UI, or industrial brutalist UI.

### 6. Preventing half-finished outputs

The output enforcement skill is useful when the agent keeps shipping placeholders, partial code, or unfinished sections.

## How it helps in real work

* Reduces generic AI-looking UI
* Improves spacing, hierarchy, typography, and layout
* Adds stronger frontend design constraints to the agent
* Helps the agent infer a design language from the brief
* Supports different visual directions
* Works well for greenfield builds and redesigns
* Can support image generation reference workflows
* Gives the agent a better pre-flight check before delivery
* Helps turn a functional UI into a more presentable product interface

## Main skills included

| Skill            | Install name                 | Best for                                              |
| ---------------- | ---------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------- |
| Taste Skill      | `design-taste-frontend`      | General frontend taste and anti-slop defaults         |
| Taste Skill v1   | `design-taste-frontend-v1`   | Older behavior for projects that depend on v1         |
| GPT Taste        | `gpt-taste`                  | Stricter GPT/Codex-oriented frontend rules            |
| Image to Code    | `image-to-code`              | Generate references, analyze them, then implement     |
| Redesign Skill   | `redesign-existing-projects` | Auditing and improving existing projects              |
| Soft Skill       | `high-end-visual-design`     | Calm, polished, expensive-looking UI                  |
| Output Skill     | `full-output-enforcement`    | Preventing partial or placeholder-heavy output        |
| Minimalist Skill | `minimalist-ui`              | Restrained editorial product UI                       |
| Brutalist Skill  | `industrial-brutalist-ui`    | Sharp, mechanical, experimental UI                    |
| Stitch Skill     | `stitch-design-taste`        | Google Stitch-compatible design rules                 |
| Imagegen Web     | `imagegen-frontend-web`      | Website composition images and references             |
| Imagegen Mobile  | `imagegen-frontend-mobile`   | Mobile screen and flow references                     |
| Brandkit         | `brandkit`                   | Brand-kit boards, palettes, type, identity directions |

## Good fit for

* Vibe-coded frontend apps
* Landing pages
* SaaS products
* Internal dashboards that need better UI
* Product MVPs that need stronger presentation
* Claude Code users
* Cursor users
* Codex users
* Builders who care about visual polish
* People who keep getting boring AI-generated screens

## Not a good fit for

* Backend-only tasks
* CLI-only projects
* Tiny one-line UI fixes
* Projects with strict existing design systems that must not change
* Final brand approval without a human designer
* Cases where speed matters more than interface quality

## Installation prompt

Copy this prompt and give it to your coding agent:

```txt
I want you to install and configure Taste Skill for my current AI coding setup.

Official repo:
https://github.com/Leonxlnx/taste-skill

Your task:
1. Detect which AI coding environment I am using.
2. Read the official Taste Skill README.
3. Install the right skill using `npx skills add`.
4. Start with the default skill `design-taste-frontend` unless my task requires a more specific variant.
5. If this is a redesign task, consider `redesign-existing-projects`.
6. If this is an image-to-code workflow, consider `image-to-code`.
7. If the agent keeps giving partial output, consider `full-output-enforcement`.
8. Do not install every skill blindly.
9. Do not make unrelated changes to my project.
10. Verify where the skill was installed and explain how to use it.

After installation, give me:
- What was installed
- Which command was used
- Which skill variant was selected
- Why this variant fits my project
- How to trigger or reference it in future prompts
- How to update it later
- Any limitations I should know
```

## Quick install reference

```bash
# Install all skills from the repo
npx skills add https://github.com/Leonxlnx/taste-skill

# Install the default frontend taste skill
npx skills add https://github.com/Leonxlnx/taste-skill --skill "design-taste-frontend"

# Install the stricter GPT/Codex-oriented variant
npx skills add https://github.com/Leonxlnx/taste-skill --skill "gpt-taste"

# Install the image-to-code workflow skill
npx skills add https://github.com/Leonxlnx/taste-skill --skill "image-to-code"

# Install the redesign skill
npx skills add https://github.com/Leonxlnx/taste-skill --skill "redesign-existing-projects"

# Install the full output enforcement skill
npx skills add https://github.com/Leonxlnx/taste-skill --skill "full-output-enforcement"
```

## Usage prompt after installation

```txt
Use Taste Skill for this frontend task.

Before writing code:
1. Read the brief and infer the right design language.
2. Avoid generic AI UI patterns.
3. Improve layout, spacing, typography, visual hierarchy, and motion.
4. Explain the chosen visual direction briefly.
5. Build the UI with a stronger design system.
6. Run a final anti-slop UI review before saying it is done.

Task:
[describe your frontend task here]
```

## Redesign prompt

```txt
Use the Taste Skill redesign workflow.

Audit this existing UI before changing code.

Check:
1. Layout structure
2. Spacing rhythm
3. Typography hierarchy
4. Color usage
5. Component consistency
6. Motion quality
7. Responsive behavior
8. Generic AI-looking patterns
9. Accessibility basics
10. What should stay and what should change

After the audit, propose a focused redesign plan.
Then implement the smallest set of changes that makes the UI feel more intentional.
```

## Image-to-code prompt

```txt
Use the Taste Skill image-to-code workflow.

Pipeline:
1. Generate or select strong visual references.
2. Analyze the references for layout, typography, spacing, colors, motion, and component patterns.
3. Translate the best ideas into implementation.
4. Do not copy blindly.
5. Build a coherent UI that matches the intended direction.

Task:
[describe the screen or page]
```

## Quality checklist

Before marking the UI complete, the agent should confirm:

- [ ] The design direction fits the product
- [ ] The layout is not generic
- [ ] Typography has clear hierarchy
- [ ] Spacing feels intentional
- [ ] Components are visually consistent
- [ ] The page has a clear focal point
- [ ] Responsive behavior is checked
- [ ] Motion is useful, not decorative noise
- [ ] Empty states and edge states are considered where relevant
- [ ] No placeholder-heavy or half-finished output remains

## Notes

- **Design Judgment Layer**: Taste Skill is a design judgment layer for agents, not a complete replacement for a professional designer.
- **Selective Installation**: Do not install every skill variant blindly. Choose the specific variant (e.g. `design-taste-frontend`, `redesign-existing-projects`, `image-to-code`, or `full-output-enforcement`) based on the project's frontend tasks.
- **Frontend Target**: This skill is strongest for tasks with a visual interface. It is not suitable for backend-only or CLI-only projects.
- **Visual Reference Control**: Use image generation mobile/web screens as guidance but customize components to fit your UI framework instead of copying generated layouts.

## Links

* GitHub: [https://github.com/Leonxlnx/taste-skill](https://github.com/Leonxlnx/taste-skill)
* Website: [https://tasteskill.dev](https://tasteskill.dev)

---

## Special Thanks

Special thanks to [@Leonxlnx](https://github.com/Leonxlnx) for creating and maintaining the amazing [Taste Skill](https://github.com/Leonxlnx) repository! Your contribution significantly enhances the vibe coding ecosystem. 🌟