UI/UX Design

UI/UX Pro Max - Design Intelligence

Comprehensive design guide for web and mobile applications. Contains 50+ styles, 161 color palettes, 57 font pairings, 161 product types with reasoning rules, 99 UX guidelines, and 25 chart types across 10 technology stacks. Searchable database with priority-based recommendations.

When to Apply

This Skill should be used when the task involves UI structure, visual design decisions, interaction patterns, or user experience quality control.

Must Use

This Skill must be invoked in the following situations:

This Skill is recommended in the following situations:

Skip

This Skill is not needed in the following situations:

Decision criteria: If the task will change how a feature looks, feels, moves, or is interacted with, this Skill should be used.

Rule Categories by Priority

For human/AI reference: follow priority 1→10 to decide which rule category to focus on first; use --domain <Domain> to query details when needed. Scripts do not read this table.

Priority Category Impact Domain Key Checks (Must Have) Anti-Patterns (Avoid)
1 Accessibility CRITICAL ux Contrast 4.5:1, Alt text, Keyboard nav, Aria-labels Removing focus rings, Icon-only buttons without labels
2 Touch & Interaction CRITICAL ux Min size 44×44px, 8px+ spacing, Loading feedback Reliance on hover only, Instant state changes (0ms)
3 Performance HIGH ux WebP/AVIF, Lazy loading, Reserve space (CLS < 0.1) Layout thrashing, Cumulative Layout Shift
4 Style Selection HIGH style, product Match product type, Consistency, SVG icons (no emoji) Mixing flat & skeuomorphic randomly, Emoji as icons
5 Layout & Responsive HIGH ux Mobile-first breakpoints, Viewport meta, No horizontal scroll Horizontal scroll, Fixed px container widths, Disable zoom
6 Typography & Color MEDIUM typography, color Base 16px, Line-height 1.5, Semantic color tokens Text < 12px body, Gray-on-gray, Raw hex in components
7 Animation MEDIUM ux Duration 150–300ms, Motion conveys meaning, Spatial continuity Decorative-only animation, Animating width/height, No reduced-motion
8 Forms & Feedback MEDIUM ux Visible labels, Error near field, Helper text, Progressive disclosure Placeholder-only label, Errors only at top, Overwhelm upfront
9 Navigation Patterns HIGH ux Predictable back, Bottom nav ≤5, Deep linking Overloaded nav, Broken back behavior, No deep links
10 Charts & Data LOW chart Legends, Tooltips, Accessible colors Relying on color alone to convey meaning

Quick Reference

1. Accessibility (CRITICAL)

2. Touch & Interaction (CRITICAL)

3. Performance (HIGH)

4. Style Selection (HIGH)

5. Layout & Responsive (HIGH)

6. Typography & Color (MEDIUM)

7. Animation (MEDIUM)

8. Forms & Feedback (MEDIUM)

9. Navigation Patterns (HIGH)

10. Charts & Data (LOW)

How to Use

Search specific domains using the CLI tool below.


Prerequisites

Check if Python is installed:

python3 --version || python --version

If Python is not installed, install it based on user’s OS:

macOS:

brew install python3

Ubuntu/Debian:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install python3

Windows:

winget install Python.Python.3.12

How to Use This Skill

Use this skill when the user requests any of the following:

Scenario Trigger Examples Start From
New project / page “Build a landing page”, “Build a dashboard” Step 1 → Step 2 (design system)
New component “Create a pricing card”, “Add a modal” Step 3 (domain search: style, ux)
Choose style / color / font “What style fits a fintech app?”, “Recommend a color palette” Step 2 (design system)
Review existing UI “Review this page for UX issues”, “Check accessibility” Quick Reference checklist above
Fix a UI bug “Button hover is broken”, “Layout shifts on load” Quick Reference → relevant section
Improve / optimize “Make this faster”, “Improve mobile experience” Step 3 (domain search: ux, react)
Implement dark mode “Add dark mode support” Step 3 (domain: style “dark mode”)
Add charts / data viz “Add an analytics dashboard chart” Step 3 (domain: chart)
Stack best practices “React performance tips”、“SwiftUI navigation” Step 4 (stack search)

Follow this workflow:

Step 1: Analyze User Requirements

Extract key information from user request:

Step 2: Generate Design System (REQUIRED)

Always start with --design-system to get comprehensive recommendations with reasoning:

python3 skills/ui-ux-pro-max/scripts/search.py "<product_type> <industry> <keywords>" --design-system [-p "Project Name"]

This command:

  1. Searches domains in parallel (product, style, color, landing, typography)
  2. Applies reasoning rules from ui-reasoning.csv to select best matches
  3. Returns complete design system: pattern, style, colors, typography, effects
  4. Includes anti-patterns to avoid

Example:

python3 skills/ui-ux-pro-max/scripts/search.py "beauty spa wellness service" --design-system -p "Serenity Spa"

Step 2b: Persist Design System (Master + Overrides Pattern)

To save the design system for hierarchical retrieval across sessions, add --persist:

python3 skills/ui-ux-pro-max/scripts/search.py "<query>" --design-system --persist -p "Project Name"

This creates:

With page-specific override:

python3 skills/ui-ux-pro-max/scripts/search.py "<query>" --design-system --persist -p "Project Name" --page "dashboard"

This also creates:

How hierarchical retrieval works:

  1. When building a specific page (e.g., “Checkout”), first check design-system/pages/checkout.md
  2. If the page file exists, its rules override the Master file
  3. If not, use design-system/MASTER.md exclusively

Context-aware retrieval prompt:

I am building the [Page Name] page. Please read design-system/MASTER.md.
Also check if design-system/pages/[page-name].md exists.
If the page file exists, prioritize its rules.
If not, use the Master rules exclusively.
Now, generate the code...

Step 3: Supplement with Detailed Searches (as needed)

After getting the design system, use domain searches to get additional details:

python3 skills/ui-ux-pro-max/scripts/search.py "<keyword>" --domain <domain> [-n <max_results>]

When to use detailed searches:

Need Domain Example
Product type patterns product --domain product "entertainment social"
More style options style --domain style "glassmorphism dark"
Color palettes color --domain color "entertainment vibrant"
Font pairings typography --domain typography "playful modern"
Chart recommendations chart --domain chart "real-time dashboard"
UX best practices ux --domain ux "animation accessibility"
Alternative fonts typography --domain typography "elegant luxury"
Individual Google Fonts google-fonts --domain google-fonts "sans serif popular variable"
Landing structure landing --domain landing "hero social-proof"
React Native perf react --domain react "rerender memo list"
App interface a11y web --domain web "accessibilityLabel touch safe-areas"
AI prompt / CSS keywords prompt --domain prompt "minimalism"

Step 4: Stack Guidelines (React Native)

Get React Native implementation-specific best practices:

python3 skills/ui-ux-pro-max/scripts/search.py "<keyword>" --stack react-native

Search Reference

Available Domains

Domain Use For Example Keywords
product Product type recommendations SaaS, e-commerce, portfolio, healthcare, beauty, service
style UI styles, colors, effects glassmorphism, minimalism, dark mode, brutalism
typography Font pairings, Google Fonts elegant, playful, professional, modern
color Color palettes by product type saas, ecommerce, healthcare, beauty, fintech, service
landing Page structure, CTA strategies hero, hero-centric, testimonial, pricing, social-proof
chart Chart types, library recommendations trend, comparison, timeline, funnel, pie
ux Best practices, anti-patterns animation, accessibility, z-index, loading
google-fonts Individual Google Fonts lookup sans serif, monospace, japanese, variable font, popular
react React/Next.js performance waterfall, bundle, suspense, memo, rerender, cache
web App interface guidelines (iOS/Android/React Native) accessibilityLabel, touch targets, safe areas, Dynamic Type
prompt AI prompts, CSS keywords (style name)

Available Stacks

Stack Focus
react-native Components, Navigation, Lists

Example Workflow

User request: “Make an AI search homepage.”

Step 1: Analyze Requirements

Step 2: Generate Design System (REQUIRED)

python3 skills/ui-ux-pro-max/scripts/search.py "AI search tool modern minimal" --design-system -p "AI Search"

Output: Complete design system with pattern, style, colors, typography, effects, and anti-patterns.

Step 3: Supplement with Detailed Searches (as needed)

# Get style options for a modern tool product
python3 skills/ui-ux-pro-max/scripts/search.py "minimalism dark mode" --domain style

# Get UX best practices for search interaction and loading
python3 skills/ui-ux-pro-max/scripts/search.py "search loading animation" --domain ux

Step 4: Stack Guidelines

python3 skills/ui-ux-pro-max/scripts/search.py "list performance navigation" --stack react-native

Then: Synthesize design system + detailed searches and implement the design.


Output Formats

The --design-system flag supports two output formats:

# ASCII box (default) - best for terminal display
python3 skills/ui-ux-pro-max/scripts/search.py "fintech crypto" --design-system

# Markdown - best for documentation
python3 skills/ui-ux-pro-max/scripts/search.py "fintech crypto" --design-system -f markdown

Tips for Better Results

Query Strategy

Common Sticking Points

Problem What to Do
Can’t decide on style/color Re-run --design-system with different keywords
Dark mode contrast issues Quick Reference §6: color-dark-mode + color-accessible-pairs
Animations feel unnatural Quick Reference §7: spring-physics + easing + exit-faster-than-enter
Form UX is poor Quick Reference §8: inline-validation + error-clarity + focus-management
Navigation feels confusing Quick Reference §9: nav-hierarchy + bottom-nav-limit + back-behavior
Layout breaks on small screens Quick Reference §5: mobile-first + breakpoint-consistency
Performance / jank Quick Reference §3: virtualize-lists + main-thread-budget + debounce-throttle

Pre-Delivery Checklist


Common Rules for Professional UI

These are frequently overlooked issues that make UI look unprofessional: Scope notice: The rules below are for App UI (iOS/Android/React Native/Flutter), not desktop-web interaction patterns.

Icons & Visual Elements

Rule Standard Avoid Why It Matters
No Emoji as Structural Icons Use vector-based icons (e.g., Lucide, react-native-vector-icons, @expo/vector-icons). Using emojis (🎨 🚀 ⚙️) for navigation, settings, or system controls. Emojis are font-dependent, inconsistent across platforms, and cannot be controlled via design tokens.
Vector-Only Assets Use SVG or platform vector icons that scale cleanly and support theming. Raster PNG icons that blur or pixelate. Ensures scalability, crisp rendering, and dark/light mode adaptability.
Stable Interaction States Use color, opacity, or elevation transitions for press states without changing layout bounds. Layout-shifting transforms that move surrounding content or trigger visual jitter. Prevents unstable interactions and preserves smooth motion/perceived quality on mobile.
Correct Brand Logos Use official brand assets and follow their usage guidelines (spacing, color, clear space). Guessing logo paths, recoloring unofficially, or modifying proportions. Prevents brand misuse and ensures legal/platform compliance.
Consistent Icon Sizing Define icon sizes as design tokens (e.g., icon-sm, icon-md = 24pt, icon-lg). Mixing arbitrary values like 20pt / 24pt / 28pt randomly. Maintains rhythm and visual hierarchy across the interface.
Stroke Consistency Use a consistent stroke width within the same visual layer (e.g., 1.5px or 2px). Mixing thick and thin stroke styles arbitrarily. Inconsistent strokes reduce perceived polish and cohesion.
Filled vs Outline Discipline Use one icon style per hierarchy level. Mixing filled and outline icons at the same hierarchy level. Maintains semantic clarity and stylistic coherence.
Touch Target Minimum Minimum 44×44pt interactive area (use hitSlop if icon is smaller). Small icons without expanded tap area. Meets accessibility and platform usability standards.
Icon Alignment Align icons to text baseline and maintain consistent padding. Misaligned icons or inconsistent spacing around them. Prevents subtle visual imbalance that reduces perceived quality.
Icon Contrast Follow WCAG contrast standards: 4.5:1 for small elements, 3:1 minimum for larger UI glyphs. Low-contrast icons that blend into the background. Ensures accessibility in both light and dark modes.

Interaction (App)

Rule Do Don’t
Tap feedback Provide clear pressed feedback (ripple/opacity/elevation) within 80-150ms No visual response on tap
Animation timing Keep micro-interactions around 150-300ms with platform-native easing Instant transitions or slow animations (>500ms)
Accessibility focus Ensure screen reader focus order matches visual order and labels are descriptive Unlabeled controls or confusing focus traversal
Disabled state clarity Use disabled semantics (disabled/native disabled props), reduced emphasis, and no tap action Controls that look tappable but do nothing
Touch target minimum Keep tap areas >=44x44pt (iOS) or >=48x48dp (Android), expand hit area when icon is smaller Tiny tap targets or icon-only hit areas without padding
Gesture conflict prevention Keep one primary gesture per region and avoid nested tap/drag conflicts Overlapping gestures causing accidental actions
Semantic native controls Prefer native interactive primitives (Button, Pressable, platform equivalents) with proper accessibility roles Generic containers used as primary controls without semantics

Light/Dark Mode Contrast

Rule Do Don’t
Surface readability (light) Keep cards/surfaces clearly separated from background with sufficient opacity/elevation Overly transparent surfaces that blur hierarchy
Text contrast (light) Maintain body text contrast >=4.5:1 against light surfaces Low-contrast gray body text
Text contrast (dark) Maintain primary text contrast >=4.5:1 and secondary text >=3:1 on dark surfaces Dark mode text that blends into background
Border and divider visibility Ensure separators are visible in both themes (not just light mode) Theme-specific borders disappearing in one mode
State contrast parity Keep pressed/focused/disabled states equally distinguishable in light and dark themes Defining interaction states for one theme only
Token-driven theming Use semantic color tokens mapped per theme across app surfaces/text/icons Hardcoded per-screen hex values
Scrim and modal legibility Use a modal scrim strong enough to isolate foreground content (typically 40-60% black) Weak scrim that leaves background visually competing

Layout & Spacing

Rule Do Don’t
Safe-area compliance Respect top/bottom safe areas for all fixed headers, tab bars, and CTA bars Placing fixed UI under notch, status bar, or gesture area
System bar clearance Add spacing for status/navigation bars and gesture home indicator Let tappable content collide with OS chrome
Consistent content width Keep predictable content width per device class (phone/tablet) Mixing arbitrary widths between screens
8dp spacing rhythm Use a consistent 4/8dp spacing system for padding/gaps/section spacing Random spacing increments with no rhythm
Readable text measure Keep long-form text readable on large devices (avoid edge-to-edge paragraphs on tablets) Full-width long text that hurts readability
Section spacing hierarchy Define clear vertical rhythm tiers (e.g., 16/24/32/48) by hierarchy Similar UI levels with inconsistent spacing
Adaptive gutters by breakpoint Increase horizontal insets on larger widths and in landscape Same narrow gutter on all device sizes/orientations
Scroll and fixed element coexistence Add bottom/top content insets so lists are not hidden behind fixed bars Scroll content obscured by sticky headers/footers

Pre-Delivery Checklist

Before delivering UI code, verify these items: Scope notice: This checklist is for App UI (iOS/Android/React Native/Flutter).

Visual Quality

Interaction

Light/Dark Mode

Layout

Accessibility