| name | moai-design-craft |
| description | Intent-First design craft specialist covering design direction, domain vocabulary, design memory, and post-build critique. Use when establishing design intent or auditing code against design principles.
|
| license | Apache-2.0 |
| compatibility | Designed for Claude Code |
| allowed-tools | Read, Grep, Glob |
| user-invocable | false |
| metadata | {"version":"1.2.0","category":"domain","status":"active","updated":"2026-03-30","modularized":"true","tags":"design, craft, intent-first, design-direction, domain-exploration, design-memory, critique, web-copy, ux-writing, headline, cta","related-skills":"moai-domain-uiux, moai-design-tools, moai-domain-frontend"} |
| progressive_disclosure | {"enabled":true,"level1_tokens":100,"level2_tokens":4500} |
| triggers | {"keywords":["intent-first","design craft","design direction","design intent","domain exploration","design critique","craft review","design memory","design system","system.md","design audit","why before what","design extract","interface design","web copy","ux writing","headline","cta copy","landing page copy","anti-ai writing"],"agents":["expert-frontend","team-designer"],"phases":["plan","run","review"]} |
Design Craft Specialist
Intent-First design philosophy integrated into MoAI workflows. Ensures design decisions flow from intent and domain understanding, not from visual impulse.
Core Philosophy
Intent-First: Before any visual or component decision, establish why — the domain, the user, the interaction contract, and the craft principles that apply.
The three craft operations:
| Operation | When | What It Does |
|---|
| Design Direction | At /moai plan (design keywords) | Domain exploration, intent capture, vocabulary alignment |
| Design Audit | At /moai review --design | Checks implementation against .moai/design/system.md |
| Design Critique | At /moai review --critique | Post-build craft review: observe, diagnose, rebuild decision |
Module Index
modules/intent-first.md — Intent-First process: domain exploration, design direction, vocabulary
modules/design-memory.md — .moai/design/system.md read/write protocol
modules/critique-workflow.md — Post-build critique: observe → diagnose → rebuild, hard rules and rejection criteria
modules/web-copy-craft.md — Web copy guidelines: anti-AI writing, headline formulas, CTA patterns, body copy rhythm
Quick Reference
Design Direction (plan phase)
When manager-spec detects design-relevant keywords, trigger Design Direction:
- Read
.moai/design/system.md (if it exists) for established vocabulary and intent
- Explore domain: What is the user doing? What is the mental model? What does success feel like?
- Define design intent in 1–3 sentences
- Identify 3–5 domain vocabulary terms
- Write design direction to
.moai/design/system.md
Design Audit (review phase)
When /moai review --design is invoked:
- Read
.moai/design/system.md for current design system rules
- Scan UI components against the rules
- Report violations with file:line references
- Suggest minimal fixes preserving existing structure
Design Critique (review phase)
When /moai review --critique is invoked:
- Observe: What does the built interface actually do? (not what it was supposed to do)
- Diagnose: Where does the implementation drift from intent?
- Decide: Patch (small drift) or rebuild (fundamental misalignment)
Web Copy Craft (run phase)
When expert-frontend or team-designer generates web pages, apply copy craft rules:
- Use headline formulas: Number Anchor, Reversal, Direct Question, Empathy Hook, Declaration
- Vary sentence rhythm — never three consecutive sentences with the same structure
- Replace vague intensifiers with specific facts (numbers, names, dates)
- Eliminate AI filler phrases ("In today's fast-paced world", "Unlock the potential")
- CTA buttons: verb-first, outcome-oriented, one per viewport
Works Well With
moai-domain-uiux — Design tokens, WCAG, accessibility (complementary, not overlapping)
moai-design-tools — Figma/Pencil tool mechanics (complementary, not overlapping)
moai-domain-frontend — Component implementation patterns
Version: 1.2.0
Last Updated: 2026-03-30
Common Rationalizations
| Rationalization | Reality |
|---|
| "Design direction is just aesthetics, the code works the same" | Design intent drives user perception and brand consistency. Code without design direction produces generic, forgettable interfaces. |
| "I will figure out the design vocabulary during implementation" | Naming components without a design vocabulary produces inconsistent names. Establish vocabulary before building. |
| "Design memory is unnecessary, the design system is the reference" | Design systems define what to use. Design memory captures why decisions were made and what was rejected. |
| "Post-build critique is just a formality" | Critique reveals drift between intent and execution. Without it, the gap accumulates with each iteration. |
| "This is an internal tool, design does not matter" | Internal users have the same cognitive load as external users. Poor design increases training cost and error rates. |
Red Flags
- Implementation diverges from stated design direction without documented reason
- Component naming inconsistent with established design vocabulary
- Design decisions made without referencing design memory or prior decisions
- No post-build critique performed after major UI implementation
- Brand voice or visual identity not consulted before UI copy changes
Verification