design-from-code

# design-from-code — design mockups grounded in real source > One line: **lock facts with code → agree via HTML → nail it in a `.md` → ship by delegating.** > The key difference: mockups are not *imagined*. They are reproduced down to the pixel and the number by **reading the real component JSX and data queries.** ## When to use - Designing a change that **adds or modifies something** in an existing screen/component (e.g. "add a metrics card to the bottom bar") - **UI re-layout / emphasis** requests like "it's hard to see / I want it shown like this" - Exposing data (numbers, stats) on screen when you need to **pin down exactly what each number counts** - When the user says "mockup first / show me in HTML" ## When NOT to use - Pure backend/CLI work, changes with no UI - A simple, already-agreed bug fix (no mockup needed) ## Core principles (these override every other decision) 1. **No guessing — read the code.** "How does this stat work?" is wrong ~100% of the time if you imagine it. Trace handler→query→schema all the way down, confirm it as *fact*, then design. → `references/data-model-verification.md` 2. **Reproduce the real component faithfully.** Before any new mockup, draw the **current state (AS-IS) exactly as the real JSX renders it**. Schematic drawings cause misunderstandings. → `references/code-fidelity-reproduction.md` (★ the heart of this skill) 3. **Pictures over prose.** Iterate with self-contained HTML you can see and fix. Bump the version (v2, v3…) on every round of feedback. → `references/html-mockup-recipe.md` 4. **Confirm one decision at a time.** "A vs B?" → "7-day window?" → "monotone color?" — ask narrowly. 5. **Mark keep / new / changed.** When "leave the rest as-is" is a requirement, use 🟦keep / 🟩new / 🟨changed color tags to show what you are *not* touching. 6. **Empty / initial state is first-class.** Always design the data-zero (new user) screen alongside the populated one. 7. **Delegate the build, but verification is mandatory.** Close it out with build / type-check / tests. ## The 8-step workflow | # | Step | Key tools | Detail | |---|------|-----------|--------| | 1 | Read the issue verbatim | `Bash` + `gh issue view` | Don't open GitHub via WebFetch (auth fails) | | 2 | Map the code | `Agent(Explore)` ×N | Get just the conclusions for related components/hooks/schema | | 3 | **Verify the data** | `Bash` (grep/sed) + Explore | handler→use-case→repository→schema. `references/data-model-verification.md` | | 4 | HTML mockup v1 | `Write` (.html) + `SendUserFile` | Phone frame, 2–3 options, per-state, inline SVG. `references/html-mockup-recipe.md` | | 5 | User confirmation | reply / `AskUserQuestion` | Confirm one at a time; v2, v3 per feedback | | 6 | **Faithful AS-IS/TO-BE** | `Bash` (read JSX with sed) + `Write` | Extract real render fns/classes/labels → HTML. `references/code-fidelity-reproduction.md` | | 7 | Design doc `.md` | `Write` | Approved mockup + verified data model + build entry points + phases | | 8 | Delegate + verify | `Agent` (language expert) + direct | Delegate with the contract & verify commands baked in; close with build/tests | ## Reference files - `references/code-fidelity-reproduction.md` — **★ concrete technique for reading the real component with sed and reproducing it 1:1 in HTML** (worked `renderSeg` example) - `references/data-model-verification.md` — how to trace the data model all the way down (events-table username-attribution example) - `references/html-mockup-recipe.md` — recipe for self-contained HTML (phone frame, inline-SVG charts, design tokens, empty state) - `references/prompt-templates.md` — copy-paste prompts for each step - `examples/issue-976-walkthrough.md` — the full flow of a real case (v1→v5, including the point where the user corrected "top/bottom is reversed") ## Common mistakes (checklist) - [ ] Wrote data behavior from a **guess** → did you confirm it in code? - [ ] Mockup is **schematic** so it differs from reality → did you read the real JSX and reproduce classes & labels? - [ ] Asked several decisions at once and caused confusion → did you confirm one at a time? - [ ] "Keep existing" was the requirement but it's unclear what stays untouched → did you add keep/new/changed tags? - [ ] Forgot the empty / initial state (data-zero) → did you include the empty-state design? - [ ] Pulled in a chart library for the graph → did you use inline SVG instead? - [ ] Skipped build/type-check after implementing → did you close it out with verification commands?