| name | web-design-guidelines |
| description | Review UI code for Web Interface Guidelines compliance. Use when asked to "review my UI", "check accessibility", "audit design", "review UX", or "check my site against best practices". |
| metadata | {"author":"vercel","version":"1.0.0","argument-hint":"<file-or-pattern>"} |
| triggers | ["accessibility","a11y","UX review","UI review","design audit","WCAG","aria","web interface guidelines","semantic HTML","responsive design"] |
Web Interface Guidelines
Review files for compliance with Web Interface Guidelines. Provides inline fallback patterns for offline use and fetches the latest rules from the source URL when available.
Purpose
Ensure web interfaces meet accessibility, usability, and design quality standards. Covers semantic HTML, ARIA, responsive layout, color contrast, and keyboard navigation.
When to Apply
- User asks to "review my UI", "check accessibility", "audit design"
- Building new pages or components that need accessibility compliance
- Checking WCAG AA conformance
- Reviewing responsive layout and interaction patterns
Key Patterns (3 Inline Fallback Patterns)
Pattern 1: Semantic HTML + ARIA
Use semantic elements instead of generic <div> for accessibility and SEO. Add ARIA attributes only when native semantics are insufficient.
BAD — div-soup with click handler:
<div class="nav">
<div class="nav-item" onclick="navigate('/home')">Home</div>
<div class="nav-item" onclick="navigate('/about')">About</div>
</div>
<div class="content">
<div class="title">Page Title</div>
<div class="text">Content here...</div>
</div>
GOOD — semantic structure with proper elements:
<nav aria-label="Main navigation">
<ul role="list">
<li><a href="/home">Home</a></li>
<li><a href="/about">About</a></li>
</ul>
</nav>
<main>
<article>
<h1>Page Title</h1>
<p>Content here...</p>
</article>
</main>
Page Structure Template:
<body>
<header>
<nav aria-label="Primary">...</nav>
</header>
<main id="main-content">
<article>
<h1>...</h1>
<section aria-labelledby="section-heading">
<h2 id="section-heading">...</h2>
</section>
</article>
<aside aria-label="Related content">...</aside>
</main>
<footer>...</footer>
</body>
Pattern 2: Responsive Layout
Use CSS Grid + clamp() for fluid layouts that adapt without excessive media queries.
BAD — fixed pixel widths:
.container {
width: 1200px;
margin: 0 auto;
}
.card {
width: 380px;
height: 250px;
font-size: 16px;
}
@media (max-width: 768px) {
.container { width: 100%; }
.card { width: 100%; }
}
@media (max-width: 480px) {
.card { height: 200px; font-size: 14px; }
}
GOOD — fluid layout with CSS Grid + clamp():
.container {
width: min(90%, 1200px);
margin-inline: auto;
padding-inline: clamp(1rem, 3vw, 3rem);
}
.card-grid {
display: grid;
grid-template-columns: repeat(auto-fill, minmax(min(100%, 320px), 1fr));
gap: clamp(1rem, 2vw, 2rem);
}
.card {
font-size: clamp(0.875rem, 0.8rem + 0.4vw, 1.125rem);
}
Responsive Typography Scale:
:root {
--text-xs: clamp(0.75rem, 0.7rem + 0.25vw, 0.875rem);
--text-sm: clamp(0.875rem, 0.8rem + 0.35vw, 1rem);
--text-base: clamp(1rem, 0.9rem + 0.5vw, 1.125rem);
--text-lg: clamp(1.25rem, 1.1rem + 0.75vw, 1.5rem);
--text-xl: clamp(1.5rem, 1.2rem + 1.5vw, 2.25rem);
--text-2xl: clamp(2rem, 1.5rem + 2.5vw, 3rem);
}
Pattern 3: Color Contrast + Focus Indicators
Ensure WCAG AA compliance: 4.5:1 contrast ratio for normal text, 3:1 for large text. Never remove focus indicators.
BAD — invisible focus, low contrast:
*:focus {
outline: none;
}
.subtle-text {
color: #ccc;
background: #fff;
}
a {
color: inherit;
text-decoration: none;
}
GOOD — visible focus, proper contrast:
:focus-visible {
outline: 2px solid var(--color-focus, #2563eb);
outline-offset: 2px;
}
.skip-link {
position: absolute;
top: -100%;
left: 1rem;
z-index: 100;
padding: 0.5rem 1rem;
background: var(--color-bg);
color: var(--color-text);
}
.skip-link:focus {
top: 1rem;
}
.body-text {
color: #374151;
background: #fff;
}
.secondary-text {
color: #6b7280;
}
a {
color: #2563eb;
text-decoration: underline;
text-underline-offset: 2px;
}
a:hover {
text-decoration-thickness: 2px;
}
Contrast Quick Reference (WCAG AA):
| Element | Min Ratio | Example |
|---|
| Normal text (< 18pt) | 4.5:1 | #6b7280 on #ffffff = 4.6:1 |
| Large text (>= 18pt bold / 24pt) | 3:1 | #9ca3af on #ffffff = 3.0:1 |
| UI components & icons | 3:1 | Border, icon against background |
| Focus indicator | 3:1 | Against adjacent colors |
Anti-Patterns
1. div Soup (Non-semantic Markup)
<div> and <span> everywhere instead of semantic elements. Screen readers cannot navigate the page structure.
- BAD:
<div class="button" onclick="submit()">Submit</div>
- GOOD:
<button type="submit">Submit</button>
2. outline: none (Focus Removal)
Removing all focus indicators breaks keyboard navigation. 2.4 million US keyboard-only users affected.
- BAD:
*:focus { outline: none; } or button { outline: 0; }
- GOOD:
*:focus-visible { outline: 2px solid #2563eb; outline-offset: 2px; }
3. Fixed font-size in px (Accessibility Violation)
Users who set browser font size larger cannot override px values. Use rem for text sizing.
- BAD:
body { font-size: 16px; } → user settings ignored
- GOOD:
body { font-size: 1rem; } → respects user preference
4. Color-only Information (Color Blindness)
Relying solely on color to convey meaning (error states, status, required fields). ~8% of males have color vision deficiency.
- BAD:
<input style="border-color: red"> (error indicator)
- GOOD:
<input aria-invalid="true" style="border-color: red"> + error icon + text message
5. Autoplay Media (Motion Sensitivity)
Autoplaying video/animation without respecting prefers-reduced-motion. Can trigger vestibular disorders.
Full Guidelines (External Reference)
Fetch the latest complete guidelines before each review:
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/vercel-labs/web-interface-guidelines/main/command.md
Use WebFetch to retrieve the latest rules. The fetched content contains all rules and output format instructions.
Review Workflow
- Fetch fresh guidelines from the source URL above (if available)
- Read the specified files (or prompt user for files/pattern)
- Check against all rules — inline patterns above as fallback
- Output findings in the terse
file:line format
WCAG AA Quick Checklist
