- name
- ux
- description
- UX design hub: 7-step wireframe pipeline + product design (design-os) + visual prototyping (pencil) + agentic UX patterns (lev-ref). Use for wireframes, flows, IA, JTBD, product design, CLI design, agentic UX, design systems, or component architecture.
- skill_type
- hub
- category
- design-ux
- related_skills
- ["work","lev-cdo","lev-research"]
- hub_routes
- {"ux-pipeline":"wireframe, flow, IA, journey, interaction, JTBD, task graph","design-os":"product design, vision, roadmap, data model, design system, export","pencil-mcp":"visual design, .pen file, mockup, design sweep","agentic-ux":"CLI design, progressive disclosure, prompt steering, CLI-as-prompt","browse":"design skill, find skill, what skills"}
# UX Design Hub
Routes to specialist sub-skills or runs the built-in 7-step UX pipeline.
## Hub Decision Tree
```
Request arrives
|
+-- Product planning (vision, roadmap, data model, export)?
| -> Load: skillsdb://design-ux/design-os
| (~/.agents/skills-db/design-ux/design-os/SKILL.md + references/)
|
+-- Visual design / .pen file / design sweep?
| -> Use Pencil MCP tools (batch_design, get_screenshot, style guides)
| Ref: skillsdb://design-ux/pencil for character/illustration work
|
+-- CLI / agentic UX patterns?
| -> Load Phase 0.5 lev-ref patterns (below)
|
+-- UX pipeline (wireframes, flows, IA, JTBD)?
| -> Run 7-step pipeline (this skill body)
|
+-- "What design skills exist?" / browse?
| -> Query: ls ~/.agents/skills-db/design-ux/
| Deep: lev-skill resolve "{query}" --json
|
+-- Ambiguous?
-> Ask one clarifying question, then route
```
## Skills-DB Design Catalog (skillsdb://design-ux/*)
| Skill | Load when |
|-------|-----------|
| design-os | Product vision, roadmap, data model, design tokens, export |
| superdesign-prompt-library | AI image prompts, style/layout/component prompts |
| swiftui-* (6 skills) | SwiftUI/iOS/macOS UI work |
| metal-shaders, vfx-spell-effects | GPU graphics, visual effects |
## UX Thinking Patterns (scored, from skills-db)
Load from ~/.agents/skills-db/thinking/patterns/{name}/SKILL.md when reasoning depth needed:
| Pattern | Score | Use when |
|---------|-------|----------|
| nielsen-heuristics | 50 | Usability evaluation |
| design-of-everyday-things | 48 | Affordance/signifier analysis |
| dont-make-me-think | 48 | Simplicity audit |
| laws-of-ux | 45 | Psychology-based design |
| wcag | 45 | Accessibility compliance |
| design-systems | 45 | Component architecture |
| refactoring-ui | 44 | Developer-facing design tactics |
## Hub Shortcuts
| Key | Action | Route |
|-----|--------|-------|
| (p) | Product design wizard | skillsdb://design-ux/design-os |
| (w) | Run UX pipeline | Steps 1-7 below |
| (v) | Visual design / .pen | Pencil MCP tools |
| (c) | CLI/agentic UX patterns | Phase 0.5 lev-ref |
| (b) | Browse design skills | lev-skill resolve |
---
# UX Pipeline
## Mode Parsing
Treat the user's message (including any `/ux ...` text) as the input.
- If it contains `full` or `interactive`: ask a small set of clarifying questions first, then run step-by-step.
- If it contains `step N` (N=1..7): run only that step and update artifacts.
- If it contains `continue`: resume the most recent run folder under `.lev/ux/`.
- Otherwise: AUTO mode. Run all 7 steps end-to-end and produce wireframes.
## Output Location
Create a run folder:
- `RUN_DIR=.lev/ux/{YYYYMMDD-HHMMSS}-{slug}/`
Write artifacts below. If resuming, reuse the existing `RUN_DIR`.
Artifacts (expected):
- `problem_spec.yaml`
- `routed_skills.json`
- `jobs.graph.json`
- `task_graph.json`
- `ia_schema.json`
- `interaction_fsm.json`
- `components.md`
- `wireframes.md`
- `summary.md`
## Phase -1: Setup (Deterministic)
1. Create run dir and establish shell vars:
```bash
TS="$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S)"
SLUG="$(printf '%s' "$USER_MSG" | tr '[:upper:]' '[:lower:]' | rg -o "[a-z0-9]+" | head -n 6 | paste -sd- -)"
RUN_DIR=".lev/ux/${TS}-${SLUG}"
mkdir -p "$RUN_DIR"
```
2. Persist the raw request for traceability:
```bash
printf '%s\n' "$USER_MSG" > "$RUN_DIR/request.txt"
```
## Phase 0: Prior Art (Fast)
1. If `bd` exists and `.beads/` exists:
- `bd list --status=open | rg -n "ux|design|wireframe|ia|flow" -i || true`
2. Scan local UX artifacts:
- `ls -t .lev/ux 2>/dev/null | head -n 10 || true`
3. Scan UI code quickly (keep it cheap):
- `rg -n "struct\\s+.*View\\b|SwiftUI|Navigation(Stack|SplitView)|TabView" apps packages extensions 2>/dev/null | head -n 50 || true`
If you find relevant prior art, cite paths in `summary.md` and either extend it or explicitly supersede it.
## Phase 0.5: Agentic UX Patterns (lev-ref)
Apply lev-ref patterns to all UX outputs (especially `summary.md` and any routed-skill handoff).
This phase doubles as the **agentic-ux** hub route. Load directly when asked about CLI design, progressive disclosure, or prompt steering — no need to run the full 7-step pipeline.
Key patterns:
- **CLI-as-Prompt**: Every CLI surface is a prompt-steering opportunity
- **Progressive Disclosure**: Metadata first, body on trigger, references on demand
- **Every Surface a Steering Attempt**: Follow-ups, related skills, confidence inline
- **Audio Design**: Consider sonic feedback for agent interactions
1. Load lev-ref patterns:
```bash
sed -n '1,220p' docs/_inbox/lev-ref/SKILL.md
```
2. Apply inline conventions (CLI-as-Prompt):
- Add confidence lines like `[85% confident]` for key recommendations.
- Add `→ Next:` and `→ Related:` follow-ups.
- Add a short `💡 Tip:` in `summary.md` if there's a non-obvious UX lesson.
## Phase 0.6: Skills-DB Enrichment
Route to specialized skills using the Hub Decision Tree above.
1. Check hub_routes (frontmatter) for trigger match against request keywords.
- If match -> load that skill, optionally resume pipeline at Step 3+.
2. If no hub_route match, query skills-db dynamically:
```bash
# Design-ux category first (high-signal, 12 skills)
rg -l -i "{keywords}" ~/.agents/skills-db/design-ux/*/SKILL.md
# Broader search only if design-ux returns empty
lev-skill resolve "{keywords}" --json 2>/dev/null | jq '.results[:5]'
```
3. If curated scores available, prefer higher-scored patterns:
```bash
grep -i "{keyword}" ~/.agents/skills-db/thinking/11-ui-ux/task.csv \
| sort -t, -k8 -rn | head -3
```
4. Emit routed_skills.json (keep existing schema for compatibility):
```json
{ "request_terms": [...], "candidates": [...], "selected": [...] }
```
5. Present discovered skills:
- 1 clear match -> propose loading it
- 2-3 matches -> ranked list, let user choose
- 0 matches -> continue with built-in UX pipeline
6. Continue pipeline regardless — routing enriches, never blocks.
## Step 1: Problem Framing
Write `problem_spec.yaml`:
```yaml
problem:
statement: "{1-2 sentences}"
for_whom: "{primary user segment}"
constraints:
- "{constraint}"
success_criteria:
- "{measurable outcome}"
scope:
in: ["{in}"]
out: ["{out}"]
```
Rules:
- Make success criteria measurable.
- Keep scope boundaries crisp.
## Step 2: Jobs To Be Done (JTBD)
Write `jobs.graph.json`:
```json
{
"jobs": [
{
"id": "job-1",
"statement": "When I {situation}, I want to {motivation}, so I can {outcome}",
"type": "functional",
"triggers": ["{trigger}"],
"user_types": ["{archetype}"]
}
]
}
```
Rules:
- Prefer progress language over feature language.
- Include at least one emotional or social job if relevant.
## Step 3: Task Decomposition
Write `task_graph.json`:
```json
{
"tasks": [
{
"id": "task-1",
"name": "{verb} {object}",
"entry_state": "{precondition}",
"exit_state": "{postcondition}",
"happy_path": ["{step}"],
"failure_modes": ["{failure}"],
"depends_on": []
}
]
}
```
Rules:
- Include failure modes and recovery paths.
- Keep tasks at a UI-actionable granularity.
## Step 4: Information Architecture (IA)
Write `ia_schema.json`:
```json
{
"entities": [
{"name": "{Entity}", "attributes": ["{attr}"], "actions": ["{verb}"]}
],
"relationships": [
{"from": "{Entity}", "to": "{Entity}", "type": "has_many"}
],
"navigation": {
"primary": ["{screen}"],
"secondary": ["{screen}"]
}
}
```
Rules:
- Avoid navigation that doesn't map to an entity or job.
## Step 5: Interaction Models
Write `interaction_fsm.json`:
```json
{
"screens": [
{
"id": "screen-1",
"name": "{Screen Name}",
"states": ["idle", "loading", "empty", "error", "success"],
"transitions": [
{"from": "idle", "event": "tap_primary", "to": "loading"}
],
"feedback": ["spinner", "toast"]
}
]
}
```
Rules:
- Explicitly model `loading`, `empty`, and `error` states.
- Call out accessibility considerations if there's complex interaction.
## Step 6: Components
Write `components.md`:
- Reusable components list (name, purpose, props/data).
- Screens-to-components mapping.
Rules:
- Prefer composable components over mega-views.
- Name components after user intent (not implementation).
## Step 7: Wireframes
Write `wireframes.md`:
- A short global nav map.
- For each screen:
- Purpose (one line).
- Primary actions (1-3).
- Layout: header/body/footer sections.
- State variants: idle/loading/empty/error/success.
If the user asks for a design-file deliverable, propose using the `pencil` tool to generate a `.pen` wireframe and confirm the target path under `.lev/ux/`.
## Final Summary
Write `summary.md`:
- Problem + success criteria.
- Key tradeoffs and open questions.
- The wireframe screen list (ordered).
- What to implement first (smallest shippable slice).
- Include lev-ref inline conventions: `[N% confident]`, `→ Next:`, and `💡 Tip:`.
## Technique Map
- **Identify scope** — Determine what the skill applies to before executing.
- **Follow workflow** — Use documented steps; avoid ad-hoc shortcuts.
- **Verify outputs** — Check results match expected contract.
- **Handle errors** — Graceful degradation when dependencies missing.
- **Reference docs** — Load references/ when detail needed.
- **Preserve state** — Don't overwrite user config or artifacts.
## Technique Notes
Skill-specific technique rationale. Apply patterns from the skill body. Progressive disclosure: metadata first, body on trigger, references on demand.
## Prompt Architect Overlay
**Role Definition:** Specialist for ux domain. Executes workflows, produces artifacts, routes to related skills when needed.
**Input Contract:** Context, optional config, artifacts from prior steps. Depends on skill.
**Output Contract:** Artifacts, status, next-step recommendations. Format per skill.
**Edge Cases & Fallbacks:** Missing context—ask or infer from workspace. Dependency missing—degrade gracefully; note in output. Ambiguous request—clarify before proceeding.
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