design-polish

Perform a meticulous final pass to catch all the small details that separate good work from great work. This skill makes changes — `/design-audit` and `/design-critique` are report-only. Polish is the last step, not the first — don't polish work that isn't functionally complete. Detector and automated QA output are defect evidence only. A clean script result is never proof that the design is strong; gather browser evidence and inspect the real interaction path. ## Preparation Read `~/.claude/skills/minoan-frontend-design/SKILL.md` for aesthetic principles. Check `.design-context.md` for project context. Confirm the work is functionally complete before starting. If it's not, tell the user and suggest finishing the feature first. **Pull in prior critique** (optional signal): If `/design-critique` has been run on the same target, read the latest snapshot from `.design-critique/` and fold its P0/P1 items into your polish list. The critique is one input among many — do your own pass either way. **Triage cosmetic vs functional**: Classify each issue as **cosmetic** (looks off, doesn't impede the user) or **functional** (breaks, blocks, or confuses the experience). When polish time is tight, functional issues ship first; cosmetic ones can land in a follow-up. Quality should be consistent — never perfect one corner while leaving another rough. ## Design System Discovery Aligning the feature to the design system is **not optional**. Polish without alignment is decoration on top of drift. 1. **Find the design system**: Search for design system documentation, component libraries, style guides, or token definitions. Study core patterns: color tokens, spacing scale, typography styles, component API, motion conventions. 2. **Note the conventions**: How are shared components imported? What spacing scale is used? Which colors come from tokens vs hard-coded values? What flow shapes are used for comparable actions (modal vs full-page, inline vs route)? 3. **Identify drift, then name the root cause**: For every deviation, classify as a **missing token** (value should exist but doesn't), a **one-off implementation** (shared component exists but wasn't used), or a **conceptual misalignment** (feature's flow/IA/hierarchy doesn't match neighboring features). The fix differs by category. If a design system exists, polish **must** align the feature with it. If none exists, polish against conventions visible in the codebase. ## Systematic Polish Work through these dimensions methodically: ### Visual Alignment & Spacing - Everything lines up to grid. No random 13px gaps — all spacing uses the scale. - Optical alignment: text at `margin-left: 0` looks indented — use `-0.05em` negative margin. Play icons shift right. - Concentric border radius on nested elements (`outerRadius = innerRadius + padding`). - Responsive consistency: spacing and alignment hold at all breakpoints. ### Information Architecture & Flow Visual polish on a misshapen flow is wasted work. Match the *shape* of the experience to the system, not just the surface. - **Progressive disclosure**: Match how much is revealed when, compared to neighboring features. - **Established user flows**: Multi-step actions follow the same shape as comparable flows (modal vs full-page, inline edit vs separate route, save-on-blur vs explicit submit). - **Hierarchy & complexity**: Same conceptual weight gets same visual weight. Primary actions don't become tertiary in one corner. - **Naming and mental model**: Feature uses the same nouns and verbs as the rest of the system. ### Typography - Same elements use same sizes/weights throughout. - Line length capped at 45-75ch for body text. - No widows or orphans — use `text-wrap: balance` (headings) and `text-wrap: pretty` (body). - Font loading: no FOUT/FOIT flashes. `font-display: swap` with size-adjust fallback. - Font smoothing: `antialiased` on root layout (macOS renders heavier without it). - Dynamic numbers use `tabular-nums` to prevent layout shift. ### Color & Contrast - All text meets WCAG contrast (4.5:1 normal, 3:1 large). - No hard-coded colors — all use design tokens. - Tinted neutrals: no pure gray or pure black. Add 0.01 chroma of brand hue. - Never gray text on colored backgrounds — use a darker shade of that color. - Focus indicators visible with sufficient contrast. ### Interaction States Every interactive element needs all 8 states: - **Default**, **Hover** (subtle scale/color/shadow), **Focus** (keyboard indicator — never remove), **Active** (click feedback), **Disabled** (clearly non-interactive), **Loading** (async feedback), **Error** (validation state), **Success** (completion) Missing states create confusion. Check every button, link, input, toggle. - **Scale on press**: Buttons get `scale(0.96)` on `:active` for tactile feedback. Always 0.96—never below 0.95 (feels exaggerated). Use CSS transitions for interruptibility. Tailwind: `active:scale-[0.96] transition-transform duration-150 ease-out`. Add a `static` prop to disable when motion would be distracting. Framer Motion: `whileTap={{ scale: 0.96 }}`. - **Hit area expansion**: Interactive elements need 40-44px minimum hit area. If visible element is smaller (e.g., 20px icon), extend with pseudo-element: `&::after { content: ""; position: absolute; inset: 50%; transform: translate(-50%, -50%); width: 40px; height: 40px; }`. Never let two hit areas overlap. ### Transitions & Motion - All state changes animated 150-300ms. - Easing: `cubic-bezier(0.25, 1, 0.5, 1)` (ease-out-quart) or similar. Never bounce or elastic. - Only animate `transform` and `opacity`. For height: `grid-template-rows: 0fr → 1fr`. - Respects `prefers-reduced-motion`. - CSS transitions (interruptible) for interactive state changes; keyframes only for one-shot sequences. - Never `transition: all` — specify exact properties. - Enter animations split and staggered (~100ms per group); exits shorter and subtler. - No enter animations on page load for elements already in default state. ### Content & Copy - Consistent terminology: same things called same names. - Consistent capitalization: Title Case vs Sentence case applied uniformly. - No typos. Punctuation consistent (periods on sentences, not on labels). ### Surfaces & Depth - Shadows over borders on cards/buttons — layered transparent `box-shadow` adapts to any background. - Image outlines: subtle `1px` inset outline (`outline-black/10` light, `outline-white/10` dark) — never tinted neutrals. - Icon cross-fade: keep both icons in DOM (one absolute-positioned), cross-fade with CSS transitions. ### Edge Cases - Loading states: all async actions have feedback. - Empty states: helpful message + clear next action, not blank space. - Error states: clear messages with recovery paths. - Long content: handles very long names, descriptions gracefully (truncation, wrapping). ### Responsiveness - Touch targets 44x44px minimum on touch devices. Extend small elements with pseudo-element hit areas. - No text smaller than 14px on mobile. - No horizontal scroll. - Content adapts logically, not just shrinks. ### Performance - No layout shift on load (CLS). Set dimensions on images/videos. - Below-fold images lazy loaded. - No console errors or warnings. - `will-change` only on GPU-compositable properties (transform, opacity, filter) and only when first-frame stutter observed. ### Code Quality - Remove console.logs, commented-out code, unused imports. - Consistent naming. No TypeScript `any` or ignored errors. - Proper ARIA labels and semantic HTML. ## Verification Checklist Before marking as done: - [ ] Visual alignment perfect at all breakpoints - [ ] Spacing uses design tokens consistently - [ ] Typography hierarchy consistent - [ ] All interactive states implemented - [ ] All transitions smooth (60fps) - [ ] Copy is consistent and polished - [ ] All forms properly labeled and validated - [ ] Error states are helpful - [ ] Loading states are clear - [ ] Empty states are welcoming - [ ] Touch targets 44px minimum - [ ] Contrast ratios meet WCAG AA - [ ] Keyboard navigation works - [ ] Focus indicators visible - [ ] No console errors or warnings - [ ] No layout shift on load - [ ] Respects reduced motion preference - [ ] Code is clean (no TODOs, console.logs, commented code) - [ ] Nested rounded elements use concentric border radius - [ ] No `transition: all` — only specific properties - [ ] Dynamic numbers use `tabular-nums` - [ ] Images have subtle inset outlines for depth - [ ] Buttons scale on press (0.96) ## Clean Up After polishing, ensure code quality: - **Replace custom implementations**: If the design system provides a component you reimplemented, switch to the shared version. - **Remove orphaned code**: Delete unused styles, components, or files made obsolete by polish. - **Consolidate tokens**: If you introduced new values, check whether they should be tokens. ## Reference For implementation details (code examples, specific CSS values, Tailwind patterns): `references/interface-craft-techniques.md`. Polish until it feels effortless, looks intentional, and works flawlessly.