| name | ui-ux-pro-max |
| description | Deep web/mobile design-system and accessibility guidance covering color, typography, layout, motion, dashboards, and interaction quality. Use for design decisions or review, not primary implementation when a build/redesign skill fits. |
UI/UX Pro Max - Design Intelligence
Comprehensive design guide for web and mobile applications. Contains 50+ styles, 161 color palettes, 57 font pairings, 161 product types with reasoning rules, 99 UX guidelines, and 25 chart types across 10 technology stacks. Searchable database with priority-based recommendations.
When to Apply
This Skill should be used when the task involves UI structure, visual design decisions, interaction patterns, or user experience quality control.
Must Use
This Skill must be invoked in the following situations:
- Designing new pages (Landing Page, Dashboard, Admin, SaaS, Mobile App)
- Creating or refactoring UI components (buttons, modals, forms, tables, charts, etc.)
- Choosing color schemes, typography systems, spacing standards, or layout systems
- Reviewing UI code for user experience, accessibility, or visual consistency
- Implementing navigation structures, animations, or responsive behavior
- Making product-level design decisions (style, information hierarchy, brand expression)
- Improving perceived quality, clarity, or usability of interfaces
Recommended
This Skill is recommended in the following situations:
- UI looks "not professional enough" but the reason is unclear
- Receiving feedback on usability or experience
- Pre-launch UI quality optimization
- Aligning cross-platform design (Web / iOS / Android)
- Building design systems or reusable component libraries
Skip
This Skill is not needed in the following situations:
- Pure backend logic development
- Only involving API or database design
- Performance optimization unrelated to the interface
- Infrastructure or DevOps work
- Non-visual scripts or automation tasks
Decision criteria: If the task will change how a feature looks, feels, moves, or is interacted with, this Skill should be used.
Rule Categories by Priority
For human/AI reference: follow priority 1→10 to decide which rule category to focus on first; use --domain <Domain> to query details when needed. Scripts do not read this table.
| Priority | Category | Impact | Domain | Key Checks (Must Have) | Anti-Patterns (Avoid) |
|---|
| 1 | Accessibility | CRITICAL | ux | Contrast 4.5:1, Alt text, Keyboard nav, Aria-labels | Removing focus rings, Icon-only buttons without labels |
| 2 | Touch & Interaction | CRITICAL | ux | Min size 44×44px, 8px+ spacing, Loading feedback | Reliance on hover only, Instant state changes (0ms) |
| 3 | Performance | HIGH | ux | WebP/AVIF, Lazy loading, Reserve space (CLS < 0.1) | Layout thrashing, Cumulative Layout Shift |
| 4 | Style Selection | HIGH | style, product | Match product type, Consistency, SVG icons (no emoji) | Mixing flat & skeuomorphic randomly, Emoji as icons |
| 5 | Layout & Responsive | HIGH | ux | Mobile-first breakpoints, Viewport meta, No horizontal scroll | Horizontal scroll, Fixed px container widths, Disable zoom |
| 6 | Typography & Color | MEDIUM | typography, color | Base 16px, Line-height 1.5, Semantic color tokens | Text < 12px body, Gray-on-gray, Raw hex in components |
| 7 | Animation | MEDIUM | ux | Duration 150–300ms, Motion conveys meaning, Spatial continuity | Decorative-only animation, Animating width/height, No reduced-motion |
| 8 | Forms & Feedback | MEDIUM | ux | Visible labels, Error near field, Helper text, Progressive disclosure | Placeholder-only label, Errors only at top, Overwhelm upfront |
| 9 | Navigation Patterns | HIGH | ux | Predictable back, Bottom nav ≤5, Deep linking | Overloaded nav, Broken back behavior, No deep links |
| 10 | Charts & Data | LOW | chart | Legends, Tooltips, Accessible colors | Relying on color alone to convey meaning |
Quick Reference
1. Accessibility (CRITICAL)
color-contrast - Minimum 4.5:1 ratio for normal text (large text 3:1); Material Designfocus-states - Visible focus rings on interactive elements (2–4px; Apple HIG, MD)alt-text - Descriptive alt text for meaningful imagesaria-labels - aria-label for icon-only buttons; accessibilityLabel in native (Apple HIG)keyboard-nav - Tab order matches visual order; full keyboard support (Apple HIG)form-labels - Use label with for attributeskip-links - Skip to main content for keyboard usersheading-hierarchy - Sequential h1→h6, no level skipcolor-not-only - Don't convey info by color alone (add icon/text)dynamic-type - Support system text scaling; avoid truncation as text grows (Apple Dynamic Type, MD)reduced-motion - Respect prefers-reduced-motion; reduce/disable animations when requested (Apple Reduced Motion API, MD)voiceover-sr - Meaningful accessibilityLabel/accessibilityHint; logical reading order for VoiceOver/screen readers (Apple HIG, MD)escape-routes - Provide cancel/back in modals and multi-step flows (Apple HIG)keyboard-shortcuts - Preserve system and a11y shortcuts; offer keyboard alternatives for drag-and-drop (Apple HIG)
2. Touch & Interaction (CRITICAL)
touch-target-size - Min 44×44pt (Apple) / 48×48dp (Material); extend hit area beyond visual bounds if neededtouch-spacing - Minimum 8px/8dp gap between touch targets (Apple HIG, MD)hover-vs-tap - Use click/tap for primary interactions; don't rely on hover aloneloading-buttons - Disable button during async operations; show spinner or progresserror-feedback - Clear error messages near problemcursor-pointer - Add cursor-pointer to clickable elements (Web)gesture-conflicts - Avoid horizontal swipe on main content; prefer vertical scrolltap-delay - Use touch-action: manipulation to reduce 300ms delay (Web)standard-gestures - Use platform standard gestures consistently; don't redefine (e.g. swipe-back, pinch-zoom) (Apple HIG)system-gestures - Don't block system gestures (Control Center, back swipe, etc.) (Apple HIG)press-feedback - Visual feedback on press (ripple/highlight; MD state layers)haptic-feedback - Use haptic for confirmations and important actions; avoid overuse (Apple HIG)gesture-alternative - Don't rely on gesture-only interactions; always provide visible controls for critical actionssafe-area-awareness - Keep primary touch targets away from notch, Dynamic Island, gesture bar and screen edgesno-precision-required - Avoid requiring pixel-perfect taps on small icons or thin edgesswipe-clarity - Swipe actions must show clear affordance or hint (chevron, label, tutorial)drag-threshold - Use a movement threshold before starting drag to avoid accidental drags
3. Performance (HIGH)
image-optimization - Use WebP/AVIF, responsive images (srcset/sizes), lazy load non-critical assetsimage-dimension - Declare width/height or use aspect-ratio to prevent layout shift (Core Web Vitals: CLS)font-loading - Use font-display: swap/optional to avoid invisible text (FOIT); reserve space to reduce layout shift (MD)font-preload - Preload only critical fonts; avoid overusing preload on every variantcritical-css - Prioritize above-the-fold CSS (inline critical CSS or early-loaded stylesheet)lazy-loading - Lazy load non-hero components via dynamic import / route-level splittingbundle-splitting - Split code by route/feature (React Suspense / Next.js dynamic) to reduce initial load and TTIthird-party-scripts - Load third-party scripts async/defer; audit and remove unnecessary ones (MD)reduce-reflows - Avoid frequent layout reads/writes; batch DOM reads then writescontent-jumping - Reserve space for async content to avoid layout jumps (Core Web Vitals: CLS)lazy-load-below-fold - Use loading="lazy" for below-the-fold images and heavy mediavirtualize-lists - Virtualize lists with 50+ items to improve memory efficiency and scroll performancemain-thread-budget - Keep per-frame work under ~16ms for 60fps; move heavy tasks off main thread (HIG, MD)progressive-loading - Use skeleton screens / shimmer instead of long blocking spinners for >1s operations (Apple HIG)input-latency - Keep input latency under ~100ms for taps/scrolls (Material responsiveness standard)tap-feedback-speed - Provide visual feedback within 100ms of tap (Apple HIG)debounce-throttle - Use debounce/throttle for high-frequency events (scroll, resize, input)offline-support - Provide offline state messaging and basic fallback (PWA / mobile)network-fallback - Offer degraded modes for slow networks (lower-res images, fewer animations)
4. Style Selection (HIGH)
style-match - Match style to product type (use --design-system for recommendations)consistency - Use same style across all pagesno-emoji-icons - Use SVG icons (Heroicons, Lucide), not emojiscolor-palette-from-product - Choose palette from product/industry (search --domain color)effects-match-style - Shadows, blur, radius aligned with chosen style (glass / flat / clay etc.)platform-adaptive - Respect platform idioms (iOS HIG vs Material): navigation, controls, typography, motionstate-clarity - Make hover/pressed/disabled states visually distinct while staying on-style (Material state layers)elevation-consistent - Use a consistent elevation/shadow scale for cards, sheets, modals; avoid random shadow valuesdark-mode-pairing - Design light/dark variants together to keep brand, contrast, and style consistenticon-style-consistent - Use one icon set/visual language (stroke width, corner radius) across the productsystem-controls - Prefer native/system controls over fully custom ones; only customize when branding requires it (Apple HIG)blur-purpose - Use blur to indicate background dismissal (modals, sheets), not as decoration (Apple HIG)primary-action - Each screen should have only one primary CTA; secondary actions visually subordinate (Apple HIG)
5. Layout & Responsive (HIGH)
viewport-meta - width=device-width initial-scale=1 (never disable zoom)mobile-first - Design mobile-first, then scale up to tablet and desktopbreakpoint-consistency - Use systematic breakpoints (e.g. 375 / 768 / 1024 / 1440)readable-font-size - Minimum 16px body text on mobile (avoids iOS auto-zoom)line-length-control - Mobile 35–60 chars per line; desktop 60–75 charshorizontal-scroll - No horizontal scroll on mobile; ensure content fits viewport widthspacing-scale - Use 4pt/8dp incremental spacing system (Material Design)touch-density - Keep component spacing comfortable for touch: not cramped, not causing mis-tapscontainer-width - Consistent max-width on desktop (max-w-6xl / 7xl)z-index-management - Define layered z-index scale (e.g. 0 / 10 / 20 / 40 / 100 / 1000)fixed-element-offset - Fixed navbar/bottom bar must reserve safe padding for underlying contentscroll-behavior - Avoid nested scroll regions that interfere with the main scroll experienceviewport-units - Prefer min-h-dvh over 100vh on mobileorientation-support - Keep layout readable and operable in landscape modecontent-priority - Show core content first on mobile; fold or hide secondary contentvisual-hierarchy - Establish hierarchy via size, spacing, contrast — not color alone
6. Typography & Color (MEDIUM)
line-height - Use 1.5-1.75 for body textline-length - Limit to 65-75 characters per linefont-pairing - Match heading/body font personalitiesfont-scale - Consistent type scale (e.g. 12 14 16 18 24 32)contrast-readability - Darker text on light backgrounds (e.g. slate-900 on white)text-styles-system - Use platform type system: iOS 11 Dynamic Type styles / Material 5 type roles (display, headline, title, body, label) (HIG, MD)weight-hierarchy - Use font-weight to reinforce hierarchy: Bold headings (600–700), Regular body (400), Medium labels (500) (MD)color-semantic - Define semantic color tokens (primary, secondary, error, surface, on-surface) not raw hex in components (Material color system)color-dark-mode - Dark mode uses desaturated / lighter tonal variants, not inverted colors; test contrast separately (HIG, MD)color-accessible-pairs - Foreground/background pairs must meet 4.5:1 (AA) or 7:1 (AAA); use tools to verify (WCAG, MD)color-not-decorative-only - Functional color (error red, success green) must include icon/text; avoid color-only meaning (HIG, MD)truncation-strategy - Prefer wrapping over truncation; when truncating use ellipsis and provide full text via tooltip/expand (Apple HIG)letter-spacing - Respect default letter-spacing per platform; avoid tight tracking on body text (HIG, MD)number-tabular - Use tabular/monospaced figures for data columns, prices, and timers to prevent layout shiftwhitespace-balance - Use whitespace intentionally to group related items and separate sections; avoid visual clutter (Apple HIG)
7. Animation (MEDIUM)
duration-timing - Use 150–300ms for micro-interactions; complex transitions ≤400ms; avoid >500ms (MD)transform-performance - Use transform/opacity only; avoid animating width/height/top/leftloading-states - Show skeleton or progress indicator when loading exceeds 300msexcessive-motion - Animate 1-2 key elements per view maxeasing - Use ease-out for entering, ease-in for exiting; avoid linear for UI transitionsmotion-meaning - Every animation must express a cause-effect relationship, not just be decorative (Apple HIG)state-transition - State changes (hover / active / expanded / collapsed / modal) should animate smoothly, not snapcontinuity - Page/screen transitions should maintain spatial continuity (shared element, directional slide) (Apple HIG)parallax-subtle - Use parallax sparingly; must respect reduced-motion and not cause disorientation (Apple HIG)spring-physics - Prefer spring/physics-based curves over linear or cubic-bezier for natural feel (Apple HIG fluid animations)exit-faster-than-enter - Exit animations shorter than enter (~60–70% of enter duration) to feel responsive (MD motion)stagger-sequence - Stagger list/grid item entrance by 30–50ms per item; avoid all-at-once or too-slow reveals (MD)shared-element-transition - Use shared element / hero transitions for visual continuity between screens (MD, HIG)interruptible - Animations must be interruptible; user tap/gesture cancels in-progress animation immediately (Apple HIG)no-blocking-animation - Never block user input during an animation; UI must stay interactive (Apple HIG)fade-crossfade - Use crossfade for content replacement within the same container (MD)scale-feedback - Subtle scale (0.95–1.05) on press for tappable cards/buttons; restore on release (HIG, MD)gesture-feedback - Drag, swipe, and pinch must provide real-time visual response tracking the finger (MD Motion)hierarchy-motion - Use translate/scale direction to express hierarchy: enter from below = deeper, exit upward = back (MD)motion-consistency - Unify duration/easing tokens globally; all animations share the same rhythm and feelopacity-threshold - Fading elements should not linger below opacity 0.2; either fade fully or remain visiblemodal-motion - Modals/sheets should animate from their trigger source (scale+fade or slide-in) for spatial context (HIG, MD)navigation-direction - Forward navigation animates left/up; backward animates right/down — keep direction logically consistent (HIG)layout-shift-avoid - Animations must not cause layout reflow or CLS; use transform for position changes
8. Forms & Feedback (MEDIUM)
input-labels - Visible label per input (not placeholder-only)error-placement - Show error below the related fieldsubmit-feedback - Loading then success/error state on submitrequired-indicators - Mark required fields (e.g. asterisk)empty-states - Helpful message and action when no contenttoast-dismiss - Auto-dismiss toasts in 3-5sconfirmation-dialogs - Confirm before destructive actionsinput-helper-text - Provide persistent helper text below complex inputs, not just placeholder (Material Design)disabled-states - Disabled elements use reduced opacity (0.38–0.5) + cursor change + semantic attribute (MD)progressive-disclosure - Reveal complex options progressively; don't overwhelm users upfront (Apple HIG)inline-validation - Validate on blur (not keystroke); show error only after user finishes input (MD)input-type-keyboard - Use semantic input types (email, tel, number) to trigger the correct mobile keyboard (HIG, MD)password-toggle - Provide show/hide toggle for password fields (MD)autofill-support - Use autocomplete / textContentType attributes so the system can autofill (HIG, MD)undo-support - Allow undo for destructive or bulk actions (e.g. "Undo delete" toast) (Apple HIG)success-feedback - Confirm completed actions with brief visual feedback (checkmark, toast, color flash) (MD)error-recovery - Error messages must include a clear recovery path (retry, edit, help link) (HIG, MD)multi-step-progress - Multi-step flows show step indicator or progress bar; allow back navigation (MD)form-autosave - Long forms should auto-save drafts to prevent data loss on accidental dismissal (Apple HIG)sheet-dismiss-confirm - Confirm before dismissing a sheet/modal with unsaved changes (Apple HIG)error-clarity - Error messages must state cause + how to fix (not just "Invalid input") (HIG, MD)field-grouping - Group related fields logically (fieldset/legend or visual grouping) (MD)read-only-distinction - Read-only state should be visually and semantically different from disabled (MD)focus-management - After submit error, auto-focus the first invalid field (WCAG, MD)error-summary - For multiple errors, show summary at top with anchor links to each field (WCAG)touch-friendly-input - Mobile input height ≥44px to meet touch target requirements (Apple HIG)destructive-emphasis - Destructive actions use semantic danger color (red) and are visually separated from primary actions (HIG, MD)toast-accessibility - Toasts must not steal focus; use aria-live="polite" for screen reader announcement (WCAG)aria-live-errors - Form errors use aria-live region or role="alert" to notify screen readers (WCAG)contrast-feedback - Error and success state colors must meet 4.5:1 contrast ratio (WCAG, MD)timeout-feedback - Request timeout must show clear feedback with retry option (MD)
9. Navigation Patterns (HIGH)
bottom-nav-limit - Bottom navigation max 5 items; use labels with icons (Material Design)drawer-usage - Use drawer/sidebar for secondary navigation, not primary actions (Material Design)back-behavior - Back navigation must be predictable and consistent; preserve scroll/state (Apple HIG, MD)deep-linking - All key screens must be reachable via deep link / URL for sharing and notifications (Apple HIG, MD)tab-bar-ios - iOS: use bottom Tab Bar for top-level navigation (Apple HIG)top-app-bar-android - Android: use Top App Bar with navigation icon for primary structure (Material Design)nav-label-icon - Navigation items must have both icon and text label; icon-only nav harms discoverability (MD)nav-state-active - Current location must be visually highlighted (color, weight, indicator) in navigation (HIG, MD)nav-hierarchy - Primary nav (tabs/bottom bar) vs secondary nav (drawer/settings) must be clearly separated (MD)modal-escape - Modals and sheets must offer a clear close/dismiss affordance; swipe-down to dismiss on mobile (Apple HIG)search-accessible - Search must be easily reachable (top bar or tab); provide recent/suggested queries (MD)breadcrumb-web - Web: use breadcrumbs for 3+ level deep hierarchies to aid orientation (MD)state-preservation - Navigating back must restore previous scroll position, filter state, and input (HIG, MD)gesture-nav-support - Support system gesture navigation (iOS swipe-back, Android predictive back) without conflict (HIG, MD)tab-badge - Use badges on nav items sparingly to indicate unread/pending; clear after user visits (HIG, MD)overflow-menu - When actions exceed available space, use overflow/more menu instead of cramming (MD)bottom-nav-top-level - Bottom nav is for top-level screens only; never nest sub-navigation inside it (MD)adaptive-navigation - Large screens (≥1024px) prefer sidebar; small screens use bottom/top nav (Material Adaptive)back-stack-integrity - Never silently reset the navigation stack or unexpectedly jump to home (HIG, MD)navigation-consistency - Navigation placement must stay the same across all pages; don't change by page typeavoid-mixed-patterns - Don't mix Tab + Sidebar + Bottom Nav at the same hierarchy levelmodal-vs-navigation - Modals must not be used for primary navigation flows; they break the user's path (HIG)focus-on-route-change - After page transition, move focus to main content region for screen reader users (WCAG)persistent-nav - Core navigation must remain reachable from deep pages; don't hide it entirely in sub-flows (HIG, MD)destructive-nav-separation - Dangerous actions (delete account, logout) must be visually and spatially separated from normal nav items (HIG, MD)empty-nav-state - When a nav destination is unavailable, explain why instead of silently hiding it (MD)
10. Charts & Data (LOW)
chart-type - Match chart type to data type (trend → line, comparison → bar, proportion → pie/donut)color-guidance - Use accessible color palettes; avoid red/green only pairs for colorblind users (WCAG, MD)data-table - Provide table alternative for accessibility; charts alone are not screen-reader friendly (WCAG)pattern-texture - Supplement color with patterns, textures, or shapes so data is distinguishable without color (WCAG, MD)legend-visible - Always show legend; position near the chart, not detached below a scroll fold (MD)tooltip-on-interact - Provide tooltips/data labels on hover (Web) or tap (mobile) showing exact values (HIG, MD)axis-labels - Label axes with units and readable scale; avoid truncated or rotated labels on mobileresponsive-chart - Charts must reflow or simplify on small screens (e.g. horizontal bar instead of vertical, fewer ticks)empty-data-state - Show meaningful empty state when no data exists ("No data yet" + guidance), not a blank chart (MD)loading-chart - Use skeleton or shimmer placeholder while chart data loads; don't show an empty axis frameanimation-optional - Chart entrance animations must respect prefers-reduced-motion; data should be readable immediately (HIG)large-dataset - For 1000+ data points, aggregate or sample; provide drill-down for detail instead of rendering all (MD)number-formatting - Use locale-aware formatting for numbers, dates, currencies on axes and labels (HIG, MD)touch-target-chart - Interactive chart elements (points, segments) must have ≥44pt tap area or expand on touch (Apple HIG)no-pie-overuse - Avoid pie/donut for >5 categories; switch to bar chart for claritycontrast-data - Data lines/bars vs background ≥3:1; data text labels ≥4.5:1 (WCAG)legend-interactive - Legends should be clickable to toggle series visibility (MD)direct-labeling - For small datasets, label values directly on the chart to reduce eye traveltooltip-keyboard - Tooltip content must be keyboard-reachable and not rely on hover alone (WCAG)sortable-table - Data tables must support sorting with aria-sort indicating current sort state (WCAG)axis-readability - Axis ticks must not be cramped; maintain readable spacing, auto-skip on small screensdata-density - Limit information density per chart to avoid cognitive overload; split into multiple charts if neededtrend-emphasis - Emphasize data trends over decoration; avoid heavy gradients/shadows that obscure the datagridline-subtle - Grid lines should be low-contrast (e.g. gray-200) so they don't compete with datafocusable-elements - Interactive chart elements (points, bars, slices) must be keyboard-navigable (WCAG)screen-reader-summary - Provide a text summary or aria-label describing the chart's key insight for screen readers (WCAG)error-state-chart - Data load failure must show error message with retry action, not a broken/empty chartexport-option - For data-heavy products, offer CSV/image export of chart datadrill-down-consistency - Drill-down interactions must maintain a clear back-path and hierarchy breadcrumbtime-scale-clarity - Time series charts must clearly label time granularity (day/week/month) and allow switching
How to Use
Search specific domains using the CLI tool below. If codebase-map-understand.md exists and the UX work must preserve existing routes/components/data flows, consult the codebase map for relationship leads first, then verify named files in source.
Prerequisites
Check if Python is installed:
python3 --version || python --version
If Python is not installed, install it based on user's OS:
macOS:
brew install python3
Ubuntu/Debian:
sudo apt update && sudo apt install python3
Windows:
winget install Python.Python.3.12
How to Use This Skill
Use this skill when the user requests any of the following:
| Scenario | Trigger Examples | Start From |
|---|
| New project / page | "Build a landing page", "Build a dashboard" | Step 1 → Step 2 (design system) |
| New component | "Create a pricing card", "Add a modal" | Step 3 (domain search: style, ux) |
| Choose style / color / font | "What style fits a fintech app?", "Recommend a color palette" | Step 2 (design system) |
| Review existing UI | "Review this page for UX issues", "Check accessibility" | Quick Reference checklist above |
| Fix a UI bug | "Button hover is broken", "Layout shifts on load" | Quick Reference → relevant section |
| Improve / optimize | "Make this faster", "Improve mobile experience" | Step 3 (domain search: ux, react) |
| Implement dark mode | "Add dark mode support" | Step 3 (domain: style "dark mode") |
| Add charts / data viz | "Add an analytics dashboard chart" | Step 3 (domain: chart) |
| Stack best practices | "React performance tips"、"SwiftUI navigation" | Step 4 (stack search) |
Follow this workflow:
Step 1: Analyze User Requirements
Extract key information from user request:
- Product type: Entertainment (social, video, music, gaming), Tool (scanner, editor, converter), Productivity (task manager, notes, calendar), or hybrid
- Target audience: C-end consumer users; consider age group, usage context (commute, leisure, work)
- Style keywords: playful, vibrant, minimal, dark mode, content-first, immersive, etc.
- Stack: React Native (this project's only tech stack)
Step 2: Generate Design System (REQUIRED)
Always start with --design-system to get comprehensive recommendations with reasoning:
python3 skills/frontend/ui-ux-pro-max/scripts/search.py "<product_type> <industry> <keywords>" --design-system [-p "Project Name"]
This command:
- Searches domains in parallel (product, style, color, landing, typography)
- Applies reasoning rules from
ui-reasoning.csv to select best matches
- Returns complete design system: pattern, style, colors, typography, effects
- Includes anti-patterns to avoid
Example:
python3 skills/frontend/ui-ux-pro-max/scripts/search.py "beauty spa wellness service" --design-system -p "Serenity Spa"
Step 2b: Persist Design System (Master + Overrides Pattern)
To save the design system for hierarchical retrieval across sessions, add --persist:
python3 skills/frontend/ui-ux-pro-max/scripts/search.py "<query>" --design-system --persist -p "Project Name"
This creates:
design-system/MASTER.md — Global Source of Truth with all design rulesdesign-system/pages/ — Folder for page-specific overrides
With page-specific override:
python3 skills/frontend/ui-ux-pro-max/scripts/search.py "<query>" --design-system --persist -p "Project Name" --page "dashboard"
This also creates:
design-system/pages/dashboard.md — Page-specific deviations from Master
How hierarchical retrieval works:
- When building a specific page (e.g., "Checkout"), first check
design-system/pages/checkout.md
- If the page file exists, its rules override the Master file
- If not, use
design-system/MASTER.md exclusively
Context-aware retrieval prompt:
I am building the [Page Name] page. Please read design-system/MASTER.md.
Also check if design-system/pages/[page-name].md exists.
If the page file exists, prioritize its rules.
If not, use the Master rules exclusively.
Now, generate the code...
Step 3: Supplement with Detailed Searches (as needed)
After getting the design system, use domain searches to get additional details:
python3 skills/frontend/ui-ux-pro-max/scripts/search.py "<keyword>" --domain <domain> [-n <max_results>]
When to use detailed searches:
| Need | Domain | Example |
|---|
| Product type patterns | product | --domain product "entertainment social" |
| More style options | style | --domain style "glassmorphism dark" |
| Color palettes | color | --domain color "entertainment vibrant" |
| Font pairings | typography | --domain typography "playful modern" |
| Chart recommendations | chart | --domain chart "real-time dashboard" |
| UX best practices | ux | --domain ux "animation accessibility" |
| Alternative fonts | typography | --domain typography "elegant luxury" |
| Individual Google Fonts | google-fonts | --domain google-fonts "sans serif popular variable" |
| Landing structure | landing | --domain landing "hero social-proof" |
| React Native perf | react | --domain react "rerender memo list" |
| App interface a11y | web | --domain web "accessibilityLabel touch safe-areas" |
| AI prompt / CSS keywords | prompt | --domain prompt "minimalism" |
Step 4: Stack Guidelines (React Native)
Get React Native implementation-specific best practices:
python3 skills/frontend/ui-ux-pro-max/scripts/search.py "<keyword>" --stack react-native
Search Reference
Available Domains
| Domain | Use For | Example Keywords |
|---|
product | Product type recommendations | SaaS, e-commerce, portfolio, healthcare, beauty, service |
style | UI styles, colors, effects | glassmorphism, minimalism, dark mode, brutalism |
typography | Font pairings, Google Fonts | elegant, playful, professional, modern |
color | Color palettes by product type | saas, ecommerce, healthcare, beauty, fintech, service |
landing | Page structure, CTA strategies | hero, hero-centric, testimonial, pricing, social-proof |
chart | Chart types, library recommendations | trend, comparison, timeline, funnel, pie |
ux | Best practices, anti-patterns | animation, accessibility, z-index, loading |
google-fonts | Individual Google Fonts lookup | sans serif, monospace, japanese, variable font, popular |
react | React/Next.js performance | waterfall, bundle, suspense, memo, rerender, cache |
web | App interface guidelines (iOS/Android/React Native) | accessibilityLabel, touch targets, safe areas, Dynamic Type |
prompt | AI prompts, CSS keywords | (style name) |
Available Stacks
| Stack | Focus |
|---|
react-native | Components, Navigation, Lists |
Example Workflow
User request: "Make an AI search homepage."
Step 1: Analyze Requirements
- Product type: Tool (AI search engine)
- Target audience: C-end users looking for fast, intelligent search
- Style keywords: modern, minimal, content-first, dark mode
- Stack: React Native
Step 2: Generate Design System (REQUIRED)
python3 skills/frontend/ui-ux-pro-max/scripts/search.py "AI search tool modern minimal" --design-system -p "AI Search"
Output: Complete design system with pattern, style, colors, typography, effects, and anti-patterns.
Step 3: Supplement with Detailed Searches (as needed)
python3 skills/frontend/ui-ux-pro-max/scripts/search.py "minimalism dark mode" --domain style
python3 skills/frontend/ui-ux-pro-max/scripts/search.py "search loading animation" --domain ux
Step 4: Stack Guidelines
python3 skills/frontend/ui-ux-pro-max/scripts/search.py "list performance navigation" --stack react-native
Then: Synthesize design system + detailed searches and implement the design.
Output Formats
The --design-system flag supports two output formats:
python3 skills/frontend/ui-ux-pro-max/scripts/search.py "fintech crypto" --design-system
python3 skills/frontend/ui-ux-pro-max/scripts/search.py "fintech crypto" --design-system -f markdown
Tips for Better Results
Query Strategy
- Use multi-dimensional keywords — combine product + industry + tone + density:
"entertainment social vibrant content-dense" not just "app"
- Try different keywords for the same need:
"playful neon" → "vibrant dark" → "content-first minimal"
- Use
--design-system first for full recommendations, then --domain to deep-dive any dimension you're unsure about
- Always add
--stack react-native for implementation-specific guidance
Common Sticking Points
| Problem | What to Do |
|---|
| Can't decide on style/color | Re-run --design-system with different keywords |
| Dark mode contrast issues | Quick Reference §6: color-dark-mode + color-accessible-pairs |
| Animations feel unnatural | Quick Reference §7: spring-physics + easing + exit-faster-than-enter |
| Form UX is poor | Quick Reference §8: inline-validation + error-clarity + focus-management |
| Navigation feels confusing | Quick Reference §9: nav-hierarchy + bottom-nav-limit + back-behavior |
| Layout breaks on small screens | Quick Reference §5: mobile-first + breakpoint-consistency |
| Performance / jank | Quick Reference §3: virtualize-lists + main-thread-budget + debounce-throttle |
Pre-Delivery Checklist
- Run
--domain ux "animation accessibility z-index loading" as a UX validation pass before implementation
- Run through Quick Reference §1–§3 (CRITICAL + HIGH) as a final review
- Test on 375px (small phone) and landscape orientation
- Verify behavior with reduced-motion enabled and Dynamic Type at largest size
- Check dark mode contrast independently (don't assume light mode values work)
- Confirm all touch targets ≥44pt and no content hidden behind safe areas
Common Rules for Professional UI
These are frequently overlooked issues that make UI look unprofessional:
Scope notice: The rules below are for App UI (iOS/Android/React Native/Flutter), not desktop-web interaction patterns.
Icons & Visual Elements
| Rule | Standard | Avoid | Why It Matters |
|---|
| No Emoji as Structural Icons | Use vector-based icons (e.g., Lucide, react-native-vector-icons, @expo/vector-icons). | Using emojis (🎨 🚀 ⚙️) for navigation, settings, or system controls. | Emojis are font-dependent, inconsistent across platforms, and cannot be controlled via design tokens. |
| Vector-Only Assets | Use SVG or platform vector icons that scale cleanly and support theming. | Raster PNG icons that blur or pixelate. | Ensures scalability, crisp rendering, and dark/light mode adaptability. |
| Stable Interaction States | Use color, opacity, or elevation transitions for press states without changing layout bounds. | Layout-shifting transforms that move surrounding content or trigger visual jitter. | Prevents unstable interactions and preserves smooth motion/perceived quality on mobile. |
| Correct Brand Logos | Use official brand assets and follow their usage guidelines (spacing, color, clear space). | Guessing logo paths, recoloring unofficially, or modifying proportions. | Prevents brand misuse and ensures legal/platform compliance. |
| Consistent Icon Sizing | Define icon sizes as design tokens (e.g., icon-sm, icon-md = 24pt, icon-lg). | Mixing arbitrary values like 20pt / 24pt / 28pt randomly. | Maintains rhythm and visual hierarchy across the interface. |
| Stroke Consistency | Use a consistent stroke width within the same visual layer (e.g., 1.5px or 2px). | Mixing thick and thin stroke styles arbitrarily. | Inconsistent strokes reduce perceived polish and cohesion. |
| Filled vs Outline Discipline | Use one icon style per hierarchy level. | Mixing filled and outline icons at the same hierarchy level. | Maintains semantic clarity and stylistic coherence. |
| Touch Target Minimum | Minimum 44×44pt interactive area (use hitSlop if icon is smaller). | Small icons without expanded tap area. | Meets accessibility and platform usability standards. |
| Icon Alignment | Align icons to text baseline and maintain consistent padding. | Misaligned icons or inconsistent spacing around them. | Prevents subtle visual imbalance that reduces perceived quality. |
| Icon Contrast | Follow WCAG contrast standards: 4.5:1 for small elements, 3:1 minimum for larger UI glyphs. | Low-contrast icons that blend into the background. | Ensures accessibility in both light and dark modes. |
Interaction (App)
| Rule | Do | Don't |
|---|
| Tap feedback | Provide clear pressed feedback (ripple/opacity/elevation) within 80-150ms | No visual response on tap |
| Animation timing | Keep micro-interactions around 150-300ms with platform-native easing | Instant transitions or slow animations (>500ms) |
| Accessibility focus | Ensure screen reader focus order matches visual order and labels are descriptive | Unlabeled controls or confusing focus traversal |
| Disabled state clarity | Use disabled semantics (disabled/native disabled props), reduced emphasis, and no tap action | Controls that look tappable but do nothing |
| Touch target minimum | Keep tap areas >=44x44pt (iOS) or >=48x48dp (Android), expand hit area when icon is smaller | Tiny tap targets or icon-only hit areas without padding |
| Gesture conflict prevention | Keep one primary gesture per region and avoid nested tap/drag conflicts | Overlapping gestures causing accidental actions |
| Semantic native controls | Prefer native interactive primitives (Button, Pressable, platform equivalents) with proper accessibility roles | Generic containers used as primary controls without semantics |
Light/Dark Mode Contrast
| Rule | Do | Don't |
|---|
| Surface readability (light) | Keep cards/surfaces clearly separated from background with sufficient opacity/elevation | Overly transparent surfaces that blur hierarchy |
| Text contrast (light) | Maintain body text contrast >=4.5:1 against light surfaces | Low-contrast gray body text |
| Text contrast (dark) | Maintain primary text contrast >=4.5:1 and secondary text >=3:1 on dark surfaces | Dark mode text that blends into background |
| Border and divider visibility | Ensure separators are visible in both themes (not just light mode) | Theme-specific borders disappearing in one mode |
| State contrast parity | Keep pressed/focused/disabled states equally distinguishable in light and dark themes | Defining interaction states for one theme only |
| Token-driven theming | Use semantic color tokens mapped per theme across app surfaces/text/icons | Hardcoded per-screen hex values |
| Scrim and modal legibility | Use a modal scrim strong enough to isolate foreground content (typically 40-60% black) | Weak scrim that leaves background visually competing |
Layout & Spacing
| Rule | Do | Don't |
|---|
| Safe-area compliance | Respect top/bottom safe areas for all fixed headers, tab bars, and CTA bars | Placing fixed UI under notch, status bar, or gesture area |
| System bar clearance | Add spacing for status/navigation bars and gesture home indicator | Let tappable content collide with OS chrome |
| Consistent content width | Keep predictable content width per device class (phone/tablet) | Mixing arbitrary widths between screens |
| 8dp spacing rhythm | Use a consistent 4/8dp spacing system for padding/gaps/section spacing | Random spacing increments with no rhythm |
| Readable text measure | Keep long-form text readable on large devices (avoid edge-to-edge paragraphs on tablets) | Full-width long text that hurts readability |
| Section spacing hierarchy | Define clear vertical rhythm tiers (e.g., 16/24/32/48) by hierarchy | Similar UI levels with inconsistent spacing |
| Adaptive gutters by breakpoint | Increase horizontal insets on larger widths and in landscape | Same narrow gutter on all device sizes/orientations |
| Scroll and fixed element coexistence | Add bottom/top content insets so lists are not hidden behind fixed bars | Scroll content obscured by sticky headers/footers |
Pre-Delivery Checklist
Before delivering UI code, verify these items:
Scope notice: This checklist is for App UI (iOS/Android/React Native/Flutter).
Visual Quality
Interaction
Light/Dark Mode
Layout
Accessibility
Shared contract
Follow the shared skill contract for repo study, dirty-worktree hygiene, verification evidence, safe handoffs, and safety defaults.
