| name | duo-design |
| description | UI patterns from the Duolingo design system — juicy motion, the character system as the emotional channel, design tokens (color/type/spacing), sound as a UX surface, accessibility as a default not a checklist, and "error-as-delight" detailing. Use when the user is designing a screen for a gamified or learning product, reviewing a design for "why does this feel flat," picking a motion system, building a character mascot, or auditing for accessibility. Source the Duolingo design system at design.duolingo.com. |
| license | MIT |
| metadata | {"author":"HKTITAN","version":"1.0.0","graph":true} |
Duolingo Design — Map of Content
The Duolingo design system is publicly documented at design.duolingo.com. This skill extracts the patterns (not the literal tokens) so they apply to any gamified or learning product, not just language apps.
This skill is structured as a graph: scan the descriptions below, follow only the [[wikilinks]] you need.
Motion and feeling
- [[references/juicy-motion]] — the bouncy, slightly-overshot easing curves that make every interaction feel responsive.
- [[references/celebration-design]] — visual grammar for "you did the thing" — confetti, scaling, character cameos.
The character layer
- [[references/character-system]] — Duo and friends as the emotional API of the product; how to build one for any brand.
Tokens
- [[references/color-tokens]] — the role/value split (e.g. correct-feedback vs. green-500) that lets a brand evolve without rewriting screens.
- [[references/type-system]] — Feather Bold, weight rules, and the legibility-first hierarchy.
Surfaces
- [[references/sound-as-ux]] — non-optional audio feedback; cheap to add, disproportionately rewarding.
- [[references/progress-bars]] — the most important UI element in a gamified product, treated as such.
- [[references/bottom-bar-navigation]] — five tabs, character-icon recognition, never moves.
Defaults
- [[references/accessibility-default]] — color-not-only, type-scaling, motion-reduce, screen-reader paths as ship blockers, not nice-to-haves.
- [[references/error-as-delight]] — an error state is a free chance to be the brand instead of break it.
Sibling skills
- [[../duo-gamification/SKILL]] — juicy-feedback is design + gamification; the implementation lives here.
- [[../duo-voice/SKILL]] — celebrations and errors are also a copy problem.
- [[../duo-retention/SKILL]] — the bottom bar exists because retention requires a stable home.
Sources
- design.duolingo.com — the public design system
- @duolingo product surfaces — observed motion and sound