vois-tokens

name	vois-tokens
description	Rules and patterns for building UI with shadcn/ui, Tailwind v4, and Motion against a Vois design token set. Use when building components, pages, or any UI that should conform to the workspace design system. Covers spacing, typography, color tokens, component architecture, animation, accessibility, and modern CSS patterns.
version	1.10.0

Vois Tokens Skill

You are building UI for a design system that uses shadcn/ui, Tailwind v4, and Motion. This skill defines the rules, constraints, and patterns you must follow. Deviation from these rules produces inconsistent, unmaintainable UI.

This SKILL.md is the entry point. Detailed rules for each topic live in references/ — read only the file(s) relevant to what you're building, not all of them every time.

Automated checks: a deterministic detector (scripts/detect.mjs) covers the mechanically-verifiable subset of the Pre-Submit Checklist below and can run as a per-edit hook in Claude Code, Cursor, or Codex. See references/hooks.md for setup and which rules are covered.

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Taste dials

If vois-router loaded VOIS.md, you'll be handed three 1-10 dials — VARIANCE (layout asymmetry), MOTION (animation richness), DENSITY (information per screen). They tune choices you'd otherwise make by default:

• DENSITY biases spacing scale and default paddings/gaps — high density reaches for the tighter end of the 4/8 scale, low density the looser end.
• MOTION biases how much animation to add — low motion means essential feedback only; high motion means richer entrance/transition choreography.
• VARIANCE biases layout — low means symmetric grids, high means asymmetry is welcome. VARIANCE also gates DS-SLOP-001 (centered-hero default fires above 4).

Dials never override hard rules. Every guardrail still applies at every dial value: animations stay under the 300/500ms caps and honor prefers-reduced-motion even at MOTION 10; contrast, touch targets, and spacing-on-the-4/8-scale hold even at DENSITY 10. Dials choose within the allowed range; they never widen it. If no dials were passed, assume the mid defaults (V/M/D = 5/4/5).

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Before You Write Anything

1. Check the component manifest. If a component exists for what you need, use it. Do not build a new one.
2. Check data/tokens.json for the value you need (spacing, type scale, color, elevation, icon size, breakpoints). If a token exists, use it. Do not hardcode anything.
3. If neither exists, flag it — don't invent values or components.
4. If a vois_record_rule_usage tool is available, call it after completing any UI work with the rule IDs you applied — this feeds the self-improving design system. If you violated a rule or found a rule unclear, include it with violated: true or ambiguous: true. If the tool isn't available, this step is optional telemetry — skip it and move on.

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Reference Files

Structured lookups — query these instead of scanning a whole reference file when you already know the rule ID, category, or token you need:

• data/vois-rules.json — every numbered [DS-XXX-NNN] rule from the 12 files below, keyed by id, with category for filtering. Covers spacing, typography, color, components/modals, css-architecture, elevation, iconography, layout/responsive, surfaces, tailwind-v4, accessibility, and animation. Query by id for a specific rule or by category for a whole topic — don't read a references/*.md file just to re-derive a rule statement that's already indexed here.
• data/tokens.json — the actual token values (spacing scale, type scale, easing curves, elevation shadow tiers, icon sizes, breakpoints, contrast minimums, touch target minimum). Rules are constraints; this file is values — they're deliberately separate.

Full reference files — read these when you need the accompanying code examples, tsx/CSS snippets, and "why" explanation for a topic you're building fresh, not just the bare rule text:

File	Read this when you're working on...	Rule prefix
references/spacing.md	Any padding, margin, or gap value	[DS-SPACING]
references/typography.md	Headings, body text, type scale, fonts, copy punctuation	[DS-TYPOGRAPHY]
references/color.md	Color tokens, OKLCH, dark mode, light-dark()	[DS-COLOR]
references/components.md	Component variants, cva, modals/dialogs, accordions	[DS-COMPONENT] [DS-MODAL]
references/surfaces.md	Border radius, optical alignment, shadows vs. borders, image outlines, enter/exit choreography, icon transitions	[DS-SURFACE]
references/elevation.md	Shadow/elevation tiers, modal scrim, z-index pairing	[DS-ELEVATION]
references/iconography.md	Icon sizing, stroke width	[DS-ICON]
references/layout-and-responsive.md	Viewport height units, content-visibility, breakpoints	[DS-LAYOUT] [DS-RESPONSIVE]
references/tailwind-v4.md	Tailwind v3→v4 migration, container queries, arbitrary values	[DS-TAILWIND]
references/animation.md	Timing, easing, reduced motion, Motion library usage	[DS-ANIMATION]
references/accessibility.md	Touch targets, focus states, contrast, semantic HTML	[DS-A11Y]
references/css-architecture.md	@theme setup, selector specificity, media queries	[DS-CSS]
references/anti-slop.md	Generic "AI-looking" layout/styling defaults (centered hero, AI gradient, three-card grids, eyebrow overuse) — judgment-only, not indexed in data/vois-rules.json by design; read the file	[DS-SLOP]
references/hooks.md	Setting up the automated per-edit checker, managing ignores	[DS-HOOKS]

Scoped loading: if you only need one or two rules (e.g. vois-router sent you here for a single component decision), query data/vois-rules.json for those rule IDs, or read only the matching reference file plus this SKILL.md if you need the examples too. You don't need the full set for a scoped task.

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Pre-Submit Checklist

Run this regardless of which reference files you read — it's the universal gate before calling anything done.

Spacing

• All spacing values divisible by 4 or 8 [DS-SPACING-001]
• No arbitrary spacing values [DS-SPACING-003]
• Consistent at all tested breakpoints [DS-SPACING-004]

Typography

• No more than 3 text styles in any component [DS-TYPOGRAPHY-001]
• Heading levels sequential, none skipped [DS-TYPOGRAPHY-002]
• Numeric data uses monospace with tabular-nums [DS-TYPOGRAPHY-003]
• Headings have text-wrap: balance [DS-TYPOGRAPHY-006]
• Body copy has text-wrap: pretty [DS-TYPOGRAPHY-007]
• Text containers have max-width: 65ch [DS-TYPOGRAPHY-008]
• Ellipsis is … not ... [DS-TYPOGRAPHY-009]
• Quotes are curly, not straight [DS-TYPOGRAPHY-010]

Color

• No hardcoded hex values [DS-COLOR-001]
• No raw Tailwind palette classes where tokens exist [DS-COLOR-002]
• Both light and dark mode verified manually [DS-COLOR-007]
• Color is not the only signal for error/success/warning [DS-COLOR-003]
• Decorative icons have aria-hidden="true" [DS-COLOR-005]

Components

• Checked component manifest before building anything new [DS-COMPONENT-001]
• Variants used semantically, not just defaulted [DS-COMPONENT-006]
• cva used for variant logic [DS-COMPONENT-002]
• Modals use inert on background content [DS-MODAL-001]
• Modals have overscroll-behavior: contain [DS-MODAL-002]
• scrollbar-gutter: stable on html [DS-MODAL-003]

Surfaces

• Nested rounded elements use concentric radius (outer = inner + padding) [DS-SURFACE-001]
• Icons/buttons optically aligned, not just geometrically centered [DS-SURFACE-003]
• Shadows used instead of borders for depth (not for dividers) [DS-SURFACE-007]
• Image outlines are pure black/white at 0.1 opacity, never tinted [DS-SURFACE-010]
• Enter animations split into chunks and staggered, not one big container [DS-SURFACE-011]
• Exit animations are subtler/shorter than enters [DS-SURFACE-013]
• Icon state transitions use scale 0.25→1, opacity, blur — not visibility toggling [DS-SURFACE-014]

Animation

• UI animations under 300ms (large elements under 500ms) [DS-ANIMATION-001] [DS-ANIMATION-002]
• No keyboard-triggered animations [DS-ANIMATION-003]
• transform-origin set to trigger point, not center [DS-ANIMATION-006]
• No animations from scale(0) [DS-ANIMATION-005]
• prefers-reduced-motion handled [DS-ANIMATION-004]
• No transition: all [DS-TAILWIND-005]
• Hover effects guarded on touch devices [DS-ANIMATION-007]
• will-change only set when stutter is actually observed, only on transform/opacity/filter [DS-ANIMATION-009]

Accessibility

• All interactive elements have :focus-visible styles [DS-A11Y-002]
• No outline: none without a replacement [DS-A11Y-003]
• Touch targets minimum 44x44px [DS-A11Y-001]
• Contrast passes WCAG AA [DS-A11Y-004]
• No div or span as interactive elements without ARIA [DS-A11Y-005]
• All images have alt [DS-A11Y-010]
• <fieldset> and <legend> used for radio/checkbox groups [DS-A11Y-016]
• <br> not used for spacing [DS-A11Y-012]
• <ul>/<ol> used for lists, not stacked divs [DS-A11Y-011]
• loading="lazy" on below-the-fold images [DS-A11Y-013]

Layout

• Using svh/lvh/dvh not vh for viewport-height layouts [DS-LAYOUT-001]
• Long pages use content-visibility: auto on off-screen sections [DS-LAYOUT-002]
• Tested at sm, md, lg breakpoints [DS-RESPONSIVE-002]
• No padding-bottom/margin-top used to space siblings — use gap on parent [DS-LAYOUT-COMP-001]
• No wrapper divs that serve no layout purpose [DS-LAYOUT-COMP-002]
• min-width: 0 on flex children containing text or overflow-prone content [DS-LAYOUT-COMP-003]
• Images with set dimensions have object-fit [DS-LAYOUT-COMP-006]
• aspect-ratio used instead of padding-top percentage hack [DS-LAYOUT-COMP-005]

CSS

• No #id selectors used for styling [DS-CSS-002]
• Selectors no deeper than 2 levels without a class [DS-CSS-003]
• Hand-authored @media queries use em not px [DS-CSS-007]

Anti-slop (see references/anti-slop.md — read it before flagging; several are dial-gated)

• No centered-everything default above VARIANCE 4 [DS-SLOP-001]
• No purple/indigo→blue "AI gradient" as a default [DS-SLOP-002]
• Feature groups aren't three identical cards in a row [DS-SLOP-003]
• Eyebrows capped at ~1 per 3 sections [DS-SLOP-004]
• No emoji standing in for real icons [DS-SLOP-005]
• No more than 2 consecutive zigzag sections [DS-SLOP-006]
• No spec-sheet table on a marketing surface [DS-SLOP-007]
• Page has some change in pace, not uniform top to bottom [DS-SLOP-008]
• Em-dash density appropriate to context — righter owns prose [DS-SLOP-009]
• No default card-ifying of static sections; drop shadow reserved for interactive elements [DS-SLOP-010]
• No left-border + corner-radius combo (especially with a shadow) on active nav/sidebar items; use a subtle color shift instead [DS-SLOP-011]

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Quick Reference

Situation	What to do	Full detail
Need a component	Check manifest first	references/components.md
Nesting rounded elements	outerRadius = innerRadius + padding	references/surfaces.md
Icon or button looks off-center	Align optically, not geometrically	references/surfaces.md
Card/container needs depth	Layered box-shadow, not a border	references/surfaces.md
Image needs a subtle edge	1px outline, pure black/white at 0.1 opacity	references/surfaces.md
Page or section entering	Split into chunks, stagger ~100ms	references/surfaces.md
Icon swapping state (play/pause, like)	scale 0.25→1 + opacity + blur, exact values	references/surfaces.md
Need a color value	Check data/tokens.json (color) first	references/color.md
Need a spacing value	Round to nearest 4 or 8 — see data/tokens.json (spacing_scale)	references/spacing.md
Need a font size	Use the type scale in data/tokens.json (type_scale)	references/typography.md
Need full-screen height	svh not vh	references/layout-and-responsive.md
Text container width	max-width: 65ch (DS-TYPOGRAPHY-008)	references/typography.md
Two colors switching with theme	light-dark()	references/color.md
Animating accordion height	interpolate-size: allow-keywords	references/components.md
Building a modal	inert + overscroll-behavior + scrollbar-gutter	references/components.md
Value doesn't exist in tokens	Flag it, don't invent it	—
Animation feels off	Check transform-origin and slow it down	references/animation.md
Hover on mobile	Guard with @media (hover: hover) and (pointer: fine)	references/animation.md
Unsure about contrast	Measure it. 4.5:1 minimum for normal text — see data/tokens.json (contrast_minimums)	references/accessibility.md
Space between two adjacent elements	gap on the parent, not padding-bottom on the first child	references/layout-and-responsive.md
Flex child text overflowing or not truncating	Add min-width: 0 to the flex child	references/layout-and-responsive.md
Fixed-size image looks stretched	Add object-fit: cover or object-fit: contain	references/layout-and-responsive.md
16:9 or other ratio container	aspect-ratio: 16 / 9, not padding-top hack	references/layout-and-responsive.md
Group of radio or checkbox inputs	Wrap in <fieldset> with <legend>	references/accessibility.md
Date or time in content	<time datetime="...">	references/accessibility.md
Hand-authoring a media query	Use em not px for the breakpoint value	references/css-architecture.md
Selector getting hard to override	You've gone too deep — add a class instead	references/css-architecture.md
Layout keeps landing on a centered hero	Above VARIANCE 4, break it — split/asymmetric/offset	references/anti-slop.md
Reaching for a purple→blue gradient	Stop — that's the AI-slop signature; use accent tokens	references/anti-slop.md
Three identical feature cards in a row	Vary sizes or use a bento/asymmetric grid	references/anti-slop.md
Every section has an uppercase eyebrow	Cap at ~1 per 3 sections	references/anti-slop.md
Done with UI work	Call vois_record_rule_usage with rule IDs applied, if that tool is available	—

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Reviewing Existing UI

This section applies only when the task is reviewing, auditing, or polishing existing code against this design system — not when building something new from scratch. If you're asked to "review this component," "make this feel better," or "audit this screen for design system alignment," follow this output format.

No-silent-changes contract

When you're editing existing UI (a redesign, refactor, or polish pass — not a greenfield build), some things are load-bearing outside the visual layer and must never be changed silently as a side effect of restyling:

• URL / route paths
• Form field name and id attributes, and API request/response field names
• Analytics event names, data-* tracking hooks, and test selectors (data-testid)
• Primary navigation labels and their destinations

These carry meaning that other systems (bookmarks, backends, dashboards, tests, muscle memory) depend on. If a redesign needs to change one, surface it as an explicit proposed change with the reason — don't fold it into a styling diff. Restyle freely; rewrite these only on purpose and out loud.

Before editing, classify the scope of change you're making:

• Greenfield — no existing UI to preserve; the contract above doesn't apply yet, but starts applying to whatever you ship.
• Preserve — restyle/refactor only; every load-bearing identifier above must stay identical.
• Overhaul — structural change is in scope; load-bearing identifiers may change, but only as an explicit, called-out decision — never a silent side effect of a styling pass.

Output Format

Present every change as a markdown table with Before and After columns, grouped under a heading per rule or category. Don't list findings as loose "Before:" / "After:" prose lines outside a table — they're harder to scan and easy to skim past.

• Include every change made, not a representative subset.
• One diff per row. Don't bundle two unrelated changes into a single row.
• Cite the specific file and property when it isn't obvious from the snippet.
• If a category was checked but nothing needed to change, omit that table entirely. Empty tables are noise, not reassurance.

Example

#### Concentric border radius `[DS-SURFACE-001]`
| Before | After |
| --- | --- |
| `rounded-xl` on card + `rounded-xl` on inner button (`p-2`) | `rounded-2xl` on card (`12 + 8`), `rounded-lg` on inner button |

#### Tabular numbers `[DS-TYPOGRAPHY-003]`
| Before | After |
| --- | --- |
| `<span>{count}</span>` on animated counter | `<span className="tabular-nums">{count}</span>` |

#### Scale on press `[DS-ANIMATION-008]`
| Before | After |
| --- | --- |
| `scale(0.9)` on button press | Raised to `scale(0.96)` — below `0.95` reads as exaggerated |

Review Checklist

Run this for any review/audit task, regardless of which reference files the underlying build touched:

• Spacing divisible by 4 or 8, no arbitrary values
• Color uses tokens, not hardcoded hex or raw Tailwind palette
• Nested rounded elements use concentric radius
• Icons/buttons optically aligned, not just geometrically centered
• Shadows used instead of borders for depth (not dividers)
• Component manifest checked before any custom-built equivalent
• Modals have inert, overscroll-behavior: contain, scrollbar-gutter: stable
• Enter animations split/staggered; exits are subtler and shorter
• No transition: all; will-change only where stutter was actually observed
• Touch targets at least 44×44px; focus-visible styles present
• Headings use text-wrap: balance; body copy uses text-wrap: pretty
• Dynamic numbers use tabular-nums
• No AI-slop defaults — centered-everything hero, purple→blue gradient, three identical cards, eyebrow on every section (references/anti-slop.md)
• No load-bearing identifiers (URLs, field names, event names, nav labels) changed silently by the restyle

This checklist is deliberately a cross-section of the full pre-submit checklist above — it's what's most likely to be wrong in code that predates this design system, not an exhaustive re-walk of every rule. For a from-scratch build, use the full pre-submit checklist instead.