design-md-extractor

name

design-md-extractor

description

Extract a visual design system from any website URL and generate a DESIGN.md that strictly follows the google-labs-code/design.md specification format. Use this skill for: "create a DESIGN.md for [url]", "extract design system from [url]", "generate design tokens for [url]", "analyze [brand]'s visual style", "make a DESIGN.md for [website]", "帮我分析 [url] 的设计系统", "为 [网站] 生成 DESIGN.md". Covers: DESIGN.md with YAML front matter (colors, typography, rounded, spacing, components) and markdown sections (Overview, Colors, Typography, Layout, Elevation & Depth, Shapes, Components, Do's and Don'ts). Output must pass `npx @google/design.md lint`.

Design MD Extractor

Extract a visual design system from any website URL and generate a DESIGN.md conforming to the google-labs-code/design.md specification.

Do's

• Follow the spec exactly. The output must have valid YAML front matter (color hex values, typography objects with complete properties) and correct section order. Every generated file should pass npx @google/design.md lint.
• Include fontFeature and fontVariation when observed in the source site's @font-face or computed styles. These are part of the Typography token spec.
• Use token references in components. Component properties like backgroundColor must use {colors.primary} syntax, not hardcoded hex values, per the spec.
• Document every observed component state. Hover, focus, active, selected, pressed — each state maps to a separate component entry (e.g., button-primary, button-primary-hover).
• Capture full CSS for shadows. Write 0 4px 6px rgba(0,0,0,0.1) not "subtle shadow". Downstream consumers need parseable box-shadow values.
• Verify colors against screenshots. CSS inspection can miss overlay effects and gradient blends. Cross-check with visual evidence.
• Provide open-source font substitutes. Proprietary fonts need documented alternatives (Inter, DM Sans, etc.).
• Write brand voice as design critique. The Overview section should read like a designer describing visual personality, not a feature list.
• Name tokens by role (primary, secondary, surface, ink) not by appearance — unless the descriptive name is the brand's own convention.

Don'ts

• Don't invent placeholder values. If a token category is missing, skip it. Fabricated values break the design system.
• Don't mix tokens from multiple themes. If a site has light and dark modes, ask the user which to document. Never blend both into one DESIGN.md.
• Don't use generic Do's/Don'ts. Every rule must reference a specific token or property. "Use good contrast" is useless; "Reserve {colors.tertiary} for primary actions only" is actionable.
• Don't omit lineHeight or letterSpacing. Typography tokens without these are incomplete per the spec.
• Don't flatten layered shadows. Multiple box-shadow layers must be preserved as-is with commas.
• Don't skip the Overview. It's the design rationale that guides future decisions. Without it, the document is just a token dump.
• Don't use duplicate section headings. The spec errors on duplicate ## headings (e.g., two ## Colors sections).
• Don't use unknown YAML keys at the top level. Only version, name, description, colors, typography, rounded, spacing, and components are valid in front matter.

Trigger Behavior

Input	Output
DESIGN.md for [url]	DESIGN.md — full design system document
extract design tokens from [url]	DESIGN.md with tokens only + summary
analyze [url]'s visual style	DESIGN.md + inline analysis

Natural language triggers: "create a DESIGN.md for linear.app", "extract the design system from stripe.com", "analyze github's visual identity", "帮我分析 https://example.com 的设计", "为 [url] 生成 DESIGN.md"

Output

DESIGN.md   — Design system document conforming to google-labs-code/design.md spec

Generated in the current working directory, named after the brand: themes/{brand-slug}/DESIGN.md

Reference

Read the spec before generating: google-labs-code/design.md spec

Also available to validate: npx @google/design.md lint DESIGN.md

Workflow

Step 1 — Gather Visual Data

Access the URL. Screenshot hero, nav, CTAs, cards, typography sections, footer. Inspect DevTools for CSS variables, @font-face, computed styles, box-shadow, border-radius, spacing.

Why: Screenshots capture decorative elements (gradients, glows, illustrations) that CSS inspection alone misses.

Step 2 — Extract Design Tokens

Map observed values into the YAML front matter schema:

version: alpha
name: {Brand Name}
description: {One-line brand identity description}
colors:
  primary: "{hex}"
  secondary: "{hex}"
  tertiary: "{hex}"
  neutral: "{hex}"
  surface: "{hex}"
  error: "{hex}"
typography:
  h1:
    fontFamily: "{name}"
    fontSize: {n}px
    fontWeight: {n}
    lineHeight: {n}
    letterSpacing: "{n}px"
  body-md:
    fontFamily: "{name}"
    fontSize: {n}px
    fontWeight: {n}
    lineHeight: {n}
  label-caps:
    fontFamily: "{name}"
    fontSize: {n}px
    fontWeight: {n}
    lineHeight: {n}
    letterSpacing: 

   {}
   {}
   {}
   

   {}
   {}
   {}
   {}
   {}

  
     
     
     
     {}

Colors — Identify 4-8 core colors. At minimum: primary, secondary, tertiary, neutral, surface. Use the Recommended Token Names from the spec.

Typography — Extract every distinct type style. Map to semantic names: h1, h2, h3, body-lg, body-md, body-sm, label-lg, label-md, label-sm, caption. Record: fontFamily, fontSize, fontWeight, lineHeight, letterSpacing.

Check font-feature-settings for OpenType features: cv01-99, ss01-20, tnum, dlig, etc.

Spacing — Detect base unit: multiples of 4 → base=4px. Multiples of 5 → base=5px. Map to semantic scale: xs, sm, md, lg, xl.

Radius — Detect all distinct radius values. Map to: sm, md, lg, full.

Shadows — Full CSS syntax only. Capture as part of component tokens.

Step 3 — Document Components

For each distinct component, document:

components:
  button-primary:
    backgroundColor: "{colors.tertiary}"
    textColor: "{colors.on-tertiary}"
    rounded: "{rounded.sm}"
    padding: 12px
  button-primary-hover:
    backgroundColor: "{colors.tertiary-container}"

Common components: buttons (primary/secondary/ghost), inputs (default/focused/error), cards, navigation, links, tooltips, chips.

Valid component properties per spec: backgroundColor, textColor, typography, rounded, padding, size, height, width.

Step 4 — Write Section Prose

Write each ## section in spec order:

1. Overview — 3-8 sentence design critique: dominant surface → typeface personality → accent color behavior → depth approach → signature element.
2. Colors — Describe each palette's role. Reference the YAML token names.
3. Typography — Describe font personalities, pairings, and size roles.
4. Layout — Grid system, max-width, spacing philosophy, responsive behavior.
5. Elevation & Depth — Shadow system, surface levels, or alternative hierarchy methods.
6. Shapes — Border radius philosophy, corner treatment per element type.
7. Components — Describe each component's role and styling rules.
8. Do's and Don'ts — 5-8 each, every rule referencing a specific token.

Step 5 — Validate

Run npx @google/design.md lint DESIGN.md to check structural correctness.

Fix any errors (broken refs, duplicate sections, invalid tokens) before finishing.

Format Rules

YAML Front Matter Structure

---
version: alpha
name: Brand Name
description: Optional one-line description
colors:
  token-name: "#HEX"
typography:
  token-name:
    fontFamily: Font Name
    fontSize: Npx
    fontWeight: N
    lineHeight: N
    letterSpacing: Npx
    fontFeature: "cv01, tnum"       # optional
    fontVariation: "..."            # optional
rounded:
  scale-level: Npx
spacing:
  scale-level: Npx
components:
  component-name:
    property: value or "{ref}"
---

Section Order (Must Follow)

1. ## Overview (alias: Brand & Style)
2. ## Colors
3. ## Typography
4. ## Layout (alias: Layout & Spacing)
5. ## Elevation & Depth (alias: Elevation)
6. ## Shapes
7. ## Components
8. ## Do's and Don'ts

Component Property Tokens (Spec-Defined)

• backgroundColor: Color
• textColor: Color
• typography: Typography reference
• rounded: Dimension
• padding: Dimension
• size: Dimension
• height: Dimension
• width: Dimension

Edge Cases

• SPA / client-rendered: Use view-source + network tab for CSS files
• Compressed CSS: Use DevTools computed styles panel
• Multi-theme (light/dark): Ask user which theme to document. If both are distinct, offer separate files
• Auth-gated pages: Focus on public marketing pages only
• Missing token categories: Skip sections rather than invent values
• Unknown section headings: Preserve them per spec; do not error
• Duplicate section headings: Error; reject and fix before output