| name | create-design |
| description | Use when a request needs new visual design concepts or mockups — screens, components, or layouts — before any code or Figma work starts. Determines (1) whether to produce a single design or multiple concept directions, (2) the fidelity level and how strictly Kuat design-system compliance applies at that fidelity, and (3) whether the output route is Figma or Claude Design (inline mockup). Hands off to figma-build-intake or mockup-build-intake accordingly. Not for code implementation (see create-web-app) or slides/imagery (see create-presentation, create-imagery). |
Create a design (mockup / concept)
Front door for any request to produce new visual design work — a screen, a component, a layout idea
— before deciding how to build it. Resolves three things up front so the downstream build skill
gets a clear brief instead of guessing.
Step 0 — Design-system context (ask once, pass it downstream)
Is this Equal Experts / Kuat work, or work for a different client with its own design system? Ask if
not already stated. Carry the answer into whichever skill you hand off to in Step 4 — don't ask again.
- If Kuat: reference/media-types/web-product/design.md and the Kuat2 file are in scope.
- If not Kuat: no Kuat file, component, token, or layout default applies. The downstream intake
skill discovers the target system live instead.
Step 1 — Single design or multiple concepts?
Ask if it isn't clear from the request:
- Single — the brief is specific enough that one direction is the answer (e.g. "redesign this
specific filter panel").
- Multiple — the brief is exploratory or comparative (e.g. "show me a few ways we could lay out
the dashboard", "explore 2-3 directions"). Default to 2-3 concepts, not more, unless asked.
Multiple concepts should differ in a meaningful way (layout model, information density, interaction
pattern) — not just colour or spacing tweaks of the same idea.
Step 2 — Fidelity level (sets compliance strictness)
Ask if not stated, using these three bands:
| Fidelity | What it looks like | Kuat compliance requirement |
|---|
| Low (wireframe / concept) | Structure and content hierarchy only; greyscale or neutral placeholders; boxes stand in for components | Follow Kuat's structural patterns (patterns/, design.md) — exact tokens/components not required. Label it a wireframe, not a compliance reference. |
| Mid (styled concept / directional) | Real Kuat brand colours and typography visible; approximate spacing/radius; components can be close approximations | Use real Kuat tokens for colour/type; component approximations allowed if flagged. Good for comparing multiple directions quickly. |
| High (spec-accurate / build-ready) | Pixel-accurate; intended to be handed to engineering or dropped into the file as-is | Full compliance — run the downstream checklist (figma-build-checklist or claude-design-build-checklist) start to finish. No unflagged approximations. |
Default to mid for exploratory work and high for anything described as final, a redesign
proposal for review, or destined for handoff.
Step 3 — Route: Figma or Claude Design?
Ask if not stated. Use these as defaults, not hard rules:
| Signal | Route |
|---|
| Needs to live in the design file, be reusable, editable by others, or feed into a Figma-based handoff | Figma |
| Quick exploration, side-by-side comparison of concepts, or a throwaway discussion aid | Claude Design (inline mockup) |
| Multiple concepts at low/mid fidelity for a fast decision | Claude Design — faster to produce and compare; promote the chosen one to Figma afterward if needed |
| Single high-fidelity, build-ready design | Figma — Claude Design cannot bind real tokens or instantiate real components, so it can't reach full compliance at high fidelity |
Step 4 — Hand off
- Figma route: invoke figma-build-intake, passing the context
(Step 0), concept count (Step 1), and fidelity (Step 2).
- Claude Design route: invoke mockup-build-intake,
passing the same three inputs.
- If the request turns out to need code (not a mockup), stop here and use
create-web-app instead.
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