live

name	live
description	Lightweight live UI iteration workflow for in-situ element selection, annotation capture, and side-by-side variant exploration in real app contexts.

Live

Use this skill for fast, in-situ UI improvement loops on consumer apps while staying within UIKit and token constraints.

Purpose and Constraints

• Improve real interface contexts, not isolated mockups.
• Keep loops lightweight: small, testable changes with clear accept/discard decisions.
• Stay aligned with semantic tokens and existing component recipes.

Preconditions

Before iterating, confirm all of the following:

1. A dev server with HMR is running for the target app (for this stream the default is http://localhost:5173).
2. You are editing source files, not generated assets.
3. The target screen is reachable and stable enough for repeated checks.
4. The workflow stays tool-agnostic: Claude and Copilot paths are both valid as long as the same source files are updated.
5. If present, read DESIGN.md and PREVIEW.md first; they override ad hoc local style guesses.

In-Situ Flow

1. Select a specific element or region in the running UI.
2. Capture concise annotations about what is wrong and what should improve.
3. Generate 2 to 3 targeted variants for the same element in-place.
4. Present options side-by-side or sequentially with clear tradeoffs.
5. Accept one option or discard all, then iterate once if needed.

When a variant is accepted:

1. Write the accepted changes into source immediately.
2. Remove temporary experiment scaffolding.
3. Re-open the same screen and verify no regressions before continuing.

When all variants are rejected:

1. Keep original source unchanged.
2. Re-state the constraint that blocked acceptance.
3. Run one additional focused iteration only if the blocker is clear.

Token and Component Guardrails

• Use existing semantic tokens first; avoid hardcoded style values.
• Prefer existing UIKit components, recipes, and slot recipes.
• Avoid visual drift that breaks established system language.
• Keep modifications composable and easy to port into source code.
• Keep iconography consistent: use lucide-react and avoid emoji or ad hoc inline SVG icon implementations.

Design-System Defaults

Apply these defaults unless the user asks for a deliberate exception:

• Segmented controls: make active state affordance explicit using data-state="on" and semantic tokens.
• Option controls (toggle/segmented/switch-like): maintain consistent border, focus ring, and interaction-state treatment.
• Data-table headers: enforce casing and tracking policy (uppercase plus letter-spacing where that pattern is expected).

Component Contracts (Use Exactly)

When implementing option controls in this repository, use these concrete pairings:

1. Segmented options:
   • Component primitive: ToggleGroup from @archon-research/design-system.
   • Styling contract: segmentedControl() recipe from styled-system.
   • Required active selector: &[data-state="on"] (recipe already maps selected state).
   • Baseline tokens: border.default, interactive.selected, interactive.hover, text.default, text.muted.
2. Binary toggles:
   • Component primitive: Switch from @archon-research/design-system.
   • Styling contract: toggleSwitch() slot recipe.
   • Root defaults: border.default, surface.subtle, focus ring via _focusVisible rule.
3. Data-table headers:
   • Prefer shared DataTable contract first.
   • Header policy baseline: uppercase plus tracking (letterSpacing), muted header color, no ad hoc one-off casing in sibling tables.

Do not duplicate selectors that already exist in shared recipes unless there is a documented exception in DESIGN.md.

Parameter Knobs

Use at most 0 to 3 knobs per variant:

• Density: compact to regular spacing and touch targets.
• Color emphasis: subdued to strong semantic emphasis.
• Typography scale: conservative to expressive hierarchy shifts.

Keep knobs explicit so reviewers can compare options quickly.

Recovery

• If live iteration is interrupted, resume from the last accepted source state, not from transient preview changes.
• If the selected element lives in a generated file, route to the source-of-truth file before applying changes.
• If CSP or local script restrictions block iteration tooling, use a dev-only fix and remove or guard it before shipping.

Context Preference Order

Choose defaults in this order:

1. DESIGN.md and PREVIEW.md (if present).
2. Shared design-system recipes/components.
3. Existing local screen usage patterns.
4. New local overrides (last resort, document why).

Acceptance Checklist

• Accessibility basics hold (focus, contrast, labeling, keyboard paths).
• Responsive behavior remains stable at expected breakpoints.
• Token integrity is preserved with no ad hoc values.
• Chosen variant improves clarity or task completion measurably.