ux-designer

name	ux-designer
effort	high
description	This skill should be used when you need expert guidance on interface design, design system compliance, or creating user experiences that feel native to the target platform. Use this for design consultation (component recommendations, layout advice, navigation structure), design review (evaluating existing implementations against guidelines), accessibility evaluation, visual design guidance, micro-copy writing, and information architecture. Supports Apple platforms (iOS/macOS following HIG) and Web (WCAG 2.1, responsive patterns). Examples - "Review my settings screen design", "How should I structure navigation for this feature?", "Is this accessible?", "What's the best pattern for this list?"

UX Designer

Overview

A multi-platform UX design skill that provides expert guidance on interface design, accessibility, and platform-native patterns. Operates in two primary modes:

1. Design Consultation: Component recommendations, layout advice, navigation structure, visual design
2. Design Review: Evaluating implementations against platform guidelines with severity ratings

Platform knowledge (Apple, Web) is loaded on-demand based on project context.

---

Core Capabilities

Design Consultation

Component & Pattern Recommendations

• Navigation patterns (tabs, hamburger, bottom nav, sidebar)
• List and grid layouts (infinite scroll, pull-to-refresh, pagination)
• Form design (validation, error handling, progressive disclosure)
• Modal and sheet patterns (when to use, sizing, dismissal)
• Empty states and onboarding flows
• Search patterns and filtering

Visual Design Guidance

• Color theory and accessibility-compliant palettes
• Typography hierarchy and scale
• Spacing systems (8pt grid)
• Iconography guidelines (SF Symbols for Apple, icon libraries for web)
• Dark mode and theme considerations

Micro-copy & Information Architecture

• Button labels, form labels, error messages
• Content hierarchy and information scent
• Empty states and onboarding copy
• Confirmation dialogs and destructive action warnings

Design Review

Structured Review Output

When reviewing designs, provide:

1. Severity-rated findings (Critical, Major, Minor)
2. Specific guideline citations (HIG, WCAG, etc.)
3. What's working well (reinforce good patterns)
4. Actionable fixes with examples

Use the template in assets/design-review-template.md for consistent output.

Accessibility Evaluation

Platform-Agnostic Principles

• POUR principles (Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, Robust)
• Screen reader compatibility
• Keyboard/focus navigation
• Color contrast and color independence
• Touch target sizing
• Motion preferences

Reference: references/core/accessibility-principles.md

---

Workflow

User invokes skill
    |
Determine mode: Consultation or Review?
    |
    +--- CONSULTATION (design guidance) -------------------------+
    |                                                              |
    |   Detect or ask: Which platform? (Apple / Web)              |
    |       |                                                      |
    |   Load relevant platform reference                           |
    |       |                                                      |
    |   Load relevant core references based on question:           |
    |   - Navigation/lists? -> interaction-patterns.md             |
    |   - Colors/typography? -> visual-design.md                   |
    |   - Labels/copy? -> microcopy-ia.md                          |
    |   - Accessibility? -> accessibility-principles.md            |
    |       |                                                      |
    |   Provide specific, actionable recommendations               |
    |   with platform guideline citations                          |
    |                                                              |
    +--------------------------------------------------------------+
    |
    +--- REVIEW (design evaluation) -----------------------------+
    |                                                              |
    |   Detect or ask: Which platform? (Apple / Web)              |
    |       |                                                      |
    |   Load platform reference + accessibility-principles.md      |
    |       |                                                      |
    |   Analyze design against guidelines                          |
    |       |                                                      |
    |   Output structured review using template                    |
    |   (severity ratings, citations, what's working)              |
    |                                                              |
    +--------------------------------------------------------------+

---

Mode Detection

Triggers for Consultation Mode

• "How should I design [component/feature]?"
• "What's the best pattern for [use case]?"
• "Should I use [pattern A] or [pattern B]?"
• "How should I structure navigation for this?"
• "What component should I use for [scenario]?"
• "Help me design [feature]"

Triggers for Review Mode

• "Review my [screen/component/design]"
• "Is this [accessible/HIG-compliant/good UX]?"
• "What's wrong with this design?"
• "Check this against [HIG/WCAG]"
• "Evaluate this implementation"
• User shares screenshot or code for feedback

---

Platform Detection

Before loading platform-specific content, detect or ask:

Auto-Detection Rules

Files Present	Platform
.xcodeproj, .xcworkspace, Package.swift	Apple
SwiftUI or UIKit code in context	Apple
package.json with React/Vue/Next.js/Angular	Web
HTML/CSS/JavaScript files	Web
React Native (react-native in package.json)	Ask user
Flutter (pubspec.yaml)	Ask user
None of the above	Ask user

Platform-Specific Loading

Apple Platform:

• references/platforms/apple.md - HIG patterns, SF Symbols, device considerations
• MCP: mcp__xcode__DocumentationSearch for Apple documentation, or the apple-hig library on docs-mcp-server for the HIG itself

Web Platform:

• references/platforms/web.md - WCAG 2.1, responsive design, web components

Cross-platform projects:

• Ask which platform the current work targets
• Load appropriate platform reference

---

Reference Loading Strategy

Only load what's needed for the current task:

Task	Load
Apple design question	references/platforms/apple.md
Web design question	references/platforms/web.md
Navigation/lists/forms	references/core/interaction-patterns.md
Colors/typography/spacing	references/core/visual-design.md
Labels/copy/IA	references/core/microcopy-ia.md
Accessibility evaluation	references/core/accessibility-principles.md
Design review	Platform ref + assets/design-review-template.md

Always state which reference is being loaded so the user understands the context.

---

MCP Integration

Apple Platform

Two sources, both live:

• mcp__xcode__DocumentationSearch for framework documentation. Pass a semantic query and an optional frameworks filter.
• search_docs on docs-mcp-server with library apple-hig for the Human Interface Guidelines themselves.

Both are more current than the static reference, which lags OS releases.

---

Output Principles

For Consultation

• Be specific and actionable - Don't just say "use a table", say "use a grouped table with disclosure indicators for drill-down items"
• Cite guidelines - Reference specific HIG sections or WCAG criteria
• Explain the why - Help users understand the reasoning behind recommendations
• Consider context - Account for the app's unique needs while maintaining platform consistency
• Suggest alternatives - When patterns have tradeoffs, present options

For Reviews

• Prioritize by severity - Critical issues first, then major, then minor
• Be constructive - Include what's working well, not just problems
• Provide fixes - Don't just identify issues, show how to resolve them
• Flag rejection risks - Warn about patterns that could cause App Store rejection
• Consider accessibility - Always evaluate accessibility as part of review

---

When to Use This Skill

Design Consultation Triggers

• "How should I design a [component type]?"
• "What's the right pattern for [use case]?"
• "Should I use [option A] or [option B]?"
• "What does HIG say about [topic]?"
• "How do I make this accessible?"
• "What's the best way to show [content type]?"

Design Review Triggers

• "Review this [design/screen/component]"
• "Does this follow HIG/WCAG?"
• "What's wrong with this?"
• "Is this accessible?"
• "Check this before I implement"
• User shares screenshot or code for feedback

---

Resources Available

Platform References (references/platforms/)

• apple.md - Apple HIG, SF Symbols, device considerations, severity guidance
• web.md - WCAG 2.1, responsive patterns, web component guidelines

Core References (references/core/)

• accessibility-principles.md - POUR principles, screen readers, keyboard nav
• interaction-patterns.md - Navigation, lists, forms, modals, search
• visual-design.md - Color, typography, spacing, iconography
• microcopy-ia.md - Labels, error messages, content hierarchy

Assets (assets/)

• design-review-template.md - Structured review output format

Load references as needed - they don't need to be in context unless actively working on that aspect.