distill

name	distill
description	Strip Puree UI designs to their essence by removing unnecessary complexity. Great design is simple, powerful, and clean.
user-invocable	true
argument-hint	Describe the component or panel to simplify (e.g. "settings panel", "toolbar layout")

Remove unnecessary complexity from Puree designs, revealing the essential elements and creating clarity through ruthless simplification.

MANDATORY PREPARATION

Use the frontend-design skill — it contains design principles, anti-patterns, and the Context Gathering Protocol. Follow the protocol before proceeding — if no design context exists yet, you MUST run teach-impeccable first.

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Assess Current State

Analyze what makes the design feel complex or cluttered:

1. Identify complexity sources:

   • Too many elements: Competing buttons, redundant information, visual clutter
   • Excessive variation: Too many colors, fonts, sizes, styles without purpose
   • Information overload: Everything visible at once, no progressive disclosure
   • Visual noise: Unnecessary borders, shadows, backgrounds, decorations
   • Confusing hierarchy: Unclear what matters most
   • Feature creep: Too many options, actions, or paths forward

2. Find the essence:

   • What's the primary user goal? (There should be ONE)
   • What's actually necessary vs nice-to-have?
   • What can be removed, hidden, or combined?
   • What's the 20% that delivers 80% of value?

If any of these are unclear from the codebase, ask the user directly to clarify what you cannot infer.

CRITICAL: Simplicity is not about removing features — it's about removing obstacles between users and their goals. Every element should justify its existence.

Plan Simplification

Create a ruthless editing strategy:

• Core purpose: What's the ONE thing this should accomplish?
• Essential elements: What's truly necessary to achieve that purpose?
• Progressive disclosure: What can be hidden until needed?
• Consolidation opportunities: What can be combined or integrated?

IMPORTANT: Simplification is hard. It requires saying no to good ideas to make room for great execution. Be ruthless.

Simplify the Design

Systematically remove complexity across these dimensions:

Information Architecture

• Reduce scope: Remove secondary actions, optional features, redundant information
• Progressive disclosure: Hide complexity behind clear entry points (use display: none + Python to reveal on demand)
• Combine related actions: Merge similar buttons, consolidate options, group related content
• Clear hierarchy: ONE primary action, few secondary actions, everything else tertiary or hidden
• Remove redundancy: If it's said elsewhere, don't repeat it here

Visual Simplification

• Reduce color palette: Use 1-2 SCSS color variables plus neutrals, not 5-7 colors
• Limit typography: One font family, 3-4 sizes maximum, 2-3 weights
• Remove decorations: Eliminate borders, shadows, backgrounds that don't serve hierarchy
• Flatten structure: Reduce YAML nesting, remove unnecessary container nodes — never nest cards inside cards
• Remove unnecessary cards: Cards aren't needed for basic layout; use spacing and alignment instead
• Consistent spacing: Use SCSS spacing variables, remove arbitrary gaps

// Before: cluttered
.panel {
  background-color: #2a2a3e;
  border: 1px solid rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.15);
  box-shadow: 0px 8px 24px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.3);
  border-radius: 12px;
}

// After: clean
.panel {
  background-color: $surface;
  border-radius: 8px;
}

Layout Simplification

• Linear flow: Replace complex grids with simple vertical flex where possible
• Full-width: Use available space generously instead of complex multi-column layouts
• Consistent alignment: Pick left or center, stick with it
• Generous whitespace: Let content breathe, don't pack everything tight

# Before: over-nested
content_wrapper:
  inner_wrapper:
    content_container:
      actual_content:
        text: "Hello"

# After: flat
content:
  class: content
  text: "Hello"

Interaction Simplification

• Reduce choices: Fewer buttons, fewer options, clearer path forward
• Smart defaults: Make common choices automatic, only ask when necessary
• Clear CTAs: ONE obvious next step, not five competing actions

Content Simplification

• Shorter copy: Cut every sentence in half, then do it again
• Active voice: "Save changes" not "Changes will be saved"
• Remove jargon: Plain language always wins
• Essential information only: Remove fluff and hedging
• Remove redundant copy: No headers restating intros, say it once

Code Simplification

• Remove unused YAML nodes: Dead nodes that have no visible purpose
• Remove unused SCSS: Styles that aren't applied to any node
• Flatten YAML trees: Reduce nesting depth
• Consolidate SCSS: Merge similar styles, use SCSS variables consistently
• Reduce component variants: Does that component need 12 parameter options, or can 3 cover 90% of cases?

NEVER:

• Remove necessary functionality (simplicity ≠ feature-less)
• Make things so simple they're unclear (mystery ≠ minimalism)
• Remove information users need to make decisions
• Eliminate hierarchy completely (some things should stand out)
• Oversimplify complex domains (match complexity to actual task complexity)

Verify Simplification

Ensure simplification improves usability:

• Faster task completion: Can users accomplish goals more quickly?
• Reduced cognitive load: Is it easier to understand what to do?
• Still complete: Are all necessary features still accessible?
• Clearer hierarchy: Is it obvious what matters most?

Document Removed Complexity

If you removed features or options:

• Document why they were removed
• Consider if they need alternative access points
• Note any user feedback to monitor

Remember: Simplification is an act of confidence — knowing what to keep and courage to remove the rest. As Antoine de Saint-Exupéry said: "Perfection is achieved not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away."