| name | frontend-design |
| description | Flutter/Wind/Magic-native UI design skill: design systems, visual hierarchy, bold aesthetics, and semantic token usage for this project. Covers component authoring, DESIGN.md-driven theming, and dark/light parity. Use for any UI, component, or screen work in uptizm. |
| when_to_use | TRIGGER when: UI, pages, components, screens, design. DO NOT TRIGGER when: backend, auth logic, or non-visual. |
Frontend Design (Flutter/Wind/Magic)
Production-grade UI design for Flutter apps built on the Wind utility system. This is a project-specific fork of the generic frontend-design skill, pinned to MOBILE/Flutter mode. All guidance is Wind className and WindRecipe based; web/CSS-only directives have been reconciled or removed.
MODE
This skill is MOBILE/Flutter only. There is no web/CSS mode for this project.
Platform: Flutter (mobile-first, responsive via Wind breakpoint prefixes).
Styling: Wind className strings only. No raw Colors.*, no hardcoded hex in component code.
Theme: DESIGN.md is the single source of truth for all tokens. See the colors, typography, rounded, and spacing sections.
Components: use the project component library under lib/ui/components/. Never build inline one-offs when a library component covers the case.
DESIGN PROCESS (BEFORE CODING)
Before writing any widget code, commit to a bold aesthetic direction by answering four questions:
- Purpose: What problem does this screen or component solve? Who uses it?
- Tone: Choose a clear direction and commit fully (brutally minimal, refined precision, warm/approachable, editorial, etc.).
- Constraints: Touch targets, safe areas, responsive breakpoints (
sm/md/lg via Wind), accessibility (4.5:1 WCAG AA).
- Differentiation: What is the one thing a user will remember about this surface?
Then implement working code that is production-grade, visually distinctive, and cohesive.
Design-First Workflow
- Design the actual piece of functionality first, not the navigation shell.
- Work in grayscale first; add color after hierarchy is clear.
- Establish token bindings (spacing, type, color via semantic aliases) before detailed styling.
- Iterate in cycles; details come last.
For the full workflow loop (including screenshot + verify), see the design-first-workflow skill.
DESIGN SYSTEMS
Spacing Scale
Defer to DESIGN.md's spacing section and the Wind utility scale. The project 4px logical scale:
| Token | Size | Wind class | Use case |
|---|
| xs | 4px | p-1 / gap-1 | Micro gaps, icon padding |
| sm | 8px | p-2 / gap-2 | Within components |
| md | 16px | p-4 / gap-4 | Standard screen padding |
| lg | 24px | p-6 / gap-6 | Between sections |
| xl | 40px | p-10 / gap-10 | Major separation |
| 2xl | 64px | p-16 / gap-16 | Hero areas |
| gutter | 16px | px-4 | Horizontal content margin (narrow screens) |
| section | 32px | py-8 | Stacked section separation |
Do not use arbitrary pixel values (p-[13px]); stay on the 4px scale. For semantic spacing tokens, use the alias keys from DESIGN.md.
Type Scale
Typography is Geist (the authoritative font from DESIGN.md), with Geist Mono for every metric, latency, percentage, and timestamp (use tabular-nums on those). Use the Typography component or Wind text utilities matching the DESIGN.md scale. All sizes are logical pixels.
| DESIGN.md token | Wind approx | Role |
|---|
label-sm | text-xs | Captions, meta, timestamps |
body-md | text-sm | Default body text |
body-lg | text-base | Emphasized body |
title-lg | text-lg | Card/section titles |
headline-md | text-xl | Subheadings |
headline-lg | text-2xl | Screen titles |
display | text-3xl | Hero/display text |
Line-height and letter-spacing from DESIGN.md apply; they are already encoded in the Typography component recipe.
Font selection for this project: Geist (Geist Mono for numeric/metric columns) is the authoritative app font per DESIGN.md; both are self-hosted variable woff2 files in assets/fonts/, not the Google Fonts build. DESIGN.md typography is always authoritative over general font guidance.
Shadow and Elevation
Wind does not support CSS box-shadow or filter utilities (part of the ~72 unsupported CSS families). Express depth through:
- Background tonal shifts:
bg-surface -> bg-surface-container -> bg-surface-container-high
- Subtle border lines:
border border-color-border
- Use the
WindRecipe shadow-sm/shadow-md tokens only if the consumer WindThemeData has them aliased; otherwise rely on tonal backgrounds.
For elevation semantics, see docs/design-culture/material-design-3.md.
Transforms and Filters
Wind does not support CSS transform, rotate, scale, translate, filter, backdrop-filter, group-*, or peer-* utilities. For motion and transitions, use Flutter's animation system directly (AnimatedContainer, AnimatedOpacity, TweenAnimationBuilder), not Wind className strings.
VISUAL HIERARCHY
Every element sits at one of three levels:
- Primary:
text-fg + heavy weight (font-bold) headlines, key actions (one per section)
- Secondary:
text-fg-muted supporting text, dates, descriptions
- Tertiary:
text-fg-disabled metadata, timestamps, copyright
Key Principles
- Size is not everything: use weight and color before increasing font size.
- Emphasize by de-emphasizing: soften competing elements instead of loudening the target.
- Labels are a last resort: combine with values ("12 left in stock" beats "Stock: 12").
- Icons are visually heavy: give them
text-fg-muted or text-fg-disabled to balance with text.
Button Hierarchy
| Level | Wind recipe | Rule |
|---|
| Primary | Button(intent: ButtonIntent.primary) | One per section maximum |
| Secondary | Button(intent: ButtonIntent.secondary) | Clear but not competing |
| Ghost | Button(intent: ButtonIntent.ghost) | Discoverable, unobtrusive |
| Destructive | Button(intent: ButtonIntent.destructive) | Only on destructive actions |
Destructive actions do not have to be big/red/bold on all screens. On regular content pages where delete is secondary, use ghost or secondary styling. Reserve full destructive styling for confirmation dialogs.
COLOR SYSTEM
Use Semantic Tokens, Not Hex
All color decisions go through semantic alias tokens defined in DESIGN.md. Never put raw hex or Colors.* in component code.
| Role | Wind alias | Use |
|---|
bg-surface | Page background | |
bg-surface-container | Card, panel background | |
bg-surface-container-high | Input background, nested panels | |
text-fg | Primary text | |
text-fg-muted | Secondary text | |
text-fg-disabled | Disabled/meta text | |
bg-primary / text-on-primary | Brand action / on-brand text | |
bg-primary-container | Tinted brand surface | |
bg-accent | Secondary accent | |
border-color-border | Dividers, card borders | |
border-color-border-subtle | Hairline borders | |
bg-destructive / text-on-destructive | Danger action / on-danger text | |
bg-success / bg-warning | Status tones | |
For arbitrary-hex aliases generated by design:sync, Wind expands them as arbitrary-value utilities: bg-[#7C3AED] dark:bg-[#8B5CF6].
Dark/Light Parity
Every Wind className that carries a color token MUST include its dark: counterpart. This is enforced by the alias system: each alias key expands to a light+dark pair (e.g. bg-surface -> bg-white dark:bg-[#030712]). Never set a background or text color without a dark: override.
Use the /preview catalog and the component-visual-reviewer subagent to verify dark/light parity before shipping.
Accessibility
| Text type | Minimum contrast | Checked by |
|---|
| Normal text (<18px) | 4.5:1 | design:lint |
| Large text (18px+ bold or 24px+) | 3:1 | design:lint |
Never rely on color alone for meaning. Add icons, text, or patterns alongside color cues.
TYPOGRAPHY
Geist is the project font, with Geist Mono for metrics (see DESIGN.md typography section). Use the Typography component for all text rendering rather than raw WText with ad-hoc sizes.
Line-Height and Spacing
- Small text: taller line-height (1.5-2.0 equivalent).
- Large headlines: shorter line-height (1.0-1.2 equivalent).
- These are already encoded in the DESIGN.md
typography entries; use them as-is.
Alignment
- Default: left-aligned.
- Center: only for headlines and short blocks (under 2-3 lines).
- Right-align numbers in column comparison contexts.
LAYOUT AND SPACING
Mobile-First
Design for narrow screens first. Use Wind breakpoint prefixes to expand at sm (640px) and md (768px):
// narrow: stacked columns
// md and wider: row layout
WDiv(className: 'flex flex-col md:flex-row gap-4')
Touch Targets
| Minimum | Comfortable |
|---|
| 44x44 pt (iOS) | 48x48 dp (Android) |
Add invisible padding if an icon or label is smaller than the minimum target. Use min-h-11 min-w-11 as a floor.
Safe Areas
Respect device notches and home indicators via Flutter's SafeArea widget. Never place interactive elements in unsafe areas.
Navigation Patterns
| Pattern | Wind/Magic component | Use case |
|---|
| Bottom navigation | Navbar | 3-5 primary destinations |
| Tab bar | Tabs | Content categories |
| Navigation drawer | AppLayout sidebar | Many destinations |
| Bottom sheet | BottomSheet | Contextual actions |
Spacing Discipline
More space between groups than within groups:
- Form labels sit closer to their input than to the preceding element.
- Section headings have more space above than below.
- List items within a group are tighter than the group gap.
DEPTH AND MOTION
Tonal Depth (Wind-compatible)
Wind does not support box-shadow or filter. Express depth through tonal backgrounds:
- Raised: use a lighter background (
bg-surface-container) against the page (bg-surface).
- Inset: use a darker/deeper background (
bg-surface-container-high) for inputs and nested panels.
Motion
Flutter animation system handles motion; Wind className strings do not carry transitions/transforms. Focus on high-impact moments:
- Page transitions: use
MagicRoute transition settings, not custom animations per-view.
- State changes (loading/error): use the
Skeleton component for loading states; avoid inline spinners.
- Reduced motion: respect
MediaQuery.of(context).disableAnimations in all custom animations.
For detailed easing/duration guidance, see docs/design-culture/motion-interaction.md.
SPATIAL COMPOSITION
- Asymmetry and unexpected layouts can add character; do not default to symmetric grids.
- Generous negative space reads as premium; controlled density reads as rich/capable.
- Avoid filling the whole screen when the content only needs part of it.
MOBILE-SPECIFIC PATTERNS
Loading States
Use the Skeleton component (preferred over spinners). Shape variants: block, text, circle.
Empty States
Use the EmptyState component:
- Illustration or icon to grab attention.
- Clear title and helpful description.
- A call-to-action
Button.
- Hide irrelevant UI (filters, tabs) when they have no effect yet.
Forms
- Full-width
Input with horizontal gutter padding.
FormField handles label + hint + error state (never roll inline).- Primary action: full-width
Button(intent: ButtonIntent.primary) at the bottom.
- Error state:
border-color-border turns border-color-destructive; use FormField's error slot.
ANTI-PATTERNS
| Anti-pattern | Fix |
|---|
Raw Color(0xFF...) or Colors.* in component code | Use Wind semantic token alias |
Hardcoded pixel values (SizedBox(height: 13)) | Use Wind spacing utilities on the 4px scale |
| Font family chosen outside DESIGN.md | DESIGN.md typography is authoritative; Geist (Geist Mono for metrics) is the font |
| Purple gradients on white without dark counterpart | Every color token needs its dark: pair |
| Filling the whole screen when content needs less | Add max-w-* or mx-auto; let content breathe |
| Ambiguous spacing between groups | More space between groups than within |
| Touch targets under 44pt/48dp | Add min-h-11 min-w-11 or invisible padding |
| Ignoring safe areas | Wrap top-level screens in SafeArea |
| Color as sole communication channel | Add icon, text, or pattern alongside color |
| Multiple previews in one file | One preview class per *.preview.dart file |
CSS-only utilities (box-shadow, filter, transform, group-*) | These are unsupported by Wind; use Flutter APIs instead |
Icons.* inline in component bodies | Extract as static const IconData _icon = Icons.x; |
| Skipping dark/light parity | Every semantic token alias is a light+dark pair; no exceptions |
