anti-ai-slop

version	1.0.0
name	anti-ai-slop
description	Apply this skill whenever the user wants to audit, fix, redesign, write, or review UI, UX, copy, or text to avoid the generic "AI slop" aesthetic of 2025–2026.
category	quality
allowed-tools	Read Write Edit Glob Grep
license	MIT

Anti-AI-Slop Skill — 2026 Edition

AI tools flooded the design and copy space. The result: a recognizable monoculture. This skill is a systematic antidote.

How to Use This Skill

• Audit mode — Run through the diagnostic checklists. Name the sin before fixing it.
• Creation mode — edit_file work that avoids all listed patterns.
• Spot-fix mode — Diagnose specific element, explain why it's sloppy, rewrite/redesign it.

Part 1 — AI-Slop UI Patterns

The Canon of Slop

Pattern	What it looks like	Why it's slop
Purple gradient hero	#7c3aed → #2563eb on white bg	Default Tailwind AI app palette
Glassmorphism cards	Frosted glass, backdrop-blur	Overused since iOS 15
Rounded everything	border-radius: 24px+	Removes personality
Inter / DM Sans	Default "modern" sans	Signals AI-generated UI
Hero headline formula	[Verb] your [noun] with [product]	Indistinguishable from 10,000 others
Three-column feature grid	Icon + bold label + 1 sentence	Every SaaS landing page
CTA: "Get started for free"	Large button, primary color	Meaningless
Empty states with illustration	Lottie animation or SVG blob	Cute once, now patronizing
Dark mode = black + purple	#0f0f0f + #8b5cf6	Hacker aesthetic
Animated gradient text	Moving rainbow on headline	Peak 2023 startup energy

What to Do Instead

• Typography first. Choose fonts specific to the context. Use serif with character for body.
• Commit to one extreme. Brutally minimal OR maximally dense. The middle is where slop lives.
• Use real color theory. Complementary pairs, analogous schemes. Not "purple because AI."
• Reference actual design movements. Swiss grid. Bauhaus. Brutalist web.

Part 2 — AI-Slop UX Patterns

The Canon of Slop

Pattern	Why it's slop
Onboarding modal on first load	Interrupts before context
5-step onboarding wizard	Treats users as suspects
Tooltip tours	Teaches wrong interface
"Are you sure?" confirm dialogs	Trust issues. Use undo instead.
Generic empty states	Zero help
Toast notifications for everything	Noise. Users ignore them.
Search that requires exact match	Punishes user for trusting product
Form with 8+ fields to get started	Commitment before value
Hamburger menu on desktop	Discovery failure

What to Do Instead

• Don't teach the UI — fix the UI. If users need a tour, redesign.
• Undo over confirm. 5-10 second undo window on destructive actions.
• Progressive disclosure. Start with minimum viable form.
• Optimistic UI. Show outcome immediately, reconcile in background.

Part 3 — AI-Slop Copy Patterns

Hollow Affirmations

Words that exist only to fill space:

• "Absolutely!", "Certainly!", "Great question!"
• "Sounds great!", "That makes sense!"

Fix: Delete them. Start with actual content.

AI Corporate Superlatives

• "Powerful", "seamless", "intuitive", "robust"
• "Cutting-edge", "state-of-the-art"
• "Supercharge your..."

Fix: Replace with specific claims. What does it actually do? By how much?

Transition Theater

• "In conclusion...", "To summarize...", "In essence..."
• "It's worth noting that..."

Fix: Just say the thing. These delay the idea without adding.

Emoji Inflation

Using 🚀 💡 ✨ ⚡ 🔥 as substitutes for meaning.

Fix: Use zero unless context is genuinely casual. If you use one, mean it.

UX Writing Sins

Sin	Example	Fix
Error: blame user	"Invalid input"	"Email addresses need an @ sign"
CTA: describe UI action	"Click here"	"Download the report"
Success: announce action	"Saved!"	"Changes saved — live in 30 seconds"
Placeholder as label	Input with placeholder "Email"	Use a real label

Part 4 — Audit Workflow

• Scan for patterns. Check all canons. List every match by name.

• Score severity:

  • 🔴 Structural — Requires redesign. Fundamental problem.
  • 🟡 Surface — Easy fix. Wrong word or color.
  • 🟢 Cosmetic — Minor polish.

• Prioritize. Fix structural first.

• Rewrite/redesign. Specific replacement, not generic advice.

Part 5 — The Positive Doctrine

Design

• Specificity > universality. Design for this user, this task.
• Tension is interest. Contrast, asymmetry are memorable.
• Constraints create identity. Impose real restrictions.

UX

• Respect user's time. Every click is a tax. Minimize it.
• Be opinionated. Show best path. Don't present 6 equal options.

Copy

• Specific > general. "Saves 3 hours" > "Saves time"
• Active > passive. "We deleted it" > "It was deleted"
• Short > long. Cut every word that doesn't earn its place.
• Write for one person. Not "users". The specific human who will read this.

EPUB Reader Specific

Reader UI Anti-Patterns

Pattern	Why it's slop
Generic "Welcome" modal on first EPUB	Interrupts reading flow
Progress bar with percentage only	Should show chapter location
Settings hidden in hamburger menu	Accessibility fail on desktop

Backbone: Impeccable Deterministic Rules

This skill provides LLM critique and project-specific anti-references. For machine-checkable detection:

• CLI: npx impeccable detect --json . — 44 deterministic rules (no LLM needed)
• CI: Runs in ./scripts/quality_gate.sh (respects SKIP_DESIGN=1)
• Commands: /impeccable audit, /impeccable critique for deeper review
• Config: .impeccable/config.json — ignoreValues for project-specific overrides

Impeccable catches: side-tab borders, purple gradients, bounce easing, dark glows, overused fonts, nested cards, gray-on-color, small touch targets, cramped padding, line length, skipped headings.

Integration

• code-review-assistant: Use in PR reviews
• reader-ui-ux: Apply to EPUB reader
• impeccable: Deterministic backbone (this skill = LLM judgment)

Quality Checklist

• No AI slop patterns identified, OR
• All identified patterns named and explained
• Specific replacements provided for each
• Design principles cited for changes

Summary

Anti-slop is a discipline, not a style. Choose specificity over templates, tension over harmony, and respect for users over pleasing everyone.