Design Taste Frontend

High-Agency Frontend Skill

Selective Reading Rule

Start with:

• references/senior-master-standard.md
• references/usage-routing.md
• references/quality-checklist.md

Then load only the inherited docs, scripts, assets, or examples that match the user's actual task.

When to Use

• Use when the user asks to create, improve, or review frontend UI with strong design taste and anti-generic constraints.
• Use when React, Next.js, Tailwind, motion, component states, typography, spacing, color, or responsive behavior need senior-level design judgment.
• Use when the output must override common LLM UI biases such as centered heroes, purple gradients, card overuse, poor states, and fragile layouts.

Limitations

• This skill provides frontend design and implementation guidance; it does not replace project-specific product requirements, accessibility review, or user testing.
• Verify framework versions, installed dependencies, responsive behavior, and build output in the target repository before treating generated UI as production-ready.
• Do not force these design rules when the existing product, brand system, or platform conventions require a different visual direction.

1. ACTIVE BASELINE CONFIGURATION

• DESIGN_VARIANCE: 8 (1=Perfect Symmetry, 10=Artsy Chaos)
• MOTION_INTENSITY: 6 (1=Static/No movement, 10=Cinematic/Magic Physics)
• VISUAL_DENSITY: 4 (1=Art Gallery/Airy, 10=Pilot Cockpit/Packed Data)

AI Instruction: The standard baseline for all generations is strictly set to these values (8, 6, 4). Do not ask the user to edit this file. Otherwise, ALWAYS listen to the user: adapt these values dynamically based on what they explicitly request in their chat prompts. Use these baseline (or user-overridden) values as your global variables to drive the specific logic in Sections 3 through 7.

2. DEFAULT ARCHITECTURE & CONVENTIONS

Unless the user explicitly specifies a different stack, adhere to these structural constraints to maintain consistency:

• DEPENDENCY VERIFICATION [MANDATORY]: Before importing ANY 3rd party library (e.g. framer-motion, lucide-react, zustand), you MUST check package.json. If the package is missing, you MUST output the installation command (e.g. npm install package-name) before providing the code. Never assume a library exists.
• Framework & Interactivity: React or Next.js. Default to Server Components (RSC).
  • RSC SAFETY: Global state works ONLY in Client Components. In Next.js, wrap providers in a "use client" component.
  • INTERACTIVITY ISOLATION: If Sections 4 or 7 (Motion/Liquid Glass) are active, the specific interactive UI component MUST be extracted as an isolated leaf component with 'use client' at the very top. Server Components must exclusively render static layouts.
• State Management: Use local useState/useReducer for isolated UI. Use global state strictly for deep prop-drilling avoidance.
• Styling Policy: Use Tailwind CSS (v3/v4) for 90% of styling.
  • TAILWIND VERSION LOCK: Check package.json first. Do not use v4 syntax in v3 projects.
  • T4 CONFIG GUARD: For v4, do NOT use tailwindcss plugin in postcss.config.js. Use @tailwindcss/postcss or the Vite plugin.
• ANTI-EMOJI POLICY [CRITICAL]: NEVER use emojis in code, markup, text content, or alt text. Replace symbols with high-quality icons (Radix, Phosphor) or clean SVG primitives. Emojis are BANNED.
• Responsiveness & Spacing:
  • Standardize breakpoints (sm, md, lg, xl).
  • Contain page layouts using max-w-[1400px] mx-auto or max-w-7xl.
  • Viewport Stability [CRITICAL]: NEVER use h-screen for full-height Hero sections. ALWAYS use min-h-[100dvh] to prevent catastrophic layout jumping on mobile browsers (iOS Safari).
  • Grid over Flex-Math: NEVER use complex flexbox percentage math (w-[calc(33%-1rem)]). ALWAYS use CSS Grid (grid grid-cols-1 md:grid-cols-3 gap-6) for reliable structures.
• Icons: You MUST use exactly @phosphor-icons/react or @radix-ui/react-icons as the import paths (check installed version). Standardize strokeWidth globally (e.g., exclusively use 1.5 or 2.0).

3. DESIGN ENGINEERING DIRECTIVES (Bias Correction)

LLMs have statistical biases toward specific UI cliché patterns. Proactively construct premium interfaces using these engineered rules:

Rule 1: Deterministic Typography

• Display/Headlines: Default to text-4xl md:text-6xl tracking-tighter leading-none.
  • ANTI-SLOP: Discourage Inter for "Premium" or "Creative" vibes. Force unique character using Geist, Outfit, Cabinet Grotesk, or Satoshi.
  • TECHNICAL UI RULE: Serif fonts are strictly BANNED for Dashboard/Software UIs. For these contexts, use exclusively high-end Sans-Serif pairings (Geist + Geist Mono or Satoshi + JetBrains Mono).
• Body/Paragraphs: Default to text-base text-gray-600 leading-relaxed max-w-[65ch].

Rule 2: Color Calibration

• Constraint: Max 1 Accent Color. Saturation < 80%.
• THE LILA BAN: The "AI Purple/Blue" aesthetic is strictly BANNED. No purple button glows, no neon gradients. Use absolute neutral bases (Zinc/Slate) with high-contrast, singular accents (e.g. Emerald, Electric Blue, or Deep Rose).
• COLOR CONSISTENCY: Stick to one palette for the entire output. Do not fluctuate between warm and cool grays within the same project.

Rule 3: Layout Diversification

• ANTI-CENTER BIAS: Centered Hero/H1 sections are strictly BANNED when LAYOUT_VARIANCE > 4. Force "Split Screen" (50/50), "Left Aligned content/Right Aligned asset", or "Asymmetric White-space" structures.

Rule 4: Materiality, Shadows, and "Anti-Card Overuse"

• DASHBOARD HARDENING: For VISUAL_DENSITY > 7, generic card containers are strictly BANNED. Use logic-grouping via border-t, divide-y, or purely negative space. Data metrics should breathe without being boxed in unless elevation (z-index) is functionally required.
• Execution: Use cards ONLY when elevation communicates hierarchy. When a shadow is used, tint it to the background hue.

Rule 5: Interactive UI States

• Mandatory Generation: LLMs naturally generate "static" successful states. You MUST implement full interaction cycles:
  • Loading: Skeletal loaders matching layout sizes (avoid generic circular spinners).
  • Empty States: Beautifully composed empty states indicating how to populate data.
  • Error States: Clear, inline error reporting (e.g., forms).
  • Tactile Feedback: On :active, use -translate-y-[1px] or scale-[0.98] to simulate a physical push indicating success/action.

Rule 6: Data & Form Patterns

• Forms: Label MUST sit above input. Helper text is optional but should exist in markup. Error text below input. Use a standard gap-2 for input blocks.

4. CREATIVE PROACTIVITY (Anti-Slop Implementation)

To actively combat generic AI designs, systematically implement these high-end coding concepts as your baseline:

• "Liquid Glass" Refraction: When glassmorphism is needed, go beyond backdrop-blur. Add a 1px inner border (border-white/10) and a subtle inner shadow (shadow-[inset_0_1px_0_rgba(255,255,255,0.1)]) to simulate physical edge refraction.
• Magnetic Micro-physics (If MOTION_INTENSITY > 5): Implement buttons that pull slightly toward the mouse cursor. CRITICAL: NEVER use React useState for magnetic hover or continuous animations. Use EXCLUSIVELY Framer Motion's useMotionValue and useTransform outside the React render cycle to prevent performance collapse on mobile.
• Perpetual Micro-Interactions: When MOTION_INTENSITY > 5, embed continuous, infinite micro-animations (Pulse, Typewriter, Float, Shimmer, Carousel) in standard components (avatars, status dots, backgrounds). Apply premium Spring Physics (type: "spring", stiffness: 100, damping: 20) to all interactive elements—no linear easing.
• Layout Transitions: Always utilize Framer Motion's layout and layoutId props for smooth re-ordering, resizing, and shared element transitions across state changes.
• Staggered Orchestration: Do not mount lists or grids instantly. Use staggerChildren (Framer) or CSS cascade (animation-delay: calc(var(--index) * 100ms)) to create sequential waterfall reveals. CRITICAL: For staggerChildren, the Parent (variants) and Children MUST reside in the identical Client Component tree. If data is fetched asynchronously, pass the data as props into a centralized Parent Motion wrapper.

5. PERFORMANCE GUARDRAILS

• DOM Cost: Apply grain/noise filters exclusively to fixed, pointer-event-none pseudo-elements (e.g., fixed inset-0 z-50 pointer-events-none) and NEVER to scrolling containers to prevent continuous GPU repaints and mobile performance degradation.
• Hardware Acceleration: Never animate top, left, width, or height. Animate exclusively via transform and opacity.
• Z-Index Restraint: NEVER spam arbitrary z-50 or z-10 unprompted. Use z-indexes strictly for systemic layer contexts (Sticky Navbars, Modals, Overlays).

6. TECHNICAL REFERENCE (Dial Definitions)

DESIGN_VARIANCE (Level 1-10)

• 1-3 (Predictable): Flexbox justify-center, strict 12-column symmetrical grids, equal paddings.
• 4-7 (Offset): Use margin-top: -2rem overlapping, varied image aspect ratios (e.g., 4:3 next to 16:9), left-aligned headers over center-aligned data.
• 8-10 (Asymmetric): Masonry layouts, CSS Grid with fractional units (e.g., grid-template-columns: 2fr 1fr 1fr), massive empty zones (padding-left: 20vw).
• MOBILE OVERRIDE: For levels 4-10, any asymmetric layout above md: MUST aggressively fall back to a strict, single-column layout (w-full, px-4, py-8) on viewports < 768px to prevent horizontal scrolling and layout breakage.

MOTION_INTENSITY (Level 1-10)

• 1-3 (Static): No automatic animations. CSS :hover and :active states only.
• 4-7 (Fluid CSS): Use transition: all 0.3s cubic-bezier(0.16, 1, 0.3, 1). Use animation-delay cascades for load-ins. Focus strictly on transform and opacity. Use will-change: transform sparingly.
• 8-10 (Advanced Choreography): Complex scroll-triggered reveals or parallax. Use Framer Motion hooks. NEVER use window.addEventListener('scroll').

VISUAL_DENSITY (Level 1-10)

• 1-3 (Art Gallery Mode): Lots of white space. Huge section gaps. Everything feels very expensive and clean.
• 4-7 (Daily App Mode): Normal spacing for standard web apps.
• 8-10 (Cockpit Mode): Tiny paddings. No card boxes; just 1px lines to separate data. Everything is packed. Mandatory: Use Monospace (font-mono) for all numbers.

7. AI TELLS (Forbidden Patterns)

To guarantee a premium, non-generic output, you MUST strictly avoid these common AI design signatures unless explicitly requested:

Visual & CSS

• NO Neon/Outer Glows: Do not use default box-shadow glows or auto-glows. Use inner borders or subtle tinted shadows.
• NO Pure Black: Never use #000000. Use Off-Black, Zinc-950, or Charcoal.
• NO Oversaturated Accents: Desaturate accents to blend elegantly with neutrals.
• NO Excessive Gradient Text: Do not use text-fill gradients for large headers.
• NO Custom Mouse Cursors: They are outdated and ruin performance/accessibility.

Typography

• NO Inter Font: Banned. Use Geist, Outfit, Cabinet Grotesk, or Satoshi.
• NO Oversized H1s: The first heading should not scream. Control hierarchy with weight and color, not just massive scale.
• Serif Constraints: Use Serif fonts ONLY for creative/editorial designs. NEVER use Serif on clean Dashboards.

Layout & Spacing

• Align & Space Perfectly: Ensure padding and margins are mathematically perfect. Avoid floating elements with awkward gaps.
• NO 3-Column Card Layouts: The generic "3 equal cards horizontally" feature row is BANNED. Use a 2-column Zig-Zag, asymmetric grid, or horizontal scrolling approach instead.

Content & Data (The "Jane Doe" Effect)

• NO Generic Names: "John Doe", "Sarah Chan", or "Jack Su" are banned. Use highly creative, realistic-sounding names.
• NO Generic Avatars: DO NOT use standard SVG "egg" or Lucide user icons for avatars. Use creative, believable photo placeholders or specific styling.
• NO Fake Numbers: Avoid predictable outputs like 99.99%, 50%, or basic phone numbers (1234567). Use organic, messy data (47.2%, +1 (312) 847-1928).
• NO Startup Slop Names: "Acme", "Nexus", "SmartFlow". Invent premium, contextual brand names.
• NO Filler Words: Avoid AI copywriting clichés like "Elevate", "Seamless", "Unleash", or "Next-Gen". Use concrete verbs.

External Resources & Components

• NO Broken Unsplash Links: Do not use Unsplash. Use absolute, reliable placeholders like https://picsum.photos/seed/{random_string}/800/600 or SVG UI Avatars.
• shadcn/ui Customization: You may use shadcn/ui, but NEVER in its generic default state. You MUST customize the radii, colors, and shadows to match the high-end project aesthetic.
• Production-Ready Cleanliness: Code must be extremely clean, visually striking, memorable, and meticulously refined in every detail.

8. THE CREATIVE ARSENAL (High-End Inspiration)

Do not default to generic UI. Pull from this library of advanced concepts to ensure the output is visually striking and memorable. When appropriate, leverage GSAP (ScrollTrigger/Parallax) for complex scrolltelling or ThreeJS/WebGL for 3D/Canvas animations, rather than basic CSS motion. CRITICAL: Never mix GSAP/ThreeJS with Framer Motion in the same component tree. Default to Framer Motion for UI/Bento interactions. Use GSAP/ThreeJS EXCLUSIVELY for isolated full-page scrolltelling or canvas backgrounds, wrapped in strict useEffect cleanup blocks.

The Standard Hero Paradigm

• Stop doing centered text over a dark image. Try asymmetric Hero sections: Text cleanly aligned to the left or right. The background should feature a high-quality, relevant image with a subtle stylistic fade (darkening or lightening gracefully into the background color depending on if it is Light or Dark mode).

Navigation & Menüs

• Mac OS Dock Magnification: Nav-bar at the edge; icons scale fluidly on hover.
• Magnetic Button: Buttons that physically pull toward the cursor.
• Gooey Menu: Sub-items detach from the main button like a viscous liquid.
• Dynamic Island: A pill-shaped UI component that morphs to show status/alerts.
• Contextual Radial Menu: A circular menu expanding exactly at the click coordinates.
• Floating Speed Dial: A FAB that springs out into a curved line of secondary actions.
• Mega Menu Reveal: Full-screen dropdowns that stagger-fade complex content.

Layout & Grids

• Bento Grid: Asymmetric, tile-based grouping (e.g., Apple Control Center).
• Masonry Layout: Staggered grid without fixed row heights (e.g., Pinterest).
• Chroma Grid: Grid borders or tiles showing subtle, continuously animating color gradients.
• Split Screen Scroll: Two screen halves sliding in opposite directions on scroll.
• Curtain Reveal: A Hero section parting in the middle like a curtain on scroll.

Cards & Containers

• Parallax Tilt Card: A 3D-tilting card tracking the mouse coordinates.
• Spotlight Border Card: Card borders that illuminate dynamically under the cursor.
• Glassmorphism Panel: True frosted glass with inner refraction borders.
• Holographic Foil Card: Iridescent, rainbow light reflections shifting on hover.
• Tinder Swipe Stack: A physical stack of cards the user can swipe away.
• Morphing Modal: A button that seamlessly expands into its own full-screen dialog container.

Scroll-Animations

• Sticky Scroll Stack: Cards that stick to the top and physically stack over each other.
• Horizontal Scroll Hijack: Vertical scroll translates into a smooth horizontal gallery pan.
• Locomotive Scroll Sequence: Video/3D sequences where framerate is tied directly to the scrollbar.
• Zoom Parallax: A central background image zooming in/out seamlessly as you scroll.
• Scroll Progress Path: SVG vector lines or routes that draw themselves as the user scrolls.
• Liquid Swipe Transition: Page transitions that wipe the screen like a viscous liquid.

Galleries & Media

• Dome Gallery: A 3D gallery feeling like a panoramic dome.
• Coverflow Carousel: 3D carousel with the center focused and edges angled back.
• Drag-to-Pan Grid: A boundless grid you can freely drag in any compass direction.
• Accordion Image Slider: Narrow vertical/horizontal image strips that expand fully on hover.
• Hover Image Trail: The mouse leaves a trail of popping/fading images behind it.
• Glitch Effect Image: Brief RGB-channel shifting digital distortion on hover.

Typography & Text

• Kinetic Marquee: Endless text bands that reverse direction or speed up on scroll.
• Text Mask Reveal: Massive typography acting as a transparent window to a video background.
• Text Scramble Effect: Matrix-style character decoding on load or hover.
• Circular Text Path: Text curved along a spinning circular path.
• Gradient Stroke Animation: Outlined text with a gradient continuously running along the stroke.
• Kinetic Typography Grid: A grid of letters dodging or rotating away from the cursor.

Micro-Interactions & Effects

• Particle Explosion Button: CTAs that shatter into particles upon success.
• Liquid Pull-to-Refresh: Mobile reload indicators acting like detaching water droplets.
• Skeleton Shimmer: Shifting light reflections moving across placeholder boxes.
• Directional Hover Aware Button: Hover fill entering from the exact side the mouse entered.
• Ripple Click Effect: Visual waves rippling precisely from the click coordinates.
• Animated SVG Line Drawing: Vectors that draw their own contours in real-time.
• Mesh Gradient Background: Organic, lava-lamp-like animated color blobs.
• Lens Blur Depth: Dynamic focus blurring background UI layers to highlight a foreground action.

9. THE "MOTION-ENGINE" BENTO PARADIGM

When generating modern SaaS dashboards or feature sections, you MUST utilize the following "Bento 2.0" architecture and motion philosophy. This goes beyond static cards and enforces a "Vercel-core meets Dribbble-clean" aesthetic heavily reliant on perpetual physics.

A. Core Design Philosophy

• Aesthetic: High-end, minimal, and functional.
• Palette: Background in #f9fafb. Cards are pure white (#ffffff) with a 1px border of border-slate-200/50.
• Surfaces: Use rounded-[2.5rem] for all major containers. Apply a "diffusion shadow" (a very light, wide-spreading shadow, e.g., shadow-[0_20px_40px_-15px_rgba(0,0,0,0.05)]) to create depth without clutter.
• Typography: Strict Geist, Satoshi, or Cabinet Grotesk font stack. Use subtle tracking (tracking-tight) for headers.
• Labels: Titles and descriptions must be placed outside and below the cards to maintain a clean, gallery-style presentation.
• Pixel-Perfection: Use generous p-8 or p-10 padding inside cards.

B. The Animation Engine Specs (Perpetual Motion)

All cards must contain "Perpetual Micro-Interactions." Use the following Framer Motion principles:

• Spring Physics: No linear easing. Use type: "spring", stiffness: 100, damping: 20 for a premium, weighty feel.
• Layout Transitions: Heavily utilize the layout and layoutId props to ensure smooth re-ordering, resizing, and shared element state transitions.
• Infinite Loops: Every card must have an "Active State" that loops infinitely (Pulse, Typewriter, Float, or Carousel) to ensure the dashboard feels "alive".
• Performance: Wrap dynamic lists in <AnimatePresence> and optimize for 60fps. PERFORMANCE CRITICAL: Any perpetual motion or infinite loop MUST be memoized (React.memo) and completely isolated in its own microscopic Client Component. Never trigger re-renders in the parent layout.

C. The 5-Card Archetypes (Micro-Animation Specs)

Implement these specific micro-animations when constructing Bento grids (e.g., Row 1: 3 cols | Row 2: 2 cols split 70/30):

1. The Intelligent List: A vertical stack of items with an infinite auto-sorting loop. Items swap positions using layoutId, simulating an AI prioritizing tasks in real-time.
2. The Command Input: A search/AI bar with a multi-step Typewriter Effect. It cycles through complex prompts, including a blinking cursor and a "processing" state with a shimmering loading gradient.
3. The Live Status: A scheduling interface with "breathing" status indicators. Include a pop-up notification badge that emerges with an "Overshoot" spring effect, stays for 3 seconds, and vanishes.
4. The Wide Data Stream: A horizontal "Infinite Carousel" of data cards or metrics. Ensure the loop is seamless (using x: ["0%", "-100%"]) with a speed that feels effortless.
5. The Contextual UI (Focus Mode): A document view that animates a staggered highlight of a text block, followed by a "Float-in" of a floating action toolbar with micro-icons.

10. FINAL PRE-FLIGHT CHECK

Evaluate your code against this matrix before outputting. This is the last filter you apply to your logic.

• Is global state used appropriately to avoid deep prop-drilling rather than arbitrarily?
• Is mobile layout collapse (w-full, px-4, max-w-7xl mx-auto) guaranteed for high-variance designs?
• Do full-height sections safely use min-h-[100dvh] instead of the bugged h-screen?
• Do useEffect animations contain strict cleanup functions?
• Are empty, loading, and error states provided?
• Are cards omitted in favor of spacing where possible?
• Did you strictly isolate CPU-heavy perpetual animations in their own Client Components?