Esther Design System

Esther Design System

Skill by ara.so — Design Skills collection.

Esther Design System is a constraint-based design system for AI agents that transforms content into brand-consistent HTML pages. It enforces strict visual rules (colors, fonts, layouts, components) to ensure every AI-generated page looks cohesive and "not like generic AI output."

What It Does

• Converts content → branded HTML pages for 4 scenarios: tutorials, landing pages, apps, social media cards
• Constrains AI creativity via predefined layouts, components, and strict brand rules
• Enforces quality through a mandatory 7-step workflow + P0/P1/P2 checklist
• Prevents "AI look" by banning common patterns (glassmorphism, gradients, default HTML styles)

Core Philosophy

Strict constraints = consistent quality
Limited options = faster decisions
Explicit rules = predictable output

AI can only use pre-approved layouts, colors, fonts, and components. No improvisation allowed.

Installation

1. Clone or reference this repository in your AI agent's context:

   git clone https://github.com/esthersjw/esther-design-system.git
   

2. Load into AI agent:

   • Cola Skill: Place in ~/Cola/skills/esther-design-system/
   • Claude Projects: Upload entire folder
   • Cursor: Add to workspace root and reference in .cursorrules

3. Initialize workflow: Tell your AI agent to read SKILL.md before any design task

File Structure

esther-design-system/
├── SKILL.md                    # 7-step workflow (this file)
├── brand-dna.md                # Brand colors, fonts, tone, forbidden patterns
├── assets/
│   ├── template-tutorial.html      # Starting point for tutorials
│   ├── template-landing.html       # Starting point for landing pages
│   ├── template-app.html           # Starting point for app UIs
│   ├── template-cards.html         # Starting point for social cards
│   └── avatar.jpg                  # Brand avatar
└── references/
    ├── layouts.md                  # 15 approved layout patterns with code
    ├── components.md               # 2988-line component library
    ├── checklist.md                # Quality gates (P0/P1/P2)
    ├── scene-tutorial.md           # Tutorial-specific rules
    ├── scene-landing.md            # Landing page rules
    ├── scene-app.md                # App UI rules
    └── scene-cards.md              # Social card rules

7-Step Workflow

Every design task MUST follow this sequence:

Step 1: Gather Requirements

Ask the user 5 questions before starting:

1. 页面类型？(tutorial/landing/app/cards)
2. 目标受众？
3. 几屏内容？
4. 现有素材？(文字/图片/视频)
5. 特殊约束？(截止日期/技术限制)

Step 2: Load Brand Rules

Read in this order:

1. brand-dna.md (global rules)
2. Corresponding scene file (scene-{type}.md)
3. layouts.md (layout options)
4. components.md (component library)

Step 3: Copy Base Template

# Start from template, NEVER from scratch
cp assets/template-{type}.html output.html

Step 4: Select 3-5 Layouts

From layouts.md, choose layouts ensuring:

• No two sections use same layout
• Mix alignment (left/right/center)
• At least one full-width section
• At least one asymmetric section

Example selection:

Section 1: Hero (Center Dominant)
Section 2: Feature Grid (Offset Triple Card)
Section 3: Quote (Left Text + Right Visual)
Section 4: Process (Timeline Vertical)
Section 5: CTA (Split Half)

Step 5: Build with Components

From components.md, use ONLY pre-built components:

<!-- WRONG: Default HTML -->
<blockquote>Some quote</blockquote>

<!-- RIGHT: Use brand component -->
<div class="quote-block-simple">
  <div class="quote-line"></div>
  <blockquote>Some quote</blockquote>
  <cite>— Author</cite>
</div>

Step 6: Self-Check Against Checklist

Run through checklist.md:

P0 (Must Pass All):

• Brand color ratio: Blue 60% / Yellow 30% / Red 10%
• Zero forbidden elements (glassmorphism, neon, bounce animations)
• Zero default HTML styles
• Warm background (#FFFCF5 or similar)
• Serif + sans-serif mix
• Responsive (mobile-first)
• All sections use different layouts
• Fluid sizing with clamp()
• Doesn't look "AI-generated"

P1 (Should Pass):

• At least one "wow" visual section
• Extreme font size contrast (h1 vs body ≥ 3:1)
• Scroll reveal animations
• Large decorative numbers/English text

Step 7: Deliver

Output a single .html file that:

• Opens directly in browser (no build step)
• Includes all CSS inline or in <style> tags
• Uses CDN fonts (Google Fonts, etc.)
• Has no external dependencies except fonts

Brand DNA Reference

Colors

/* Primary Palette */
--brand-blue: #2B7FD8;    /* 60% usage */
--brand-yellow: #F4D758;  /* 30% usage */
--brand-red: #E84A5F;     /* 10% usage - accents only */

/* Neutrals */
--warm-bg: #FFFCF5;
--text-dark: #1A1A1A;
--text-gray: #666666;

/* Extension Rules */
/* OK: Tints/shades of brand colors */
--blue-light: rgba(43, 127, 216, 0.1);
--yellow-bg: rgba(244, 215, 88, 0.2);

/* FORBIDDEN: Purple, neon, black backgrounds */

Fonts

<!-- Load in <head> -->
<link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Noto+Serif+SC:wght@400;700&family=Noto+Sans+SC:wght@400;500;700&family=Fraunces:ital,wght@1,400&family=Caveat&family=Fira+Code&display=swap" rel="stylesheet">

/* Usage */
h1, h2, h3 { font-family: 'Noto Serif SC', serif; }
body, p { font-family: 'Noto Sans SC', sans-serif; }
.decorative-english { font-family: 'Fraunces', serif; font-style: italic; }
.handwritten { font-family: 'Caveat', cursive; }
code, pre { font-family: 'Fira Code', monospace; }

Forbidden Patterns

❌ Blue-purple gradients
❌ Glassmorphism (backdrop-filter: blur)
❌ Neon colors
❌ animation: bounce
❌ Inter/Roboto fonts
❌ All sections centered
❌ Default <blockquote>, <ul>, <table> styles
❌ Generic AI templates

Key Components

Magazine-Style Card

<div class="card-magazine">
  <div class="card-eyebrow" style="background: var(--brand-yellow);">
    Category
  </div>
  <h3>Card Title</h3>
  <p>Description text here...</p>
  <a href="#" class="card-link">Learn more →</a>
</div>

<style>
.card-magazine {
  background: white;
  padding: 2rem;
  border-left: 4px solid var(--brand-blue);
  position: relative;
}
.card-eyebrow {
  display: inline-block;
  padding: 0.25rem 0.75rem;
  font-size: 0.75rem;
  font-weight: 700;
  text-transform: uppercase;
  letter-spacing: 0.05em;
  margin-bottom: 1rem;
}
</style>

Terminal Code Block

<div class="code-terminal">
  <div class="terminal-header">
    <span class="terminal-dot" style="background: #E84A5F;"></span>
    <span class="terminal-dot" style="background: #F4D758;"></span>
    <span class="terminal-dot" style="background: #2B7FD8;"></span>
    <span class="terminal-title">bash</span>
  </div>
  <pre><code>npm install esther-design-system</code></pre>
</div>

<style>
.code-terminal {
  background: #1A1A1A;
  border-radius: 8px;
  overflow: hidden;
  font-family: 'Fira Code', monospace;
}
.terminal-header {
  background: #2A2A2A;
  padding: 0.75rem 1rem;
  display: flex;
  align-items: center;
  gap: 0.5rem;
}
.terminal-dot {
  width: 12px;
  height: 12px;
  border-radius: 50%;
}
.terminal-title {
  margin-left: auto;
  color: #999;
  font-size: 0.875rem;
}
.code-terminal pre {
  padding: 1.5rem;
  margin: 0;
  color: #00FF00;
}
</style>

Quote Block with Hand-Written Badge

<div class="quote-handwritten">
  <span class="handwritten-badge">💡 Insight</span>
  <blockquote>
    The best design systems are the ones that constrain creativity
    just enough to ensure consistency.
  </blockquote>
  <cite>— Design Principle #3</cite>
</div>

<style>
.quote-handwritten {
  background: rgba(244, 215, 88, 0.1);
  border-left: 4px solid var(--brand-yellow);
  padding: 2rem;
  position: relative;
}
.handwritten-badge {
  position: absolute;
  top: -0.75rem;
  left: 2rem;
  background: white;
  padding: 0.25rem 0.75rem;
  font-family: 'Caveat', cursive;
  font-size: 1.25rem;
  border: 2px solid var(--brand-yellow);
  transform: rotate(-2deg);
}
blockquote {
  font-size: 1.25rem;
  line-height: 1.6;
  margin: 1rem 0 0.5rem;
  font-style: italic;
}
cite {
  font-size: 0.875rem;
  color: #666;
}
</style>

Common Patterns

Fluid Typography

/* Always use clamp() for responsive sizing */
h1 {
  font-size: clamp(2rem, 5vw + 1rem, 4rem);
}
p {
  font-size: clamp(1rem, 2vw + 0.5rem, 1.125rem);
}

Layout Grid

.section-container {
  max-width: 1200px;
  margin: 0 auto;
  padding: clamp(2rem, 5vw, 6rem) clamp(1rem, 3vw, 2rem);
}

/* Three-column grid with gap */
.grid-3col {
  display: grid;
  grid-template-columns: repeat(auto-fit, minmax(300px, 1fr));
  gap: 2rem;
}

Scroll Reveal Animation

<div class="reveal-on-scroll">Content</div>

<style>
.reveal-on-scroll {
  opacity: 0;
  transform: translateY(30px);
  transition: opacity 0.6s ease, transform 0.6s ease;
}
.reveal-on-scroll.revealed {
  opacity: 1;
  transform: translateY(0);
}
</style>

<script>
const observer = new IntersectionObserver((entries) => {
  entries.forEach(entry => {
    if (entry.isIntersecting) {
      entry.target.classList.add('revealed');
    }
  });
}, { threshold: 0.1 });

document.querySelectorAll('.reveal-on-scroll').forEach(el => {
  observer.observe(el);
});
</script>

Troubleshooting

"Output looks too generic"

• Check: Did you use 3+ different layouts from layouts.md?
• Check: Did you include at least one decorative English/number element?
• Check: Is there extreme font size contrast (hero vs body)?
• Fix: Add asymmetry, use transform: rotate() on decorative elements

"Colors feel off"

• Check: Measure color usage — Blue should dominate (60%), Yellow accents (30%), Red sparingly (10%)
• Fix: Replace overused yellow with blue tints, reserve red for CTAs only

"Fails P0 checklist"

• Most common: Using default <blockquote> or <ul> styles
• Fix: Replace ALL default HTML elements with components from components.md
• Example:

  <!-- WRONG -->
  <ul>
    <li>Item 1</li>
  </ul>
  
  <!-- RIGHT -->
  <div class="custom-list">
    <div class="list-item">
      <span class="bullet" style="background: var(--brand-blue);"></span>
      <span>Item 1</span>
    </div>
  </div>
  

"Not responsive on mobile"

• Check: Are you using clamp() for all font sizes?
• Check: Is grid using minmax() with auto-fit?
• Fix: Add mobile-first media query:

  @media (max-width: 768px) {
    .grid-3col {
      grid-template-columns: 1fr;
    }
  }
  

"Animation jank"

• Check: Did you include prefers-reduced-motion?

  @media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
    * {
      animation-duration: 0.01ms !important;
      transition-duration: 0.01ms !important;
    }
  }
  

Advanced Usage

Creating Custom Variants

To adapt for a different brand:

1. Fork the repo
2. Edit brand-dna.md:

   ### 三色
   | 颜色 | 色值 | 比例 |
   |------|------|------|
   | 主色 | #YOUR_COLOR | 60% |
   | 辅色 | #YOUR_COLOR | 30% |
   | 强调 | #YOUR_COLOR | 10% |
   

3. Update CSS variables in templates:

   :root {
     --brand-primary: #YOUR_COLOR;
     --brand-secondary: #YOUR_COLOR;
     --brand-accent: #YOUR_COLOR;
   }
   

4. Replace assets/avatar.jpg
5. Keep workflow (SKILL.md) and component structure intact

Adding New Components

Add to references/components.md:

### Your Component Name

**使用场景**: When to use this

**代码**:
\`\`\`html
<div class="your-component">
  <!-- Component HTML -->
</div>

<style>
.your-component {
  /* Component CSS */
}
</style>
\`\`\`

**注意事项**: Important notes

Then reference it in Step 5 of the workflow.

Example: Full Tutorial Page Generation

User request: "Create a tutorial page about CSS Grid"

AI workflow:

1. Ask questions → User confirms: tutorial type, beginner audience, 5 sections, text-only, no constraints
2. Load files → Read brand-dna.md, scene-tutorial.md, layouts.md, components.md
3. Copy template → Start from assets/template-tutorial.html
4. Select layouts:
   • Hero: Center Dominant
   • Section 1: Left Text + Right Visual
   • Section 2: Offset Triple Card
   • Section 3: Full Width Code Block
   • Section 4: Timeline Vertical
   • CTA: Split Half
5. Build content using components:
   • Magazine cards for grid properties
   • Terminal code block for examples
   • Quote block for key insights
6. Check:
   • ✅ Color ratio correct
   • ✅ No forbidden patterns
   • ✅ All sections different layouts
   • ✅ Clamp() used
7. Deliver css-grid-tutorial.html

Resources

• Full component library: references/components.md (2988 lines)
• All 15 layouts: references/layouts.md (with copy-paste code)
• Quality checklist: references/checklist.md (P0/P1/P2 gates)
• Scene-specific rules: references/scene-*.md (4 files)

Key principle: This system trades AI flexibility for brand consistency. Every constraint is intentional. When in doubt, choose the option with MORE constraints, not fewer.