UI/UX Design
Systematic UI/UX design skill with design system creation guides, Figma workflow patterns, accessibility audit checklists, browser-based visual audit procedures, and design-to-code handoff templates. Produces consistent, accessible, conversion-optimized interfaces.
When to Use
- Creating or extending a design system (tokens, components, patterns)
- Designing new pages, features, or user flows
- Auditing existing UI for accessibility compliance
- Preparing design specifications for developer handoff
- Setting up Figma project structure and workflows
- Reviewing existing UI via automated browser screenshots and heuristic analysis
- Reviewing UI components against heuristics and platform guidelines
When NOT to Use
- Writing page content or copy (use
content-creation skill)
- Implementing frontend code (use
Agent(frontend-engineer) role)
- Conducting SEO audits (use
/seo-review workflow)
- Writing technical documentation (use
/docs workflow)
Design System Creation
Step 1: Audit Existing UI
Before creating a design system:
- Screenshot inventory: Capture all existing screens and components
- Pattern extraction: Identify recurring colors, typography, spacing, components
- Inconsistency map: Document where the same concept is implemented differently
- Priority matrix: Rank components by frequency of use × inconsistency severity
Step 2: Define Foundations
Build from the ground up:
| Foundation |
What to Define |
Token Naming |
| Color |
Brand, semantic, neutral, overlay palettes |
color-{category}-{shade} |
| Typography |
Font families, size scale, weights, line heights |
font-{property}-{size} |
| Spacing |
Base unit (4px or 8px), scale |
spacing-{size} |
| Border radius |
Scale from none to full |
radius-{size} |
| Elevation |
Shadow levels |
shadow-{level} |
| Motion |
Duration, easing curves |
motion-{property}-{variant} |
| Breakpoints |
Viewport thresholds |
breakpoint-{name} |
Step 3: Build Components
Follow Atomic Design progression:
- Atoms: Button, Input, Label, Icon, Badge, Avatar, Checkbox, Radio, Toggle
- Molecules: Input Group, Search Bar, Card, Dropdown, Tooltip, Alert, Breadcrumb
- Organisms: Header, Footer, Sidebar, Form, Data Table, Modal, Navigation
For each component, document:
- Variants: Primary, secondary, outline, ghost, destructive
- Sizes: xs, sm, md, lg, xl
- States: Default, hover, focus, active, disabled, loading, error
- Accessibility: ARIA role, keyboard behavior, screen reader announcement
- Responsive: Behavior at each breakpoint
- Do / Don't: Usage examples and anti-patterns
Step 4: Document and Maintain
- Publish component library with live examples
- Version with semantic versioning
- Changelog for every update
- Deprecation notices with migration guides
See design-system-checklist.md for the full creation checklist.
Figma Workflow
See figma-workflow.md for detailed Figma project setup, component organization, Auto Layout patterns, and developer handoff procedures.
Quick Reference
| Figma Concept |
Code Equivalent |
| Auto Layout |
Flexbox / CSS Grid |
| Component variants |
React props / variant configs |
| Design tokens (Variables) |
CSS custom properties |
| Constraints |
CSS positioning / responsive rules |
| Component instances |
React component usage |
Accessibility Audit
See accessibility-checklist.md for the comprehensive WCAG 2.2 AA audit checklist.
See visual-audit-checklist.md for the browser-screenshot visual-audit procedure.
Quick Audit (5-Minute Check)
- Tab through the page — can you reach and operate every interactive element?
- Zoom to 200% — does content reflow without horizontal scrolling?
- Check contrast — do all text elements meet 4.5:1 (normal) / 3:1 (large)?
- Screen reader test — do headings, landmarks, and alt text make sense?
- Keyboard-only — can you complete the primary task without a mouse?
Design-to-Code Handoff
See assets/handoff-template.md for the full handoff format — includes component inventory, W3C-format design tokens per component, WCAG 2.2 AA accessibility requirements (with the four new SCs: 2.4.11, 2.5.7, 3.3.7, 3.3.8), animation + reduced-motion contract, edge cases (empty/loading/error/overflow/RTL), browser/device support matrix, and engineer gotchas. Worked example: Button/Primary with measured contrast values and ARIA contract.
Component Specification
See assets/component-spec-template.md for a single-component spec template aligned with Atomic Design, Material Design 3, and Apple HIG. Covers anatomy diagram, variants, props API table, composition rules, accessibility spec, states, responsive behavior, do/don't pairs, related components, and Figma/Storybook reference fields. Worked example: Card molecule.
Templates
assets/handoff-template.md — Design-to-Code handoff format.assets/component-spec-template.md — Component specification format for design systems.
Integration
- Follows rules:
Agent(ui-ux-designer) (design principles, accessibility, design systems)
- Activation:
@ui-ux-design (knowledge skill loaded by the ui-ux-designer agent — not user-invoked)
- Used by workflows:
/feature-dev (UI features), /develop (when ui-ux-designer is in the team)
- Companion resources:
design-system-checklist.md, figma-workflow.md, accessibility-checklist.md, visual-audit-checklist.md, assets/handoff-template.md, assets/component-spec-template.md
1---2name: ui-ux-design3description: Use this skill when designing interfaces, creating design systems, auditing accessibility, reviewing existing UI via browser screenshots, specifying components, or preparing design handoff for developers — covering UI/UX design systems, Figma workflows, accessibility checklists, browser-based visual audit with automated screenshots, component specification patterns, and design-to-code handoff procedures.4---56# UI/UX Design78Systematic UI/UX design skill with design system creation guides, Figma workflow patterns, accessibility audit checklists, browser-based visual audit procedures, and design-to-code handoff templates. Produces consistent, accessible, conversion-optimized interfaces.910## When to Use1112- Creating or extending a design system (tokens, components, patterns)13- Designing new pages, features, or user flows14- Auditing existing UI for accessibility compliance15- Preparing design specifications for developer handoff16- Setting up Figma project structure and workflows17- Reviewing existing UI via automated browser screenshots and heuristic analysis18- Reviewing UI components against heuristics and platform guidelines1920## When NOT to Use2122- Writing page content or copy (use `content-creation` skill)23- Implementing frontend code (use `Agent(frontend-engineer)` role)24- Conducting SEO audits (use `/seo-review` workflow)25- Writing technical documentation (use `/docs` workflow)2627## Design System Creation2829### Step 1: Audit Existing UI3031Before creating a design system:32331. **Screenshot inventory**: Capture all existing screens and components342. **Pattern extraction**: Identify recurring colors, typography, spacing, components353. **Inconsistency map**: Document where the same concept is implemented differently364. **Priority matrix**: Rank components by frequency of use × inconsistency severity3738### Step 2: Define Foundations3940Build from the ground up:4142| Foundation | What to Define | Token Naming |43|---|---|---|44| **Color** | Brand, semantic, neutral, overlay palettes | `color-{category}-{shade}` |45| **Typography** | Font families, size scale, weights, line heights | `font-{property}-{size}` |46| **Spacing** | Base unit (4px or 8px), scale | `spacing-{size}` |47| **Border radius** | Scale from none to full | `radius-{size}` |48| **Elevation** | Shadow levels | `shadow-{level}` |49| **Motion** | Duration, easing curves | `motion-{property}-{variant}` |50| **Breakpoints** | Viewport thresholds | `breakpoint-{name}` |5152### Step 3: Build Components5354Follow Atomic Design progression:55561. **Atoms**: Button, Input, Label, Icon, Badge, Avatar, Checkbox, Radio, Toggle572. **Molecules**: Input Group, Search Bar, Card, Dropdown, Tooltip, Alert, Breadcrumb583. **Organisms**: Header, Footer, Sidebar, Form, Data Table, Modal, Navigation5960For each component, document:61- **Variants**: Primary, secondary, outline, ghost, destructive62- **Sizes**: xs, sm, md, lg, xl63- **States**: Default, hover, focus, active, disabled, loading, error64- **Accessibility**: ARIA role, keyboard behavior, screen reader announcement65- **Responsive**: Behavior at each breakpoint66- **Do / Don't**: Usage examples and anti-patterns6768### Step 4: Document and Maintain6970- Publish component library with live examples71- Version with semantic versioning72- Changelog for every update73- Deprecation notices with migration guides7475See `design-system-checklist.md` for the full creation checklist.7677## Figma Workflow7879See `figma-workflow.md` for detailed Figma project setup, component organization, Auto Layout patterns, and developer handoff procedures.8081### Quick Reference8283| Figma Concept | Code Equivalent |84|---|---|85| Auto Layout | Flexbox / CSS Grid |86| Component variants | React props / variant configs |87| Design tokens (Variables) | CSS custom properties |88| Constraints | CSS positioning / responsive rules |89| Component instances | React component usage |9091## Accessibility Audit9293See `accessibility-checklist.md` for the comprehensive WCAG 2.2 AA audit checklist.9495See `visual-audit-checklist.md` for the browser-screenshot visual-audit procedure.9697### Quick Audit (5-Minute Check)98991. **Tab through the page** — can you reach and operate every interactive element?1002. **Zoom to 200%** — does content reflow without horizontal scrolling?1013. **Check contrast** — do all text elements meet 4.5:1 (normal) / 3:1 (large)?1024. **Screen reader test** — do headings, landmarks, and alt text make sense?1035. **Keyboard-only** — can you complete the primary task without a mouse?104105## Design-to-Code Handoff106107See `assets/handoff-template.md` for the full handoff format — includes component inventory, W3C-format design tokens per component, WCAG 2.2 AA accessibility requirements (with the four new SCs: 2.4.11, 2.5.7, 3.3.7, 3.3.8), animation + reduced-motion contract, edge cases (empty/loading/error/overflow/RTL), browser/device support matrix, and engineer gotchas. Worked example: Button/Primary with measured contrast values and ARIA contract.108109## Component Specification110111See `assets/component-spec-template.md` for a single-component spec template aligned with Atomic Design, Material Design 3, and Apple HIG. Covers anatomy diagram, variants, props API table, composition rules, accessibility spec, states, responsive behavior, do/don't pairs, related components, and Figma/Storybook reference fields. Worked example: `Card` molecule.112113## Templates114115- `assets/handoff-template.md` — Design-to-Code handoff format.116- `assets/component-spec-template.md` — Component specification format for design systems.117118## Integration119120- **Follows rules**: `Agent(ui-ux-designer)` (design principles, accessibility, design systems)121- **Activation**: `@ui-ux-design` (knowledge skill loaded by the `ui-ux-designer` agent — not user-invoked)122- **Used by workflows**: `/feature-dev` (UI features), `/develop` (when ui-ux-designer is in the team)123- **Companion resources**: `design-system-checklist.md`, `figma-workflow.md`, `accessibility-checklist.md`, `visual-audit-checklist.md`, `assets/handoff-template.md`, `assets/component-spec-template.md`
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