nicohodt Design System
Token architecture, component specifications, systematic design, slide generation.
When to Use
- Design token creation
- Component state definitions
- CSS variable systems
- Spacing/typography scales
- Design-to-code handoff
- Tailwind theme configuration
- Slide/presentation generation
Token Architecture
Load: references/token-architecture.md
Three-Layer Structure
Primitive (raw values)
↓
Semantic (purpose aliases)
↓
Component (component-specific)
Example:
/* Primitive */
--color-blue-600: #2563EB;
/* Semantic */
--color-primary: var(--color-blue-600);
/* Component */
--button-bg: var(--color-primary);
Quick Start
Generate tokens:
node scripts/generate-tokens.cjs --config tokens.json -o tokens.css
Validate usage:
node scripts/validate-tokens.cjs --dir src/
References
| Topic | File |
|---|---|
| Token Architecture | references/token-architecture.md |
| Primitive Tokens | references/primitive-tokens.md |
| Semantic Tokens | references/semantic-tokens.md |
| Component Tokens | references/component-tokens.md |
| Component Specs | references/component-specs.md |
| States & Variants | references/states-and-variants.md |
| Tailwind Integration | references/tailwind-integration.md |
Component Spec Pattern
| Property | Default | Hover | Active | Disabled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Background | primary | primary-dark | primary-darker | muted |
| Text | white | white | white | muted-fg |
| Border | none | none | none | muted-border |
| Shadow | sm | md | none | none |
Scripts
| Script | Purpose |
|---|---|
generate-tokens.cjs |
Generate CSS from JSON token config |
validate-tokens.cjs |
Check for hardcoded values in code |
search-slides.py |
BM25 search + contextual recommendations |
slide-token-validator.py |
Validate slide HTML for token compliance |
fetch-background.py |
Fetch images from Pexels/Unsplash |
Templates
| Template | Purpose |
|---|---|
design-tokens-starter.json |
Starter JSON with three-layer structure |
Integration
With brand: Extract primitives from brand colors/typography With ui-styling: Component tokens → Tailwind config
Skill Dependencies: brand, ui-styling Primary Agents: ui-ux-designer, frontend-developer
Slide System
Brand-compliant presentations using design tokens + Chart.js + contextual decision system.
Source of Truth
| File | Purpose |
|---|---|
docs/brand-guidelines.md |
Brand identity, voice, colors |
assets/design-tokens.json |
Token definitions (primitive→semantic→component) |
assets/design-tokens.css |
CSS variables (import in slides) |
assets/css/slide-animations.css |
CSS animation library |
Slide Search (BM25)
# Basic search (auto-detect domain)
python scripts/search-slides.py "investor pitch"
# Domain-specific search
python scripts/search-slides.py "problem agitation" -d copy
python scripts/search-slides.py "revenue growth" -d chart
# Contextual search (Premium System)
python scripts/search-slides.py "problem slide" --context --position 2 --total 9
python scripts/search-slides.py "cta" --context --position 9 --prev-emotion frustration
Decision System CSVs
| File | Purpose |
|---|---|
data/slide-strategies.csv |
15 deck structures + emotion arcs + sparkline beats |
data/slide-layouts.csv |
25 layouts + component variants + animations |
data/slide-layout-logic.csv |
Goal → Layout + break_pattern flag |
data/slide-typography.csv |
Content type → Typography scale |
data/slide-color-logic.csv |
Emotion → Color treatment |
data/slide-backgrounds.csv |
Slide type → Image category (Pexels/Unsplash) |
data/slide-copy.csv |
25 copywriting formulas (PAS, AIDA, FAB) |
data/slide-charts.csv |
25 chart types with Chart.js config |
Contextual Decision Flow
1. Parse goal/context
↓
2. Search slide-strategies.csv → Get strategy + emotion beats
↓
3. For each slide:
a. Query slide-layout-logic.csv → layout + break_pattern
b. Query slide-typography.csv → type scale
c. Query slide-color-logic.csv → color treatment
d. Query slide-backgrounds.csv → image if needed
e. Apply animation class from slide-animations.css
↓
4. Generate HTML with design tokens
↓
5. Validate with slide-token-validator.py
Pattern Breaking (Duarte Sparkline)
Premium decks alternate between emotions for engagement:
"What Is" (frustration) ↔ "What Could Be" (hope)
System calculates pattern breaks at 1/3 and 2/3 positions.
Slide Requirements
ALL slides MUST:
- Import
assets/design-tokens.css- single source of truth - Use CSS variables:
var(--color-primary),var(--slide-bg), etc. - Use Chart.js for charts (NOT CSS-only bars)
- Include navigation (keyboard arrows, click, progress bar)
- Center align content
- Focus on persuasion/conversion
Chart.js Integration
<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/chart.js@4.4.1/dist/chart.umd.min.js"></script>
<canvas id="revenueChart"></canvas>
<script>
new Chart(document.getElementById('revenueChart'), {
type: 'line',
data: {
labels: ['Sep', 'Oct', 'Nov', 'Dec'],
datasets: [{
data: [5, 12, 28, 45],
borderColor: '#FF6B6B', // Use brand coral
backgroundColor: 'rgba(255, 107, 107, 0.1)',
fill: true,
tension: 0.4
}]
}
});
</script>
Token Compliance
/* CORRECT - uses token */
background: var(--slide-bg);
color: var(--color-primary);
font-family: var(--typography-font-heading);
/* WRONG - hardcoded */
background: #0D0D0D;
color: #FF6B6B;
font-family: 'Space Grotesk';
Reference Implementation
Working example with all features:
assets/designs/slides/acme-pitch-251223.html
Command
/slides:create "10-slide investor pitch for Acme Analytics"
Best Practices
- Never use raw hex in components - always reference tokens
- Semantic layer enables theme switching (light/dark)
- Component tokens enable per-component customization
- Use HSL format for opacity control
- Document every token's purpose
- Slides must import design-tokens.css and use var() exclusively