tomevault-io UI Design Skill
Visual design principles for creating beautiful, consistent user interfaces.
When to Use This Skill
- Choosing colors and typography
- Creating visual hierarchy
- Designing icons and graphics
- Building design systems
- Ensuring visual consistency
🎨 Color Theory
Color Palette Structure
Primary → Brand identity, main CTAs
Secondary → Supporting elements
Accent → Highlights, notifications
Neutral → Text, backgrounds, borders
Semantic → Success, Warning, Error, Info
Color Scale (Example: Blue)
blue-50 → #eff6ff → Lightest background
blue-100 → #dbeafe → Hover states
blue-200 → #bfdbfe → Borders
blue-300 → #93c5fd → Disabled
blue-400 → #60a5fa → Icons
blue-500 → #3b82f6 → Primary (base)
blue-600 → #2563eb → Primary hover
blue-700 → #1d4ed8 → Primary active
blue-800 → #1e40af → Dark mode primary
blue-900 → #1e3a8a → Darkest
Contrast Requirements (WCAG 2.1)
| Level | Normal Text | Large Text |
|---|---|---|
| AA | 4.5:1 | 3:1 |
| AAA | 7:1 | 4.5:1 |
✅ Good: Dark text on light background
#1f2937 on #ffffff → 16:1
❌ Bad: Low contrast
#9ca3af on #ffffff → 2.5:1
📝 Typography
Type Scale
Display → 48-72px → Hero sections
H1 → 36-48px → Page titles
H2 → 24-30px → Section headers
H3 → 20-24px → Subsections
H4 → 16-18px → Card titles
Body → 14-16px → Paragraph text
Caption → 12px → Labels, hints
Font Pairing
Headings: Inter, SF Pro, Geist Sans
Body: Inter, System UI, Roboto
Code: JetBrains Mono, Fira Code
Line Height
Headings: 1.1 - 1.3
Body text: 1.5 - 1.7
UI labels: 1.2 - 1.4
Font Weight
Regular (400) → Body text
Medium (500) → Emphasis, labels
Semibold (600) → Headings, buttons
Bold (700) → Strong emphasis
📐 Visual Hierarchy
Size & Weight
Large + Bold → Most important
Medium + Medium → Secondary
Small + Regular → Tertiary
Spacing Creates Grouping
Related items → 8-16px apart
Separate groups → 24-32px apart
Sections → 48-64px apart
Color for Emphasis
Primary color → Call to action
Dark text → Important content
Gray text → Secondary info
Light gray → Disabled/placeholder
🔲 Shadows & Elevation
Shadow Scale
/* Level 0: Flat */
shadow-none
/* Level 1: Raised (cards, dropdowns) */
shadow-sm: 0 1px 2px rgba(0,0,0,0.05)
/* Level 2: Floating (popovers, tooltips) */
shadow: 0 1px 3px rgba(0,0,0,0.1), 0 1px 2px rgba(0,0,0,0.06)
/* Level 3: Overlay (modals) */
shadow-lg: 0 10px 15px rgba(0,0,0,0.1), 0 4px 6px rgba(0,0,0,0.05)
/* Level 4: Modal */
shadow-xl: 0 20px 25px rgba(0,0,0,0.1), 0 10px 10px rgba(0,0,0,0.04)
🔘 Border Radius
None → 0 → Sharp edges (tables)
Small → 4px → Inputs, buttons
Medium → 8px → Cards, modals
Large → 12px → Large cards
XL → 16px → Containers
Full → 9999px → Pills, avatars
🖼️ Iconography
Icon Sizes
12px → Inline, badges
16px → Body text, inputs
20px → Buttons, navigation
24px → Headers, emphasis
32px → Feature icons
48px → Empty states
Icon Guidelines
- Use consistent stroke width (1.5-2px)
- Maintain optical balance
- Use filled for emphasis, outlined for default
- Ensure touch targets are 44x44px minimum
📊 Data Visualization Colors
Category palette (distinct):
Blue → #3b82f6
Green → #22c55e
Orange → #f97316
Purple → #a855f7
Pink → #ec4899
Sequential palette (progression):
Light → Medium → Dark
Semantic:
Success → Green
Warning → Yellow/Orange
Error → Red
Info → Blue
📚 Design Resources
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