Design Standards

Rule: Commit to a clear aesthetic direction and execute it with precision. Every visual choice must be intentional, not default.

When to use this skill

• When building new pages, landing pages, or marketing sites
• When creating dashboards, product UIs, or admin interfaces
• When selecting fonts, color palettes, or visual themes
• When adding animations, transitions, or micro-interactions
• When the output risks looking generic or like typical AI-generated UI
• When creating visual atmosphere with backgrounds, gradients, or textures
• When designing component layouts, spacing, and visual hierarchy
• When polishing an interface for production or launch readiness
• When a user asks for something "beautiful", "polished", "modern", or "distinctive"

Design Direction Before Code

Before writing any styles, establish a clear aesthetic direction.

Ask these questions:

1. Purpose - What does this interface communicate? Professional trust? Creative energy? Technical precision?
2. Audience - Who uses this? Developers? Consumers? Enterprise buyers?
3. Tone - Pick a specific direction: minimalist, editorial, brutalist, playful, luxurious, industrial, organic, retro-futuristic, geometric, soft
4. Differentiator - What single visual element will make this memorable?

Then commit. A bold minimalist design and a rich maximalist design are both good. A directionless design that hedges is always bad.

Typography

Font Selection

Choose fonts that match the aesthetic direction and have character.

Bad - Generic defaults:

font-family: Arial, sans-serif;
font-family: 'Inter', sans-serif;
font-family: 'Roboto', sans-serif;
font-family: system-ui, sans-serif;

Good - Intentional choices:

/* Editorial / Magazine */
font-family: 'Playfair Display', serif;      /* Display */
font-family: 'Source Serif 4', serif;         /* Body */

/* Technical / Developer */
font-family: 'JetBrains Mono', monospace;     /* Display */
font-family: 'IBM Plex Sans', sans-serif;     /* Body */

/* Modern / Clean */
font-family: 'Outfit', sans-serif;            /* Display */
font-family: 'DM Sans', sans-serif;           /* Body */

/* Bold / Statement */
font-family: 'Cabinet Grotesk', sans-serif;   /* Display */
font-family: 'General Sans', sans-serif;      /* Body */

Font Pairing

Pair a distinctive display font with a readable body font. Contrast in style, unite in tone.

Principles:

• Display fonts carry personality (headings, hero text, callouts)
• Body fonts prioritize readability (paragraphs, UI labels, form text)
• Limit to 2 fonts per project (3 maximum with a monospace)
• Use weight variation within a family before adding another font

Font Anti-Patterns

Never default to these without a specific reason:

• Inter, Roboto, Arial, Helvetica (overused, signals no design thought)
• Space Grotesk (AI-generated UI cliche)
• Using the same font for display and body without weight contrast

Color

Palette Construction

Build a cohesive palette with clear hierarchy. Avoid distributing colors evenly.

Structure:

Primary   - Brand color, CTAs, key actions (1 color)
Accent    - Highlights, badges, secondary emphasis (1-2 colors)
Neutral   - Text, borders, backgrounds (gray scale)
Semantic  - Success, warning, error, info (functional only)

Bad - Even distribution:

/* 5 colors used equally across the page */
--blue: #3b82f6;
--purple: #8b5cf6;
--pink: #ec4899;
--green: #10b981;
--orange: #f97316;

Good - Clear hierarchy:

--primary: #0f172a;        /* Dominant: dark navy */
--accent: #f59e0b;         /* Sharp contrast: amber */
--text: #334155;           /* Readable body text */
--text-muted: #94a3b8;     /* Secondary text */
--surface: #f8fafc;        /* Background */
--border: #e2e8f0;         /* Subtle borders */

Color Anti-Patterns

• Purple-to-blue gradients on white (the quintessential AI look)
• Rainbow or multi-color schemes without hierarchy
• Low-contrast text that fails WCAG AA (4.5:1 minimum)
• Using brand color for everything instead of as an accent

Dark Mode

If implementing dark mode, design it separately. Don't just invert colors.

/* Bad: simple inversion */
--bg: white → black;
--text: black → white;

/* Good: designed for dark */
--bg: #0f172a;           /* Deep navy, not pure black */
--surface: #1e293b;       /* Elevated surfaces slightly lighter */
--text: #e2e8f0;          /* Off-white, not pure white */
--text-muted: #64748b;    /* Muted but readable */
--border: #334155;        /* Subtle, not stark */

Spacing and Composition

Visual Hierarchy

Guide the eye through deliberate size, weight, and spacing differences.

Bad - Flat hierarchy:

[Same size heading]
[Same size text]
[Same size button]
[Same size text]

Good - Clear hierarchy:

[Large bold heading]          ← Immediate attention
[Spacious subtext in muted]  ← Context
                              ← Breathing room
[Prominent CTA button]       ← Action
[Small supporting text]      ← Secondary

Whitespace

Use generous whitespace to create focus. Cramped layouts signal low quality.

Bad:

.section { padding: 1rem; }
.card { margin-bottom: 0.5rem; }

Good:

.section { padding: 4rem 2rem; }       /* Generous section spacing */
.card { margin-bottom: 2rem; }         /* Room to breathe */

@media (min-width: 1024px) {
  .section { padding: 6rem 4rem; }     /* Even more space on desktop */
}

Layout Composition

Not every layout needs to be a symmetric grid. Consider:

• Asymmetric splits (60/40, 70/30) for visual interest
• Overlapping elements for depth
• Varied column widths instead of equal divisions
• Full-bleed sections breaking the container for emphasis
• Negative space as a deliberate design element

Motion and Interaction

Purposeful Animation

Every animation should serve a purpose: guide attention, provide feedback, or create continuity.

Bad - Decorative motion:

/* Everything bounces, spins, or fades for no reason */
.card { animation: bounce 2s infinite; }

Good - Purposeful motion:

/* Staggered entrance reveals content hierarchy */
.card {
  opacity: 0;
  transform: translateY(1rem);
  animation: reveal 0.5s ease-out forwards;
}

.card:nth-child(1) { animation-delay: 0ms; }
.card:nth-child(2) { animation-delay: 100ms; }
.card:nth-child(3) { animation-delay: 200ms; }

@keyframes reveal {
  to { opacity: 1; transform: translateY(0); }
}

Micro-Interactions

Add subtle feedback on interactive elements:

/* Button with tactile feedback */
.button {
  transition: transform 0.15s ease, box-shadow 0.15s ease;
}

.button:hover {
  transform: translateY(-1px);
  box-shadow: 0 4px 12px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.15);
}

.button:active {
  transform: translateY(0);
  box-shadow: 0 1px 3px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1);
}

Motion Anti-Patterns

• Animations longer than 500ms for UI elements (feels sluggish)
• Infinite animations on static content (distracting)
• Animating layout properties (width, height) instead of transform/opacity (poor performance)
• Motion without prefers-reduced-motion respect:

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

Visual Atmosphere

Backgrounds and Depth

Flat solid-color backgrounds are the minimum. Create atmosphere that matches the aesthetic direction.

Techniques by tone:

Subtle and professional:

/* Soft radial gradient */
background: radial-gradient(ellipse at top, #f0f4ff 0%, #ffffff 70%);

/* Noise texture overlay */
background-image: url("data:image/svg+xml,..."); /* subtle noise */
opacity: 0.03;

Bold and modern:

/* Gradient mesh */
background:
  radial-gradient(at 20% 80%, #1e40af33 0%, transparent 50%),
  radial-gradient(at 80% 20%, #7c3aed33 0%, transparent 50%),
  #0f172a;

/* Geometric patterns */
background-image: repeating-linear-gradient(
  45deg, transparent, transparent 35px, rgba(255,255,255,.03) 35px, rgba(255,255,255,.03) 70px
);

Shadows and Elevation

Use shadows to create depth hierarchy, not just borders.

Bad - Flat or harsh:

box-shadow: 0 0 10px rgba(0,0,0,0.5);  /* Too harsh */
border: 1px solid #ccc;                  /* Flat */

Good - Layered and natural:

/* Subtle elevation */
box-shadow:
  0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.04),
  0 4px 8px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.04);

/* Higher elevation (modals, dropdowns) */
box-shadow:
  0 4px 6px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.04),
  0 12px 24px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.08);

AI Aesthetic Anti-Patterns

These patterns signal "AI-generated" and should be avoided:

Verification Checklist

Before completing design work:

• Established clear aesthetic direction before coding
• Typography uses intentional font choices (not defaults)
• Color palette has clear hierarchy (not evenly distributed)
• Spacing is generous with clear visual hierarchy
• Animations serve a purpose (feedback, attention, continuity)
• prefers-reduced-motion is respected
• Backgrounds create atmosphere (not flat solid colors)
• Does not match common AI aesthetic anti-patterns
• Consistent tone across all elements
• Color contrast meets WCAG AA (4.5:1)

Quick Reference