Impeccable

Designs and iterates production-grade frontend interfaces. Real working code, committed design choices, exceptional craft.

Setup (non-optional)

Before any design work or file edits, pass these gates. Skipping them produces generic output that ignores the project.

Codex-style agents must state this before editing files:

IMPECCABLE_PREFLIGHT: context=pass product=pass command_reference=pass shape=pass|not_required image_gate=pass|skipped:<reason> mutation=open

For $impeccable craft, shape=pass is only valid after a separate user response approving the shape design brief, or when the user provided an already-confirmed brief in the request. Do not mark shape=pass after writing PRODUCT.md, summarizing assumptions, or drafting an unconfirmed brief yourself.

Other harnesses should follow the same checklist when they can expose this state.

1. Context gathering

Two files, case-insensitive. The loader looks at the project root by default and falls back to .agents/context/ and docs/ if the root is clean. Override with IMPECCABLE_CONTEXT_DIR=path/to/dir (absolute or relative to cwd).

• PRODUCT.md: required. Users, brand, tone, anti-references, strategic principles.
• DESIGN.md: optional, strongly recommended. Colors, typography, elevation, components.

Load both in one call:

node .agents/skills/impeccable/scripts/load-context.mjs

Consume the full JSON output. Never pipe through head, tail, grep, or jq. The output's contextDir field tells you where the files were resolved from.

If the output is already in this session's conversation history, don't re-run. Exceptions requiring a fresh load: you just ran $impeccable teach or $impeccable document (they rewrite the files), or the user manually edited one.

$impeccable live already warms context via live.mjs. If you've run live.mjs, don't also run load-context.mjs this session.

If PRODUCT.md is missing, empty, or placeholder ([TODO] markers, <200 chars): run $impeccable teach, then resume the user's original task with the fresh context. If the original task was $impeccable craft, resume into $impeccable shape before any implementation work.

If DESIGN.md is missing: nudge once per session ("Run `$impeccable document` for more on-brand output"), then proceed.

2. Register

Every design task is brand (marketing, landing, campaign, long-form content, portfolio: design IS the product) or product (app UI, admin, dashboard, tool: design SERVES the product).

Identify before designing. Priority: (1) cue in the task itself ("landing page" vs "dashboard"); (2) the surface in focus (the page, file, or route being worked on); (3) register field in PRODUCT.md. First match wins.

If PRODUCT.md lacks the register field (legacy), infer it once from its "Users" and "Product Purpose" sections, then cache the inferred value for the session. Suggest the user run $impeccable teach to add the field explicitly.

Load the matching reference: reference/brand.md or reference/product.md. The shared design laws below apply to both.

Shared design laws

Apply to every design, both registers. Match implementation complexity to the aesthetic vision: maximalism needs elaborate code, minimalism needs precision. Interpret creatively. Vary across projects; never converge on the same choices. GPT is capable of extraordinary work. Don't hold back.

Color

• Use OKLCH. Reduce chroma as lightness approaches 0 or 100; high chroma at extremes looks garish.
• Never use #000 or #fff. Tint every neutral toward the brand hue (chroma 0.005–0.01 is enough).
• Pick a color strategy before picking colors. Four steps on the commitment axis:
• Restrained: tinted neutrals + one accent ≤10%. Product default; brand minimalism.
• Committed: one saturated color carries 30–60% of the surface. Brand default for identity-driven pages.
• Full palette: 3–4 named roles, each used deliberately. Brand campaigns; product data viz.
• Drenched: the surface IS the color. Brand heroes, campaign pages.
• The "one accent ≤10%" rule is Restrained only. Committed / Full palette / Drenched exceed it on purpose. Don't collapse every design to Restrained by reflex.

Theme

Dark vs. light is never a default. Not dark "because tools look cool dark." Not light "to be safe."

Before choosing, write one sentence of physical scene: who uses this, where, under what ambient light, in what mood. If the sentence doesn't force the answer, it's not concrete enough. Add detail until it does.

"Observability dashboard" does not force an answer. "SRE glancing at incident severity on a 27-inch monitor at 2am in a dim room" does. Run the sentence, not the category.

Typography

• Cap body line length at 65–75ch.
• Hierarchy through scale + weight contrast (≥1.25 ratio between steps). Avoid flat scales.

Layout

• Vary spacing for rhythm. Same padding everywhere is monotony.
• Cards are the lazy answer. Use them only when they're truly the best affordance. Nested cards are always wrong.
• Don't wrap everything in a container. Most things don't need one.

Motion

• Don't animate CSS layout properties.
• Ease out with exponential curves (ease-out-quart / quint / expo). No bounce, no elastic.

Absolute bans

Match-and-refuse. If you're about to write any of these, rewrite the element with different structure.

• Side-stripe borders. border-left or border-right greater than 1px as a colored accent on cards, list items, callouts, or alerts. Never intentional. Rewrite with full borders, background tints, leading numbers/icons, or nothing.
• Gradient text. background-clip: text combined with a gradient background. Decorative, never meaningful. Use a single solid color. Emphasis via weight or size.
• Glassmorphism as default. Blurs and glass cards used decoratively. Rare and purposeful, or nothing.
• The hero-metric template. Big number, small label, supporting stats, gradient accent. SaaS cliché.
• Identical card grids. Same-sized cards with icon + heading + text, repeated endlessly.
• Modal as first thought. Modals are usually laziness. Exhaust inline / progressive alternatives first.

Copy

• Every word earns its place. No restated headings, no intros that repeat the title.
• No em dashes. Use commas, colons, semicolons, periods, or parentheses. Also not --.

The AI slop test

If someone could look at this interface and say "AI made that" without doubt, it's failed. Cross-register failures are the absolute bans above. Register-specific failures live in each reference.

Category-reflex check. Run at two altitudes; the second one catches what the first one misses.

• First-order: if someone could guess the theme + palette from the category alone ("observability → dark blue", "healthcare → white + teal", "finance → navy + gold", "crypto → neon on black"), it's the first training-data reflex. Rework the scene sentence and color strategy until the answer isn't obvious from the domain.
• Second-order: if someone could guess the aesthetic family from category-plus-anti-references ("AI workflow tool that's not SaaS-cream → editorial-typographic", "fintech that's not navy-and-gold → terminal-native dark mode"), it's the trap one tier deeper. The first reflex was avoided; the second wasn't. Rework until both answers are not obvious. The brand register's reflex-reject aesthetic lanes list catches the currently-saturated families.

Commands

Plus two management commands: pin <command> and unpin <command>, detailed below.

Routing rules

1. No argument: render the table above as the user-facing command menu, grouped by category. Ask what they'd like to do. 2. First word matches a command: load its reference file and follow its instructions. Everything after the command name is the target. 3. First word doesn't match: general design invocation. Apply the setup steps, shared design laws, and the loaded register reference, using the full argument as context.

Setup (context gathering, register) is already loaded by then; sub-commands don't re-invoke $impeccable.

If the first word is craft, setup still runs first, but reference/craft.md owns the rest of the flow. If setup invokes teach as a blocker, finish teach, refresh context, then resume the original command and target.

Pin / Unpin

Pin creates a standalone shortcut so $<command> invokes $impeccable <command> directly. Unpin removes it. The script writes to every harness directory present in the project.

node .agents/skills/impeccable/scripts/pin.mjs <pin|unpin> <command>

Valid <command> is any command from the table above. Report the script's result concisely. Confirm the new shortcut on success, relay stderr verbatim on error.

---

Credits & Attribution

This skill is based on the excellent work by [pbakaus](https://github.com/pbakaus).

Original repository: https://github.com/pbakaus/impeccable/releases/tag/skill-v3.0.7

Special thanks to pbakaus for their generous open-source contributions, which helped shape this skill collection. Adapted by webconsulting.at for this skill collection

Additional context needed: target platforms/devices and usage contexts.

Adapt an existing design to a different context: another screen size, device, platform, or use case. The trap is treating adaptation as scaling. The job is rethinking the experience for the new context.

---

Assess Adaptation Challenge

Understand what needs adaptation and why:

1. Identify the source context:

• What was it designed for originally? (Desktop web? Mobile app?)
• What assumptions were made? (Large screen? Mouse input? Fast connection?)
• What works well in current context?

2. Understand target context:

• Device: Mobile, tablet, desktop, TV, watch, print?
• Input method: Touch, mouse, keyboard, voice, gamepad?
• Screen constraints: Size, resolution, orientation?
• Connection: Fast wifi, slow 3G, offline?
• Usage context: On-the-go vs desk, quick glance vs focused reading?
• User expectations: What do users expect on this platform?

3. Identify adaptation challenges:

• What won't fit? (Content, navigation, features)
• What won't work? (Hover states on touch, tiny touch targets)
• What's inappropriate? (Desktop patterns on mobile, mobile patterns on desktop)

CRITICAL: Adaptation is rethinking the experience for the new context, not scaling pixels.

Plan Adaptation Strategy

Create context-appropriate strategy:

Mobile Adaptation (Desktop → Mobile)

Layout Strategy:

• Single column instead of multi-column
• Vertical stacking instead of side-by-side
• Full-width components instead of fixed widths
• Bottom navigation instead of top/side navigation

Interaction Strategy:

• Touch targets 44x44px minimum (not hover-dependent)
• Swipe gestures where appropriate (lists, carousels)
• Bottom sheets instead of dropdowns
• Thumbs-first design (controls within thumb reach)
• Larger tap areas with more spacing

Content Strategy:

• Progressive disclosure (don't show everything at once)
• Prioritize primary content (secondary content in tabs/accordions)
• Shorter text (more concise)
• Larger text (16px minimum)

Navigation Strategy:

• Hamburger menu or bottom navigation
• Reduce navigation complexity
• Sticky headers for context
• Back button in navigation flow

Tablet Adaptation (Hybrid Approach)

Layout Strategy:

• Two-column layouts (not single or three-column)
• Side panels for secondary content
• Master-detail views (list + detail)
• Adaptive based on orientation (portrait vs landscape)

Interaction Strategy:

• Support both touch and pointer
• Touch targets 44x44px but allow denser layouts than phone
• Side navigation drawers
• Multi-column forms where appropriate

Desktop Adaptation (Mobile → Desktop)

Layout Strategy:

• Multi-column layouts (use horizontal space)
• Side navigation always visible
• Multiple information panels simultaneously
• Fixed widths with max-width constraints (don't stretch to 4K)

Interaction Strategy:

• Hover states for additional information
• Keyboard shortcuts
• Right-click context menus
• Drag and drop where helpful
• Multi-select with Shift/Cmd

Content Strategy:

• Show more information upfront (less progressive disclosure)
• Data tables with many columns
• Richer visualizations
• More detailed descriptions

Print Adaptation (Screen → Print)

Layout Strategy:

• Page breaks at logical points
• Remove navigation, footer, interactive elements
• Black and white (or limited color)
• Proper margins for binding

Content Strategy:

• Expand shortened content (show full URLs, hidden sections)
• Add page numbers, headers, footers
• Include metadata (print date, page title)
• Convert charts to print-friendly versions

Email Adaptation (Web → Email)

Layout Strategy:

• Narrow width (600px max)
• Single column only
• Inline CSS (no external stylesheets)
• Table-based layouts (for email client compatibility)

Interaction Strategy:

• Large, obvious CTAs (buttons not text links)
• No hover states (not reliable)
• Deep links to web app for complex interactions

Implement Adaptations

Apply changes systematically:

Responsive Breakpoints

Choose appropriate breakpoints:

• Mobile: 320px-767px
• Tablet: 768px-1023px
• Desktop: 1024px+
• Or content-driven breakpoints (where design breaks)

Layout Adaptation Techniques

• CSS Grid/Flexbox: Reflow layouts automatically
• Container Queries: Adapt based on container, not viewport
• `clamp()`: Fluid sizing between min and max
• Media queries: Different styles for different contexts
• Display properties: Show/hide elements per context

Touch Adaptation

• Increase touch target sizes (44x44px minimum)
• Add more spacing between interactive elements
• Remove hover-dependent interactions
• Add touch feedback (ripples, highlights)
• Consider thumb zones (easier to reach bottom than top)

Content Adaptation

• Use display: none sparingly (still downloads)
• Progressive enhancement (core content first, enhancements on larger screens)
• Lazy loading for off-screen content
• Responsive images (srcset, picture element)

Navigation Adaptation

• Transform complex nav to hamburger/drawer on mobile
• Bottom nav bar for mobile apps
• Persistent side navigation on desktop
• Breadcrumbs on smaller screens for context

IMPORTANT: Test on real devices. Device emulation in DevTools is helpful but not perfect.

NEVER:

• Hide core functionality on mobile (if it matters, make it work)
• Assume desktop = powerful device (consider accessibility, older machines)
• Use different information architecture across contexts (confusing)
• Break user expectations for platform (mobile users expect mobile patterns)
• Forget landscape orientation on mobile/tablet
• Use generic breakpoints blindly (use content-driven breakpoints)
• Ignore touch on desktop (many desktop devices have touch)

Verify Adaptations

Test thoroughly across contexts:

• Real devices: Test on actual phones, tablets, desktops
• Different orientations: Portrait and landscape
• Different browsers: Safari, Chrome, Firefox, Edge
• Different OS: iOS, Android, Windows, macOS
• Different input methods: Touch, mouse, keyboard
• Edge cases: Very small screens (320px), very large screens (4K)
• Slow connections: Test on throttled network

When the adaptation feels native to each context, hand off to $impeccable polish for the final pass.

Additional context needed: performance constraints.

Add motion that conveys state, gives feedback, and clarifies hierarchy. Cut motion that exists only for decoration. Animation fatigue is a real cost; spend the budget on the moments that need it.

---

Register

Brand: orchestrated page-load sequences, staggered reveals, scroll-driven animation. Motion is part of the voice; one well-rehearsed entrance beats scattered micro-interactions.

Product: 150–250 ms on most transitions. Motion conveys state: feedback, reveal, loading, transitions between views. No page-load choreography; users are in a task and won't wait for it.

---

Assess Animation Opportunities

Analyze where motion would improve the experience:

1. Identify static areas:

• Missing feedback: Actions without visual acknowledgment (button clicks, form submission, etc.)
• Jarring transitions: Instant state changes that feel abrupt (show/hide, page loads, route changes)
• Unclear relationships: Spatial or hierarchical relationships that aren't obvious
• Lack of delight: Functional but joyless interactions
• Missed guidance: Opportunities to direct attention or explain behavior

2. Understand the context:

• What's the personality? (Playful vs serious, energetic vs calm)
• What's the performance budget? (Mobile-first? Complex page?)
• Who's the audience? (Motion-sensitive users? Power users who want speed?)
• What matters most? (One hero animation vs many micro-interactions?)

If any of these are unclear from the codebase, STOP and use Codex's structured user-input/question tool when available; if unavailable, ask directly in chat to clarify what you cannot infer.

CRITICAL: Respect prefers-reduced-motion. Always provide non-animated alternatives for users who need them.

Plan Animation Strategy

Create a purposeful animation plan:

• Hero moment: What's the ONE signature animation? (Page load? Hero section? Key interaction?)
• Feedback layer: Which interactions need acknowledgment?
• Transition layer: Which state changes need smoothing?
• Delight layer: Where can we surprise and delight?

IMPORTANT: One well-orchestrated experience beats scattered animations everywhere. Focus on high-impact moments.

Implement Animations

Add motion systematically across these categories:

Entrance Animations

• Page load choreography: Stagger element reveals (100-150ms delays), fade + slide combinations
• Hero section: Dramatic entrance for primary content (scale, parallax, or creative effects)
• Content reveals: Scroll-triggered animations using intersection observer
• Modal/drawer entry: Smooth slide + fade, backdrop fade, focus management

Micro-interactions

• Button feedback:
• Hover: Subtle scale (1.02-1.05), color shift, shadow increase
• Click: Quick scale down then up (0.95 → 1), ripple effect
• Loading: Spinner or pulse state
• Form interactions:
• Input focus: Border color transition, slight scale or glow
• Validation: Shake on error, check mark on success, smooth color transitions
• Toggle switches: Smooth slide + color transition (200-300ms)
• Checkboxes/radio: Check mark animation, ripple effect
• Like/favorite: Scale + rotation, particle effects, color transition

State Transitions

• Show/hide: Fade + slide (not instant), appropriate timing (200-300ms)
• Expand/collapse: Height transition with overflow handling, icon rotation
• Loading states: Skeleton screen fades, spinner animations, progress bars
• Success/error: Color transitions, icon animations, gentle scale pulse
• Enable/disable: Opacity transitions, cursor changes

Navigation & Flow

• Page transitions: Crossfade between routes, shared element transitions
• Tab switching: Slide indicator, content fade/slide
• Carousel/slider: Smooth transforms, snap points, momentum
• Scroll effects: Parallax layers, sticky headers with state changes, scroll progress indicators

Feedback & Guidance

• Hover hints: Tooltip fade-ins, cursor changes, element highlights
• Drag & drop: Lift effect (shadow + scale), drop zone highlights, smooth repositioning
• Copy/paste: Brief highlight flash on paste, "copied" confirmation
• Focus flow: Highlight path through form or workflow

Delight Moments

• Empty states: Subtle floating animations on illustrations
• Completed actions: Confetti, check mark flourish, success celebrations
• Easter eggs: Hidden interactions for discovery
• Contextual animation: Weather effects, time-of-day themes, seasonal touches

Technical Implementation

Use appropriate techniques for each animation:

Timing & Easing

Durations by purpose:

• 100-150ms: Instant feedback (button press, toggle)
• 200-300ms: State changes (hover, menu open)
• 300-500ms: Layout changes (accordion, modal)
• 500-800ms: Entrance animations (page load)

Easing curves (use these, not CSS defaults):

/* Recommended: natural deceleration */
--ease-out-quart: cubic-bezier(0.25, 1, 0.5, 1);    /* Smooth */
--ease-out-quint: cubic-bezier(0.22, 1, 0.36, 1);   /* Slightly snappier */
--ease-out-expo: cubic-bezier(0.16, 1, 0.3, 1);     /* Confident, decisive */

/* AVOID: feel dated and tacky */
/* bounce: cubic-bezier(0.34, 1.56, 0.64, 1); */
/* elastic: cubic-bezier(0.68, -0.6, 0.32, 1.6); */

Exit animations are faster than entrances. Use ~75% of enter duration.

CSS Animations

/* Prefer for simple, declarative animations */
- transitions for state changes
- @keyframes for complex sequences
- transform and opacity for reliable movement
- blur, filters, masks, clip paths, shadows, and color shifts for premium atmospheric effects when verified smooth

JavaScript Animation

/* Use for complex, interactive animations */
- Web Animations API for programmatic control
- Framer Motion for React
- GSAP for complex sequences

Performance

• Motion materials: Use transform/opacity for reliable movement, but use blur, filters, masks, shadows, and color shifts when they materially improve the effect
• Layout safety: Avoid casual animation of layout-driving properties (width, height, top, left, margins)
• will-change: Add sparingly for known expensive animations
• Bound expensive effects: Keep blur/filter/shadow areas small or isolated, use contain where appropriate
• Monitor FPS: Ensure 60fps on target devices

Accessibility

@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
  * {
    animation-duration: 0.01ms !important;
    animation-iteration-count: 1 !important;
    transition-duration: 0.01ms !important;
  }
}

NEVER:

• Use bounce or elastic easing curves; they feel dated and draw attention to the animation itself
• Animate layout properties casually (width, height, top, left, margins) when transform, FLIP, or grid-based techniques would work
• Use durations over 500ms for feedback (it feels laggy)
• Animate without purpose (every animation needs a reason)
• Ignore prefers-reduced-motion (this is an accessibility violation)
• Animate everything (animation fatigue makes interfaces feel exhausting)
• Block interaction during animations unless intentional

Verify Quality

Test animations thoroughly:

• Smooth at 60fps: No jank on target devices
• Feels natural: Easing curves feel organic, not robotic
• Appropriate timing: Not too fast (jarring) or too slow (laggy)
• Reduced motion works: Animations disabled or simplified appropriately
• Doesn't block: Users can interact during/after animations
• Adds value: Makes interface clearer or more delightful

When the motion clarifies state instead of decorating it, hand off to $impeccable polish for the final pass.

Run systematic technical quality checks and generate a comprehensive report. Don't fix issues; document them for other commands to address.

This is a code-level audit, not a design critique. Check what's measurable and verifiable in the implementation.

Diagnostic Scan

Run comprehensive checks across 5 dimensions. Score each dimension 0-4 using the criteria below.

1. Accessibility (A11y)

Check for:

• Contrast issues: Text contrast ratios < 4.5:1 (or 7:1 for AAA)
• Missing ARIA: Interactive elements without proper roles, labels, or states
• Keyboard navigation: Missing focus indicators, illogical tab order, keyboard traps
• Semantic HTML: Improper heading hierarchy, missing landmarks, divs instead of buttons
• Alt text: Missing or poor image descriptions
• Form issues: Inputs without labels, poor error messaging, missing required indicators

Score 0-4: 0=Inaccessible (fails WCAG A), 1=Major gaps (few ARIA labels, no keyboard nav), 2=Partial (some a11y effort, significant gaps), 3=Good (WCAG AA mostly met, minor gaps), 4=Excellent (WCAG AA fully met, approaches AAA)

2. Performance

Check for:

• Layout thrashing: Reading/writing layout properties in loops
• Expensive animations: Casual layout-property animation, unbounded blur/filter/shadow effects, or effects that visibly drop frames
• Missing optimization: Images without lazy loading, unoptimized assets, missing will-change
• Bundle size: Unnecessary imports, unused dependencies
• Render performance: Unnecessary re-renders, missing memoization

Score 0-4: 0=Severe issues (layout thrash, unoptimized everything), 1=Major problems (no lazy loading, expensive animations), 2=Partial (some optimization, gaps remain), 3=Good (mostly optimized, minor improvements possible), 4=Excellent (fast, lean, well-optimized)

3. Theming

Check for:

• Hard-coded colors: Colors not using design tokens
• Broken dark mode: Missing dark mode variants, poor contrast in dark theme
• Inconsistent tokens: Using wrong tokens, mixing token types
• Theme switching issues: Values that don't update on theme change

Score 0-4: 0=No theming (hard-coded everything), 1=Minimal tokens (mostly hard-coded), 2=Partial (tokens exist but inconsistently used), 3=Good (tokens used, minor hard-coded values), 4=Excellent (full token system, dark mode works perfectly)

4. Responsive Design

Check for:

• Fixed widths: Hard-coded widths that break on mobile
• Touch targets: Interactive elements < 44x44px
• Horizontal scroll: Content overflow on narrow viewports
• Text scaling: Layouts that break when text size increases
• Missing breakpoints: No mobile/tablet variants

Score 0-4: 0=Desktop-only (breaks on mobile), 1=Major issues (some breakpoints, many failures), 2=Partial (works on mobile, rough edges), 3=Good (responsive, minor touch target or overflow issues), 4=Excellent (fluid, all viewports, proper touch targets)

5. Anti-Patterns (CRITICAL)

Check against ALL the DON'T guidelines from the parent impeccable skill (already loaded in this context). Look for AI slop tells (AI color palette, gradient text, glassmorphism, hero metrics, card grids, generic fonts) and general design anti-patterns (gray on color, nested cards, bounce easing, redundant copy).

Score 0-4: 0=AI slop gallery (5+ tells), 1=Heavy AI aesthetic (3-4 tells), 2=Some tells (1-2 noticeable), 3=Mostly clean (subtle issues only), 4=No AI tells (distinctive, intentional design)

Generate Report

Audit Health Score

Rating bands: 18-20 Excellent (minor polish), 14-17 Good (address weak dimensions), 10-13 Acceptable (significant work needed), 6-9 Poor (major overhaul), 0-5 Critical (fundamental issues)

Anti-Patterns Verdict

Start here. Pass/fail: Does this look AI-generated? List specific tells. Be brutally honest.

Executive Summary

• Audit Health Score: ??/20 ([rating band])
• Total issues found (count by severity: P0/P1/P2/P3)
• Top 3-5 critical issues
• Recommended next steps

Detailed Findings by Severity

Tag every issue with P0-P3 severity:

• P0 Blocking: Prevents task completion. Fix immediately
• P1 Major: Significant difficulty or WCAG AA violation. Fix before release
• P2 Minor: Annoyance, workaround exists. Fix in next pass
• P3 Polish: Nice-to-fix, no real user impact. Fix if time permits

For each issue, document:

• [P?] Issue name
• Location: Component, file, line
• Category: Accessibility / Performance / Theming / Responsive / Anti-Pattern
• Impact: How it affects users
• WCAG/Standard: Which standard it violates (if applicable)
• Recommendation: How to fix it
• Suggested command: Which command to use (prefer: $impeccable adapt, $impeccable animate, $impeccable audit, $impeccable bolder, $impeccable clarify, $impeccable colorize, $impeccable critique, $impeccable delight, $impeccable distill, $impeccable document, $impeccable harden, $impeccable layout, $impeccable onboard, $impeccable optimize, $impeccable overdrive, $impeccable polish, $impeccable quieter, $impeccable shape, $impeccable typeset)

Patterns & Systemic Issues

Identify recurring problems that indicate systemic gaps rather than one-off mistakes:

• "Hard-coded colors appear in 15+ components, should use design tokens"
• "Touch targets consistently too small (<44px) throughout mobile experience"

Positive Findings

Note what's working well: good practices to maintain and replicate.

Recommended Actions

List recommended commands in priority order (P0 first, then P1, then P2):

1. [P?] `$command-name`: Brief description (specific context from audit findings) 2. [P?] `$command-name`: Brief description (specific context)

Rules: Only recommend commands from: $impeccable adapt, $impeccable animate, $impeccable audit, $impeccable bolder, $impeccable clarify, $impeccable colorize, $impeccable critique, $impeccable delight, $impeccable distill, $impeccable document, $impeccable harden, $impeccable layout, $impeccable onboard, $impeccable optimize, $impeccable overdrive, $impeccable polish, $impeccable quieter, $impeccable shape, $impeccable typeset. Map findings to the most appropriate command. End with $impeccable polish as the final step if any fixes were recommended.

After presenting the summary, tell the user:

You can ask me to run these one at a time, all at once, or in any order you prefer.

>

Re-run $impeccable audit after fixes to see your score improve.

IMPORTANT: Be thorough but actionable. Too many P3 issues creates noise. Focus on what actually matters.

NEVER:

• Report issues without explaining impact (why does this matter?)
• Provide generic recommendations (be specific and actionable)
• Skip positive findings (celebrate what works)
• Forget to prioritize (everything can't be P0)
• Report false positives without verification

When asked for "bolder," AI defaults to the same tired tricks: cyan/purple gradients, glassmorphism, neon accents on dark backgrounds, gradient text on metrics. These are the opposite of bold. Reject them first, then increase visual impact and personality through stronger hierarchy, committed scale, and decisive type.

---

Register

Brand: "bolder" means distinctive. Extreme scale, unexpected color, typographic risk, committed POV.

Product: "bolder" rarely means theatrics; those undermine trust. It means stronger hierarchy, clearer weight contrast, one sharper accent, more committed density. The amplification is in clarity, not drama.

---

Assess Current State

Analyze what makes the design feel too safe or boring:

1. Identify weakness sources:

• Generic choices: System fonts, basic colors, standard layouts
• Timid scale: Everything is medium-sized with no drama
• Low contrast: Everything has similar visual weight
• Static: No motion, no energy, no life
• Predictable: Standard patterns with no surprises
• Flat hierarchy: Nothing stands out or commands attention

2. Understand the context:

• What's the brand personality? (How far can we push?)
• What's the purpose? (Marketing can be bolder than financial dashboards)
• Who's the audience? (What will resonate?)
• What are the constraints? (Brand guidelines, accessibility, performance)

If any of these are unclear from the codebase, STOP and use Codex's structured user-input/question tool when available; if unavailable, ask directly in chat to clarify what you cannot infer.

CRITICAL: "Bolder" doesn't mean chaotic or garish. It means distinctive, memorable, and confident. Think intentional drama, not random chaos.

WARNING - AI SLOP TRAP: Review ALL the DON'T guidelines from the parent impeccable skill (already loaded in this context) before proceeding. Bold means distinctive, not "more effects."

Plan Amplification

Create a strategy to increase impact while maintaining coherence:

• Focal point: What should be the hero moment? (Pick ONE, make it amazing)
• Personality direction: Maximalist chaos? Elegant drama? Playful energy? Dark moody? Choose a lane.
• Risk budget: How experimental can we be? Push boundaries within constraints.
• Hierarchy amplification: Make big things BIGGER, small things smaller (increase contrast)

IMPORTANT: Bold design must still be usable. Impact without function is just decoration.

Amplify the Design

Systematically increase impact across these dimensions:

Typography Amplification

• Replace generic fonts: Swap system fonts for distinctive choices (see the parent skill's typography guidelines and typography.md for inspiration)
• Extreme scale: Create dramatic size jumps (3x-5x differences, not 1.5x)
• Weight contrast: Pair 900 weights with 200 weights, not 600 with 400
• Unexpected choices: Variable fonts, display fonts for headlines, condensed/extended widths, monospace as intentional accent (not as lazy "dev tool" default)

Color Intensification

• Increase saturation: Shift to more vibrant, energetic colors (but not neon)
• Bold palette: Introduce unexpected color combinations. Avoid the purple-blue gradient AI slop
• Dominant color strategy: Let one bold color own 60% of the design
• Sharp accents: High-contrast accent colors that pop
• Tinted neutrals: Replace pure grays with tinted grays that harmonize with your palette
• Rich gradients: Intentional multi-stop gradients (not generic purple-to-blue)

Spatial Drama

• Extreme scale jumps: Make important elements 3-5x larger than surroundings
• Break the grid: Let hero elements escape containers and cross boundaries
• Asymmetric layouts: Replace centered, balanced layouts with tension-filled asymmetry
• Generous space: Use white space dramatically (100-200px gaps, not 20-40px)
• Overlap: Layer elements intentionally for depth

Visual Effects

• Dramatic shadows: Large, soft shadows for elevation (but not generic drop shadows on rounded rectangles)
• Background treatments: Mesh patterns, noise textures, geometric patterns, intentional gradients (not purple-to-blue)
• Texture & depth: Grain, halftone, duotone, layered elements. NOT glassmorphism (it's overused AI slop)
• Borders & frames: Thick borders, decorative frames, custom shapes (not rounded rectangles with colored border on one side)
• Custom elements: Illustrative elements, custom icons, decorative details that reinforce brand

Motion & Animation

• Entrance choreography: Staggered, dramatic page load animations with 50-100ms delays
• Scroll effects: Parallax, reveal animations, scroll-triggered sequences
• Micro-interactions: Satisfying hover effects, click feedback, state changes
• Transitions: Smooth, noticeable transitions using ease-out-quart/quint/expo (not bounce or elastic, which cheapen the effect)

Composition Boldness

• Hero moments: Create clear focal points with dramatic treatment
• Diagonal flows: Escape horizontal/vertical rigidity with diagonal arrangements
• Full-bleed elements: Use full viewport width/height for impact
• Unexpected proportions: Golden ratio? Throw it out. Try 70/30, 80/20 splits

NEVER:

• Add effects randomly without purpose (chaos ≠ bold)
• Sacrifice readability for aesthetics (body text must be readable)
• Make everything bold (then nothing is bold; you need contrast)
• Ignore accessibility (bold design must still meet WCAG standards)
• Overwhelm with motion (animation fatigue is real)
• Copy trendy aesthetics blindly (bold means distinctive, not derivative)

Verify Quality

Ensure amplification maintains usability and coherence:

• NOT AI slop: Does this look like every other AI-generated "bold" design? If yes, start over.
• Still functional: Can users accomplish tasks without distraction?
• Coherent: Does everything feel intentional and unified?
• Memorable: Will users remember this experience?
• Performant: Do all these effects run smoothly?
• Accessible: Does it still meet accessibility standards?

The test: If you showed this to someone and said "AI made this bolder," would they believe you immediately? If yes, you've failed. Bold means distinctive, not "more AI effects."

When the result feels right, hand off to $impeccable polish for the final pass.

Brand register

When design IS the product: brand sites, landing pages, marketing surfaces, campaign pages, portfolios, long-form content, about pages. The deliverable is the design itself; a visitor's impression is the thing being made.

The register spans every genre. A tech brand (Stripe, Linear, Vercel). A luxury brand (a hotel, a fashion house). A consumer product (a restaurant, a travel site, a CPG packaging page). A creative studio, an agency portfolio, a band's album page. They all share the stance (communicate, not transact) and diverge wildly in aesthetic. Don't collapse them into a single look.

The brand slop test

If someone could look at this and say "AI made that" without hesitation, it's failed. The bar is distinctiveness; a visitor should ask "how was this made?", not "which AI made this?"

Brand isn't a neutral register. AI-generated landing pages have flooded the internet, and average is no longer findable. Restraint without intent now reads as mediocre, not refined. Brand surfaces need a POV, a specific audience, a willingness to risk strangeness. Go big or go home.

The second slop test: aesthetic lane. Before committing to moves, name the reference. A Klim-style specimen page is one lane; Stripe-minimal is another; Liquid-Death-acid-maximalism is another. Don't drift into editorial-magazine aesthetics on a brief that isn't editorial. A hiking brand with Cormorant italic drop caps has the wrong register within the register.

Typography

Font selection procedure

Every project. Never skip.

1. Read the brief. Write three concrete brand-voice words. Not "modern" or "elegant," but "warm and mechanical and opinionated" or "calm and clinical and careful." Physical-object words. 2. List the three fonts you'd reach for by reflex. If any appear in the reflex-reject list below, reject them; they are training-data defaults and they create monoculture. 3. Browse a real catalog (Google Fonts, Pangram Pangram, Future Fonts, Adobe Fonts, ABC Dinamo, Klim, Velvetyne) with the three words in mind. Find the font for the brand as a physical object: a museum caption, a 1970s terminal manual, a fabric label, a cheap-newsprint children's book, a concert poster, a receipt from a mid-century diner. Reject the first thing that "looks designy." 4. Cross-check. "Elegant" is not necessarily serif. "Technical" is not necessarily sans. "Warm" is not Fraunces. If the final pick lines up with the original reflex, start over.

Reflex-reject list

Training-data defaults. Ban list. Look further:

Fraunces · Newsreader · Lora · Crimson · Crimson Pro · Crimson Text · Playfair Display · Cormorant · Cormorant Garamond · Syne · IBM Plex Mono · IBM Plex Sans · IBM Plex Serif · Space Mono · Space Grotesk · Inter · DM Sans · DM Serif Display · DM Serif Text · Outfit · Plus Jakarta Sans · Instrument Sans · Instrument Serif

Reflex-reject aesthetic lanes

Parallel to the font list. Currently saturated aesthetic families that have flooded brand surfaces. If a brief lands in one of these lanes without a register reason that requires it (a literal magazine, a literal terminal, a literal industrial signage system), it's the second-order training reflex: the trap one tier deeper than picking a Fraunces font. Look further.

• Editorial-typographic. Display serif (often italic) + small mono labels + ruled separators + monochromatic restraint. Klim-influenced, magazine-cover affectation. By 2026, every Stripe-adjacent and Notion-adjacent brand has landed here. The fingerprint: three rule-separated columns, an italic Fraunces / Recoleta / Newsreader headline, lowercase track-spaced metadata, no imagery.

(More entries land here on the same cadence the font list updates. Brutalist-utility and acid-maximalism may join when they saturate. Removing entries when they fall back below saturation is also fine.)

The reflex-reject lists apply to new design choices. When the existing brand has already committed to a font or a lane as part of its identity, identity-preservation wins; variants on an existing surface don't second-guess what's already shipping. The reflex-reject lists are for greenfield decisions and for departure-mode variants in live.md.

Pairing and voice

Distinctive + refined is the goal. The specific shape depends on the brand:

• Editorial / long-form / luxury: display serif + sans body (a magazine shape).
• Tech / dev tools / fintech: one committed sans, usually; custom-tight tracking, strong weight contrast inside a single family.
• Consumer / food / travel: warmer pairings, often a humanist sans plus a script or display serif.
• Creative studios / agencies: rule-breaking welcome. Mono-only, or display-only, or custom-drawn type as voice.

Two families minimum is the rule only when the voice needs it. A single well-chosen family with committed weight/size contrast is stronger than a timid display+body pair.

Vary across projects. If the last brief was a serif-display landing page, this one isn't.

Scale

Modular scale, fluid clamp() for headings, ≥1.25 ratio between steps. Flat scales (1.1× apart) read as uncommitted.

Light text on dark backgrounds: add 0.05–0.1 to line-height. Light type reads as lighter weight and needs more breathing room.

Color

Brand surfaces have permission for Committed, Full palette, and Drenched strategies. Use them. A single saturated color spread across a hero is not excess; it's voice. A beige-and-muted-slate landing page ignores the register.

• Name a real reference before picking a strategy. "Klim Type Foundry #ff4500 orange drench", "Stripe purple-on-white restraint", "Liquid Death acid-green full palette", "Mailchimp yellow full palette", "Condé Nast Traveler muted navy restraint", "Vercel pure black monochrome". Unnamed ambition becomes beige.
• Palette IS voice. A calm brand and a restless brand should not share palette mechanics.
• When the strategy is Committed or Drenched, color carries the brand. Don't hedge with neutrals around the edges. Commit.
• Don't converge across projects. If the last brand surface was restrained-on-cream, this one is not.

Layout

• Asymmetric compositions are one option. Break the grid intentionally for emphasis.
• Fluid spacing with clamp() that breathes on larger viewports. Vary for rhythm: generous separations, tight groupings.
• Alternative: a strict, visible grid as the voice (brutalist / Swiss / tech-spec aesthetics). Either asymmetric or rigorously-gridded can be "designed"; the failure mode is splitting the difference into a generic centered stack.
• Don't default to centering everything. Left-aligned with asymmetric layouts feels more designed; a strict grid reads as confident structure. A centered-stack hero with icon-title-subtitle cards reads as template.
• When cards ARE the right affordance, use grid-template-columns: repeat(auto-fit, minmax(280px, 1fr)) for breakpoint-free responsiveness.

Imagery

Brand surfaces lean on imagery. A restaurant, hotel, magazine, or product landing page without any imagery reads as incomplete, not as restrained. A solid-color rectangle where a hero image should go is worse than a representative stock photo.

When the brief implies imagery (restaurants, hotels, magazines, photography, hobbyist communities, food, travel, fashion, product), you must ship imagery. Zero images is a bug, not a design choice. "Restraint" is not an excuse.

• For greenfield work without local assets, use stock imagery. Unsplash is the default. The URL shape is https://images.unsplash.com/photo-{id}?auto=format&fit=crop&w=1600&q=80. Pick real Unsplash photo IDs you're confident exist (photo-1559339352-11d035aa65de, photo-1590490360182-c33d57733427, etc.); if unsure, pick fewer photos but don't substitute colored <div> placeholders.
• Search for the brand's physical object, not the generic category: "handmade pasta on a scratched wooden table" beats "Italian food"; "cypress trees above a limestone hotel facade at dusk" beats "luxury hotel".
• One decisive photo beats five mediocre ones. Hero imagery should commit to a mood; padding with more stock doesn't rescue an indecisive one.
• Alt text is part of the voice. "Coastal fettuccine, hand-cut, served on the terrace" beats "pasta dish".

Tech / dev-tool brands are the exception where zero imagery can be correct; a developer landing page often carries its voice through typography, code samples, diagrams. Know which kind of brand you're working on.

Motion

• One well-orchestrated page-load with staggered reveals beats scattered micro-interactions, when the brand invites it. Tech-minimal brands often skip entrance motion entirely; the restraint is the voice.
• For collapsing/expanding sections, transition grid-template-rows rather than height.

Brand bans (on top of the shared absolute bans)

• Monospace as lazy shorthand for "technical / developer." If the brand isn't technical, mono reads as costume.
• Large rounded-corner icons above every heading. Screams template.
• Single-family pages that picked the family by reflex, not voice. (A single family chosen deliberately is fine.)
• All-caps body copy. Reserve caps for short labels and headings.
• Timid palettes and average layouts. Safe = invisible.
• Zero imagery on a brief that implies imagery (restaurant, hotel, food, travel, fashion, photography, hobbyist). Colored blocks where a hero photo belongs.
• Defaulting to editorial-magazine aesthetics (display serif + italic + drop caps + broadsheet grid) on briefs that aren't magazine-shaped. Editorial is ONE aesthetic lane, not the default brand aesthetic.

Brand permissions

Brand can afford things product can't. Take them.

• Ambitious first-load motion. Reveals, scroll-triggered transitions, typographic choreography.
• Single-purpose viewports. One dominant idea per fold, long scroll, deliberate pacing.
• Typographic risk. Enormous display type, unexpected italic cuts, mixed cases, hand-drawn headlines, a single oversize word as a hero.
• Unexpected color strategies. Palette IS voice; a calm brand and a restless brand should not share palette mechanics.
• Art direction per section. Different sections can have different visual worlds if the narrative demands it. Consistency of voice beats consistency of treatment.

Additional context needed: audience technical level and users' mental state in context.

Find the unclear, confusing, or poorly written interface text and rewrite it. Vague copy creates support tickets and abandonment; specific copy gets users through the task.

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Assess Current Copy

Identify what makes the text unclear or ineffective:

1. Find clarity problems:

• Jargon: Technical terms users won't understand
• Ambiguity: Multiple interpretations possible
• Passive voice: "Your file has been uploaded" vs "We uploaded your file"
• Length: Too wordy or too terse
• Assumptions: Assuming user knowledge they don't have
• Missing context: Users don't know what to do or why
• Tone mismatch: Too formal, too casual, or inappropriate for situation

2. Understand the context:

• Who's the audience? (Technical? General? First-time users?)
• What's the user's mental state? (Stressed during error? Confident during success?)
• What's the action? (What do we want users to do?)
• What's the constraint? (Character limits? Space limitations?)

CRITICAL: Clear copy helps users succeed. Unclear copy creates frustration, errors, and support tickets.

Plan Copy Improvements

Create a strategy for clearer communication:

• Primary message: What's the ONE thing users need to know?
• Action needed: What should users do next (if anything)?
• Tone: How should this feel? (Helpful? Apologetic? Encouraging?)
• Constraints: Length limits, brand voice, localization considerations

IMPORTANT: Good UX writing is invisible. Users should understand immediately without noticing the words.

Improve Copy Systematically

Refine text across these common areas:

Error Messages

Bad: "Error 403: Forbidden" Good: "You don't have permission to view this page. Contact your admin for access."

Bad: "Invalid input" Good: "Email addresses need an @ symbol. Try: name@example.com"

Principles:

• Explain what went wrong in plain language
• Suggest how to fix it
• Don't blame the user
• Include examples when helpful
• Link to help/support if applicable

Form Labels & Instructions

Bad: "DOB (MM/DD/YYYY)" Good: "Date of birth" (with placeholder showing format)

Bad: "Enter value here" Good: "Your email address" or "Company name"

Principles:

• Use clear, specific labels (not generic placeholders)
• Show format expectations with examples
• Explain why you're asking (when not obvious)
• Put instructions before the field, not after
• Keep required field indicators clear

Button & CTA Text

Bad: "Click here" | "Submit" | "OK" Good: "Create account" | "Save changes" | "Got it, thanks"

Principles:

• Describe the action specifically
• Use active voice (verb + noun)
• Match user's mental model
• Be specific ("Save" is better than "OK")

Help Text & Tooltips

Bad: "This is the username field" Good: "Choose a username. You can change this later in Settings."

Principles:

• Add value (don't just repeat the label)
• Answer the implicit question ("What is this?" or "Why do you need this?")
• Keep it brief but complete
• Link to detailed docs if needed

Empty States

Bad: "No items" Good: "No projects yet. Create your first project to get started."

Principles:

• Explain why it's empty (if not obvious)
• Show next action clearly
• Make it welcoming, not dead-end

Success Messages

Bad: "Success" Good: "Settings saved! Your changes will take effect immediately."

Principles:

• Confirm what happened
• Explain what happens next (if relevant)
• Be brief but complete
• Match the user's emotional moment (celebrate big wins)

Loading States

Bad: "Loading..." (for 30+ seconds) Good: "Analyzing your data... this usually takes 30-60 seconds"

Principles:

• Set expectations (how long?)
• Explain what's happening (when it's not obvious)
• Show progress when possible
• Offer escape hatch if appropriate ("Cancel")

Confirmation Dialogs

Bad: "Are you sure?" Good: "Delete 'Project Alpha'? This can't be undone."

Principles:

• State the specific action
• Explain consequences (especially for destructive actions)
• Use clear button labels ("Delete project" not "Yes")
• Don't overuse confirmations (only for risky actions)

Navigation & Wayfinding

Bad: Generic labels like "Items" | "Things" | "Stuff" Good: Specific labels like "Your projects" | "Team members" | "Settings"

Principles:

• Be specific and descriptive
• Use language users understand (not internal jargon)
• Make hierarchy clear
• Consider information scent (breadcrumbs, current location)

Apply Clarity Principles

Every piece of copy should follow these rules:

1. Be specific: "Enter email" not "Enter value" 2. Be concise: Cut unnecessary words (but don't sacrifice clarity) 3. Be active: "Save changes" not "Changes will be saved" 4. Be human: "Oops, something went wrong" not "System error encountered" 5. Tell users what to do, not just what happened 6. Be consistent: Use same terms throughout (don't vary for variety)

NEVER:

• Use jargon without explanation
• Blame users ("You made an error" → "This field is required")
• Be vague ("Something went wrong" without explanation)
• Use passive voice unnecessarily
• Write overly long explanations (be concise)
• Use humor for errors (be empathetic instead)
• Assume technical knowledge
• Vary terminology (pick one term and stick with it)
• Repeat information (headers restating intros, redundant explanations)
• Use placeholders as the only labels (they disappear when users type)

Verify Improvements

Test that copy improvements work:

• Comprehension: Can users understand without context?
• Actionability: Do users know what to do next?
• Brevity: Is it as short as possible while remaining clear?
• Consistency: Does it match terminology elsewhere?
• Tone: Is it appropriate for the situation?

When the copy reads cleanly, hand off to $impeccable polish for the final pass.

Cognitive Load Assessment

Cognitive load is the total mental effort required to use an interface. Overloaded users make mistakes, get frustrated, and leave. This reference helps identify and fix cognitive overload.

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Three Types of Cognitive Load

Intrinsic Load: The Task Itself

Complexity inherent to what the user is trying to do. You can't eliminate this, but you can structure it.

Manage it by:

• Breaking complex tasks into discrete steps
• Providing scaffolding (templates, defaults, examples)
• Progressive disclosure: show what's needed now, hide the rest
• Grouping related decisions together

Extraneous Load: Bad Design

Mental effort caused by poor design choices. Eliminate this ruthlessly. It's pure waste.

Common sources:

• Confusing navigation that requires mental mapping
• Unclear labels that force users to guess meaning
• Visual clutter competing for attention
• Inconsistent patterns that prevent learning
• Unnecessary steps between user intent and result

Germane Load: Learning Effort

Mental effort spent building understanding. This is good cognitive load; it leads to mastery.

Support it by:

• Progressive disclosure that reveals complexity gradually
• Consistent patterns that reward learning
• Feedback that confirms correct understanding
• Onboarding that teaches through action, not walls of text

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Cognitive Load Checklist

Evaluate the interface against these 8 items:

• [ ] Single focus: Can the user complete their primary task without distraction from competing elements?
• [ ] Chunking: Is information presented in digestible groups (≤4 items per group)?
• [ ] Grouping: Are related items visually grouped together (proximity, borders, shared background)?
• [ ] Visual hierarchy: Is it immediately clear what's most important on the screen?
• [ ] One thing at a time: Can the user focus on a single decision before moving to the next?
• [ ] Minimal choices: Are decisions simplified (≤4 visible options at any decision point)?
• [ ] Working memory: Does the user need to remember information from a previous screen to act on the current one?
• [ ] Progressive disclosure: Is complexity revealed only when the user needs it?

Scoring: Count the failed items. 0–1 failures = low cognitive load (good). 2–3 = moderate (address soon). 4+ = high cognitive load (critical fix needed).

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The Working Memory Rule

Humans can hold ≤4 items in working memory at once (Miller's Law revised by Cowan, 2001).

At any decision point, count the number of distinct options, actions, or pieces of information a user must simultaneously consider:

• ≤4 items: Within working memory limits, manageable
• 5–7 items: Pushing the boundary; consider grouping or progressive disclosure
• 8+ items: Overloaded; users will skip, misclick, or abandon

Practical applications:

• Navigation menus: ≤5 top-level items (group the rest under clear categories)
• Form sections: ≤4 fields visible per group before a visual break
• Action buttons: 1 primary, 1–2 secondary, group the rest in a menu
• Dashboard widgets: ≤4 key metrics visible without scrolling
• Pricing tiers: ≤3 options (more causes analysis paralysis)

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Common Cognitive Load Violations

1. The Wall of Options

Problem: Presenting 10+ choices at once with no hierarchy. Fix: Group into categories, highlight recommended, use progressive disclosure.

2. The Memory Bridge

Problem: User must remember info from step 1 to complete step 3. Fix: Keep relevant context visible, or repeat it where it's needed.

3. The Hidden Navigation

Problem: User must build a mental map of where things are. Fix: Always show current location (breadcrumbs, active states, progress indicators).

4. The Jargon Barrier

Problem: Technical or domain language forces translation effort. Fix: Use plain language. If domain terms are unavoidable, define them inline.

5. The Visual Noise Floor

Problem: Every element has the same visual weight; nothing stands out. Fix: Establish clear hierarchy: one primary element, 2–3 secondary, everything else muted.

6. The Inconsistent Pattern

Problem: Similar actions work differently in different places. Fix: Standardize interaction patterns. Same type of action = same type of UI.

7. The Multi-Task Demand

Problem: Interface requires processing multiple simultaneous inputs (reading + deciding + navigating). Fix: Sequence the steps. Let the user do one thing at a time.

8. The Context Switch

Problem: User must jump between screens/tabs/modals to gather info for a single decision. Fix: Co-locate the information needed for each decision. Reduce back-and-forth.

Color & Contrast

Color Spaces: Use OKLCH

Stop using HSL. Use OKLCH (or LCH) instead. It's perceptually uniform, meaning equal steps in lightness look equal, unlike HSL where 50% lightness in yellow looks bright while 50% in blue looks dark.

The OKLCH function takes three components: oklch(lightness chroma hue) where lightness is 0-100%, chroma is roughly 0-0.4, and hue is 0-360. To build a primary color and its lighter / darker variants, hold the chroma+hue roughly constant and vary the lightness, but reduce chroma as you approach white or black, because high chroma at extreme lightness looks garish.

The hue you pick is a brand decision and should not come from a default. Do not reach for blue (hue 250) or warm orange (hue 60) by reflex; those are the dominant AI-design defaults, not the right answer for any specific brand.

Building Functional Palettes

Tinted Neutrals

Pure gray is dead. A neutral with zero chroma feels lifeless next to a colored brand. Add a tiny chroma value (0.005-0.015) to all your neutrals, hued toward whatever your brand color is. The chroma is small enough not to read as "tinted" consciously, but it creates subconscious cohesion between brand color and UI surfaces.

The hue you tint toward should come from THIS project's brand, not from a "warm = friendly, cool = tech" formula. If your brand color is teal, your neutrals lean toward teal. If your brand color is amber, they lean toward amber. The point is cohesion with the SPECIFIC brand, not a stock palette.

Avoid the trap of always tinting toward warm orange or always tinting toward cool blue. Those are the two laziest defaults and they create their own monoculture across projects.

Palette Structure

A complete system needs:

Skip secondary/tertiary unless you need them. Most apps work fine with one accent color. Adding more creates decision fatigue and visual noise.

The 60-30-10 Rule (Applied Correctly)

This rule is about visual weight, not pixel count:

• 60%: Neutral backgrounds, white space, base surfaces
• 30%: Secondary colors: text, borders, inactive states
• 10%: Accent: CTAs, highlights, focus states

The common mistake: using the accent color everywhere because it's "the brand color." Accent colors work because they're rare. Overuse kills their power.

Contrast & Accessibility

WCAG Requirements

The gotcha: Placeholder text still needs 4.5:1. That light gray placeholder you see everywhere? Usually fails WCAG.

Dangerous Color Combinations

These commonly fail contrast or cause readability issues:

• Light gray text on white (the #1 accessibility fail)
• Gray text on any colored background: gray looks washed out and dead on color. Use a darker shade of the background color, or transparency
• Red text on green background (or vice versa): 8% of men can't distinguish these
• Blue text on red background (vibrates visually)
• Yellow text on white (almost always fails)
• Thin light text on images (unpredictable contrast)

Never Use Pure Gray or Pure Black

Pure gray (oklch(50% 0 0)) and pure black (#000) don't exist in nature; real shadows and surfaces always have a color cast. Even a chroma of 0.005-0.01 is enough to feel natural without being obviously tinted. (See tinted neutrals example above.)

Testing

Don't trust your eyes. Use tools:

• WebAIM Contrast Checker
• Browser DevTools → Rendering → Emulate vision deficiencies
• Polypane for real-time testing

Theming: Light & Dark Mode

Dark Mode Is Not Inverted Light Mode

You can't just swap colors. Dark mode requires different design decisions:

In dark mode, depth comes from surface lightness, not shadow. Build a 3-step surface scale where higher elevations are lighter (e.g. 15% / 20% / 25% lightness). Use the SAME hue and chroma as your brand color (whatever it is for THIS project; do not reach for blue) and only vary the lightness. Reduce body text weight slightly (e.g. 350 instead of 400) because light text on dark reads as heavier than dark text on light.

Token Hierarchy

Use two layers: primitive tokens (--blue-500) and semantic tokens (--color-primary: var(--blue-500)). For dark mode, only redefine the semantic layer; primitives stay the same.

Alpha Is A Design Smell

Heavy use of transparency (rgba, hsla) usually means an incomplete palette. Alpha creates unpredictable contrast, performance overhead, and inconsistency. Define explicit overlay colors for each context instead. Exception: focus rings and interactive states where see-through is needed.

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Avoid: Relying on color alone to convey information. Creating palettes without clear roles for each color. Using pure black (#000) for large areas. Skipping color blindness testing (8% of men affected).

Additional context needed: existing brand colors.

Replace timid grayscale or single-accent designs with a strategic palette: pick a color strategy, choose a hue family that fits the brand, then apply color with intent. More color ≠ better. Strategic color beats rainbow vomit.

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Register

Brand: palette IS voice. Pick a color strategy first per SKILL.md (Restrained / Committed / Full palette / Drenched) and follow its dosage. Committed, Full palette, and Drenched deliberately exceed the ≤10% rule; that rule is Restrained only. Unexpected combinations are allowed; a dominant color can own the page when the chosen strategy calls for it.

Product: semantic-first and almost always Restrained. Accent color is reserved for primary action, current selection, and state indicators. Not decoration. Every color has a consistent meaning across every screen.

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Assess Color Opportunity

Analyze the current state and identify opportunities:

1. Understand current state:

• Color absence: Pure grayscale? Limited neutrals? One timid accent?
• Missed opportunities: Where could color add meaning, hierarchy, or delight?
• Context: What's appropriate for this domain and audience?
• Brand: Are there existing brand colors we should use?

2. Identify where color adds value:

• Semantic meaning: Success (green), error (red), warning (yellow/orange), info (blue)
• Hierarchy: Drawing attention to important elements
• Categorization: Different sections, types, or states
• Emotional tone: Warmth, energy, trust, creativity
• Wayfinding: Helping users navigate and understand structure
• Delight: Moments of visual interest and personality

If any of these are unclear from the codebase, STOP and use Codex's structured user-input/question tool when available; if unavailable, ask directly in chat to clarify what you cannot infer.

CRITICAL: More color ≠ better. Strategic color beats rainbow vomit every time. Every color should have a purpose.

Plan Color Strategy

Create a purposeful color introduction plan:

• Color palette: What colors match the brand/context? (Choose 2-4 colors max beyond neutrals)
• Dominant color: Which color owns 60% of colored elements?
• Accent colors: Which colors provide contrast and highlights? (30% and 10%)
• Application strategy: Where does each color appear and why?

IMPORTANT: Color should enhance hierarchy and meaning, not create chaos. Less is more when it matters more.

Introduce Color Strategically

Add color systematically across these dimensions:

Semantic Color

• State indicators:
• Success: Green tones (emerald, forest, mint)
• Error: Red/pink tones (rose, crimson, coral)
• Warning: Orange/amber tones
• Info: Blue tones (sky, ocean, indigo)
• Neutral: Gray/slate for inactive states

• Status badges: Colored backgrounds or borders for states (active, pending, completed, etc.)
• Progress indicators: Colored bars, rings, or charts showing completion or health

Accent Color Application

• Primary actions: Color the most important buttons/CTAs
• Links: Add color to clickable text (maintain accessibility)
• Icons: Colorize key icons for recognition and personality
• Headers/titles: Add color to section headers or key labels
• Hover states: Introduce color on interaction

Background & Surfaces

• Tinted backgrounds: Replace pure gray (#f5f5f5) with warm neutrals (oklch(97% 0.01 60)) or cool tints (oklch(97% 0.01 250))
• Colored sections: Use subtle background colors to separate areas
• Gradient backgrounds: Add depth with subtle, intentional gradients (not generic purple-blue)
• Cards & surfaces: Tint cards or surfaces slightly for warmth

Use OKLCH for color: It's perceptually uniform, meaning equal steps in lightness look equal. Great for generating harmonious scales.

Data Visualization

• Charts & graphs: Use color to encode categories or values
• Heatmaps: Color intensity shows density or importance
• Comparison: Color coding for different datasets or timeframes

Borders & Accents

• Hairline borders: 1px colored borders on full perimeter (not side-stripes; see the absolute ban on border-left/right > 1px)
• Underlines: Color underlines for emphasis or active states
• Dividers: Subtle colored dividers instead of gray lines
• Focus rings: Colored focus indicators matching brand
• Surface tints: A 4-8% background wash of the accent color instead of a stripe

NEVER: border-left or border-right greater than 1px as a colored accent stripe. This is one of the three absolute bans in the parent skill. If you want to mark a card as "active" or "warning", use a full hairline border, a background tint, a leading glyph, or a numbered prefix. Not a side stripe.

Typography Color

• Colored headings: Use brand colors for section headings (maintain contrast)
• Highlight text: Color for emphasis or categories
• Labels & tags: Small colored labels for metadata or categories

Decorative Elements

• Illustrations: Add colored illustrations or icons
• Shapes: Geometric shapes in brand colors as background elements
• Gradients: Colorful gradient overlays or mesh backgrounds
• Blobs/organic shapes: Soft colored shapes for visual interest

Balance & Refinement

Ensure color addition improves rather than overwhelms:

Maintain Hierarchy

• Dominant color (60%): Primary brand color or most used accent
• Secondary color (30%): Supporting color for variety
• Accent color (10%): High contrast for key moments
• Neutrals (remaining): Gray/black/white for structure

Accessibility

• Contrast ratios: Ensure WCAG compliance (4.5:1 for text, 3:1 for UI components)
• Don't rely on color alone: Use icons, labels, or patterns alongside color
• Test for color blindness: Verify red/green combinations work for all users

Cohesion

• Consistent palette: Use colors from defined palette, not arbitrary choices
• Systematic application: Same color meanings throughout (green always = success)
• Temperature consistency: Warm palette stays warm, cool stays cool

NEVER:

• Use every color in the rainbow (choose 2-4 colors beyond neutrals)
• Apply color randomly without semantic meaning
• Put gray text on colored backgrounds. It looks washed out; use a darker shade of the background color or transparency instead
• Use pure gray for neutrals. Add subtle color tint (warm or cool) for depth
• Use pure black (#000) or pure white (#fff) for large areas
• Violate WCAG contrast requirements
• Use color as the only indicator (accessibility issue)
• Make everything colorful (defeats the purpose)
• Default to purple-blue gradients (AI slop aesthetic)

Verify Color Addition

Test that colorization improves the experience:

• Better hierarchy: Does color guide attention appropriately?
• Clearer meaning: Does color help users understand states/categories?
• More engaging: Does the interface feel warmer and more inviting?
• Still accessible: Do all color combinations meet WCAG standards?
• Not overwhelming: Is color balanced and purposeful?

When the palette earns its place, hand off to $impeccable polish for the final pass.

Live-mode signature params

When invoked from live mode, each variant MUST declare a color-amount param so the user can dial between a restrained accent and a drenched surface without regeneration. Author the variant's CSS against var(--p-color-amount, 0.5), typically as the alpha multiplier on backgrounds, or as a scaling factor on the chroma axis in an OKLCH expression. 0 = neutral/monochrome, 1 = full saturation / dominant coverage.

{"id":"color-amount","kind":"range","min":0,"max":1,"step":0.05,"default":0.5,"label":"Color amount"}

Layer 1-2 variant-specific params on top: palette selection (steps with named options), temperature warmth, or tint vs. true color. See reference/live.md for the full params contract.

Craft Flow

Build a feature with impeccable UX and UI quality through a structured process: shape the design, land the visual direction, build real production code, then inspect and improve in-browser until the result meets a high-end studio bar.

Build Gate

Craft cannot build until all of these are true:

1. PRODUCT context is valid and current. 2. The shape design brief is explicitly confirmed by the user for this task, unless the user already provided a confirmed brief. 3. Implementation references from the brief are loaded. 4. The shape visual probe decision is recorded: generated, skipped with reason, or already resolved. 5. The north-star mock decision is recorded: generated, skipped with reason, or not applicable.

PRODUCT.md and teach answers do not satisfy the shape gate. They are project context only. A compact self-authored brief does not satisfy the shape gate either. shape=pass requires a separate user response approving the shape brief or an already-confirmed brief supplied by the user.

Invalid image-skip reasons include: "the final implementation will be semantic HTML/CSS/SVG", "the diagram should stay editable", "a raster mock would not be used directly", or "the product is fictional." Generated probes and mocks are direction artifacts; they are not implementation assets.

Craft Contract

Craft is not a first pass. It is a loop with these required artifacts:

1. Confirmed design brief from shape. 2. Approved visual direction, from generated probes / mocks when image generation is available. 3. Mock fidelity inventory: the visible ingredients from the approved direction that must survive into code. 4. Semantic, functional implementation using the project's real stack and conventions. 5. Browser evidence across relevant viewports. 6. At least one critique-and-fix pass after the first browser inspection, unless the first pass has no material defects.

Do not let generated mockups replace interface structure, copy, accessibility, responsive behavior, or state design. But do treat the approved mock as a concrete visual contract for composition, hierarchy, density, atmosphere, signature motifs, image needs, and distinctive visual moves. "North star" means "preserve the important visible ingredients in semantic code," not "use it as loose mood."

Step 1: Shape the Design

Run $impeccable shape, passing along whatever feature description the user provided.

Wait for the design brief to be fully confirmed by the user before proceeding. The brief is your blueprint, and every implementation decision should trace back to it.

If this craft run resumed after teach created PRODUCT.md, run shape now. Do not treat the teach interview, PRODUCT.md, or a summary of project context as a substitute for shape. Shape is task-specific and must cover scope, content/states, visual direction, constraints, anti-goals, probes when applicable, and explicit brief confirmation.

If the user has already run $impeccable shape and has a confirmed design brief, skip this step and use the existing brief.

Step 2: Load References

Based on the design brief's "Recommended References" section, consult the relevant impeccable reference files. At minimum, always consult:

• spatial-design.md for layout and spacing
• typography.md for type hierarchy

Then add references based on the brief's needs:

• Complex interactions or forms? Consult interaction-design.md
• Animation or transitions? Consult motion-design.md
• Color-heavy or themed? Consult color-and-contrast.md
• Responsive requirements? Consult responsive-design.md
• Heavy on copy, labels, or errors? Consult ux-writing.md

Step 3: Land the Visual Direction (Capability-Gated)

Before implementation, generate high-fidelity visual comps when all of these are true:

• The work is net-new or visually open-ended enough that composition exploration will improve the build.
• The brief's scope is mid-fi, high-fi, or production-ready.
• The current harness has built-in image generation capability (for example, Codex with a native image tool). Do not ask the user to set up external APIs, shell scripts, or one-off tooling just to do this.

When those conditions are met, this step is mandatory for both brand and product work in Codex and any harness with built-in image generation. Use native image generation; in Codex, use the built-in image_gen tool via the imagegen skill. If image generation is unavailable, do not ask the user to install APIs or tooling. State in one line that the image step is skipped because the harness lacks native image generation, then proceed.

Do not skip this step because the eventual UI should be semantic, editable, code-native, responsive, or accessible. Those are implementation requirements, not reasons to avoid visual exploration.

Purpose

Use the mock step to find a stronger visual lane than code-first generation would reliably discover on its own. The brief remains authoritative on user, purpose, content, constraints, states, and anti-goals. The mock clarifies composition, hierarchy, density, typography, and visual tone.

What to generate

Generate 1 to 3 high-fidelity north-star comps based on the confirmed brief. If shape already produced direction probes, use those results as input and generate a more resolved mock from the winning lane, not another unrelated exploration.

• For brand work, push visual identity, composition, and mood aggressively.
• For product work, still push hierarchy, topology, density, and tone, but keep the comps grounded in realistic product structure and states.
• For landing pages and long-form brand surfaces, show enough of the next section or second fold to establish the system beyond the hero.

The comps must be genuinely different in primary visual direction, not just color variants.

Approval loop

Show the comps and ask what should carry forward. If the user asks for changes or the best direction is still weak, generate a focused revision before implementation. Continue until one direction is approved, or until the user explicitly delegates the choice.

If the user delegates, pick the strongest direction and explain the decision using the brief, not personal taste.

Before moving to implementation, summarize:

• What to carry into code
• What not to literalize from the mock

This summary is required before Step 4. It is the handoff between visual exploration and semantic implementation.

Mock fidelity inventory

Before building, inventory the approved mock's major visible ingredients:

• Hero silhouette and dominant composition.
• Signature motifs: planets, devices, portraits, charts, route lines, insets, badges, or other memorable objects.
• Nav and primary CTA treatment.
• Section sequence visible in the mock, especially the second fold.
• Image-native content the concept depends on.
• Typography, density, color/material treatment, and motion cues.

For each ingredient, decide how it will be implemented: semantic HTML/CSS/SVG, generated asset, sourced project asset, icon library, canvas/WebGL, or an explicitly accepted omission. Do not substitute a different hero composition or new visual driver after approval unless the user approves the change.

Treat the mock as a north star, not a screenshot to trace. Do not rasterize core UI text or let the mock override the confirmed brief. But if the live result lacks the mock's major visible ingredients, the implementation is wrong.

Step 4: Asset Extraction (Need-Gated)

If the chosen direction includes image-native visual ingredients that would materially improve the implementation, generate them as separate assets before building.

Good candidates:

• stickers
• badges
• seals
• tickets
• graphic labels
• textures
• abstract objects
• decorative marks
• non-semantic scene elements

For travel, editorial, portfolio, venue, product showcase, entertainment, education, or any other image-led brand surface, visual assets are usually core content, not decoration. Do not ship abstract CSS panels where the approved mock or subject matter calls for real imagery, generated plates, illustrations, maps, product/object renders, or destination scenes.

Do not export assets for core UI text, navigation, body copy, or any structure that should stay semantic and editable in code.

Usually 1 to 5 extracted assets is enough. If the design can be built cleanly in HTML/CSS/SVG, prefer that over raster assets. If the mock contains major visual content that cannot be built credibly in code, asset extraction is not optional.

Step 5: Build to Production Quality

Implement the feature following the design brief. Build in passes so structure, visual system, states, motion/media, and responsive behavior each get deliberate attention. The list below is the definition of done, not inspiration.

Production bar

• Use real or realistic content. Remove placeholder copy, placeholder images, dead links, fake controls, and unused scaffold before presenting.
• Preserve the approved mock's major ingredients. Missing hero objects, missing world/product imagery, different section structure, downgraded CTA/nav treatment, or generic replacements for distinctive motifs are blocking defects unless the user accepted the change.
• Build semantically first: real headings, landmarks, labels, form associations, button/link semantics, accessible names, and state announcements where needed.
• Calibrate spacing, alignment, grid placement, and vertical rhythm deliberately. Do not accept default gaps, arbitrary margins, unbalanced whitespace, or accidental optical misalignment.
• Make typography intentional: chosen font loading strategy, clear hierarchy, readable measure, stable line breaks, tuned wrapping, and no overflow at mobile or large desktop sizes.
• Design realistic state coverage: default, hover where supported, focus-visible, active, disabled, loading, error, success, empty, overflow, long text, short text, and first-run states where relevant.
• Make interaction quality feel finished: keyboard paths, touch targets, feedback timing, scroll behavior, transitions between states, and no hover-only functionality.
• Use icons from the project's established icon set when available. If no set exists, choose a coherent library or use accessible text controls; do not mix unrelated icon styles.
• Optimize imagery and media: correct dimensions, useful alt text, lazy loading below the fold, modern formats when practical, responsive srcset / picture for raster assets, and no project-referenced asset left outside the workspace.
• Make motion feel premium: use atmospheric blur, filter, mask, shadow, or reveal effects when they improve the experience; avoid casual layout-property animation, bound expensive effects, verify smoothness in-browser, respect reduced motion, and avoid choreography that blocks task completion.
• Preserve maintainability: reusable local patterns, clear component boundaries, project conventions, no rasterized UI text, and no hard-coded one-off hacks when a better local pattern exists.
• Fit the technical context: production build passes, no obvious console errors, no avoidable layout shift, no needless dependency, and no broken asset path.
• If you discover a design question that materially changes the brief or approved direction, stop and ask rather than guessing.

Step 6: Browser-Based Iteration

This step is critical. Do not stop after the first implementation pass.

Open the result in a browser. In Codex, use browser-use or equivalent browser automation when available; otherwise use Playwright or ask the user for screenshots. Inspect screenshots, not just DOM or terminal output.

Required viewport pass

Check the experience at the viewports that matter for the brief. Default minimum:

• Mobile narrow
• Tablet or small laptop
• Desktop wide

For each viewport, capture or inspect the rendered state and look for visual defects: overlap, clipping, weak hierarchy, off-grid alignment, awkward whitespace, cramped controls, unreadable type, broken imagery, hover-only functionality, layout shift, and text overflow.

Critique and fix loop

After the first browser pass, write a short critique for yourself and patch the implementation. Repeat browser inspection after fixes. Continue until no material issues remain against this checklist:

1. Does it match the brief? Compare the live result against every section of the design brief. Fix discrepancies. 2. Does it match the approved mock? Compare screenshots against the mock fidelity inventory: hero silhouette, major motifs, imagery, nav/CTA, section sequence, density, color/materials, and second-fold substance. Missing major ingredients are P0 defects. 3. Does it pass the AI slop test? If someone saw this and said "AI made this," would they believe it immediately? If yes, it needs more design intention. 4. Check against impeccable's DON'T guidelines. Fix any anti-pattern violations. 5. Check every state. Navigate through empty, error, loading, and edge case states. Each one should feel intentional, not like an afterthought. 6. Check responsive behavior. The design should adapt compositionally, not merely shrink. 7. Check craft details. Spacing consistency, optical alignment, type hierarchy, color contrast, image quality, icon coherence, interactive feedback, motion timing, and focus treatment. 8. Check performance basics. No obviously oversized images, avoidable layout thrash, blocking animations, or heavy assets without a reason.

The exit bar is not "it works." It is: the rendered result looks intentional at all checked viewports, all expected states are handled, no placeholders remain unless explicitly accepted, and the implementation quality would be defensible in a high-end studio review.

Step 7: Present

Present the result to the user:

• Show the feature in its primary state
• Summarize the browser/viewports checked and the most important fixes made after inspection
• Walk through the key states (empty, error, responsive)
• Explain design decisions that connect back to the design brief and, when used, the chosen north-star mock. Include any accepted deviations from the mock; do not hide unimplemented mock ingredients.
• Note any remaining limitations or follow-up risks honestly
• Ask: "What's working? What isn't?"

Iterate based on feedback. Good design is rarely right on the first pass.

Additional context needed: what the interface is trying to accomplish.

Gather Assessments

Launch two independent assessments. Neither may see the other's output. This isolation is what makes the combined score honest. Running both in one head silently anchors them to each other; do not shortcut it for cost, speed, or context-size reasons.

Delegate each assessment to a separate sub-agent (Claude Code's Agent tool, Codex's subagent spawning, etc.). Each returns structured findings as text. Do NOT output findings to the user yet.

Fall back to sequential in-head work only if the environment genuinely cannot spawn sub-agents.

Tab isolation: When browser automation is available, each assessment MUST create its own new tab. Never reuse an existing tab, even if one is already open at the correct URL. This prevents the two assessments from interfering with each other's page state.

Assessment A: LLM Design Review

Read the relevant source files (HTML, CSS, JS/TS) and, if browser automation is available, visually inspect the live page. Create a new tab for this; do not reuse existing tabs. After navigation, label the tab by setting the document title:

document.title = '[LLM] ' + document.title;

Think like a design director. Evaluate:

AI Slop Detection (CRITICAL): Does this look like every other AI-generated interface? Review against ALL DON'T guidelines from the parent impeccable skill (already loaded in this context). Check for AI color palette, gradient text, dark glows, glassmorphism, hero metric layouts, identical card grids, generic fonts, and all other tells. The test: If someone said "AI made this," would you believe them immediately?

Holistic Design Review: visual hierarchy (eye flow, primary action clarity), information architecture (structure, grouping, cognitive load), emotional resonance (does it match brand and audience?), discoverability (are interactive elements obvious?), composition (balance, whitespace, rhythm), typography (hierarchy, readability, font choices), color (purposeful use, cohesion, accessibility), states & edge cases (empty, loading, error, success), microcopy (clarity, tone, helpfulness).

Cognitive Load (consult cognitive-load):

• Run the 8-item cognitive load checklist. Report failure count: 0-1 = low (good), 2-3 = moderate, 4+ = critical.
• Count visible options at each decision point. If >4, flag it.
• Check for progressive disclosure: is complexity revealed only when needed?

Emotional Journey:

• What emotion does this interface evoke? Is that intentional?
• Peak-end rule: Is the most intense moment positive? Does the experience end well?
• Emotional valleys: Check for anxiety spikes at high-stakes moments (payment, delete, commit). Are there design interventions (progress indicators, reassurance copy, undo options)?

Nielsen's Heuristics (consult heuristics-scoring): Score each of the 10 heuristics 0-4. This scoring will be presented in the report.

Return structured findings covering: AI slop verdict, heuristic scores, cognitive load assessment, what's working (2-3 items), priority issues (3-5 with what/why/fix), minor observations, and provocative questions.

Assessment B: Automated Detection

Run the bundled deterministic detector, which flags 27 specific patterns (AI slop tells + general design quality).

CLI scan:

npx impeccable --json [--fast] [target]

• Pass HTML/JSX/TSX/Vue/Svelte files or directories as [target] (anything with markup). Do not pass CSS-only files.
• For URLs, skip the CLI scan (it requires Puppeteer). Use browser visualization instead.
• For large directories (200+ scannable files), use --fast (regex-only, skips jsdom)
• For 500+ files, narrow scope or ask the user
• Exit code 0 = clean, 2 = findings

Browser visualization: required when browser automation tools are available AND the target is a viewable page. The [Human] overlay tab is the user-facing deliverable; the critique is incomplete without it. Skip only if the target is not a viewable page (CSS-only file, non-browser target).

The overlay is a visual aid for the user. It highlights issues directly in their browser. Do NOT scroll through the page to screenshot overlays. Instead, read the console output to get the results programmatically.

1. Start the live detection server:

   npx impeccable live &

Note the port printed to stdout (auto-assigned). Use --port=PORT to fix it. 2. Create a new tab and navigate to the page (use dev server URL for local files, or direct URL). Do not reuse existing tabs. 3. Label the tab via javascript_tool so the user can distinguish it:

   document.title = '[Human] ' + document.title;

4. Scroll to top to ensure the page is scrolled to the very top before injection 5. Inject via javascript_tool (replace PORT with the port from step 1):

   const s = document.createElement('script'); s.src = 'http://localhost:PORT/detect.js'; document.head.appendChild(s);

6. Wait 2-3 seconds for the detector to render overlays 7. Read results from console using read_console_messages with pattern impeccable. The detector logs all findings with the [impeccable] prefix. Do NOT scroll through the page to take screenshots of the overlays. 8. Cleanup: Stop the live server when done:

   npx impeccable live stop

For multi-view targets, inject on 3-5 representative pages. If injection fails, continue with CLI results only.

Return: CLI findings (JSON), browser console findings (if applicable), and any false positives noted.

Generate Combined Critique Report

Synthesize both assessments into a single report. Do NOT simply concatenate. Weave the findings together, noting where the LLM review and detector agree, where the detector caught issues the LLM missed, and where detector findings are false positives.

Structure your feedback as a design director would:

Design Health Score

Consult [heuristics-scoring](heuristics-scoring.md)

Present the Nielsen's 10 heuristics scores as a table:

Be honest with scores. A 4 means genuinely excellent. Most real interfaces score 20-32.

Anti-Patterns Verdict

Start here. Does this look AI-generated?

LLM assessment: Your own evaluation of AI slop tells. Cover overall aesthetic feel, layout sameness, generic composition, missed opportunities for personality.

Deterministic scan: Summarize what the automated detector found, with counts and file locations. Note any additional issues the detector caught that you missed, and flag any false positives.

Visual overlays (if browser was used): Tell the user that overlays are now visible in the [Human] tab in their browser, highlighting the detected issues. Summarize what the console output reported.

Overall Impression

A brief gut reaction: what works, what doesn't, and the single biggest opportunity.

What's Working

Highlight 2-3 things done well. Be specific about why they work.

Priority Issues

The 3-5 most impactful design problems, ordered by importance.

For each issue, tag with P0-P3 severity (consult heuristics-scoring for severity definitions):

• [P?] What: Name the problem clearly
• Why it matters: How this hurts users or undermines goals
• Fix: What to do about it (be concrete)
• Suggested command: Which command could address this (from: $impeccable adapt, $impeccable animate, $impeccable audit, $impeccable bolder, $impeccable clarify, $impeccable colorize, $impeccable critique, $impeccable delight, $impeccable distill, $impeccable document, $impeccable harden, $impeccable layout, $impeccable onboard, $impeccable optimize, $impeccable overdrive, $impeccable polish, $impeccable quieter, $impeccable shape, $impeccable typeset)

Persona Red Flags

Consult [personas](personas.md)

Auto-select 2-3 personas most relevant to this interface type (use the selection table in the reference). If AGENTS.md contains a ## Design Context section from impeccable teach, also generate 1-2 project-specific personas from the audience/brand info.

For each selected persona, walk through the primary user action and list specific red flags found:

Alex (Power User): No keyboard shortcuts detected. Form requires 8 clicks for primary action. Forced modal onboarding. High abandonment risk.

Jordan (First-Timer): Icon-only nav in sidebar. Technical jargon in error messages ("404 Not Found"). No visible help. Will abandon at step 2.

Be specific. Name the exact elements and interactions that fail each persona. Don't write generic persona descriptions; write what broke for them.

Minor Observations

Quick notes on smaller issues worth addressing.

Questions to Consider

Provocative questions that might unlock better solutions:

• "What if the primary action were more prominent?"
• "Does this need to feel this complex?"
• "What would a confident version of this look like?"

Remember:

• Be direct. Vague feedback wastes everyone's time.
• Be specific. "The submit button," not "some elements."
• Say what's wrong AND why it matters to users.
• Give concrete suggestions. Cut "consider exploring..." entirely.
• Prioritize ruthlessly. If everything is important, nothing is.
• Don't soften criticism. Developers need honest feedback to ship great design.

Ask the User

After presenting findings, use targeted questions based on what was actually found. STOP and use Codex's structured user-input/question tool when available; if unavailable, ask directly in chat to clarify what you cannot infer. These answers will shape the action plan.

Ask questions along these lines (adapt to the specific findings; do NOT ask generic questions):

1. Priority direction: Based on the issues found, ask which category matters most to the user right now. For example: "I found problems with visual hierarchy, color usage, and information overload. Which area should we tackle first?" Offer the top 2-3 issue categories as options.

2. Design intent: If the critique found a tonal mismatch, ask whether it was intentional. For example: "The interface feels clinical and corporate. Is that the intended tone, or should it feel warmer/bolder/more playful?" Offer 2-3 tonal directions as options based on what would fix the issues found.

3. Scope: Ask how much the user wants to take on. For example: "I found N issues. Want to address everything, or focus on the top 3?" Offer scope options like "Top 3 only", "All issues", "Critical issues only".

4. Constraints (optional; only ask if relevant): If the findings touch many areas, ask if anything is off-limits. For example: "Should any sections stay as-is?" This prevents the plan from touching things the user considers done.

Rules for questions:

• Every question must reference specific findings from the report. Never ask generic "who is your audience?" questions.
• Keep it to 2-4 questions maximum. Respect the user's time.
• Offer concrete options, not open-ended prompts.
• If findings are straightforward (e.g., only 1-2 clear issues), skip questions and go directly to Recommended Actions.

Recommended Actions

After receiving the user's answers, present a prioritized action summary reflecting the user's priorities and scope from Ask the User.

Action Summary

List recommended commands in priority order, based on the user's answers:

1. `$command-name`: Brief description of what to fix (specific context from critique findings) 2. `$command-name`: Brief description (specific context) ...

Rules for recommendations:

• Only recommend commands from: $impeccable adapt, $impeccable animate, $impeccable audit, $impeccable bolder, $impeccable clarify, $impeccable colorize, $impeccable critique, $impeccable delight, $impeccable distill, $impeccable document, $impeccable harden, $impeccable layout, $impeccable onboard, $impeccable optimize, $impeccable overdrive, $impeccable polish, $impeccable quieter, $impeccable shape, $impeccable typeset
• Order by the user's stated priorities first, then by impact
• Each item's description should carry enough context that the command knows what to focus on
• Map each Priority Issue to the appropriate command
• Skip commands that would address zero issues
• If the user chose a limited scope, only include items within that scope
• If the user marked areas as off-limits, exclude commands that would touch those areas
• End with $impeccable polish as the final step if any fixes were recommended

After presenting the summary, tell the user:

You can ask me to run these one at a time, all at once, or in any order you prefer.

>

Re-run $impeccable critique after fixes to see your score improve.

Additional context needed: what's appropriate for the domain (playful vs professional vs quirky vs elegant).

Find the moments where personality and unexpected polish would turn a functional interface into one users remember and tell other people about. Add only where the moment earns it; delight everywhere reads as noise.

---

Register

Brand: delight can be distributed across copy voice, section transitions, discovery rewards, seasonal touches, personality across the whole surface.

Product: delight at specific moments, not pages. Completion, first-time actions, error recovery, milestone crossings. Reliability and consistency carry the rest of the experience; delight pushed everywhere reads as noise.

---

Assess Delight Opportunities

Identify where delight would enhance (not distract from) the experience:

1. Find natural delight moments:

• Success states: Completed actions (save, send, publish)
• Empty states: First-time experiences, onboarding
• Loading states: Waiting periods that could be entertaining
• Achievements: Milestones, streaks, completions
• Interactions: Hover states, clicks, drags
• Errors: Softening frustrating moments
• Easter eggs: Hidden discoveries for curious users

2. Understand the context:

• What's the brand personality? (Playful? Professional? Quirky? Elegant?)
• Who's the audience? (Tech-savvy? Creative? Corporate?)
• What's the emotional context? (Accomplishment? Exploration? Frustration?)
• What's appropriate? (Banking app ≠ gaming app)

3. Define delight strategy:

• Subtle sophistication: Refined micro-interactions (luxury brands)
• Playful personality: Whimsical illustrations and copy (consumer apps)
• Helpful surprises: Anticipating needs before users ask (productivity tools)
• Sensory richness: Satisfying sounds, smooth animations (creative tools)

If any of these are unclear from the codebase, STOP and use Codex's structured user-input/question tool when available; if unavailable, ask directly in chat to clarify what you cannot infer.

CRITICAL: Delight should enhance usability, never obscure it. If users notice the delight more than accomplishing their goal, you've gone too far.

Delight Principles

Follow these guidelines:

Delight Amplifies, Never Blocks

• Delight moments should be quick (< 1 second)
• Never delay core functionality for delight
• Make delight skippable or subtle
• Respect user's time and task focus

Surprise and Discovery

• Hide delightful details for users to discover
• Reward exploration and curiosity
• Don't announce every delight moment
• Let users share discoveries with others

Appropriate to Context

• Match delight to emotional moment (celebrate success, empathize with errors)
• Respect the user's state (don't be playful during critical errors)
• Match brand personality and audience expectations
• Cultural sensitivity (what's delightful varies by culture)

Compound Over Time

• Delight should remain fresh with repeated use
• Vary responses (not same animation every time)
• Reveal deeper layers with continued use
• Build anticipation through patterns

Delight Techniques

Add personality and joy through these methods:

Micro-interactions & Animation

Button delight:

/* Satisfying button press */
.button {
  transition: transform 0.1s, box-shadow 0.1s;
}
.button:active {
  transform: translateY(2px);
  box-shadow: 0 2px 4px rgba(0,0,0,0.2);
}

/* Ripple effect on click */
/* Smooth lift on hover */
.button:hover {
  transform: translateY(-2px);
  transition: transform 0.2s cubic-bezier(0.25, 1, 0.5, 1); /* ease-out-quart */
}

Loading delight:

• Playful loading animations (not just spinners)
• Personality in loading messages (write product-specific ones, not generic AI filler)
• Progress indication with encouraging messages
• Skeleton screens with subtle animations

Success animations:

• Checkmark draw animation
• Confetti burst for major achievements
• Gentle scale + fade for confirmation
• Satisfying sound effects (subtle)

Hover surprises:

• Icons that animate on hover
• Color shifts or glow effects
• Tooltip reveals with personality
• Cursor changes (custom cursors for branded experiences)

Personality in Copy

Playful error messages:

"Error 404"
"This page is playing hide and seek. (And winning)"

"Connection failed"
"Looks like the internet took a coffee break. Want to retry?"

Encouraging empty states:

"No projects"
"Your canvas awaits. Create something amazing."

"No messages"
"Inbox zero! You're crushing it today."

Playful labels & tooltips:

"Delete"
"Send to void" (for playful brand)

"Help"
"Rescue me" (tooltip)

IMPORTANT: Match copy personality to brand. Banks shouldn't be wacky, but they can be warm.

Illustrations & Visual Personality

Custom illustrations:

• Empty state illustrations (not stock icons)
• Error state illustrations (friendly monsters, quirky characters)
• Loading state illustrations (animated characters)
• Success state illustrations (celebrations)

Icon personality:

• Custom icon set matching brand personality
• Animated icons (subtle motion on hover/click)
• Illustrative icons (more detailed than generic)
• Consistent style across all icons

Background effects:

• Subtle particle effects
• Gradient mesh backgrounds
• Geometric patterns
• Parallax depth
• Time-of-day themes (morning vs night)

Satisfying Interactions

Drag and drop delight:

• Lift effect on drag (shadow, scale)
• Snap animation when dropped
• Satisfying placement sound
• Undo toast ("Dropped in wrong place? [Undo]")

Toggle switches:

• Smooth slide with spring physics
• Color transition
• Haptic feedback on mobile
• Optional sound effect

Progress & achievements:

• Streak counters with celebratory milestones
• Progress bars that "celebrate" at 100%
• Badge unlocks with animation
• Playful stats ("You're on fire! 5 days in a row")

Form interactions:

• Input fields that animate on focus
• Checkboxes with a satisfying scale pulse when checked
• Success state that celebrates valid input
• Auto-grow textareas

Sound Design

Subtle audio cues (when appropriate):

• Notification sounds (distinctive but not annoying)
• Success sounds (satisfying "ding")
• Error sounds (empathetic, not harsh)
• Typing sounds for chat/messaging
• Ambient background audio (very subtle)

IMPORTANT:

• Respect system sound settings
• Provide mute option
• Keep volumes quiet (subtle cues, not alarms)
• Don't play on every interaction (sound fatigue is real)

Easter Eggs & Hidden Delights

Discovery rewards:

• Konami code unlocks special theme
• Hidden keyboard shortcuts (Cmd+K for special features)
• Hover reveals on logos or illustrations
• Alt text jokes on images (for screen reader users too!)
• Console messages for developers ("Like what you see? We're hiring!")

Seasonal touches:

• Holiday themes (subtle, tasteful)
• Seasonal color shifts
• Weather-based variations
• Time-based changes (dark at night, light during day)

Contextual personality:

• Different messages based on time of day
• Responses to specific user actions
• Randomized variations (not same every time)
• Progressive reveals with continued use

Loading & Waiting States

Make waiting engaging:

• Interesting loading messages that rotate
• Progress bars with personality
• Mini-games during long loads
• Fun facts or tips while waiting
• Countdown with encouraging messages

Loading messages: write ones specific to your product, not generic AI filler:
- "Crunching your latest numbers..."
- "Syncing with your team's changes..."
- "Preparing your dashboard..."
- "Checking for updates since yesterday..."

WARNING: Avoid cliched loading messages like "Herding pixels", "Teaching robots to dance", "Consulting the magic 8-ball", "Counting backwards from infinity". These are AI-slop copy, instantly recognizable as machine-generated. Write messages that are specific to what your product actually does.

Celebration Moments

Success celebrations:

• Confetti for major milestones
• Animated checkmarks for completions
• Progress bar celebrations at 100%
• "Achievement unlocked" style notifications
• Personalized messages ("You published your 10th article!")

Milestone recognition:

• First-time actions get special treatment
• Streak tracking and celebration
• Progress toward goals
• Anniversary celebrations

Implementation Patterns

Animation libraries:

• Framer Motion (React)
• GSAP (universal)
• Lottie (After Effects animations)
• Canvas confetti (party effects)

Sound libraries:

• Howler.js (audio management)
• Use-sound (React hook)

Physics libraries:

• React Spring (spring physics)
• Popmotion (animation primitives)

IMPORTANT: File size matters. Compress images, optimize animations, lazy load delight features.

NEVER:

• Delay core functionality for delight
• Force users through delightful moments (make skippable)
• Use delight to hide poor UX
• Overdo it (less is more)
• Ignore accessibility (animate responsibly, provide alternatives)
• Make every interaction delightful (special moments should be special)
• Sacrifice performance for delight
• Be inappropriate for context (read the room)

Verify Delight Quality

Test that delight actually delights:

• User reactions: Do users smile? Share screenshots?
• Doesn't annoy: Still pleasant after 100th time?
• Doesn't block: Can users opt out or skip?
• Performant: No jank, no slowdown
• Appropriate: Matches brand and context
• Accessible: Works with reduced motion, screen readers

When the moments feel earned, hand off to $impeccable polish for the final pass.

Strip a design to its essence. Remove anything that doesn't earn its place: redundant elements, repeated information, decorative noise, cosmetic complexity.

---

Assess Current State

Analyze what makes the design feel complex or cluttered:

1. Identify complexity sources:

• Too many elements: Competing buttons, redundant information, visual clutter
• Excessive variation: Too many colors, fonts, sizes, styles without purpose
• Information overload: Everything visible at once, no progressive disclosure
• Visual noise: Unnecessary borders, shadows, backgrounds, decorations
• Confusing hierarchy: Unclear what matters most
• Feature creep: Too many options, actions, or paths forward

2. Find the essence:

• What's the primary user goal? (There should be ONE)
• What's actually necessary vs nice-to-have?
• What can be removed, hidden, or combined?
• What's the 20% that delivers 80% of value?

If any of these are unclear from the codebase, STOP and use Codex's structured user-input/question tool when available; if unavailable, ask directly in chat to clarify what you cannot infer.

CRITICAL: Simplicity is not about removing features. It's about removing obstacles between users and their goals. Every element should justify its existence.

Plan Simplification

Create a ruthless editing strategy:

• Core purpose: What's the ONE thing this should accomplish?
• Essential elements: What's truly necessary to achieve that purpose?
• Progressive disclosure: What can be hidden until needed?
• Consolidation opportunities: What can be combined or integrated?

IMPORTANT: Simplification is hard. It requires saying no to good ideas to make room for great execution. Be ruthless.

Simplify the Design

Systematically remove complexity across these dimensions:

Information Architecture

• Reduce scope: Remove secondary actions, optional features, redundant information
• Progressive disclosure: Hide complexity behind clear entry points (accordions, modals, step-through flows)
• Combine related actions: Merge similar buttons, consolidate forms, group related content
• Clear hierarchy: ONE primary action, few secondary actions, everything else tertiary or hidden
• Remove redundancy: If it's said elsewhere, don't repeat it here

Visual Simplification

• Reduce color palette: Use 1-2 colors plus neutrals, not 5-7 colors
• Limit typography: One font family, 3-4 sizes maximum, 2-3 weights
• Remove decorations: Eliminate borders, shadows, backgrounds that don't serve hierarchy or function
• Flatten structure: Reduce nesting, remove unnecessary containers; never nest cards inside cards
• Remove unnecessary cards: Cards aren't needed for basic layout; use spacing and alignment instead
• Consistent spacing: Use one spacing scale, remove arbitrary gaps

Layout Simplification

• Linear flow: Replace complex grids with simple vertical flow where possible
• Remove sidebars: Move secondary content inline or hide it
• Full-width: Use available space generously instead of complex multi-column layouts
• Consistent alignment: Pick left or center, stick with it
• Generous white space: Let content breathe, don't pack everything tight

Interaction Simplification

• Reduce choices: Fewer buttons, fewer options, clearer path forward (paradox of choice is real)
• Smart defaults: Make common choices automatic, only ask when necessary
• Inline actions: Replace modal flows with inline editing where possible
• Remove steps: Can signup be one step instead of three? Can checkout be simplified?
• Clear CTAs: ONE obvious next step, not five competing actions

Content Simplification

• Shorter copy: Cut every sentence in half, then do it again
• Active voice: "Save changes" not "Changes will be saved"
• Remove jargon: Plain language always wins
• Scannable structure: Short paragraphs, bullet points, clear headings
• Essential information only: Remove marketing fluff, legalese, hedging
• Remove redundant copy: No headers restating intros, no repeated explanations, say it once

Code Simplification

• Remove unused code: Dead CSS, unused components, orphaned files
• Flatten component trees: Reduce nesting depth
• Consolidate styles: Merge similar styles, use utilities consistently
• Reduce variants: Does that component need 12 variations, or can 3 cover 90% of cases?

NEVER:

• Remove necessary functionality (simplicity ≠ feature-less)
• Sacrifice accessibility for simplicity (clear labels and ARIA still required)
• Make things so simple they're unclear (mystery ≠ minimalism)
• Remove information users need to make decisions
• Eliminate hierarchy completely (some things should stand out)
• Oversimplify complex domains (match complexity to actual task complexity)

Verify Simplification

Ensure simplification improves usability:

• Faster task completion: Can users accomplish goals more quickly?
• Reduced cognitive load: Is it easier to understand what to do?
• Still complete: Are all necessary features still accessible?
• Clearer hierarchy: Is it obvious what matters most?
• Better performance: Does simpler design load faster?

Document Removed Complexity

If you removed features or options:

• Document why they were removed
• Consider if they need alternative access points
• Note any user feedback to monitor

When the cuts feel right, hand off to $impeccable polish for the final pass. As Antoine de Saint-Exupéry put it: "Perfection is achieved not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away."

Extract Flow

Identify reusable patterns, components, and design tokens, then extract and consolidate them into the design system for systematic reuse.

Step 1: Discover the Design System

Find the design system, component library, or shared UI directory. Understand its structure: component organization, naming conventions, design token structure, import/export conventions.

CRITICAL: If no design system exists, STOP and use Codex's structured user-input/question tool when available; if unavailable, ask directly in chat to clarify what you cannot infer. before creating one. Understand the preferred location and structure first.

Step 2: Identify Patterns

Look for extraction opportunities in the target area:

• Repeated components: Similar UI patterns used 3+ times (buttons, cards, inputs)
• Hard-coded values: Colors, spacing, typography, shadows that should be tokens
• Inconsistent variations: Multiple implementations of the same concept
• Composition patterns: Layout or interaction patterns that repeat (form rows, toolbar groups, empty states)
• Type styles: Repeated font-size + weight + line-height combinations
• Animation patterns: Repeated easing, duration, or keyframe combinations

Assess value: only extract things used 3+ times with the same intent. Premature abstraction is worse than duplication.

Step 3: Plan Extraction

Create a systematic plan:

• Components to extract: Which UI elements become reusable components?
• Tokens to create: Which hard-coded values become design tokens?
• Variants to support: What variations does each component need?
• Naming conventions: Component names, token names, prop names that match existing patterns
• Migration path: How to refactor existing uses to consume the new shared versions

IMPORTANT: Design systems grow incrementally. Extract what is clearly reusable now, not everything that might someday be reusable.

Step 4: Extract & Enrich

Build improved, reusable versions:

• Components: Clear props API with sensible defaults, proper variants for different use cases, accessibility built in (ARIA, keyboard navigation, focus management), documentation and usage examples
• Design tokens: Clear naming (primitive vs semantic), proper hierarchy and organization, documentation of when to use each token
• Patterns: When to use this pattern, code examples, variations and combinations

Step 5: Migrate

Replace existing uses with the new shared versions:

• Find all instances: Search for the patterns you extracted
• Replace systematically: Update each use to consume the shared version
• Test thoroughly: Ensure visual and functional parity
• Delete dead code: Remove the old implementations

Step 6: Document

Update design system documentation:

• Add new components to the component library
• Document token usage and values
• Add examples and guidelines
• Update any Storybook or component catalog

NEVER:

• Extract one-off, context-specific implementations without generalization
• Create components so generic they are useless
• Extract without considering existing design system conventions
• Skip proper TypeScript types or prop documentation
• Create tokens for every single value (tokens should have semantic meaning)
• Extract things that differ in intent (two buttons that look similar but serve different purposes should stay separate)

Motion Design

Duration: The 100/300/500 Rule

Timing matters more than easing. These durations feel right for most UI:

Exit animations are faster than entrances. Use ~75% of enter duration.

Easing: Pick the Right Curve

Don't use `ease`. It's a compromise that's rarely optimal. Instead:

For micro-interactions, use exponential curves. They feel natural because they mimic real physics (friction, deceleration):

/* Quart out - smooth, refined (recommended default) */
--ease-out-quart: cubic-bezier(0.25, 1, 0.5, 1);

/* Quint out - slightly more dramatic */
--ease-out-quint: cubic-bezier(0.22, 1, 0.36, 1);

/* Expo out - snappy, confident */
--ease-out-expo: cubic-bezier(0.16, 1, 0.3, 1);

Avoid bounce and elastic curves. They were trendy in 2015 but now feel tacky and amateurish. Real objects don't bounce when they stop; they decelerate smoothly. Overshoot effects draw attention to the animation itself rather than the content.

Premium Motion Materials

Transform and opacity are reliable defaults, not the whole palette. Premium interfaces often need atmospheric properties: blur reveals, backdrop-filter panels, saturation or brightness shifts, shadow bloom, SVG filters, masks, clip paths, gradient-position movement, and variable font or shader-driven effects.

Use the right material for the effect:

• Transform / opacity: movement, press feedback, simple reveals, list choreography.
• Blur / filter / backdrop-filter: focus pulls, depth, glass or lens effects, softened entrances, atmospheric transitions.
• Clip path / masks: wipes, reveals, editorial cropping, product-like transitions.
• Shadow / glow / color filters: energy, affordance, focus, warmth, active state.
• Grid-template rows or FLIP-style transforms: expanding and reflowing layout without animating height directly.

The hard rule is not "transform and opacity only." The hard rule is: avoid animating layout-driving properties casually (width, height, top, left, margins), keep expensive effects bounded to small or isolated areas, and verify in-browser that the result is smooth on the target viewports. If blur/filter makes the interaction feel significantly more premium and remains smooth, use it.

Staggered Animations

Use CSS custom properties for cleaner stagger: animation-delay: calc(var(--i, 0) * 50ms) with style="--i: 0" on each item. Cap total stagger time: 10 items at 50ms = 500ms total. For many items, reduce per-item delay or cap staggered count.

Reduced Motion

This is not optional. Vestibular disorders affect ~35% of adults over 40.

/* Define animations normally */
.card {
  animation: slide-up 500ms ease-out;
}

/* Provide alternative for reduced motion */
@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
  .card {
    animation: fade-in 200ms ease-out;  /* Crossfade instead of motion */
  }
}

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

What to preserve: Functional animations like progress bars, loading spinners (slowed down), and focus indicators should still work, just without spatial movement.

Perceived Performance

Nobody cares how fast your site is, just how fast it feels. Perception can be as effective as actual performance.

The 80ms threshold: Our brains buffer sensory input for ~80ms to synchronize perception. Anything under 80ms feels instant and simultaneous. This is your target for micro-interactions.

Active vs passive time: Passive waiting (staring at a spinner) feels longer than active engagement. Strategies to shift the balance:

• Preemptive start: Begin transitions immediately while loading (iOS app zoom, skeleton UI). Users perceive work happening.
• Early completion: Show content progressively, don't wait for everything. Video buffering, progressive images, streaming HTML.
• Optimistic UI: Update the interface immediately, handle failures gracefully. Instagram likes work offline; the UI updates instantly, syncs later. Use for low-stakes actions; avoid for payments or destructive operations.

Easing affects perceived duration: Ease-in (accelerating toward completion) makes tasks feel shorter because the peak-end effect weights final moments heavily. Ease-out feels satisfying for entrances, but ease-in toward a task's end compresses perceived time.

Caution: Too-fast responses can decrease perceived value. Users may distrust instant results for complex operations (search, analysis). Sometimes a brief delay signals "real work" is happening.

Performance

Don't use will-change preemptively, only when animation is imminent (:hover, .animating). For scroll-triggered animations, use Intersection Observer instead of scroll events; unobserve after animating once. Create motion tokens for consistency (durations, easings, common transitions).

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Avoid: Animating everything (animation fatigue is real). Using >500ms for UI feedback. Ignoring prefers-reduced-motion. Using animation to hide slow loading.