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Design Dna

  • 2.2k installs
  • 1.2k repo stars
  • Updated April 13, 2026
  • zanwei/design-dna

design-dna provides documented workflows for >-

About

The design-dna skill Design DNA A 3-phase workflow for extracting structuring and applying design identity across three dimensions 1 Design System measurable tokens color typography spacing layout shape elevation motion components 2 Design Style qualitative perception mood visual language composition imagery interaction feel brand voice 3 Visual Effects special rendering Canvas WebGL 3D particles shaders scroll effects cursor effects SVG animations glassmorphism etc Phases Phase 1 Structure Output the Schema When the user asks for the structural dimensions or schema 1 Read references schema md references schema md 2 Present the full schema with field descriptions 3 Explain the three dimensions and their roles design_system What you can measure exact hex values pixel sizes rem scales design_style What you can feel mood personality composition strategy visual_effects What you can see but can't express in CSS alone WebGL scenes particle systems shader distortions scroll-driven animations 4 Ask if the user wants to customize or extend any dimensions Phase 2 Analyze Extract DNA from References When the user provides images screenshots or

  • **Design System** - measurable tokens (color, typography, spacing, layout, shape, elevation, motion, components)
  • **Design Style** - qualitative perception (mood, visual language, composition, imagery, interaction feel, brand voice)
  • **Visual Effects** - special rendering (Canvas, WebGL, 3D, particles, shaders, scroll effects, cursor effects, SVG ani
  • Read [references/schema.md](references/schema.md)
  • Present the full schema with field descriptions

Design Dna by the numbers

  • 2,185 all-time installs (skills.sh)
  • +333 installs in the week ending Aug 5, 2026 (Skillselion tracking)
  • Ranked #224 of 2,245 Frontend Development skills by installs in the Skillselion catalog
  • Security screen: MEDIUM risk (skills.sh audit)
  • Data as of Aug 5, 2026 (Skillselion catalog sync)
At a glance

design-dna capabilities & compatibility

Capabilities
**design system** measurable tokens (color, ty · **design style** qualitative perception (mood, · **visual effects** special rendering (canvas, · read [references/schema.md](references/schema.md · present the full schema with field descriptions
Use cases
documentation
From the docs

What design-dna says it does

# Design DNA A 3-phase workflow for extracting, structuring, and applying design identity across three dimensions: 1.
SKILL.md
npx skills add https://github.com/zanwei/design-dna --skill design-dna

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Listed on Skillselion
Installs2.2k
repo stars1.2k
Security audit2 / 3 scanners passed
Last updatedApril 13, 2026
Repositoryzanwei/design-dna

How do I use design-dna for the task described in its SKILL.md triggers?

>-

Who is it for?

Teams invoking design-dna when the user request matches documented triggers and prerequisites.

Skip if: Skip when cached docs are missing, the request is a negative trigger, or another sibling skill owns the workflow.

When should I use this skill?

>-

What you get

Step-by-step guidance grounded in design-dna documentation and reference files.

  • Design DNA JSON profile
  • generated UI from DNA

By the numbers

  • Covers 3 design dimensions: system tokens, qualitative style, and visual effects

Files

SKILL.mdMarkdownGitHub ↗

Design DNA

A 3-phase workflow for extracting, structuring, and applying design identity across three dimensions:

1. Design System — measurable tokens (color, typography, spacing, layout, shape, elevation, motion, components) 2. Design Style — qualitative perception (mood, visual language, composition, imagery, interaction feel, brand voice) 3. Visual Effects — special rendering (Canvas, WebGL, 3D, particles, shaders, scroll effects, cursor effects, SVG animations, glassmorphism, etc.)

Phases

Phase 1: Structure — Output the Schema

When the user asks for the structural dimensions or schema:

1. Read references/schema.md 2. Present the full schema with field descriptions 3. Explain the three dimensions and their roles:

  • design_system: What you can measure — exact hex values, pixel sizes, rem scales
  • design_style: What you can feel — mood, personality, composition strategy
  • visual_effects: What you can see but can't express in CSS alone — WebGL scenes, particle systems, shader distortions, scroll-driven animations

4. Ask if the user wants to customize or extend any dimensions

Phase 2: Analyze — Extract DNA from References

When the user provides images, screenshots, or links representing a target design style:

1. Read references/schema.md for the full field list 2. For each reference provided:

  • If image/screenshot: analyze visual properties directly
  • If URL: fetch and analyze the page's visual design

3. For every field in the schema, extract or infer a value from the references 4. When multiple references conflict, note the dominant pattern and mention variants 5. Output a complete Design DNA JSON — every field populated, no empty strings 6. After output, ask: "Want to adjust any values before using this for generation?"

Analysis approach per dimension:

Dimension 1: design_system
  • color: Extract dominant palette via visual sampling. Primary by area dominance, secondary by supporting role, accent by CTA usage. Map neutral scale from lightest background to darkest text.
  • typography: Identify font families by visual characteristics (geometric, humanist, serif class). Estimate scale ratios from heading/body size relationships.
  • spacing: Assess density by element proximity. Measure rhythm by section gap consistency.
  • layout: Identify grid by content alignment patterns. Note max-width, column count, asymmetry.
  • shape: Measure border-radius by comparing to element height. Note border and divider presence.
  • elevation: Classify shadow softness, spread, and layering approach.
  • motion: If observable (video/interactive), note easing curves and duration feel.
Dimension 2: design_style
  • Synthesize holistic impressions — mood, personality, composition strategy
  • Compare against genre archetypes (SaaS, editorial, brutalist, etc.)
  • Note ornamentation level and whitespace philosophy
Dimension 3: visual_effects
  • From code: Scan for <canvas>, WebGL contexts, Three.js/Pixi.js imports, GSAP/Lottie usage, custom shaders, IntersectionObserver scroll triggers, SVG <animate> elements
  • From screenshots: Describe visible effects that go beyond standard CSS — glowing particles, 3D object renders, noise textures, gradient animations, parallax depth, cursor trails, text distortions, glassmorphic surfaces. Note these in composite_notes when exact implementation can't be determined.
  • From video/interaction demos: Note scroll behaviors, hover distortions, transition choreography, loading sequences
  • Set enabled: false for any effect category not present in the reference
  • Rate overview.effect_intensity and overview.performance_tier based on what's observed

Phase 3: Generate — Apply DNA to Content

When the user provides DNA JSON + content to design:

1. Read references/generation-guide.md 2. Parse the DNA JSON and extract all tokens across three dimensions 3. Build CSS custom properties from design_system values 4. Apply design_style qualitative fields to guide subjective design decisions 5. When the design needs assets or source materials, fetch them from the original source whenever possible. If the user provided a URL, retrieve the real asset from that URL instead of recreating, approximating, or substituting it. 6. Implement visual_effects using appropriate technologies:

  • Lightweight effects → CSS animations, SVG, vanilla JS
  • Medium effects → Canvas 2D, GSAP, Lottie
  • Heavy effects → Three.js, custom GLSL shaders, Pixi.js

7. Generate the design output (default: self-contained HTML with inline CSS/JS) 8. Run quality checks from the generation guide

If the user provides only content without DNA JSON, ask whether to:

  • Analyze a reference first (go to Phase 2)
  • Use a described style (extract DNA from description, then generate)

Phase Combinations

Users may invoke any combination:

  • Phase 1 only: "Show me the design structure/schema"
  • Phase 2 only: "Analyze this design" (with images/links)
  • Phase 2 → 3: "Analyze this design and build me a landing page in the same style"
  • Phase 1 → 2 → 3: Full pipeline
  • Phase 3 only: User already has DNA JSON

Detect which phase(s) are needed from context and execute accordingly.

Related skills

FAQ

What does design-dna do?

>-

When should I use design-dna?

>-

What are common prerequisites?

--- name: design-dna description: >- Extract, define, and apply design DNA across three dimensions: design system (tokens), design style (qualitative feel), and visual effects (Canvas, WebGL, 3D, particles, shaders, scro

Is Design Dna safe to install?

skills.sh reports 2 of 3 security scanners passed. Review the Security Audits panel on this page before installing in production.

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