apply-aesthetic
Apply a visual direction, an archetype (high-end agency, editorial minimal, brutalist, soft-SaaS, dark-tech) or one of 2,144 named design systems (apple, linear-app, stripe, vercel, notion, material, shadcn, spotify, tesla…), by resolving it into the token system. Use when the user wants a specific look/vibe/brand feel, or asks to make a design feel premium/expensive/non-generic.
- Installs
- 539
- Last 24h
- +10
- Trending rank
- #8652
- Security
- Not audited
Install
Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.
npx skills add https://github.com/plugin87/ux-ui-agent-skills --skill apply-aesthetic- 01
Install
Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.
- 02
Describe the task
Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads apply-aesthetic automatically when relevant.
- 03
Review the result
The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.
SKILL.md
The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.
Skill: Apply Aesthetic
Step 0: is the kit here? This skill reads files from the kit. Check once:
ls ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../../../tokens >/dev/null 2>&1 && echo KIT_OK || echo KIT_MISSINGOnKIT_MISSINGonly the skill folders were installed, which is whatnpx skills adddoes. Say so plainly, point the user atnpx ux-ui-agent-skills initor the plugin install, and stop. Do not guess the contents of a file you could not open.
Choose and apply a design direction without breaking accessibility.
Steps
- Brief Inference first (mandatory). Before any tokens, name it: industry/domain, audience & tone, the one mood adjective the result must earn, motion depth, and the layout-family sequence (
${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../../../taste/design-taste.md→ Brief Inference + Variance Mandate). Generating before deciding = slop. - Pick a direction in
${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../../../taste/aesthetic-systems.md:- An archetype (recipe mapped to our tokens), or
- A named library system: browse with
python3 ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../../../scripts/design_systems.py list(orsearch <term>/show <name>). Then runnode ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../../../scripts/library.mjs get <name>and read theDESIGN.mdat the path it prints. An npm install carries the index and no spec, so this is what fetches it (checked against the sha256 the kit ships); where the spec is already on disk it fetches nothing. If it printsrefused, say the spec could not be fetched and pick from an archetype instead; never write a spec from memory.
- Apply the Library Contract (in
aesthetic-systems.md): re-pointsemantic.*tokens to the chosen system's color roles; map typography/spacing/radius/shadow/motion to${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../../../tokens/*.json. - Verify contrast of every mapped color pair (
${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../../../scripts/contrast.py/a11y-audit). A brand value that fails must be adjusted. Taste never overrides POUR. - Add motion per
${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../../../taste/motion-choreography.md; run the pre-flight aesthetic check indesign-taste.md.
Output
Updated/overridden semantic tokens + notes on type/space/motion, then render via design-code. Confirm the result passes both the aesthetic check and accessibility.
FAQ
What does the apply-aesthetic skill do?
Apply a visual direction, an archetype (high-end agency, editorial minimal, brutalist, soft-SaaS, dark-tech) or one of 2,144 named design systems (apple, linear-app, stripe, vercel, notion, material, shadcn, spotify, tesla…), by resolving it into the token system. Use when the user wants a specific look/vibe/brand feel, or asks to make a design feel premium/expensive/non-generic.
How do I install apply-aesthetic?
Run npx skills add https://github.com/plugin87/ux-ui-agent-skills --skill apply-aesthetic in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/apply-aesthetic/ (personal) or .claude/skills/apply-aesthetic/ (project).
Which AI agents can use apply-aesthetic?
Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.
Is apply-aesthetic safe to install?
No partner security audit is available yet. Skills can run commands and scripts, so read the SKILL.md and any bundled files before installing.
Who maintains apply-aesthetic?
It is published by plugin87 in plugin87/ux-ui-agent-skills. It has 539 recorded installs.
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