MCPInstall

design-component

Design a UI component spec to the house quality bar (anatomy, variants, sizes, the 8 states, token mapping, and accessibility). Use when the user wants to design or document a component (button, input, tabs, toast, combobox, date picker, modal, etc.) at the spec level before or alongside code. For generating framework code, use design-code.

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Install

Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.

npx skills add https://github.com/plugin87/ux-ui-agent-skills --skill design-component
  1. 01

    Install

    Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.

  2. 02

    Describe the task

    Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads design-component automatically when relevant.

  3. 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: Design Component

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_MISSING On KIT_MISSING only the skill folders were installed, which is what npx skills add does. Say so plainly, point the user at npx ux-ui-agent-skills init or the plugin install, and stop. Do not guess the contents of a file you could not open.

Produce a complete component specification matching the project format.

Steps

  1. Read ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../../../.claude/rules/components.md → "Component Quality Bar" (the 8-state table) and "Atomic Design"; the always-on 8-state table is in ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../../../CLAUDE.md → Non-Negotiables.
  2. Check if it already exists: ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../../../components/atoms.md, molecules.md, organisms.md, templates.md, navigation.md, feedback.md, forms-advanced.md, overlays.md. Match the existing spec format.
  3. Pull the ARIA pattern from ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../../../accessibility/aria-patterns.md and contrast/target rules from ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../../../accessibility/wcag-checklist.md.
  4. Map every value to tokens (${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../../../tokens/*.json): sizes via sizing.json, states via states.json.
  5. Apply visual judgment from ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../../../taste/design-taste.md (states, focus, no slop).
  6. Optional fast start: python3 ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../../../scripts/scaffold_component.py "<Name>" to emit a stub, then fill it in.

Output

Spec with: anatomy diagram, variants table, sizes table, all 8 applicable states, token mapping, accessibility (role/keyboard/SR), and a note to render via ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../../../frameworks/adapter-protocol.md.

Accuracy: verify every state, don't assume (mandatory when code is produced)

A component is only "correct" when every variant × state renders right, not just the resting default. Build a states harness: render the component in each applicable state (default, hover, focus, active, disabled, loading aria-busy, error aria-invalid, selected aria-pressed/aria-selected) × each variant in one HTML file (see ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../../../examples/component-states/button.html). Then RUN the gates and report their real output (CLAUDE.md → Verification Protocol):

  • node ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../../../scripts/gate.mjs verify_states.mjs <harness> [--dark]: contrast of every element in default/hover/focus
  • node ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../../../scripts/gate.mjs axe_audit.mjs <harness> [--dark]: ARIA/role/name/label correctness
  • node ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../../../scripts/gate.mjs measure_render.mjs <harness> [--dark]: every text element AA
  • overlays/modals also: node ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../../../scripts/gate.mjs verify_focustrap.mjs <harness> --open=<trigger> Every state must pass in light AND dark before the component is "done". Never claim a state is correct without a gate proving it.

Gates prove contrast/a11y. They do NOT prove pixels. RENDER AND LOOK.

The contrast/axe gates pass while the UI is still visibly broken: a checkbox that doesn't toggle, a dash sitting at the bottom of its box, a checkmark and an indeterminate dash with mismatched stroke weight, a control that's too heavy. You must screenshot the harness and inspect it before claiming done, for every state, and after interaction. Playwright + system Chrome:

const b = await chromium.launch({channel:'chrome'});
const p = await b.newPage({deviceScaleFactor:4});
await p.goto('file://'+abs); await p.addStyleTag({content:'*{transition:none!important}'});
await p.mouse.move(2000,2000);                 // park pointer OFF the component
await p.locator('.stack').first().screenshot({path:'/tmp/x.png'});

Read the PNG. Then look for, specifically:

  • Functional: click each interactive element and assert the state actually changed (await loc.click(); expect(await loc.isChecked())). A custom control whose overlay box covers the real <input> will not toggle unless the box has pointer-events:none (or an enclosing <label> forwards the click).
  • Geometry: glyphs centered, not stacked/offset. If a display:grid box holds an opacity:0 sibling plus a ::after, the pseudo lands in row 2 → use display:none on the hidden sibling, or one container child.
  • Stroke consistency: a checkmark and its indeterminate dash must use the same rendering method (one <svg>, two <path> toggled by state, same stroke-width), never an svg check vs a CSS ::after rect (they read as different weights).
  • Transition artifact: screenshot WITHOUT disabling transitions and a just-clicked control looks half-faded mid-animation. That is not a bug. Always disable transitions and park the pointer before judging a state.

Consistency across files is non-negotiable. The same component (e.g. checkbox) must use byte-identical CSS + markup in every harness/page. A checkbox that looks thin in form-controls and heavy (native accent-color) in data-table is a bug. Factor one pattern, reuse it verbatim.

Verified custom checkbox/radio pattern (thin, token-driven, gated + eyeballed)

Real <input> underneath (keeps native a11y + keyboard); a drawn .box overlay with pointer-events:none; check + dash as two <path> in one <svg> toggled by :checked / :indeterminate; 1.5px border-strong, .25rem radius, .62rem glyph, stroke-width:2 round caps. Reference: ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../../../examples/component-states/form-controls.html and data-table.html (select-all uses indeterminate). Native accent-color renders too heavy. Do not use it when the house look is "thin".

Responsive: every component, no sideways scroll (gated)

Build mobile-first; a fixed-px width that can't shrink is a bug. Run node ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../../../scripts/gate.mjs verify_responsive.mjs <file|dir>. It loads each harness at 280/320/414px and fails on any horizontal overflow. The four recurring causes and their fixes:

  • fixed inline-size:Npx → inline-size:100%;max-inline-size:Npx (cap, don't pin).
  • <ul>/<ol> default 40px inline-start padding (a *{margin:0} reset does NOT clear padding) → padding:0;margin:0 on every list. This also silently mis-aligns a list's edge vs a sibling block (looks like unequal widths). Same fix.
  • non-wrapping flex rows (breadcrumb, stepper, tabs) → flex-wrap:wrap, or for tabs overflow-x:auto + .tab{flex:none}.
  • grid minmax(Npx,1fr) min larger than viewport → minmax(min(Npx,100%),1fr).

Motion: tokenized, real easing, animate the thing that moves

Timing/easing are tokens (--duration-fast|normal|slow, --ease-out|in|in-out|emphasized in the theme; --transition-micro = fast ease-out). Never hardcode ms/curves. A component that toggles open/closed must animate its height, not just rotate a chevron. Collapse via hidden/display:none alone reads as "rigid, no transition". Smooth-height pattern (no JS measuring): wrap content in an inner that clips overflow, animate the grid track:

.panel{display:grid;grid-template-rows:0fr;transition:grid-template-rows var(--duration-base) var(--ease-spring)}
.panel.open{grid-template-rows:1fr}
.panel > .inner{overflow:hidden;min-block-size:0}

Keep a11y: expand = remove hidden then add .open next frame; collapse = remove .open, set hidden on transitionend. Reference: accordion in ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../../../examples/component-states/overlays.html. Always honor @media(prefers-reduced-motion:reduce){…transition:none}.

Layout: fill the space, don't ship AI-empty filler

  • auto-fit, never auto-fill for card grids. auto-fill keeps empty phantom tracks so 3 cards cluster left with a void on the right; auto-fit collapses empties so cards stretch to fill the row. Always repeat(auto-fit,minmax(min(Npx,100%),1fr)).
  • Equal-height panels in a row: align-items:stretch on the grid, AND make the shorter panel's body fill: .panel{display:flex;flex-direction:column} + the inner region flex:1. A child sized with block-size:% (e.g. chart bars) needs a definite-height ancestor (a flex:1 box or explicit height), or the % resolves to 0 and the element collapses. Wrap the bar in a flex:1 .barbox and give the bar block-size:% of that.
  • A main region that's 80% whitespace reads as machine-generated. Fill a dashboard with real, plausible content (stats row + activity list + a chart), not one lonely widget. Intentional density is the difference between "designed" and "AI slop".
  • Trailing gap in a toolbar/header: a flex item with flex:1 capped by max-inline-size stops growing and leaves empty space after the last item. Push the right-hand cluster with margin-inline-start:auto on its first element.
  • Mobile nav must not overlap. Putting the sidebar and main in the same grid area makes an opened sidebar paint over content. On mobile switch the shell to display:block so opening the sidebar pushes main down. Reference: ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../../../examples/component-states/app-shell.html.

Icons: real lucide, referenced by name (never hand-draw paths)

Hand-approximated SVG path data renders as broken glyphs (a help "?" became a dot; settings became a hamburger). Use verbatim lucide paths, referenced by name via an injected <symbol> sprite: ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../../../examples/component-states/icons.js defines each icon once and <svg class="ico" aria-hidden="true"><use href="#i-NAME"/></svg> uses it. No per-use path duplication, no network, offline + gate-safe. Add a new icon to icons.js once; never paste raw paths into markup. (Inline lucide is acceptable only if the path is copied verbatim from lucide.) .ico{stroke:currentColor;fill:none;stroke-width:2}: color via currentColor.

Graphical / icon-only controls (3:1, theme-stable)

A no-text control (carousel dot, kebab, icon button) is held to 3:1 (WCAG 1.4.11), not 4.5. verify_states applies this automatically when an element has no direct text node. Two traps it catches:

  • An empty <button> keeps the UA color:buttontext (≈black) regardless of theme → set its color to the actual indicator color and drive the visual via currentColor (e.g. dot is a ::before{background:currentColor}), so the gate measures the real thing.
  • Theme-flipping tokens (--color-chart-N, --color-surface-brand) invert between light/dark; white text or a teal indicator on them passes in one mode and fails the other. Use dark-aware values (override in [data-theme="dark"]) or stable tokens (--color-action-primary, --color-text-link which adapts) for avatars, active dots, and selected states.

FAQ

What does the design-component skill do?

Design a UI component spec to the house quality bar (anatomy, variants, sizes, the 8 states, token mapping, and accessibility). Use when the user wants to design or document a component (button, input, tabs, toast, combobox, date picker, modal, etc.) at the spec level before or alongside code. For generating framework code, use design-code.

How do I install design-component?

Run npx skills add https://github.com/plugin87/ux-ui-agent-skills --skill design-component 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/design-component/ (personal) or .claude/skills/design-component/ (project).

Which AI agents can use design-component?

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 design-component 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 design-component?

It is published by plugin87 in plugin87/ux-ui-agent-skills. It has 529 recorded installs.

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