generic-design-system

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Complete design system reference for any project - colors, typography, spacing, components, animations. Adapts to project theme and tech stack. Use when implementing UI, choosing colors, creating animations, or ensuring brand consistency. For new design systems, use ui-research skill first.

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npx skill4agent add travisjneuman/.claude generic-design-system

Generic Design System

Design system reference adapting to any project's visual language.

Research First for New Systems

When creating a NEW design system (not following an existing one):
Skill(ui-research)  # Research modern patterns first
References:
  • UI Inspiration Sources - Research sources
  • Design Patterns - Visual tokens

When to Use This Skill

Use for:
  • Implementing UI components
  • Choosing colors or typography
  • Creating animations or transitions
  • Ensuring visual consistency
  • Setting up design tokens
  • Reviewing design system compliance
Don't use when:
  • UX flow design → use
    generic-ux-designer
  • Feature architecture → use
    generic-feature-developer
  • Code quality review → use
    generic-code-reviewer

Design System Architecture

When to Build vs Reference

SituationAction
Existing design systemFollow it strictly
No design systemUse this skill to establish foundations
Partial systemIdentify gaps, extend consistently

Token Organization

LayerExamplePurpose
Primitive
--color-blue-500
Raw values
Semantic
--color-primary
Meaning
Component
--button-background
Context
Decision: Use semantic tokens in code, primitive tokens as foundation only.

Consistency Decision Tree

  1. Component exists? → Use existing pattern
  2. Similar exists? → Adapt existing (don't create competing pattern)
  3. New category? → Propose to user, document reasoning

Color System

Every project should define:
  • Primary, Secondary, Accent
  • Background, Foreground, Muted
  • Destructive, Success, Warning

Contrast Requirements

Use CaseMinimum
Body text4.5:1 (AA)
Large text3:1 (AA)
UI components3:1 (AA)

Typography

Font Stack

css
--font-sans: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, sans-serif;
--font-mono: "SF Mono", Monaco, "Courier New", monospace;

Type Scale

NameSizeUse
sm14pxSecondary text
base16pxBody text
lg18pxLead paragraphs
xl20pxSection headers
2xl24pxPage headers

Spacing System

Base unit: 4px or 8px
Token4px BaseUse
14pxTight spacing
28pxDefault gap
416pxCard padding
624pxPage margins

Animation

GPU-Accelerated Only

DO animate:
transform
,
opacity
AVOID:
width
,
height
,
top
,
left
,
margin
,
padding

Duration

TokenDurationUse
fast100msMicro-interactions
DEFAULT200msMost transitions
slow300msComplex animations

Timing

css
--ease-default: cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1);
--ease-bounce: cubic-bezier(0.68, -0.55, 0.265, 1.55);

Components

Component States

StateVisual TreatmentExample
DefaultBase stylingNormal button
HoverSubtle feedbackLighter/darker bg
ActivePressed stateScaled down slightly
FocusVisible outline2px ring, offset
DisabledReduced opacity50% opacity, no pointer
LoadingSpinner/skeletonButton with spinner
ErrorDestructive colorRed border/text

Touch Targets

  • Minimum: 44x44px (WCAG 2.1 AAA)
  • Spacing: 8px between adjacent targets
  • Mobile: Consider 48x48px for primary actions

Buttons

VariantUseMin Size
PrimaryMain actions44x44px
SecondaryAlternative actions44x44px
GhostSubtle actions44x44px
DestructiveDelete actions44x44px

Form Inputs

  • Clear focus states (2px visible ring)
  • Error states with messages
  • Label always visible
  • Required indicator

Modals

  • Focus trapped inside
  • Escape to close
  • Dark overlay (50-70% opacity)

Responsive Breakpoints

TokenMin Width
sm640px
md768px
lg1024px
xl1280px

Dark Mode

css
:root {
  --background: #ffffff;
  --foreground: #000000;
}
[data-theme="dark"] {
  --background: #000000;
  --foreground: #ffffff;
}

See Also

  • Design Patterns - Atomic Design, tokens, component docs
  • Code Review Standards - Accessibility checks
  • generic-ux-designer
    - For UX flow and research decisions
  • Project
    CLAUDE.md
    - Project-specific design constraints
READ references when:
  • Setting up new design system → DESIGN_PATTERNS.md (full structure)
  • Complex component patterns → DESIGN_PATTERNS.md (Atomic Design section)