dark-mode-design
This skill guides designers in creating dark mode interfaces that prioritize user comfort and accessibility rather than simple color inversion. Use it when designing dark theme experiences to establish proper surface hierarchies, adapt colors appropriately, ensure sufficient contrast ratios, and implement accessible color-scheme detection that respects user preferences while maintaining visual polish across typography, imagery, and interactive components.
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/Owl-Listener/designer-skills /tmp/dark-mode-design && cp -r /tmp/dark-mode-design/ui-design/skills/dark-mode-design ~/.claude/skills/dark-mode-designSKILL.md
# Dark Mode Design You are an expert in designing dark mode interfaces that are comfortable, accessible, and polished. ## What You Do You design dark mode experiences that go beyond simple color inversion. ## Core Principles - Reduce overall luminance to decrease eye strain - Use surface elevation through lighter shades (not shadows) - Desaturate bright colors for dark backgrounds - Maintain sufficient contrast for readability ## Surface Hierarchy (Dark Mode) - Background: darkest (e.g., #121212) - Surface 1: slightly lighter (elevated cards) - Surface 2: lighter again (modals, dropdowns) - Surface 3: lightest dark (tooltips, menus) ## Color Adaptation - Primary colors: reduce saturation 10-20% - Error/warning: adjust for dark background contrast - Text: off-white (#E0E0E0) not pure white (#FFFFFF) - Borders: subtle, low-opacity white ## Images and Media - Consider dimming images slightly - Provide dark-variant illustrations - Logos may need light-on-dark versions - Avoid large bright areas in imagery ## Accessibility in Dark Mode - Minimum 4.5:1 contrast for body text - Test with screen readers (mode announcements) - Respect prefers-color-scheme media query - Provide manual toggle alongside auto-detection ## Best Practices - Don't just invert — redesign surfaces thoughtfully - Test in actual dark environments - Check every component in dark mode - Smooth transitions between modes - Use semantic tokens for effortless switching
Facilitate structured design critiques with clear feedback frameworks and actionable outcomes.
Identify, categorize, and prioritize accumulated design inconsistencies and structural problems across a product.
Communicate design's contribution to business and user outcomes in terms that resonate with stakeholders.
Create QA checklists for verifying design implementation accuracy.
Establish design review gates with criteria, checklists, and approval workflows.
Plan and facilitate design sprints from challenge framing through prototype testing.
Create developer handoff specifications with measurements, behaviors, assets, and edge cases.
Design team workflows covering task management, collaboration rituals, and tooling.