apply-aesthetic
Apply-aesthetic resolves a user's desired visual direction, whether an archetype like brutalist or soft-SaaS, or a named design system like Stripe or Linear, into a token-based design system while enforcing accessibility standards. Use this skill when users request a specific look, brand feel, or premium aesthetic, requiring the system to map color roles, typography, spacing, and motion to the chosen direction without compromising contrast or accessibility compliance.
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/plugin87/ux-ui-agent-skills /tmp/apply-aesthetic && cp -r /tmp/apply-aesthetic/.claude/skills/apply-aesthetic ~/.claude/skills/apply-aestheticSKILL.md
# Skill: Apply Aesthetic Choose and apply a design direction without breaking accessibility. ## Steps 1. **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 (`taste/design-taste.md` → Brief Inference + Variance Mandate). Generating before deciding = slop. 2. Pick a direction in `taste/aesthetic-systems.md`: - An **archetype** (recipe mapped to our tokens), or - A **named library system** — browse with `python3 scripts/design_systems.py list` (or `search <term>` / `show <name>`); specs live in `design-systems/library/<name>/DESIGN.md`. 3. Apply the **Library Contract** (in `aesthetic-systems.md`): re-point `semantic.*` tokens to the chosen system's color roles; map typography/spacing/radius/shadow/motion to `tokens/*.json`. 4. **Verify contrast** of every mapped color pair (`scripts/contrast.py` / `a11y-audit`). A brand value that fails must be adjusted — taste never overrides POUR. 5. Add motion per `taste/motion-choreography.md`; run the pre-flight aesthetic check in `design-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.
Audit a UI or design against WCAG 2.2 AA/AAA and ARIA patterns, returning criterion-referenced findings with severity and specific fixes. Use when the user wants an accessibility check, contrast verification, keyboard/screen-reader review, or wants to confirm a component meets POUR.
Generate a complete, accessible brand design system from a brief — primitive → semantic → component DTCG tokens (color, type, spacing, radius, shadow, motion), light + dark, plus a single theme.css — verified for WCAG. Use when the user wants a from-scratch brand/design foundation, a new palette + type system, or a themeable token kit for a product.
Generate production-ready, accessible, token-driven component code for ANY framework — React+Tailwind, Next.js, SwiftUI, Vue, Svelte, Angular, Solid, Web Components/Lit, React Native, Flutter, Jetpack Compose, vanilla CSS, or CSS-in-JS. Use when the user wants working UI code for a component or screen in a specific stack.
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.
Set up or run design QA gates — token + hardcoded-value lint, automated a11y (axe), contrast, visual regression across variants/states/themes/RTL, and the manual a11y checklist. Use when the user wants CI quality gates, to prevent design regressions, or to QA a component/screen before shipping.
Review or audit a design/UI across 6 weighted dimensions with Nielsen's 10 heuristics and a prioritized findings table. Use when the user wants a design critique, quality score, heuristic evaluation, or audit of an existing screen, page, or product before/after build.
Generate, extend, or audit design tokens in DTCG format with the 3-tier architecture (primitive → semantic → component). Use when the user wants a color palette, type scale, spacing/shadow/radius/motion tokens, multi-brand theming, or wants to validate token files. Covers colors, typography, spacing, shadows, borders, breakpoints, motion, gradients, opacity, blur, sizing, states, theming.
Keep Figma and code in sync — map the 3-tier DTCG tokens to Figma Variables (collections + modes), sync in either direction, use the Figma MCP when connected, and verify component parity (variants/states). Use when the user wants to push tokens/components to Figma, pull a design into code, set up token↔Variable sync, or check design-code drift.