ux-writing
Write or review UI copy — buttons, errors, empty states, microcopy, notifications, labels — using the voice & tone system (clear, concise, useful, human, honest) with the what→why→how error formula and inclusive-language rules. Use when the user needs interface copy, error messages, empty-state text, or a copy review.
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/plugin87/ux-ui-agent-skills /tmp/ux-writing && cp -r /tmp/ux-writing/.claude/skills/ux-writing ~/.claude/skills/ux-writingSKILL.md
# Skill: UX Writing
Produce or critique interface copy in the project's voice.
## Steps
1. Read `content/voice-tone.md` (voice principles, tone spectrum, formulas, microcopy patterns, inclusive language, pre-ship checklist).
2. Match tone to the user's emotional state (onboarding/success/routine/error/destructive). Higher stress → plainer language.
3. Apply the formulas:
- Buttons: frontload the verb, name the outcome.
- **Confirmation dialogs:** the confirm button **restates the action and object** — "Delete account", not "Delete"/"OK"/"Yes"/"Confirm". The title asks ("Delete account?"), the button answers in matching words. Cancel stays "Cancel". For irreversible/high-stakes actions, require a **type-to-confirm** step (WCAG 3.3.4/3.3.6).
- Errors: what happened → why → how to fix (no dead ends, no codes/stack traces).
- Empty states: value → first action.
4. Enforce mechanics: sentence case, no ALL CAPS, numerals, no blame on the user, labels (not placeholders), no directional/color-only instructions.
5. Run the 10-item pre-ship copy checklist.
## Output
Final copy (or a redline review) that reads naturally aloud and passes the checklist. Keep within any character limits for tight UI.
## Verification (mandatory before declaring done)
Run every line through the 10-item pre-ship checklist in `content/voice-tone.md` — do not skip it:
- Reads naturally **aloud**; frontloaded verb on actions; no jargon/blame/dead-ends.
- Errors follow what→why→how; empty states give value→action; no bare "No data"/"Error".
- Mechanics: sentence case, numerals, labels (not placeholders), no color/direction-only cues, inclusive language.
- Within character limits; translatable (no concatenation — see `accessibility/i18n-rtl.md`).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.
Apply a visual direction — an archetype (high-end agency, editorial minimal, brutalist, soft-SaaS, dark-tech) or one of 138 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.
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.