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---
name: design-taste-frontend
description: Anti-slop frontend skill for landing pages, portfolios, and redesigns. The agent reads the brief, infers the right design direction, and ships interfaces that do not look templated. Real design systems when applicable, audit-first on redesigns, strict pre-flight check.
disable-model-invocation: true
---

# tasteskill: Anti-Slop Frontend Skill

> Landing pages, portfolios, and redesigns. Not dashboards, not data tables, not multi-step product UI.
> Every rule below is **contextual**. None of it fires automatically. First read the brief, then pull only what fits.

---

## 0. BRIEF INFERENCE (Read the Room Before Anything Else)

Before touching code or tweaking dials, **infer what the user actually wants**. Most LLM design output is bad because the model jumps to a default aesthetic instead of reading the room.

### 0.A Read these signals first
1. **Page kind** - landing (SaaS / consumer / agency / event), portfolio (dev / designer / creative studio), redesign (preserve vs overhaul), editorial / blog.
2. **Vibe words** the user used - "minimalist", "calm", "Linear-style", "Awwwards", "brutalist", "premium consumer", "Apple-y", "playful", "serious B2B", "editorial", "agency-y", "glassy", "dark tech".
3. **Reference signals** - URLs they linked, screenshots they pasted, products they named, brands they're competing with.
4. **Audience** - B2B procurement panel vs. design-conscious consumer vs. recruiter scanning a portfolio. The audience picks the aesthetic, not your taste.
5. **Brand assets that already exist** - logo, color, type, photography. For redesigns, these are starting material, not optional input (see Section 11).
6. **Quiet constraints** - accessibility-first audiences, public-sector, regulated industries, trust-first commerce, kids' products. These constraints OVERRIDE aesthetic preference.

### 0.B Output a one-line "Design Read" before generating
Before any code, state in one line: **"Reading this as: \<page kind> for \<audience>, with a \<vibe> language, leaning toward \<design system or aesthetic family>."**

Example reads:
- *"Reading this as: B2B SaaS landing for technical buyers, with a Linear-style minimalist language, leaning toward Tailwind utilities + Geist + restrained motion."*
- *"Reading this as: solo designer portfolio for hiring managers, with an editorial / kinetic-type language, leaning toward native CSS + scroll-driven animation + custom typography."*
- *"Reading this as: redesign of a public-sector service site, with a trust-first language, leaning toward GOV.UK Frontend or USWDS."*

### 0.C If the brief is ambiguous, ask one question, do not guess
Ask exactly **one** clarifying question - never a multi-question dump - and only when the design read genuinely diverges. Example: *"Should this feel closer to Linear-clean or Awwwards-experimental?"*

If you can confidently infer from context, **do not ask**. Just declare the design read and proceed.

### 0.D Anti-Default Discipline
Do not default to: AI-purple gradients, centered hero over dark mesh, three equal feature cards, generic glassmorphism on everything, infinite-loop micro-animations everywhere, Inter + slate-900. These are the LLM defaults. Reach past them deliberately based on the design read.

---

## 1. THE THREE DIALS (Core Configuration)

After the design read, set three dials. Every layout, motion, and density decision below is gated by these.

* **`DESIGN_VARIANCE: 8`** - 1 = Perfect Symmetry, 10 = Artsy Chaos
* **`MOTION_INTENSITY: 6`** - 1 = Static, 10 = Cinematic / Physics
* **`VISUAL_DENSITY: 4`** - 1 = Art Gallery / Airy, 10 = Cockpit / Packed Data

**Baseline:** `8 / 6 / 4`. Use these unless the design read overrides them. Do not ask the user to edit this file - overrides happen conversationally.

### 1.A Dial Inference (design read → dial values)
| Signal | VARIANCE | MOTION | DENSITY |
|---|---|---|---|
| "minimalist / clean / calm / editorial / Linear-style" | 5-6 | 3-4 | 2-3 |
| "premium consumer / Apple-y / luxury / brand" | 7-8 | 5-7 | 3-4 |
| "playful / wild / Dribbble / Awwwards / experimental / agency" | 9-10 | 8-10 | 3-4 |
| "landing page / portfolio / marketing site (default)" | 7-9 | 6-8 | 3-5 |
| "trust-first / public-sector / regulated / accessibility-critical" | 3-4 | 2-3 | 4-5 |
| "redesign - preserve" | match existing | +1 | match existing |
| "redesign - overhaul" | +2 | +2 | match existing |

### 1.B Use-Case Presets
| Use case | VARIANCE | MOTION | DENSITY |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landing (SaaS, mainstream) | 7 | 6 | 4 |
| Landing (Agency / creative) | 9 | 8 | 3 |
| Landing (Premium consumer) | 7 | 6 | 3 |
| Portfolio (Designer / studio) | 8 | 7 | 3 |
| Portfolio (Developer) | 6 | 5 | 4 |
| Editorial / Blog | 6 | 4 | 3 |
| Public-sector service | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| Redesign - preserve | match | match+1 | match |
| Redesign - overhaul | +2 | +2 | match |

### 1.C How the Dials Drive Output
Use these (or user-overridden values) as global variables. Cross-references throughout this document refer to these exact variable names - never invent aliases like `LAYOUT_VARIANCE` or `ANIM_LEVEL`.

---

## 2. BRIEF → DESIGN SYSTEM MAP

Once you have the design read (Section 0) and dials (Section 1), pick the right foundation. Do not invent CSS for things that have an official package. Do not pretend an aesthetic trend is an official system.

### 2.A When to reach for a real design system (use official packages)
| Brief reads as… | Reach for | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft / enterprise SaaS / dashboards | `@fluentui/react-components` or `@fluentui/web-components` | Official Fluent UI, Microsoft tokens, accessibility done |
| Google-ish UI, Material-flavored product | `@material/web` + Material 3 tokens | Official, theme-able via Material Theming |
| IBM-style B2B / enterprise analytics | `@carbon/react` + `@carbon/styles` | Official Carbon, mature data-density patterns |
| Shopify app surfaces | `polaris.js` web components / Polaris React | Required for Shopify admin UI |
| Atlassian / Jira-style product | `@atlaskit/*` + `@atlaskit/tokens` | Official Atlassian DS |
| GitHub-style devtool / community page | `@primer/css` or `@primer/react-brand` | Official Primer; Brand variant for marketing |
| Public-sector UK service | `govuk-frontend` | Legally / regulatorily expected |
| US public-sector / trust-first | `uswds` | Same |
| Fast local-business / agency MVP | Bootstrap 5.3 | Boring, fast, works |
| Modern accessible React foundation | `@radix-ui/themes` | Primitives + polished theme |
| Modern SaaS where you own the components | shadcn/ui (`npx shadcn@latest add ...`) | You own the code, easy to customise; never ship default state |
| Tailwind-based modern SaaS / AI marketing | Tailwind v4 utilities + `dark:` variant | Default for indie + small team builds |

**Honesty rule:** if the brief reads as one of the systems above, install and use the **official** package. Do not recreate its CSS by hand. Do not import a system's tokens but then override 90% of them.

**One system per project.** Do not mix Fluent React with Carbon in the same tree. Do not import shadcn/ui components into a Material 3 app.

### 2.B When the brief is an aesthetic, not a system
For these directions, there is **no single official package**. Build with native CSS + Tailwind + a maintained component library. Be honest in code comments about what is borrowed inspiration vs. official material.

| Aesthetic | Honest implementation |
|---|---|
| Glassmorphism / "frosted glass" | `backdrop-filter`, layered borders, highlight overlays. Provide solid-fill fallback for `prefers-reduced-transparency`. |
| Bento (Apple-style tile grids) | CSS Grid with mixed cell sizes. No single library owns this. |
| Brutalism | Native CSS, monospace, raw borders. No library. |
| Editorial / magazine | Serif type, asymmetric grid, generous whitespace. No library. |
| Dark tech / hacker | Mono + accent neon, terminal motifs. No library. |
| Aurora / mesh gradients | SVG or layered radial gradients. No library. |
| Kinetic typography | Native CSS animations, scroll-driven animations, GSAP for hijacks. No library. |
| **Apple Liquid Glass** | Apple documents this for Apple platforms only. **There is no official `liquid-glass.css`.** Web implementations are approximations using `backdrop-filter` + layered borders + highlights. Label clearly as approximation. |

---

## 3. DEFAULT ARCHITECTURE & CONVENTIONS

Unless the design read picks a real design system (Section 2.A), these are the defaults:

### 3.A Stack
* **Framework:** React or Next.js. Default to Server Components (RSC).
  * **RSC SAFETY:** Global state works ONLY in Client Components. In Next.js, wrap providers in a `"use client"` component.
  * **INTERACTIVITY ISOLATION:** Any component using Motion, scroll listeners, or pointer physics MUST be an isolated leaf with `'use client'` at the top. Server Components render static layouts only.
* **Styling:** **Tailwind v4** (default). Tailwind v3 only if the existing project demands it.
  * For v4: do NOT use `tailwindcss` plugin in `postcss.config.js`. Use `@tailwindcss/postcss` or the Vite plugin.
* **Animation:** **Motion** (the library formerly known as Framer Motion). Import from `motion/react` (`import { motion } from "motion/react"`). The `framer-motion` package still works as a legacy alias - prefer `motion/react` in new code.
* **Fonts:** Always use `next/font` (Next.js) or self-host with `@font-face` + `font-display: swap`. Never link Google Fonts via `<link>` in production.

### 3.B State
* Local `useState` / `useReducer` for isolated UI.
* Global state ONLY for deep prop-drilling avoidance - Zustand, Jotai, or React context.
* **NEVER** use `useState` to track continuous values driven by user input (mouse position, scroll progress, pointer physics, magnetic hover). Use Motion's `useMotionValue` / `useTransform` / `useScroll`. `useState` re-renders the React tree on every change and collapses on mobile.

### 3.C Icons
* **Allowed libraries (priority order):** `@phosphor-icons/react`, `hugeicons-react`, `@radix-ui/react-icons`, `@tabler/icons-react`.
* **Discouraged:** `lucide-react`. Acceptable only when the user explicitly asks for it or the project already depends on it.
* **NEVER hand-roll SVG icons.** If a glyph is missing, install a second library or compose from primitives - do not draw icon paths from scratch.
* **One family per project.** Do not mix Phosphor with Lucide in the same component tree.
* **Standardize `strokeWidth` globally** (e.g. `1.5` or `2.0`).

### 3.D Emoji Policy
Discouraged by default in code, markup, and visible text. Replace symbols with icon-library glyphs. **Override:** allow emojis only when the user explicitly asks for a playful / chat-style / social-native vibe - and even then use them sparingly with intent.

### 3.E Responsiveness & Layout Mechanics
* Standardize breakpoints (`sm 640`, `md 768`, `lg 1024`, `xl 1280`, `2xl 1536`).
* Contain page layouts using `max-w-[1400px] mx-auto` or `max-w-7xl`.
* **Viewport Stability:** NEVER use `h-screen` for full-height Hero sections. ALWAYS use `min-h-[100dvh]` to prevent layout jumping on mobile (iOS Safari address bar).
* **Grid over Flex-Math:** NEVER use complex flexbox percentage math (`w-[calc(33%-1rem)]`). ALWAYS use CSS Grid (`grid grid-cols-1 md:grid-cols-3 gap-6`).

### 3.F Dependency Verification (mandatory)
Before importing ANY 3rd-party library, check `package.json`. If the package is missing, output the install command first. **Never** assume a library exists.

---

## 4. DESIGN ENGINEERING DIRECTIVES (Bias Correction)

LLMs default to clichés. Override these defaults proactively. Each rule has a context-aware override path.

### 4.1 Typography
* **Display / Headlines:** Default `text-4xl md:text-6xl tracking-tighter leading-none`.
* **Body / Paragraphs:** Default `text-base text-gray-600 leading-relaxed max-w-[65ch]`.
* **Sans font choice:**
  * **Discouraged as default:** `Inter`. Pick `Geist`, `Outfit`, `Cabinet Grotesk`, `Satoshi`, or a brand-appropriate serif first.
  * **Override:** Inter is acceptable when the user explicitly asks for a neutral / standard / Linear-style feel, or when the brief is a public-sector / accessibility-first site.
* **Pairings to know:** `Geist` + `Geist Mono`, `Satoshi` + `JetBrains Mono`, `Cabinet Grotesk` + `Inter Tight`, `GT America` + `IBM Plex Mono`.

* **SERIF DISCIPLINE (VERY DISCOURAGED AS DEFAULT):**
  * Serif is **very discouraged as the default font for any project.** "It feels creative / premium / editorial" is NOT a reason to reach for serif. The agent's default mental model that "creative brief = serif" is the single most-tested AI tell in production rounds.
  * **Serif is only acceptable when ONE of these is explicitly true:**
    - The brand brief literally names a serif font, OR
    - The aesthetic family is genuinely editorial / luxury / publication / manuscript / heritage / vintage AND you can articulate why this specific serif fits this specific brand
  * For everything else (creative agency, design studio, modern brand, premium consumer, portfolio, lifestyle), **default sans-serif display** (Geist Display, ABC Diatype, Söhne Breit, Cabinet Grotesk Display, Migra Sans, GT Walsheim, Inter Display, PP Neue Montreal). Sans display fonts are not "boring" — they are the default for the same reason black is the default in fashion.
  * **EMPHASIS RULE (related):** When you want to emphasize a word within a headline (the kinetic "and `spatial` design" type move), use **italic or bold of the SAME font**. Do NOT inject a random serif word into a sans headline (or vice versa) just to add visual interest. Mixed-family emphasis is amateur. Italic/bold emphasis in the same family is the right move.
  * **Specifically BANNED as defaults:** `Fraunces` and `Instrument_Serif` (the two LLM-favorite display serifs).
  * **If a serif is justified** (rare, per the above), rotate from this pool, do NOT reuse the same serif across consecutive projects: PP Editorial New, GT Sectra Display, Cardinal Grotesque, Reckless Neue, Tiempos Headline, Recoleta, Cormorant Garamond, Playfair Display, EB Garamond, IvyPresto, Migra, Editorial Old, Saol Display, Söhne Breit Kursiv, Domaine Display, Canela, Schnyder, Tobias, NB Architekt, ITC Galliard.

* **ITALIC DESCENDER CLEARANCE (mandatory):** When italic is used in display type and the word contains a descender letter (`y g j p q`), `leading-[1]` or `leading-none` will clip the descender. Use `leading-[1.1]` minimum and add `pb-1` or `mb-1` reserve on the wrapping element. Audit every italic word in display headlines before shipping.

### 4.2 Color Calibration
* Max 1 accent color. Saturation < 80% by default.
* **THE LILA RULE:** The "AI Purple / Blue glow" aesthetic is discouraged as a default. No automatic purple button glows, no random neon gradients. Use neutral bases (Zinc / Slate / Stone) with high-contrast singular accents (Emerald, Electric Blue, Deep Rose, Burnt Orange, etc.).
* **Override:** if the brand or brief explicitly asks for purple / violet / lila, embrace it. But execute with intent: consistent palette, harmonised neutrals, restrained gradients. Not generic AI gradient slop.
* **One palette per project.** Do not fluctuate between warm and cool grays within the same project.
* **COLOR CONSISTENCY LOCK (mandatory):** Once an accent color is chosen for a page, it is used on the WHOLE page. A warm-grey site does not suddenly get a blue CTA in section 7. A rose-accented site does not get a teal status badge in the footer. Pick one accent, lock it, audit every component before shipping.

* **PREMIUM-CONSUMER PALETTE BAN (mandatory, second-most-recurring AI-tell):**
  * For premium-consumer briefs (cookware, wellness, artisan, luxury, heritage craft, DTC home goods, etc.) the LLM default is **warm beige/cream + brass/clay/oxblood/ochre + espresso/ink dark text**. Concretely banned hex families as default backgrounds and accents:
    - Backgrounds: `#f5f1ea`, `#f7f5f1`, `#fbf8f1`, `#efeae0`, `#ece6db`, `#faf7f1`, `#e8dfcb` (all "warm paper / cream / chalk / bone")
    - Accents: `#b08947`, `#b6553a`, `#9a2436`, `#9c6e2a`, `#bc7c3a`, `#7d5621` (all "brass / clay / oxblood / ochre")
    - Text: `#1a1714`, `#1a1814`, `#1b1814` (all "espresso / warm near-black")
  * This palette is BANNED as the default reach for premium-consumer briefs. Every premium-consumer site you have ever shipped uses this exact palette. The brand becomes invisible.
  * **Default alternatives (rotate, do not reuse):**
    - **Cold Luxury:** silver-grey + chrome + smoke (think Tesla, Apple Watch Hermes-without-the-leather)
    - **Forest:** deep green + bone + amber accent (think Filson, Patagonia premium)
    - **Black and Tan:** true off-black + warm tan, sharp contrast, no beige
    - **Cobalt + Cream:** saturated blue against a single neutral, no brass
    - **Terracotta + Slate:** warm rust against cool grey, no brass
    - **Olive + Brick + Paper:** muted olive plus brick-red accent
    - **Pure monochrome + single saturated pop:** off-white + off-black + one bright accent (electric blue, emerald, hot pink, etc.)
  * **Palette-rotation rule:** if the previous premium-consumer project you generated used the beige+brass family, this one MUST use a different family. Do not ship the same warm-craft palette twice in a row.
  * **Override:** the beige+brass+espresso palette is acceptable ONLY when the brand brief explicitly names those colors, or when the brand identity is genuinely vintage / artisan / warm-craft AND you can articulate why this specific palette fits this specific brand. Default-reaching for it because "this is a cookware brief" is banned.

### 4.3 Layout Diversification
* **ANTI-CENTER BIAS:** Centered Hero / H1 sections are avoided when `DESIGN_VARIANCE > 4`. Force "Split Screen" (50/50), "Left-aligned content / right-aligned asset", "Asymmetric white-space", or scroll-pinned structures.
* **Override:** centered hero is OK for editorial / manifesto / launch-announcement briefs where the message itself is the design.

### 4.4 Materiality, Shadows, Cards
* Use cards ONLY when elevation communicates real hierarchy. Otherwise group with `border-t`, `divide-y`, or negative space.
* When a shadow is used, tint it to the background hue. No pure-black drop shadows on light backgrounds.
* For `VISUAL_DENSITY > 7`: generic card containers are banned. Data metrics breathe in plain layout.
* **SHAPE CONSISTENCY LOCK (mandatory):** Pick ONE corner-radius scale for the page and stick to it. Options: all-sharp (radius 0), all-soft (radius 12-16px), all-pill (full radius for interactive). Mixed systems are allowed only when there is a documented rule (e.g. "buttons are full-pill, cards are 16px, inputs are 8px") and that rule is followed everywhere. Round buttons in a square layout, or square cards on a pill-button page, is broken design.

### 4.5 Interactive UI States
LLMs default to "static successful state only." Always implement full cycles:
* **Loading:** Skeletal loaders matching the final layout's shape. Avoid generic circular spinners.
* **Empty States:** Beautifully composed; indicate how to populate.
* **Error States:** Clear, inline (forms), or contextual (toasts only for transient).
* **Tactile Feedback:** On `:active`, use `-translate-y-[1px]` or `scale-[0.98]` to simulate a physical push.
* **BUTTON CONTRAST CHECK (mandatory, a11y):** Before shipping any button, verify the button text is readable against the button background. White button + white text, `bg-white` CTA with `text-white` label, transparent button against the page background with no border → all banned. Audit every CTA: contrast ratio WCAG AA min (4.5:1 for body, 3:1 for large text 18px+). Same rule applies to ghost buttons over photographic backgrounds (use a backdrop, scrim, or stroke).
* **CTA BUTTON WRAP BAN (mandatory):** Button text MUST fit on one line at desktop. If a label like "VIEW SELECTED WORK" wraps to 2 or 3 lines, the button is broken. Fix by EITHER shortening the label (3 words max for primary CTAs, ideally 1-2) OR widening the button (do not artificially constrain `max-width` on CTAs). Wrapped CTAs at desktop are a Pre-Flight Fail.
* **NO DUPLICATE CTA INTENT (mandatory):** Two CTAs with the same intent on one page is a Pre-Flight Fail. Examples of same intent: "Get in touch" + "Contact us" + "Let's talk" + "Start a project" + "Start something" + "Reach out" = all "contact" intent → pick ONE label and use it everywhere on the page (nav, hero, footer). Same for "Try free" + "Get started" + "Sign up free" (all "signup" intent) and "View work" + "See selected work" + "Browse projects" (all "portfolio" intent). One label per intent.
* **FORM CONTRAST CHECK (mandatory, a11y):** Form inputs, placeholder text, focus rings, helper text, and error text all pass WCAG AA contrast against the section background. Light placeholders on a near-white form, white form on white page section, form labels grayer than 4.5:1 contrast → all banned. Audit every form before shipping.

### 4.6 Data & Form Patterns
* Label ABOVE input. Helper text optional but present in markup. Error text BELOW input. Standard `gap-2` for input blocks.
* No placeholder-as-label. Ever.

### 4.7 Layout Discipline (Hard Rules. Failing any of these is shipping broken work)

* **Hero MUST fit in the initial viewport.** Headline max 2 lines on desktop, subtext max **20 words** AND max 3-4 lines, CTAs visible without scroll. If the copy is too long: reduce font scale OR cut copy. If you cannot describe the value-prop in 20 words of subtext, the value-prop is unclear, not the rule too tight. Never let the hero overflow and force scroll to find the CTA.
* **Hero font-scale discipline.** Plan font size and image size *together*. If the hero asset is large and the headline is more than 6 words, do not start at `text-7xl/text-8xl`. Default sensible range: `text-4xl md:text-5xl lg:text-6xl` for most heroes; `text-6xl md:text-7xl` only when the headline is 3-5 words. A 4-line hero headline is always a font-size error, never a copy-length error.
* **HERO TOP PADDING CAP (mandatory):** Hero top padding max `pt-24` (≈6rem) at desktop. More than that means the hero content floats halfway down the viewport and reads as a layout bug, not as intentional space. If your hero needs more breathing room, increase font scale or asset size, not top padding.
* **HERO STACK DISCIPLINE (max 4 text elements).** The hero is a single moment, not a feature list. Allowed text elements, max 4 in total:
  1. Eyebrow (small uppercase label) OR brand strip OR neither - pick zero or one
  2. Headline (max 2 lines, see above)
  3. Subtext (max 20 words, max 4 lines)
  4. CTAs (1 primary + max 1 secondary)
  - **BANNED in the hero:** tiny tagline below CTAs ("Works with GitHub, GitLab, and self-hosted Git"), trust micro-strip ("Used by engineering teams at..."), pricing teaser ("Free for solo, $10/user for teams"), feature bullet list, social-proof avatar row. All of those move to dedicated sections directly below the hero.
  - If you have an eyebrow AND a tagline below CTAs in the same hero, drop the tagline. If you have a brand strip AND a tagline, drop the tagline. One small text element per hero, max.
* **"Used by" / "Trusted by" logo wall belongs UNDER the hero, never inside it.** The hero is for the value prop and primary CTA. The logo wall is a separate section directly below. Do not stuff trust logos into the same flex row as the hero copy.
* **Navigation MUST render on a single line on desktop.** If items don't fit at `lg` (1024px), condense labels, drop secondary items, or move to a hamburger. A two-line nav at desktop is broken design.
* **Navigation height cap: 80px max desktop, default 64-72px.** No huge "agency" nav bars that eat 15% of the viewport.
* **Bento grids MUST have rhythm, not one-sided repetition.** Do not stack 6 left-image / right-text rows. Vary the composition: alternate full-width feature rows, asymmetric tile sizes, vertical breaks.
* **BENTO CELL COUNT RULE (mandatory):** A bento grid has EXACTLY as many cells as you have content for. 3 items → 3 cells (1+2 split, or 2+1, or asymmetric trio). 5 items → 5 cells (2+3, 3+2, hero+4, etc.). If your grid has an empty cell in the middle or at the end, you planned wrong. Re-shape the grid; do not paste a blank tile.
* **Section-Layout-Repetition Ban.** Once you use a layout family for a section (e.g., 3-column-image-cards, full-width-quote, split-text-image), that family can appear at most ONCE on the page. "Selected commissions" must not look like "What we do." A landing page with 8 sections must use at least 4 different layout families.
* **ZIGZAG ALTERNATION CAP (mandatory).** Alternating "left-image + right-text" then "left-text + right-image" zigzag layout = banal. Max 2 sections in a row with this image+text-split pattern. The 3rd consecutive image+text split is a Pre-Flight Fail. Break the pattern with a full-width section, a vertical-stack section, a bento grid, a marquee, or a different layout family.
* **EYEBROW RESTRAINT (mandatory, the #1 violated rule in production tests).** An "eyebrow" is the small uppercase wide-tracking label sitting above a section headline (e.g. `FOUR COLORWAYS`, `SELECTED WORK`, `THE HARDWARE`, `Git-native task management`). Typical CSS signature: `text-[11px] uppercase tracking-[0.18em]`, `font-mono text-[10.5px] uppercase tracking-[0.22em]`. Every AI-built site puts an eyebrow above EVERY section header, producing the same templated rhythm. Hard rule:
  - **Maximum 1 eyebrow per 3 sections.** Hero counts as 1. So a page with 9 sections may use at most 3 eyebrows total.
  - If section A has an eyebrow, the next 2 sections cannot have one.
  - **Pre-Flight Check is mechanical:** count instances of `uppercase tracking` (or similar small-caps mono labels above headlines) across all section components. If count > ceil(sectionCount / 3), the output fails.
  - **What to do instead of an eyebrow:** drop it entirely. The headline alone is enough. If you need to categorize a section, the section's location on the page already categorizes it; no label needed.
* **SPLIT-HEADER BAN (mandatory).** The pattern "left big headline + right small explainer paragraph" as a section header (left col-span-7/8, right col-span-4/5 with a small body paragraph floating in the right column) is **banned as default**. Sections should have ONE focused message. If you genuinely need both a headline and an explainer paragraph, stack them vertically (headline on top, body below, max-width 65ch). Reach for the split-header pattern only when there is a real compositional reason (e.g., the right column carries a visual or interactive element, not just filler text).
* **Bento Background Diversity (mandatory).** Bento and feature-grid sections cannot be 6 white-on-white cards with text inside. At least 2-3 cells in any multi-cell grid need real visual variation: a real image, a brand-appropriate gradient (not AI-purple), a pattern, a tinted background. A cream-on-cream bento with only typography inside reads as boring AI default, even when the rest of the page is good.
* **Mobile collapse must be explicit per section.** For every multi-column layout, declare the `< 768px` fallback in the same component. No "it'll work, Tailwind handles it" assumptions.

### 4.8 Image & Visual Asset Strategy

Landing pages and portfolios are **visual products**. Text-only pages with fake-screenshot divs are slop.

**Priority order for visual assets:**
1. **Image-generation tool first.** If ANY image-gen tool is available in the environment (`generate_image`, MCP image tool, IDE-integrated gen, OpenAI image tools, etc.) you MUST use it to create section-specific assets: hero photography, product shots, texture backgrounds, mood images. Generate at the right aspect ratio for the section. Do not skip this step because hand-rolled CSS feels faster.
2. **Real web images second.** When no gen tool is available, use real photography sources. Acceptable defaults:
   * `https://picsum.photos/seed/{descriptive-seed}/{w}/{h}` for placeholder photography (seed should describe the section, e.g. `marrow-cookware-kitchen`)
   * Actual stock or brand URLs when the brief provides them
   * Open-license sources (Unsplash via direct URL, Pexels) if explicitly allowed
3. **Last resort: tell the user.** If neither is possible, do NOT fill the page with hand-rolled SVG illustrations or div-based "fake screenshots." Instead, leave clearly-labeled placeholder slots (`<!-- TODO: hero product photo, 1600x1200 -->`) and at the end of the response say: *"This page needs real images at: \[list of placements\]. Please generate or provide them."*

**Even minimalist sites need real images.** A pure-text page is not minimalism. It is incomplete work. Even an editorial Linear-style site needs at least 2-3 real images (hero, one product/lifestyle shot, one supporting image). Generate B&W minimalist photography if the brief is restrained; do not skip images entirely because the dial is low.

**Real company logos for social proof.** When the brief calls for a "Trusted by / Used by / Customers" logo wall, do NOT default to plain text wordmarks (`<span>Acme Co</span>` styled in a row). Use real SVG logos:
* **Source: Simple Icons** (`https://cdn.simpleicons.org/{slug}/ffffff` for any color, or `simple-icons` npm package). Covers most known brands.
* **Alternative: devicon** for tech-stack logos (`@svgr/cli` or CDN).
* **Make-up the brand name? Then make-up an SVG mark too.** Generate a simple monogram (one letter in a circle, two-letter ligature, abstract glyph) rendered as an inline `<svg>` matching the page style. Plain text wordmarks for invented brand names look generic.
* **Always** ensure logos render in both light and dark mode (white-on-dark, black-on-light, or single-color theme variable).
* **LOGO-ONLY rule (mandatory):** logo wall = logos and nothing else. Do NOT print industry / category labels below each logo (no `Vercel` + `hosting` underneath, no `Stripe` + `payments`, no `Cloudflare` + `infra`). The logo is the credibility, the label adds nothing the user does not already know. Optional: brand name as alt-text for screen readers, optional link to the brand's site. That is it.

**Hand-rolled illustrations:**
* SVG icons from libraries: fine (see Section 3.C).
* Hand-rolled decorative SVGs (custom illustrations, logos, marks): **strongly discouraged**, never as default. Acceptable only when:
  - The brief explicitly calls for it ("draw me an SVG logo")
  - It's a single, simple geometric mark (a square, a circle, a wordmark in display type)
  - You're confident in the output quality

**Div-based fake screenshots are banned.** A "hand-built product preview" rendered with `<div>` rectangles, fake task lists, fake dashboards, fake terminal windows is a Tell. If you need to show a product:
* Use a real screenshot URL if one exists
* Generate one via image tool
* Use a real component preview (an actual mini-version of the UI inside the page)
* Or skip the preview entirely and use editorial photography

**Hero needs a real visual.** Text + gradient blob is not a hero - it's a placeholder.

### 4.9 Content Density

Landing pages live on the **first impression**, not the full read. Cut ruthlessly.

* **Default content shape per section:** short headline (≤ 8 words) + short sub-paragraph (≤ 25 words) + one visual asset OR one CTA. Anything more must be justified by the section's job.
* **No data-dump sections.** A 20-row publication table, a 30-row award list, a giant pricing matrix on a marketing page = wrong layout. Use:
  - Top 3-5 highlights + "View full list" link
  - Marquee / carousel for breadth
  - Different page entirely if the data is the product
* **Long lists need a different UI component, not a longer list.** Default `<ul>` with bullets / `divide-y` rows is the lazy choice. If you have > 5 items, reach for one of these instead:
  - 2-column split with grouped items
  - Card grid with image + label per item
  - Tabs / accordion if items are categorisable
  - Horizontal scroll-snap pills
  - Carousel for breadth-heavy lists (testimonials, logos, capabilities)
  - Marquee for "lots-of-things-that-don't-need-individual-attention"
  A spec sheet with 10 rows + a hairline under every row is the WORST default. Either group rows into 2-3 chunks with sparse dividers, or move to a card-per-spec layout.
* **Spec sheets specifically (the Marrow-cookware pattern).** A long product specification table with `border-b` on every row is the AI default for cookware / hardware / apparel / artisan-goods briefs. Banned. Concrete alternatives:
  - **2-col card grid:** each spec gets its own card with the spec name, the value (large display number), and a one-line "why it matters" body. Cards arranged 2-col on desktop, 1-col mobile.
  - **Scroll-snap horizontal pills:** each spec is a pill, user can flick through.
  - **Grouped chunks:** group 10 specs into 3 logical clusters (e.g. "Materials", "Cooking", "Warranty"), each cluster gets ONE soft divider and a cluster heading.
  - **Featured-vs-rest:** 3-4 hero specs visualised as large display tiles, the rest collapsed under a "View full specifications" disclosure.

* **COPY SELF-AUDIT (mandatory before ship):** Before declaring any task done, re-read every visible string on the page (headlines, subheads, eyebrows, button labels, body copy, captions, alt text, footer text, error messages). Flag any string that is:
  - **Grammatically broken** ("free on its past", "two plans but one is honest", "to put it on the table" out of context)
  - **Has unclear referents** ("we plan to stay that way" without prior context)
  - **Sounds like AI hallucination** (cute-but-wrong wordplay, forced metaphors that don't track, "elegant nothing" phrases)
  - **Reads like an LLM trying to sound thoughtful** (passive-aggressive humility, fake-craftsman labels, mock-poetic micro-meta)
  Rewrite every flagged string. If unsure whether a string makes sense, replace it with a plain functional sentence. AI-generated cute copy is worse than boring copy.
* **Fake-precise numbers are flagged.** Numbers like `92%`, `4.1×`, `48k`, `5.8 mm`, `13.4 lb` either:
  - Come from real data (brief, brand guidelines, public metrics) - fine
  - Are explicitly labeled as mock (`<!-- mock -->`, "example", "sample data") - fine
  - Are AI-invented spec aesthetics - banned. Don't fake engineering precision the brand doesn't claim.
* **One copy register per page.** Don't mix technical mono ("47 tasks · 0.6 ctx-switches/day"), editorial prose, and marketing punch in the same composition unless the brand voice explicitly calls for it.

### 4.10 Quotes & Testimonials

* **Max 3 lines** of quote body. Never 6. If the original quote is longer → cut it. A landing-page quote is a snippet, not the full review.
* For very small font sizes (e.g. footer-style testimonials), the line cap can stretch slightly. Spirit: "fits in a glance."
* **No em-dashes inside the quote text** as design flourish (long pauses, kinetic em-dashes, em-dash-bullets). See Section 9.G - em-dash is completely banned.
* Attribution: name + role + (optionally) company. Never name only ("- Sarah").
* Quote marks: use real typographic quotes ( " " ) or none at all. Not straight ASCII ( " ).

### 4.11 Page Theme Lock (Light / Dark Mode Consistency)

The page has ONE theme. Sections do not invert.

* If the page is dark mode, ALL sections are dark mode. No light-mode-warm-paper section sandwiched between dark sections (or vice versa). The user must not feel they walked into a different website mid-scroll.
* The exception: if the brief explicitly calls for a "Color Block Story" or "Theme Switch on Scroll" device AND that is a deliberate composition (one full theme switch with a strong transition, not random alternation), it is allowed once per page.
* Default behaviour: pick light, dark, or auto (`prefers-color-scheme`) at the page level and lock it. Section-level background tints within the same theme family are fine (`bg-zinc-950` next to `bg-zinc-900`); flipping to `bg-amber-50` in the middle of a `bg-zinc-950` page is broken.
* When using a design system with built-in theming (Radix Themes, shadcn/ui with `<Theme>`), set the theme ONCE in `layout.tsx` or the page root. Do not let individual sections override.

---

## 5. CONTEXT-AWARE PROACTIVITY

These are tools, not defaults. Use them when the design read calls for them. **None of these fire automatically.**

* **Liquid Glass / Glassmorphism:** Appropriate for premium consumer, Apple-adjacent, luxury brand, or media-overlay vibes. Inappropriate for dashboards, public-sector, or "boring B2B." When used, go beyond `backdrop-blur`: add a 1px inner border (`border-white/10`) and a subtle inner shadow (`shadow-[inset_0_1px_0_rgba(255,255,255,0.1)]`) for physical edge refraction. Provide a solid-fill fallback under `prefers-reduced-transparency`.
* **Magnetic Micro-physics:** Use when `MOTION_INTENSITY > 5` AND the brief reads premium / playful / agency. Implement EXCLUSIVELY with Motion's `useMotionValue` / `useTransform` outside the React render cycle. Never `useState`. See Section 3.B.
* **Perpetual Micro-Interactions** (Pulse, Typewriter, Float, Shimmer, Carousel): Use when `MOTION_INTENSITY > 5` AND the section actively benefits from motion (status indicators, live feeds, AI-feel). **Not every card needs an infinite loop.** If a section is informational, leave it still. Apply Spring Physics (`type: "spring", stiffness: 100, damping: 20`) - no linear easing.
* **"Motion claimed, motion shown."** If `MOTION_INTENSITY > 4`, the page must actually move: entry transitions on hero, scroll-reveal on key sections, hover physics on CTAs, at minimum. A static page that claims `MOTION_INTENSITY: 7` is broken. Conversely, if you cannot ship working motion in the available scope, drop the dial to 3 and ship a clean static page. Never half-build motion that breaks (cut-off ScrollTriggers, jumpy enters, missing cleanups).
* **MOTION MUST BE MOTIVATED (mandatory).** Before adding any animation, ask: "what does this animation communicate?" Valid answers: hierarchy (drawing attention to the right thing), storytelling (revealing content in sequence that matches a narrative), feedback (acknowledging a user action), state transition (showing something changed). Invalid answer: "it looked cool". GSAP everywhere because GSAP is available is amateur. Each ScrollTrigger, each marquee, each pinned section needs a reason. If you cannot articulate the reason in one sentence, drop the animation.
* **MARQUEE MAX-ONE-PER-PAGE (mandatory).** Horizontal scrolling text marquees ("logos endlessly scrolling", "manifesto scrolling sideways", "kinetic word strip") are appropriate at most ONCE per page. Two or more marquees on the same page reads as lazy filler. Pick the one section where the marquee actually serves the content; the others get a different layout.
* **GSAP Sticky-Stack Pattern (when scroll-stack is used).** A "card stack on scroll" must be a REAL sticky-stack, not a sequential reveal list. See Section 5.A below for the canonical code skeleton. Common failure: trigger fires halfway through scroll instead of pinning at viewport top. Fix: `start: "top top"` not `start: "top center"` or `"top 80%"`.
* **GSAP Horizontal-Pan Pattern (when horizontal scroll-hijack is used).** See Section 5.B below for the canonical skeleton. Common failure: animation starts before the section is pinned, so the user sees half a slide. Same fix: `start: "top top"`, pin the wrapper, scrub the inner track.

### 5.A Sticky-Stack - Canonical Skeleton

```tsx
"use client";
import { useRef, useEffect } from "react";
import { gsap } from "gsap";
import { ScrollTrigger } from "gsap/ScrollTrigger";
import { useReducedMotion } from "motion/react";

gsap.registerPlugin(ScrollTrigger);

export function StickyStack({ cards }: { cards: React.ReactNode[] }) {
  const ref = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
  const reduce = useReducedMotion();

  useEffect(() => {
    if (reduce || !ref.current) return;
    const ctx = gsap.context(() => {
      const cardEls = gsap.utils.toArray<HTMLElement>(".stack-card");
      cardEls.forEach((card, i) => {
        if (i === cardEls.length - 1) return;
        ScrollTrigger.create({
          trigger: card,
          start: "top top",                              // pin at viewport top
          endTrigger: cardEls[cardEls.length - 1],
          end: "top top",
          pin: true,
          pinSpacing: false,
        });
        gsap.to(card, {
          scale: 0.92,
          opacity: 0.55,
          ease: "none",
          scrollTrigger: {
            trigger: cardEls[i + 1],
            start: "top bottom",
            end: "top top",
            scrub: true,
          },
        });
      });
    }, ref);
    return () => ctx.revert();
  }, [reduce]);

  return (
    <div ref={ref} className="relative">
      {cards.map((card, i) => (
        <div
          key={i}
          className="stack-card sticky top-0 min-h-[100dvh] flex items-center justify-center"
        >
          {card}
        </div>
      ))}
    </div>
  );
}
```

Critical points: `start: "top top"`, `pin: true`, every card except the last is pinned, the scale/opacity transform is driven by the NEXT card's scroll trigger (so previous card shrinks as next one arrives).

### 5.B Horizontal-Pan - Canonical Skeleton

```tsx
"use client";
import { useRef, useEffect } from "react";
import { gsap } from "gsap";
import { ScrollTrigger } from "gsap/ScrollTrigger";
import { useReducedMotion } from "motion/react";

gsap.registerPlugin(ScrollTrigger);

export function HorizontalPan({ children }: { children: React.ReactNode }) {
  const wrap = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
  const track = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
  const reduce = useReducedMotion();

  useEffect(() => {
    if (reduce || !wrap.current || !track.current) return;
    const ctx = gsap.context(() => {
      const distance = track.current!.scrollWidth - window.innerWidth;
      gsap.to(track.current, {
        x: -distance,
        ease: "none",
        scrollTrigger: {
          trigger: wrap.current,
          start: "top top",                              // pin starts when section top hits viewport top
          end: () => `+=${distance}`,                    // scroll distance = track width minus viewport
          pin: true,
          scrub: 1,
          invalidateOnRefresh: true,
        },
      });
    }, wrap);
    return () => ctx.revert();
  }, [reduce]);

  return (
    <section ref={wrap} className="relative overflow-hidden">
      <div ref={track} className="flex h-[100dvh] items-center">
        {children}
      </div>
    </section>
  );
}
```

Critical points: `start: "top top"`, `pin: true`, `end: "+=${distance}"` (scroll length = horizontal travel needed), `scrub: 1`. The wrapper is pinned, the inner track slides horizontally as the user scrolls vertically.

### 5.C Scroll-Reveal Stagger - Canonical Skeleton (lighter alternative)

For simple "items appear as they enter viewport" (no pinning), prefer Motion's `whileInView` over GSAP - lighter, no ScrollTrigger needed:

```tsx
"use client";
import { motion, useReducedMotion } from "motion/react";

export function RevealStagger({ items }: { items: string[] }) {
  const reduce = useReducedMotion();
  return (
    <ul className="grid gap-6">
      {items.map((item, i) => (
        <motion.li
          key={item}
          initial={reduce ? false : { opacity: 0, y: 24 }}
          whileInView={{ opacity: 1, y: 0 }}
          viewport={{ once: true, amount: 0.3 }}
          transition={{
            duration: 0.6,
            delay: i * 0.06,
            ease: [0.16, 1, 0.3, 1],
          }}
        >
          {item}
        </motion.li>
      ))}
    </ul>
  );
}
```

Use this for: feature lists, testimonial grids, logo walls, anything that just needs "enter on scroll." Save GSAP for actual pin/scrub work.

### 5.D Forbidden Animation Patterns

* **`window.addEventListener("scroll", ...)`** is banned. It runs on every scroll frame, jank-prone, no batching. Use Motion's `useScroll()`, GSAP's `ScrollTrigger`, IntersectionObserver, or CSS `scroll-driven animations` (`animation-timeline: view()`).
* **Custom scroll progress calculations using `window.scrollY`** in React state. Same reason. Re-renders on every frame.
* **`requestAnimationFrame` loops that touch React state.** Use motion values (`useMotionValue` + `useTransform`) instead.
* **Layout Transitions:** Use Motion's `layout` and `layoutId` props for visible state changes (re-ordering lists, expanding modals, shared elements between routes). Do not wrap static content in `layout` props "for safety" - it costs measurement work.
* **Staggered Orchestration:** Use `staggerChildren` (Motion) or CSS cascade (`animation-delay: calc(var(--index) * 100ms)`) for reveal moments where sequence matters. For `staggerChildren`, parent (`variants`) and children MUST share the same Client Component tree.

---

## 6. PERFORMANCE & ACCESSIBILITY GUARDRAILS

### 6.A Hardware Acceleration
* Animate ONLY `transform` and `opacity`. Never animate `top`, `left`, `width`, `height`.
* Use `will-change: transform` sparingly - only on elements that will actually animate.

### 6.B Reduced Motion (mandatory)
* **Any motion above `MOTION_INTENSITY > 3` MUST honor `prefers-reduced-motion`.** This is non-negotiable.
* In Motion: wrap with `useReducedMotion()` and degrade to static.
* In CSS: gate animations behind `@media (prefers-reduced-motion: no-preference)` or provide an override block under `@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce)` that disables.
* Infinite loops, parallax, scroll-hijack, and magnetic physics MUST collapse to static / instant under reduced motion.

### 6.C Dark Mode (mandatory for any consumer-facing page)
* Design for **both modes from the start**. Never ship light-only or dark-only without explicit user instruction.
* Use Tailwind `dark:` variant OR CSS variables for tokens. Pick one strategy per project.
* **Do not prescribe specific dark-mode colors here.** The brief decides. Maintain visual hierarchy, brand identity, and WCAG AA contrast (AAA for body) across both modes.
* Respect `prefers-color-scheme: dark`. Default to system preference unless the brand insists on one mode.

### 6.D Core Web Vitals Targets
* **LCP** < 2.5s. Hero image must be `next/image priority` or preloaded.
* **INP** < 200ms. Heavy work off main thread.
* **CLS** < 0.1. Reserve space for images, fonts, embeds.
* Run Lighthouse before declaring a page done.

### 6.E DOM Cost
* Apply grain / noise filters EXCLUSIVELY to fixed, `pointer-events-none` pseudo-elements (e.g., `fixed inset-0 z-[60] pointer-events-none`). NEVER on scrolling containers - continuous GPU repaints destroy mobile FPS.
* Be aware of bundle size. Motion is not tiny. Three.js is large. Lazy-load anything that's not above-the-fold.

### 6.F Z-Index Restraint
NEVER spam arbitrary `z-50` or `z-10`. Use z-index strictly for systemic layer contexts (sticky navbars, modals, overlays, grain). Document the z-index scale in a project constants file.

---

## 7. DIAL DEFINITIONS (Technical Reference)

### DESIGN_VARIANCE (Level 1-10)
* **1-3 (Predictable):** Symmetrical CSS Grid (12-col, equal fr-units), equal paddings, centered alignment.
* **4-7 (Offset):** `margin-top: -2rem` overlaps, varied image aspect ratios (4:3 next to 16:9), left-aligned headers over center-aligned data.
* **8-10 (Asymmetric):** Masonry layouts, CSS Grid with fractional units (`grid-template-columns: 2fr 1fr 1fr`), massive empty zones (`padding-left: 20vw`).
* **MOBILE OVERRIDE:** For levels 4-10, asymmetric layouts above `md:` MUST collapse to strict single-column (`w-full`, `px-4`, `py-8`) on viewports `< 768px`.

### MOTION_INTENSITY (Level 1-10)
* **1-3 (Static):** No automatic animations. CSS `:hover` and `:active` states only. `prefers-reduced-motion` is the default mode anyway.
* **4-7 (Fluid CSS):** `transition: all 0.3s cubic-bezier(0.16, 1, 0.3, 1)`. `animation-delay` cascades for load-ins. Focus on `transform` and `opacity`.
* **8-10 (Advanced Choreography):** Complex scroll-triggered reveals, parallax, scroll-driven animation (CSS `animation-timeline` or GSAP ScrollTrigger). Use Motion hooks. **NEVER use `window.addEventListener('scroll')`** - it is a hard ban, not a "prefer-not." See Section 5.D for the allowed alternatives.

### VISUAL_DENSITY (Level 1-10)
* **1-3 (Art Gallery):** Lots of white space. Huge section gaps (`py-32` to `py-48`). Expensive, clean.
* **4-7 (Daily App):** Standard web app spacing (`py-16` to `py-24`).
* **8-10 (Cockpit):** Tight paddings. No card boxes; 1px lines separate data. Mandatory: `font-mono` for all numbers.

---

## 8. DARK MODE PROTOCOL

Dual-mode by default. Never assume light-only unless the brief is print-emulating editorial.

### 8.A Token Strategy (pick one, stick to it)
* **Tailwind `dark:` variant** (default for utility-first projects): every color utility paired with its dark variant (`bg-white dark:bg-zinc-950`, `text-gray-900 dark:text-gray-100`).
* **CSS variables** (for shadcn/ui, Radix Themes, or component libraries with theming): define semantic tokens (`--surface`, `--surface-elevated`, `--text-primary`, `--accent`) and swap values under `[data-theme="dark"]` or `@media (prefers-color-scheme: dark)`.

### 8.B Do Not Prescribe Specific Colors Here
The brief and brand decide. This skill enforces only:
* **Contrast** - WCAG AA minimum for body text, AAA target for hero copy.
* **Hierarchy parity** - visual hierarchy that works in light must work in dark. If a CTA pops in light, it pops in dark.
* **Brand fidelity** - primary brand color stays recognisable. Don't desaturate the brand into a dark mode.
* **No pure `#000000` and no pure `#ffffff`** - use off-black (zinc-950, near-black warm gray) and off-white. Pure values kill depth.

### 8.C Default Mode
Respect `prefers-color-scheme` unless the brand insists. Add a manual toggle if either mode would lose key brand expression.

### 8.D Test in Both Modes Before Finishing
Open the page in both modes during development. Do not ship a page you've only seen in one mode.

---

## 9. AI TELLS (Forbidden Patterns)

Avoid these signatures unless the brief explicitly asks for them.

### 9.A Visual & CSS
* **NO neon / outer glows** by default. Use inner borders or subtle tinted shadows.
* **NO pure black (`#000000`).** Off-black, zinc-950, or charcoal.
* **NO oversaturated accents.** Desaturate to blend with neutrals.
* **NO excessive gradient text** for large headers.
* **NO custom mouse cursors.** Outdated, accessibility-hostile, perf-hostile.

### 9.B Typography
* **AVOID Inter as default.** See Section 4.1. Override path exists.
* **NO oversized H1s** that just scream. Control hierarchy with weight + color, not raw scale.
* **Serif constraints:** Serif for editorial / luxury / publication. Not for dashboards.

### 9.C Layout & Spacing
* **Mathematically perfect** padding and margins. No floating elements with awkward gaps.
* **NO 3-column equal feature cards.** The generic "three identical cards horizontally" feature row is banned. Use 2-column zig-zag, asymmetric grid, scroll-pinned, or horizontal-scroll alternative.

### 9.D Content & Data ("Jane Doe" Effect)
* **NO generic names.** "John Doe", "Sarah Chan", "Jack Su" → use creative, realistic, locale-appropriate names.
* **NO generic avatars.** No SVG "egg" or Lucide user icons → use believable photo placeholders or specific styling.
* **NO fake-perfect numbers.** Avoid `99.99%`, `50%`, `1234567`. Use organic, messy data (`47.2%`, `+1 (312) 847-1928`).
* **NO startup-slop brand names.** "Acme", "Nexus", "SmartFlow", "Cloudly" → invent contextual, premium names that sound real.
* **NO filler verbs.** "Elevate", "Seamless", "Unleash", "Next-Gen", "Revolutionize" → concrete verbs only.

### 9.E External Resources & Components
* **NO hand-rolled SVG icons.** Use Phosphor / HugeIcons / Radix / Tabler. Lucide on explicit request only.
* **Hand-rolled decorative SVGs strongly discouraged** as default (see Section 4.8).
* **NO div-based fake screenshots.** Never build a fake product UI out of `<div>` rectangles to simulate a screenshot. Use real images, generated images, or skip the preview.
* **NO broken Unsplash links.** Use `https://picsum.photos/seed/{descriptive-string}/{w}/{h}`, or generated photo placeholders, or actual assets.
* **shadcn/ui customization:** Allowed, but NEVER in default state. Customize radii, colors, shadows, typography to the project aesthetic.
* **Production-Ready Cleanliness:** Code visually clean, memorable, meticulously refined.

### 9.F Production-Test Tells (banned outright)

These patterns came out of real LLM-generated landing-page tests. They are the signatures the model defaults to when it tries to "look designed." Treat them as hard bans unless the brief explicitly calls for one.

**Hero & top-of-page**
* **NO version labels in the hero.** `V0.6`, `v2.0`, `BETA`, `INVITE-ONLY PREVIEW`, `EARLY ACCESS`, `ALPHA` - banned as default eyebrows. Only acceptable when the brief is explicitly about a product launch / preview status.
* **NO "Brand · No. 01"-style sub-eyebrows.** "Marrow · No. 01 · The 6-quart" type micro-meta lines. Skip them.

**Section numbering & micro-labels**
* **NO section-number eyebrows.** `00 / INDEX`, `001 · Capabilities`, `002 · Featured commission`, `06 · how it works`, `05 · The honest table` - banned. Eyebrows should name the topic in plain language, not enumerate.
* **NO `01 / 4`-style pagination on images or bento tiles.** If the user can count, they don't need the label.
* **NO `Scroll · 001 Capabilities`-style scroll cues.** A simple arrow or "Scroll" is enough; no section-number prefix.
* **NO "Index of Work, 2018 - 2026"-style range labels** as eyebrows. Just say what the section is.

**Separators & dots**
* **The middle-dot (`·`) is rationed.** Maximum 1 per line in metadata strips. Do NOT use it as the default separator for everything ("foo · bar · baz · qux · quux"). If you need a separator family, prefer line breaks, hairlines, or columns.
* **NO decorative colored status dots on every list/nav/badge.** A colored dot before "ONE Q4 SLOT OPEN" or before every nav link, or every task row - banned by default. Acceptable only when the dot conveys actual semantic state (a server status, an availability flag) and is used sparingly.

**Em-dashes & typography flourishes**
* **NO em-dash (`—`) as a design element OR anywhere else.** See Section 9.G below for the complete, non-negotiable ban. The em-dash character is forbidden in headlines, eyebrows, pills, body copy, quotes, attribution, captions, button text, and alt text. Use the regular hyphen (`-`).
* **NO `<br>`-broken-and-italicized headlines** as a default "design move." "for thirty\<br\>*years.*" type splits. Headlines should read naturally first, get clever only when the brief demands it.
* **NO vertical rotated text** ("INDEX OF WORK, 2018 - 2026" rotated 90°). Agency-portfolio cliché. Use it only when the brief is explicitly agency / Awwwards / experimental AND it serves a real composition purpose.
* **NO crosshair / hairline grid lines as decoration.** Vertical and horizontal lines drawn just to make the page "feel designed" - banned. Use them only when they organize real content.

**Fake product previews**
* **NO div-based fake product UI in the hero** (fake task list, fake terminal, fake dashboard built from styled divs). It is the #1 LLM-design Tell. Use a real screenshot, a generated image, a real component preview, or none at all.
* **NO fake version footers** ("v0.6.2-rc.1", "last sync 4s ago · main") inside fake screenshots. Adds nothing, screams AI.

**Marketing-copy Tells**
* **NO "Quietly in use at" / "Quietly trusted by"** social-proof headers. Use natural language: "Trusted by", "Used at", "Customers include", or skip the heading entirely if the logos speak.
* **NO "From the field" / "Field notes" / "Currently on the bench" / "On our desks" / "Loose plates" style poetic labels** on quote, blog, or sidebar sections. Reads as performative-craftsman. Use plain functional labels ("Testimonials", "Latest writing", "Now working on") or skip the label.
* **NO "We respect the French ones"-style** mock-humble industry-references in body copy. Cute and AI-y.
* **NO weather / locale strips** ("LIS 14:23 · 18°C") in headers/footers unless the brief is explicitly about a place / time-zone-distributed studio.
* **NO micro-meta-sentences under eyebrows.** Sentences like *"Each of these is a feature we ship today, not a roadmap promise. The list will stay short on purpose."* sitting under a section heading are clutter. Eyebrow + Headline + Body is enough.
* **NO generic step labels.** "Stage 1 / Stage 2 / Stage 3", "Step 1 / Step 2 / Step 3", "Phase 01 / Phase 02 / Phase 03", "Pass One / Pass Two / Pass Three". Banned. The actual step content is the label. If you must show progression, use the verb-noun directly ("Install", "Configure", "Ship") not "Stage 1: Install".

**Pills, labels and version stamps**
* **NO pills/labels/tags overlaid on images.** No `<span>` overlays on photos with tags like `Brand · 02`, `PLATE · BRAND`, `Field notes - journal`. Either let the image speak alone, or add a caption directly below (outside the image).
* **NO photo-credit captions as decoration.** Strings like `Field study no. 12 · Ines Caetano`, `Plate 03 · House archive`, `Frame XII · 35mm` under stock/picsum images are pretentious. Photo credit is allowed ONLY when there is a real photographer being credited for a real photo (with permission). Otherwise: skip the caption or use a one-line functional caption ("The 6-quart, in Sage.").
* **NO version footers on marketing pages.** Footer strings like `v1.4.2`, `Build 0048`, `last sync 4s ago · main` are CLI / devtool fixtures, not landing-page content. Banned on marketing/landing/portfolio pages.
* **NO "Reservation 412 of 800"-style live-stock counters** as decoration. Only if the brief is explicitly a limited-run waitlist with real data.

**Decoration text strips**
* **NO decoration text strip at hero bottom.** Patterns like `BRAND. MOTION. SPATIAL.`, `TYPE / FORM / MOTION`, `DESIGN · BUILD · SHIP`, `ESTD. 2018 · LISBON · BRAND. MOTION. SPATIAL.` as a small mono-caps strip across the bottom of the hero are an agency-portfolio cliché. Banned by default. Only acceptable when the strip carries real, navigable links (sticky bottom nav) or real status info (cookie banner, build info on a docs site).
* **NO floating top-right sub-text in section headings.** Pattern: section has a giant left-aligned headline; in the top-right corner of the same section header there is a small explainer paragraph floating with no clear alignment to anything else. That floater is the Tell. Either put the sub-text directly under the headline, or build a clean 2-column header (left: headline, right: aligned body), but not a tiny corner paragraph.

**Lists, dividers and scoring**
* **NO `border-t` + `border-b` on every row of a long list / spec table.** Pick one (bottom-border between rows OR top-border above the group) and use it sparsely. A 10-row spec table with hairlines under each row is the laziest layout - see Section 4.9 for alternative UI components.
* **NO scoring/progress bars with filled background tracks** as comparison visuals. If you need to show "X out of Y" comparisons, prefer a number + small icon, or a tiny inline bar WITHOUT a background track. Big filled `bg-zinc-200` tracks with a partial fill on top are dashboard-UI clutter on a landing page.

**Locale, time, scroll cues**
* **Locale / city-name / time / weather strips are banned for 99% of briefs.** "Lisbon, working with founders" in the hero, "1200-690 Lisbon, Portugal" in the footer, "Lisbon 14:23 · 18°C" in the nav. These are agency-portfolio decoration tells. Allowed ONLY when: the brief explicitly describes a globally-distributed studio with timezone-relevant work, OR a travel-focused brand, OR a real-world physical venue. A single contact-address mention in the footer is fine; an atmospheric locale strip is not.
* **Scroll cues are banned.** `Scroll`, `↓ scroll`, `Scroll to explore`, `Scroll to walk through it`, animated mouse-wheel icons. If the user has not scrolled yet, they are looking at the hero. They know what scroll is. The bottom of the viewport does not need a label.
* **ZERO decorative status dots by default.** A coloured dot before nav items, before list rows, before badges, before status labels is a Tell. Only acceptable when conveying real semantic state (a live indicator on actual server status, a live availability flag) and limited to one per page section.

### 9.G EM-DASH BAN (the single most-violated Tell)

**Em-dash (`—`) is COMPLETELY banned.** It is the LLM's signature stylistic crutch and it is the #1 visual Tell in production tests. There is no "limited use" allowance, no "natural language frequency" allowance, no "in body copy is fine" allowance. None.

* **Banned in headlines.** Use a period or a comma.
* **Banned in eyebrows / labels / pills / button text / image captions / nav items.** Replace with line breaks, columns, or hairlines.
* **Banned in body copy.** Restructure the sentence: two sentences with a period, OR a comma, OR parentheses, OR a colon.
* **Banned in quote attribution.** Use a normal hyphen with spaces (` - `) or a line break + smaller-weight name.
* **Banned in en-dash form too (`–`) when used as a separator.** Date ranges (`2018-2026`) use a hyphen. Number ranges (`€40-80k`) use a hyphen.

The ONLY permitted dash characters on the page are:
* Regular hyphen `-` (for compound words, ranges, line dividers in markup)
* Minus sign in math (`-5°C`)

If your output contains a single `—` or `–` anywhere visible to the user, the output fails the Pre-Flight Check and must be rewritten.

This rule is non-negotiable. The agent has historically ignored em-dash limits when phrased as "use sparingly." The phrasing here is binary: zero em-dashes.

---

## 10. REFERENCE VOCABULARY (Pattern Names the Agent Should Know)

This is a vocabulary, not a library. The agent should KNOW these pattern names to communicate about them, design with them in mind, and reach for them when the design read calls for them. **Implementations and code sketches live in the Block Library (Section 12), which is populated iteratively.**

### Hero Paradigms
* **Asymmetric Split Hero** - Text on one side, asset on the other, generous white space.
* **Editorial Manifesto Hero** - Large type, no asset, almost-poster.
* **Video / Media Mask Hero** - Type cut out as mask over video background.
* **Kinetic-Type Hero** - Animated typography as the primary visual.
* **Curtain-Reveal Hero** - Hero parts on scroll like a curtain.
* **Scroll-Pinned Hero** - Hero stays pinned while content scrolls behind.

### Navigation & Menus
* **Mac OS Dock Magnification** - Edge nav, icons scale fluidly on hover.
* **Magnetic Button** - Pulls toward cursor.
* **Gooey Menu** - Sub-items detach like viscous liquid.
* **Dynamic Island** - Morphing pill for status / alerts.
* **Contextual Radial Menu** - Circular menu expanding at click point.
* **Floating Speed Dial** - FAB springing into curved secondary actions.
* **Mega Menu Reveal** - Full-screen dropdown, stagger-fade content.

### Layout & Grids
* **Bento Grid** - Asymmetric tile grouping (Apple Control Center).
* **Masonry Layout** - Staggered grid, no fixed row height.
* **Chroma Grid** - Borders / tiles with subtle animating gradients.
* **Split-Screen Scroll** - Two halves sliding in opposite directions.
* **Sticky-Stack Sections** - Sections that pin and stack on scroll.

### Cards & Containers
* **Parallax Tilt Card** - 3D tilt tracking mouse coordinates.
* **Spotlight Border Card** - Borders illuminate under cursor.
* **Glassmorphism Panel** - Frosted glass with inner refraction.
* **Holographic Foil Card** - Iridescent rainbow shift on hover.
* **Tinder Swipe Stack** - Physical card stack, swipe-away.
* **Morphing Modal** - Button expands into its own dialog.

### Scroll Animations
* **Sticky Scroll Stack** - Cards stick and physically stack.
* **Horizontal Scroll Hijack** - Vertical scroll → horizontal pan.
* **Locomotive / Sequence Scroll** - Video / 3D sequence tied to scrollbar.
* **Zoom Parallax** - Central background image zooming on scroll.
* **Scroll Progress Path** - SVG line drawing along scroll.
* **Liquid Swipe Transition** - Page transition like viscous liquid.

### Galleries & Media
* **Dome Gallery** - 3D panoramic gallery.
* **Coverflow Carousel** - 3D carousel with angled edges.
* **Drag-to-Pan Grid** - Boundless draggable canvas.
* **Accordion Image Slider** - Narrow strips expanding on hover.
* **Hover Image Trail** - Mouse leaves popping image trail.
* **Glitch Effect Image** - RGB-channel shift on hover.

### Typography & Text
* **Kinetic Marquee** - Endless text bands reversing on scroll.
* **Text Mask Reveal** - Massive type as transparent window to video.
* **Text Scramble Effect** - Matrix-style decoding on load / hover.
* **Circular Text Path** - Text curving along spinning circle.
* **Gradient Stroke Animation** - Outlined text with running gradient.
* **Kinetic Typography Grid** - Letters dodging the cursor.

### Micro-Interactions & Effects
* **Particle Explosion Button** - CTA shatters into particles on success.
* **Liquid Pull-to-Refresh** - Reload indicator like detaching droplets.
* **Skeleton Shimmer** - Shifting light reflection across placeholders.
* **Directional Hover-Aware Button** - Fill enters from cursor's exact side.
* **Ripple Click Effect** - Wave from click coordinates.
* **Animated SVG Line Drawing** - Vectors drawing themselves in real time.
* **Mesh Gradient Background** - Organic lava-lamp blobs.
* **Lens Blur Depth** - Background UI blurred to focus foreground action.

### Animation Library Choice
* **Motion (`motion/react`)** - default for UI / Bento / state-change motion.
* **GSAP + ScrollTrigger** - for full-page scrolltelling and scroll hijacks. Isolate in dedicated leaf components with `useEffect` cleanup.
* **Three.js / WebGL** - for canvas backgrounds and 3D scenes. Same isolation rule.
* **NEVER mix GSAP / Three.js with Motion in the same component tree.** They fight over the same frames.

---

## 11. REDESIGN PROTOCOL

This skill handles **greenfield builds AND redesigns**. Misclassifying the mode is the single biggest source of bad redesign output.

### 11.A Detect the Mode (first action)
* **Greenfield** - no existing site, or full overhaul approved. Dial baseline from Section 1.
* **Redesign - Preserve** - modernise without breaking the brand. Audit first, extract brand tokens, evolve gradually.
* **Redesign - Overhaul** - new visual language on top of existing content. Treat as greenfield for visuals; preserve content and IA.

If ambiguous, ask **once**: *"Should this redesign preserve the existing brand, or are we starting visually from scratch?"*

### 11.B Audit Before Touching
Document the current state before proposing changes:
* **Brand tokens** - primary / accent colors, type stack, logo treatment, radii.
* **Information architecture** - page tree, primary nav, key conversion paths.
* **Content blocks** - what exists, what's doing work, what's filler.
* **Patterns to preserve** - signature interactions, recognisable hero, copy voice.
* **Patterns to retire** - AI-slop tells, broken layouts, dead links, generic stock imagery, perf traps.
* **Dial reading of the existing site** - infer current `DESIGN_VARIANCE` / `MOTION_INTENSITY` / `VISUAL_DENSITY`. That's your starting point, not the baseline.
* **SEO baseline** - current ranking pages, meta titles, structured data, OG cards. **SEO migration is the #1 redesign risk.**

### 11.C Preservation Rules
* **Do not change information architecture** unless asked. Keep page slugs, anchor IDs, primary nav labels stable for SEO and muscle memory.
* **Extract brand colors before applying Section 4.2.** A brand that is already purple stays purple - apply the LILA RULE's override.
* **Preserve copy voice** unless asked for a rewrite. Visual modernisation ≠ content rewrite.
* **Honor existing accessibility wins.** Do not regress focus states, alt text, keyboard nav, contrast.
* **Respect existing analytics events.** Do not rename buttons, form fields, section IDs that downstream tracking depends on.

### 11.D Modernisation Levers (priority order)
Apply in order - stop when the brief is satisfied:
1. **Typography refresh** - biggest visual lift per unit of risk.
2. **Spacing & rhythm** - increase section padding, fix vertical rhythm.
3. **Color recalibration** - desaturate, unify neutrals, keep brand accent.
4. **Motion layer** - add `MOTION_INTENSITY`-appropriate micro-interactions to existing components.
5. **Hero & key-section recomposition** - restructure top-of-funnel using Section 10 vocabulary.
6. **Full block replacement** - only when the existing block is unsalvageable.

### 11.E Decision Tree: Targeted Evolution vs Full Redesign
* IA, content, and SEO sound → **targeted evolution** (Levers 1-4). ~70% of value at ~40% of risk.
* Visual debt is structural (broken IA, no design system, broken mobile) → **full redesign** with strict content preservation.
* Brand itself is changing → **greenfield**.

### 11.F What Never Changes Silently
Never modify without explicit user approval:
* URL structure / route slugs.
* Primary nav labels.
* Form field names or order (breaks analytics + autofill).
* Brand logo or wordmark.
* Existing legal / consent / cookie copy.

---

## 12. THE BLOCK LIBRARY (Contract - Implementations Land Here Iteratively)

The Reference Vocabulary (Section 10) names patterns. The Block Library implements them with real props, real motion specs, and real code sketches.

**Status:** schema defined here. Blocks will be added iteratively. Do not freelance new blocks without following this schema.

### 12.A File Location
```
skills/taste-skill/blocks/
  hero/
    asymmetric-split.md
    editorial-manifesto.md
    kinetic-type.md
    ...
  feature/
    bento-grid.md
    sticky-scroll-stack.md
    zig-zag.md
    ...
  social-proof/
  pricing/
  cta/
  footer/
  navigation/
  portfolio/
  transition/
```

### 12.B Required Frontmatter
```yaml
---
name: asymmetric-split-hero
category: hero
dial_compatibility:
  variance: [6, 10]
  motion: [3, 10]
  density: [2, 5]
when_to_use: "Landing pages with one strong asset and one strong message. Default hero for SaaS, agency, premium consumer."
not_for: "Editorial / manifesto launches where the message IS the design."
stack: ["react", "next", "tailwind", "motion"]
---
```

### 12.C Required Body Sections
1. **Visual sketch** - short ASCII or description of the layout.
2. **Props API** - the component's interface.
3. **Code sketch** - minimal working implementation (Server Component default, Client island for motion).
4. **Mobile fallback** - explicit collapse rules for `< 768px`.
5. **Motion variants** - one variant per `MOTION_INTENSITY` band (1-3, 4-7, 8-10). Reduced-motion fallback explicit.
6. **Dark-mode notes** - token strategy specific to this block.
7. **Anti-patterns** - common ways this block goes wrong.
8. **References** - links to real examples in production.

### 12.D Block-Library Discipline
* One block per file. No multi-block files.
* Every block must work standalone (drop it into a page, it renders).
* Every block must pass the Pre-Flight Check (Section 14).
* Blocks that depend on a design system from Section 2.A live under `blocks/<category>/<name>--<system>.md` (e.g. `feature/bento-grid--material.md`).

---

## 13. OUT OF SCOPE

This skill is NOT for:
* Dashboards / dense product UI / admin panels (use Fluent, Carbon, Atlassian, or Polaris from Section 2.A).
* Data tables (use TanStack Table or AG Grid).
* Multi-step forms / wizards (use Form-specific patterns; this skill won't make them better).
* Code editors (use Monaco / CodeMirror with their official skinning).
* Native mobile (use Apple HIG / Material directly).
* Realtime collab UIs (presence, cursors, OT-aware - different problem class).

If the brief is one of the above, **say so explicitly**, point to the right tool, and only apply this skill's marketing-page / about-page / landing-page parts to the surfaces where they apply.

---

## 14. FINAL PRE-FLIGHT CHECK

Run this matrix before outputting code. This is the last filter.

**THIS IS NOT OPTIONAL. Run every box. If any box fails, the output is not done.**

- [ ] **Brief inference** declared (Section 0.B one-liner)?
- [ ] **Dial values** explicit and reasoned from the brief, not silently using baseline?
- [ ] **Design system** chosen from Section 2 if applicable, or aesthetic labeled honestly?
- [ ] **Redesign mode** detected and audit performed (if applicable, Section 11)?
- [ ] **ZERO em-dashes (`—`) anywhere on the page.** Headlines, eyebrows, pills, body, quotes, attribution, captions, buttons, alt text. Zero. (Section 9.G - non-negotiable.)
- [ ] **Page Theme Lock**: ONE theme (light, dark, or auto) for the whole page. No section flips to inverted mode mid-page (Section 4.11)?
- [ ] **Color Consistency Lock**: one accent color used identically across all sections (Section 4.2)?
- [ ] **Shape Consistency Lock**: one corner-radius system applied consistently (Section 4.4)?
- [ ] **Button Contrast Check**: every CTA text is readable against its background (no white-on-white, WCAG AA 4.5:1)?
- [ ] **CTA Button Wrap**: no CTA label wraps to 2+ lines at desktop?
- [ ] **Form Contrast Check**: form inputs, placeholders, focus rings, labels all pass WCAG AA against the section background?
- [ ] **Serif discipline**: if a serif is used, it is NOT Fraunces or Instrument_Serif (or it is, with explicit brand justification)? Different serif from your previous project?
- [ ] **Premium-consumer palette check**: if the brief is premium-consumer (cookware / wellness / artisan / luxury), the palette is NOT the AI-default beige+brass+oxblood+espresso family? Different family from your previous premium-consumer project?
- [ ] **Italic descender clearance**: every italic word with `y g j p q` has `leading-[1.1]` min + `pb-1` reserve?
- [ ] **Hero fits the viewport**: headline ≤ 2 lines, subtext ≤ 20 words AND ≤ 4 lines, CTA visible without scroll, font scale planned around image?
- [ ] **Hero top padding**: max `pt-24` at desktop, hero content does not float halfway down the viewport?
- [ ] **Hero stack discipline**: max 4 text elements in hero (eyebrow OR brand strip, headline, subtext, CTAs)? No tiny tagline below CTAs, no trust micro-strip in hero?
- [ ] **EYEBROW COUNT (mechanical)**: count instances of `uppercase tracking` micro-labels above section headlines across all components. Count ≤ ceil(sectionCount / 3)? Hero counts as 1.
- [ ] **Split-Header Ban**: no "left big headline + right small explainer paragraph" pattern as a section header (vertical stack instead)?
- [ ] **Zigzag Alternation Cap**: no 3+ consecutive sections with the same image+text-split layout?
- [ ] **No Duplicate CTA Intent**: no two CTAs with the same intent ("Get in touch" + "Let's talk" both on page = Fail)?
- [ ] **Logo wall = logo only**: no industry / category labels printed below logos?
- [ ] **Bento Background Diversity**: at least 2-3 bento cells have real visual variation (image, gradient, pattern), not all white-on-white text cards?
- [ ] **"Used by / Trusted by" logo wall** lives UNDER the hero, not inside it, uses REAL SVG logos (Simple Icons / devicon) or generated SVG marks, NOT plain text wordmarks?
- [ ] **Copy Self-Audit**: every visible string re-read, no grammatically-broken or AI-hallucinated phrases ("free on its past" type) shipped?
- [ ] **Motion motivated**: every animation can be justified in one sentence (hierarchy / storytelling / feedback / state transition), no GSAP-for-show?
- [ ] **Marquee max-one-per-page**: no two horizontal marquees on the same page?
- [ ] **Navigation on ONE line** at desktop, height ≤ 80px?
- [ ] **Section-Layout-Repetition** check: no two sections share the same layout family (at least 4 different families across 8 sections)?
- [ ] **Bento has rhythm AND exact cell count** (N items → N cells, no empty cells in middle or at end)?
- [ ] **Long lists use the right UI component** (not default `<ul>` with `divide-y` for > 5 items - see Section 4.9 alternatives)?
- [ ] **Real images used** (gen-tool first, then Picsum-seed, then explicit placeholder slots) - NO div-based fake screenshots, NO hand-rolled decorative SVGs, NO pure-text minimalism?
- [ ] **No pills/labels overlaid on images** (no `Plate · Brand`, no `Field notes - journal`)?
- [ ] **No photo-credit captions as decoration** (`Field study no. 12 · Ines Caetano`)?
- [ ] **No version footers** (`v1.4.2`, `Build 0048`) on marketing pages?
- [ ] **No micro-meta-sentences** under eyebrows ("Each of these is a feature we ship today...")?
- [ ] **No decoration text strip at hero bottom** (`BRAND. MOTION. SPATIAL.`)?
- [ ] **No floating top-right sub-text** in section headings?
- [ ] **No scoring/progress bars with filled background tracks** as comparison visuals?
- [ ] **No locale / city-name / time / weather strips** unless brief is genuinely globally-distributed or place-focused?
- [ ] **No scroll cues** (`Scroll`, `↓ scroll`, `Scroll to explore`)?
- [ ] **No version labels in hero** (V0.6, BETA, INVITE-ONLY) unless the brief is a launch?
- [ ] **No section-numbering eyebrows** (`00 / INDEX`, `001 · Capabilities`, `06 · how it works`)?
- [ ] **No decorative dots** (zero by default, only for real semantic state)?
- [ ] **No `border-t` + `border-b` on every row** of long lists / spec tables?
- [ ] **Content density** sane: no 20-row data tables, no fake-precise specs without justification, ≤ 25-word sub-paragraphs by default?
- [ ] **Quotes ≤ 3 lines** of body, attribution clean (no em-dash)?
- [ ] **Motion claimed = motion shown**: if `MOTION_INTENSITY > 4`, page actually animates, not just claimed?
- [ ] **GSAP sticky-stack / horizontal-pan** implemented per Section 5.A / 5.B canonical skeleton (`start: "top top"`, `pin: true`, correct scrub)?
- [ ] **No `window.addEventListener('scroll')`** - using Motion `useScroll()` / ScrollTrigger / IntersectionObserver / CSS scroll-driven animations only?
- [ ] **Reduced motion** wrapped for everything `MOTION_INTENSITY > 3`?
- [ ] **Dark mode** tokens defined and tested in both modes?
- [ ] **Mobile collapse** explicit (`w-full`, `px-4`, `max-w-7xl mx-auto`) for high-variance layouts?
- [ ] **Viewport stability**: `min-h-[100dvh]`, never `h-screen`?
- [ ] **`useEffect` animations** have strict cleanup functions?
- [ ] **Empty / loading / error** states provided?
- [ ] **Cards omitted** in favor of spacing where possible?
- [ ] **Icons** from an allowed library only (Phosphor / HugeIcons / Radix / Tabler), no hand-rolled SVG paths?
- [ ] **Motion** isolated in client-leaf components with `'use client'` at the top, memoized?
- [ ] **No AI Tells** from Section 9 (Inter as default, AI-purple, three-equal cards, Jane Doe, Acme, "Quietly in use at")?
- [ ] **Core Web Vitals** plausibly hit (LCP < 2.5s, INP < 200ms, CLS < 0.1)?
- [ ] **One design system** per project (no Material + shadcn mixed)?

If a single checkbox cannot be honestly ticked, the page is not done. Fix it before delivering.

---

# APPENDICES - Real Source-Backed Reference Material

The sections below are vendored reference content. They give the agent real install commands, real canonical doc links, and real working starter snippets for each design system named in Section 2. Use them to ground decisions in production reality, not training-data fiction.

## Appendix A - Install Commands per Design System

```bash
# Material Web (Material 3)
npm install @material/web

# Fluent UI React (v9)
npm install @fluentui/react-components

# Fluent UI Web Components (framework-free)
npm install @fluentui/web-components @fluentui/tokens

# IBM Carbon
npm install @carbon/react @carbon/styles

# Radix Themes
npm install @radix-ui/themes

# shadcn/ui (open code, owned components)
npx shadcn@latest init
npx shadcn@latest add button card badge separator input

# Primer CSS (GitHub product/devtool UI)
npm install --save @primer/css

# Primer Brand (GitHub marketing UI)
npm install @primer/react-brand

# GOV.UK Frontend
npm install govuk-frontend

# USWDS (US Web Design System)
npm install uswds

# Atlassian Design System (Atlaskit)
yarn add @atlaskit/css-reset @atlaskit/tokens @atlaskit/button @atlaskit/badge @atlaskit/section-message @atlaskit/card

# Bootstrap 5.3
npm install bootstrap

# Shopify Polaris Web Components (Shopify apps only)
# Add this to your app HTML head:
#   <meta name="shopify-api-key" content="%SHOPIFY_API_KEY%" />
#   <script src="https://cdn.shopify.com/shopifycloud/polaris.js"></script>
```

## Appendix B - Canonical Sources (read these before reinventing)

### Material Web
- https://github.com/material-components/material-web
- https://material-web.dev/theming/material-theming/
- https://m3.material.io/develop/web

### Fluent UI
- https://fluent2.microsoft.design/get-started/develop
- https://fluent2.microsoft.design/components/web/react/
- https://github.com/microsoft/fluentui
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/fluent-ui/web-components/

### Carbon
- https://carbondesignsystem.com/
- https://github.com/carbon-design-system/carbon
- https://carbondesignsystem.com/developing/react-tutorial/overview/
- https://carbondesignsystem.com/developing/web-components-tutorial/overview/

### Shopify Polaris
- https://shopify.dev/docs/api/app-home/web-components
- https://github.com/Shopify/polaris-react
- https://polaris-react.shopify.com/components

### Atlassian
- https://atlassian.design/get-started/develop
- https://atlassian.design/components/button/examples
- https://atlaskit.atlassian.com/packages/design-system/button/example/disabled
- https://atlassian.design/tokens/design-tokens

### Primer
- https://primer.style/
- https://github.com/primer/css
- https://github.com/primer/brand

### GOV.UK
- https://design-system.service.gov.uk/components/button/
- https://design-system.service.gov.uk/styles/layout/
- https://github.com/alphagov/govuk-frontend

### USWDS
- https://designsystem.digital.gov/documentation/developers/
- https://designsystem.digital.gov/components/button/
- https://designsystem.digital.gov/components/card/
- https://github.com/uswds/uswds

### Bootstrap
- https://getbootstrap.com/docs/5.3/layout/grid/
- https://getbootstrap.com/docs/5.3/components/card/

### Tailwind
- https://tailwindcss.com/docs/dark-mode
- https://tailwindcss.com/blog/tailwindcss-v4

### Radix
- https://www.radix-ui.com/themes/docs/components/theme
- https://www.radix-ui.com/themes/docs/components/card
- https://github.com/radix-ui/themes

### shadcn/ui
- https://ui.shadcn.com/docs
- https://ui.shadcn.com/docs/components/card
- https://github.com/shadcn-ui/ui

### Native CSS / W3C standards
- https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/Reference/Properties/backdrop-filter
- https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/Reference/At-rules/@media/prefers-color-scheme
- https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/Reference/At-rules/@media/prefers-reduced-motion
- https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/Guides/Grid_layout
- https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/CSS/Guides/Scroll-driven_animations
- https://drafts.csswg.org/scroll-animations-1/

### Apple Liquid Glass (Apple platforms only)
- https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guidelines/materials
- https://developer.apple.com/documentation/TechnologyOverviews/liquid-glass
- https://developer.apple.com/documentation/TechnologyOverviews/adopting-liquid-glass
- https://developer.apple.com/documentation/SwiftUI/Material

---

## Appendix C - Apple Liquid Glass: Honest Web Approximation

Do **not** treat random CSS snippets as official Apple Liquid Glass.

### What is official
Apple documents Liquid Glass inside Apple's Human Interface Guidelines and Developer Documentation for **Apple platforms**. It is a dynamic material used across Apple platform UI. Apple's native implementation belongs to Apple platform APIs and system components, **not a public web CSS package**.

Relevant official docs:
- Apple Human Interface Guidelines → Materials
- Apple Developer Documentation → Liquid Glass
- Apple Developer Documentation → Adopting Liquid Glass
- SwiftUI → Material

### What is NOT official
There is no `liquid-glass.css` from Apple for normal websites.

A web approximation can use:
- `backdrop-filter`
- transparent backgrounds
- layered borders
- highlight overlays
- gradients
- motion
- strong contrast fallbacks

But that is **web glassmorphism / frosted-glass approximation**, not official Apple Liquid Glass. Label it as such in comments.

### Safer web approximation skeleton

```css
.liquid-glass-web-approx {
  position: relative;
  isolation: isolate;
  overflow: hidden;
  border-radius: 999px;
  border: 1px solid rgb(255 255 255 / .32);
  background:
    linear-gradient(135deg, rgb(255 255 255 / .30), rgb(255 255 255 / .08)),
    rgb(255 255 255 / .12);
  backdrop-filter: blur(24px) saturate(180%) contrast(1.05);
  -webkit-backdrop-filter: blur(24px) saturate(180%) contrast(1.05);
  box-shadow:
    inset 0 1px 0 rgb(255 255 255 / .48),
    inset 0 -1px 0 rgb(255 255 255 / .12),
    0 18px 60px rgb(0 0 0 / .18);
}

.liquid-glass-web-approx::before {
  content: "";
  position: absolute;
  inset: 0;
  z-index: -1;
  border-radius: inherit;
  background:
    radial-gradient(circle at 20% 0%, rgb(255 255 255 / .55), transparent 34%),
    linear-gradient(90deg, rgb(255 255 255 / .18), transparent 42%, rgb(255 255 255 / .14));
  pointer-events: none;
}

.liquid-glass-web-approx::after {
  content: "";
  position: absolute;
  inset: 1px;
  border-radius: inherit;
  border: 1px solid rgb(255 255 255 / .14);
  pointer-events: none;
}

@media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) {
  .liquid-glass-web-approx {
    border-color: rgb(255 255 255 / .18);
    background:
      linear-gradient(135deg, rgb(255 255 255 / .16), rgb(255 255 255 / .04)),
      rgb(15 23 42 / .42);
    box-shadow:
      inset 0 1px 0 rgb(255 255 255 / .22),
      0 18px 60px rgb(0 0 0 / .42);
  }
}

@media (prefers-reduced-transparency: reduce) {
  .liquid-glass-web-approx {
    background: rgb(255 255 255 / .96);
    backdrop-filter: none;
    -webkit-backdrop-filter: none;
  }
}
```

**Important:** `prefers-reduced-transparency` has uneven browser support; test it. Always provide enough contrast even without blur.

---

**End of appendices.** Install commands above are reality anchors. The Apple Liquid Glass skeleton is a labeled approximation, not an Apple-issued package. For canonical docs per design system, consult the system's official docs (links in Section 2 plus Appendix B).

View saved version →

---
name: entry-image-to-code
description: "Use whenever the ImageToCode plugin is selected. Route the request to the intended bundled workflow while keeping all dependencies internal to this plugin."
---

# ImageToCode

This is the public entry workflow for this plugin. The bundled skills below are dependencies, not competing entry points.

## Mandatory routing

Invoke image-to-code as the primary workflow. Use Taste and frontend engineering only as supporting references. Preserve the image-first analysis requirement rather than jumping straight to generic code.

If a bundled workflow calls another bundled skill, invoke that local bundled copy. Never require the user to install another plugin to complete this workflow.

## Bundled workflows

- `image-to-code`
- `design-taste-frontend`
- `frontend-ui-engineering`
- `full-output-enforcement`

View saved version →

---
name: frontend-ui-engineering
description: Builds production-quality, accessible, responsive user-facing UIs. Use when building or modifying interfaces and pages, creating components, implementing layouts, meeting WCAG accessibility requirements, managing state, or when the output needs to look and feel production-quality rather than AI-generated.
disable-model-invocation: true
---

# Frontend UI Engineering

## Overview

Build production-quality user interfaces that are accessible, performant, and visually polished. The goal is UI that looks like it was built by a design-aware engineer at a top company — not like it was generated by an AI. This means real design system adherence, proper accessibility, thoughtful interaction patterns, and no generic "AI aesthetic."

## When to Use

- Building new UI components or pages
- Modifying existing user-facing interfaces
- Implementing responsive layouts
- Adding interactivity or state management
- Fixing visual or UX issues

## Component Architecture

### File Structure

Colocate everything related to a component:

```
src/components/
  TaskList/
    TaskList.tsx          # Component implementation
    TaskList.test.tsx     # Tests
    TaskList.stories.tsx  # Storybook stories (if using)
    use-task-list.ts      # Custom hook (if complex state)
    types.ts              # Component-specific types (if needed)
```

### Component Patterns

**Prefer composition over configuration:**

```tsx
// Good: Composable
<Card>
  <CardHeader>
    <CardTitle>Tasks</CardTitle>
  </CardHeader>
  <CardBody>
    <TaskList tasks={tasks} />
  </CardBody>
</Card>

// Avoid: Over-configured
<Card
  title="Tasks"
  headerVariant="large"
  bodyPadding="md"
  content={<TaskList tasks={tasks} />}
/>
```

**Keep components focused:**

```tsx
// Good: Does one thing
export function TaskItem({ task, onToggle, onDelete }: TaskItemProps) {
  return (
    <li className="flex items-center gap-3 p-3">
      <Checkbox checked={task.done} onChange={() => onToggle(task.id)} />
      <span className={task.done ? 'line-through text-muted' : ''}>{task.title}</span>
      <Button variant="ghost" size="sm" onClick={() => onDelete(task.id)}>
        <TrashIcon />
      </Button>
    </li>
  );
}
```

**Separate data fetching from presentation:**

```tsx
// Container: handles data
export function TaskListContainer() {
  const { tasks, isLoading, error } = useTasks();

  if (isLoading) return <TaskListSkeleton />;
  if (error) return <ErrorState message="Failed to load tasks" retry={refetch} />;
  if (tasks.length === 0) return <EmptyState message="No tasks yet" />;

  return <TaskList tasks={tasks} />;
}

// Presentation: handles rendering
export function TaskList({ tasks }: { tasks: Task[] }) {
  return (
    <ul role="list" className="divide-y">
      {tasks.map(task => <TaskItem key={task.id} task={task} />)}
    </ul>
  );
}
```

## State Management

**Choose the simplest approach that works:**

```
Local state (useState)           → Component-specific UI state
Lifted state                     → Shared between 2-3 sibling components
Context                          → Theme, auth, locale (read-heavy, write-rare)
URL state (searchParams)         → Filters, pagination, shareable UI state
Server state (React Query, SWR)  → Remote data with caching
Global store (Zustand, Redux)    → Complex client state shared app-wide
```

**Avoid prop drilling deeper than 3 levels.** If you're passing props through components that don't use them, introduce context or restructure the component tree.

## Design System Adherence

### Avoid the AI Aesthetic

AI-generated UI has recognizable patterns. Avoid all of them:

| AI Default | Why It Is a Problem | Production Quality |
|---|---|---|
| Purple/indigo everything | Models default to visually "safe" palettes, making every app look identical | Use the project's actual color palette |
| Excessive gradients | Gradients add visual noise and clash with most design systems | Flat or subtle gradients matching the design system |
| Rounded everything (rounded-2xl) | Maximum rounding signals "friendly" but ignores the hierarchy of corner radii in real designs | Consistent border-radius from the design system |
| Generic hero sections | Template-driven layout with no connection to the actual content or user need | Content-first layouts |
| Lorem ipsum-style copy | Placeholder text hides layout problems that real content reveals (length, wrapping, overflow) | Realistic placeholder content |
| Oversized padding everywhere | Equal generous padding destroys visual hierarchy and wastes screen space | Consistent spacing scale |
| Stock card grids | Uniform grids are a layout shortcut that ignores information priority and scanning patterns | Purpose-driven layouts |
| Shadow-heavy design | Layered shadows add depth that competes with content and slows rendering on low-end devices | Subtle or no shadows unless the design system specifies |

### Spacing and Layout

Use a consistent spacing scale. Don't invent values:

```css
/* Use the scale: 0.25rem increments (or whatever the project uses) */
/* Good */  padding: 1rem;      /* 16px */
/* Good */  gap: 0.75rem;       /* 12px */
/* Bad */   padding: 13px;      /* Not on any scale */
/* Bad */   margin-top: 2.3rem; /* Not on any scale */
```

### Typography

Respect the type hierarchy:

```
h1 → Page title (one per page)
h2 → Section title
h3 → Subsection title
body → Default text
small → Secondary/helper text
```

Don't skip heading levels. Don't use heading styles for non-heading content.

### Color

- Use semantic color tokens: `text-primary`, `bg-surface`, `border-default` — not raw hex values
- Ensure sufficient contrast (4.5:1 for normal text, 3:1 for large text)
- Don't rely solely on color to convey information (use icons, text, or patterns too)

## Accessibility (WCAG 2.1 AA)

Every component must meet these standards:

### Keyboard Navigation

```tsx
// Every interactive element must be keyboard accessible
<button onClick={handleClick}>Click me</button>        // ✓ Focusable by default
<div onClick={handleClick}>Click me</div>               // ✗ Not focusable
<div role="button" tabIndex={0} onClick={handleClick}    // ✓ But prefer <button>
     onKeyDown={e => {
       if (e.key === 'Enter') handleClick();
       if (e.key === ' ') e.preventDefault();
     }}
     onKeyUp={e => {
       if (e.key === ' ') handleClick();
     }}>
  Click me
</div>
```

### ARIA Labels

```tsx
// Label interactive elements that lack visible text
<button aria-label="Close dialog"><XIcon /></button>

// Label form inputs
<label htmlFor="email">Email</label>
<input id="email" type="email" />

// Or use aria-label when no visible label exists
<input aria-label="Search tasks" type="search" />
```

### Focus Management

```tsx
// Move focus when content changes
function Dialog({ isOpen, onClose }: DialogProps) {
  const closeRef = useRef<HTMLButtonElement>(null);

  useEffect(() => {
    if (isOpen) closeRef.current?.focus();
  }, [isOpen]);

  // Trap focus inside dialog when open
  return (
    <dialog open={isOpen}>
      <button ref={closeRef} onClick={onClose}>Close</button>
      {/* dialog content */}
    </dialog>
  );
}
```

### Meaningful Empty and Error States

```tsx
// Don't show blank screens
function TaskList({ tasks }: { tasks: Task[] }) {
  if (tasks.length === 0) {
    return (
      <div role="status" className="text-center py-12">
        <TasksEmptyIcon className="mx-auto h-12 w-12 text-muted" />
        <h3 className="mt-2 text-sm font-medium">No tasks</h3>
        <p className="mt-1 text-sm text-muted">Get started by creating a new task.</p>
        <Button className="mt-4" onClick={onCreateTask}>Create Task</Button>
      </div>
    );
  }

  return <ul role="list">...</ul>;
}
```

## Responsive Design

Design for mobile first, then expand:

```tsx
// Tailwind: mobile-first responsive
<div className="
  grid grid-cols-1      /* Mobile: single column */
  sm:grid-cols-2        /* Small: 2 columns */
  lg:grid-cols-3        /* Large: 3 columns */
  gap-4
">
```

Test at these breakpoints: 320px, 768px, 1024px, 1440px.

## Loading and Transitions

```tsx
// Skeleton loading (not spinners for content)
function TaskListSkeleton() {
  return (
    <div className="space-y-3" aria-busy="true" aria-label="Loading tasks">
      {Array.from({ length: 3 }).map((_, i) => (
        <div key={i} className="h-12 bg-muted animate-pulse rounded" />
      ))}
    </div>
  );
}

// Optimistic updates for perceived speed
function useToggleTask() {
  const queryClient = useQueryClient();

  return useMutation({
    mutationFn: toggleTask,
    onMutate: async (taskId) => {
      await queryClient.cancelQueries({ queryKey: ['tasks'] });
      const previous = queryClient.getQueryData(['tasks']);

      queryClient.setQueryData(['tasks'], (old: Task[]) =>
        old.map(t => t.id === taskId ? { ...t, done: !t.done } : t)
      );

      return { previous };
    },
    onError: (_err, _taskId, context) => {
      queryClient.setQueryData(['tasks'], context?.previous);
    },
  });
}
```

## See Also

For detailed accessibility requirements and testing tools, see `../../references/accessibility-checklist.md`.

## Common Rationalizations

| Rationalization | Reality |
|---|---|
| "Accessibility is a nice-to-have" | It's a legal requirement in many jurisdictions and an engineering quality standard. |
| "We'll make it responsive later" | Retrofitting responsive design is 3x harder than building it from the start. |
| "The design isn't final, so I'll skip styling" | Use the design system defaults. Unstyled UI creates a broken first impression for reviewers. |
| "This is just a prototype" | Prototypes become production code. Build the foundation right. |
| "The AI aesthetic is fine for now" | It signals low quality. Use the project's actual design system from the start. |

## Red Flags

- Components with more than 200 lines (split them)
- Inline styles or arbitrary pixel values
- Missing error states, loading states, or empty states
- No keyboard navigation testing
- Color as the sole indicator of state (red/green without text or icons)
- Generic "AI look" (purple gradients, oversized cards, stock layouts)

## Verification

After building UI:

- [ ] Component renders without console errors
- [ ] All interactive elements are keyboard accessible (Tab through the page)
- [ ] Screen reader can convey the page's content and structure
- [ ] Responsive: works at 320px, 768px, 1024px, 1440px
- [ ] Loading, error, and empty states all handled
- [ ] Follows the project's design system (spacing, colors, typography)
- [ ] No accessibility warnings in dev tools or axe-core

View saved version →

---
name: full-output-enforcement
description: Overrides default LLM truncation behavior. Enforces complete code generation, bans placeholder patterns, and handles token-limit splits cleanly. Apply to any task requiring exhaustive, unabridged output.
disable-model-invocation: true
---

# Full-Output Enforcement

## Baseline

Treat every task as production-critical. A partial output is a broken output. Do not optimize for brevity — optimize for completeness. If the user asks for a full file, deliver the full file. If the user asks for 5 components, deliver 5 components. No exceptions.

## Banned Output Patterns

The following patterns are hard failures. Never produce them:

**In code blocks:** `// ...`, `// rest of code`, `// implement here`, `// TODO`, `/* ... */`, `// similar to above`, `// continue pattern`, `// add more as needed`, bare `...` standing in for omitted code

**In prose:** "Let me know if you want me to continue", "I can provide more details if needed", "for brevity", "the rest follows the same pattern", "similarly for the remaining", "and so on" (when replacing actual content), "I'll leave that as an exercise"

**Structural shortcuts:** Outputting a skeleton when the request was for a full implementation. Showing the first and last section while skipping the middle. Replacing repeated logic with one example and a description. Describing what code should do instead of writing it.

## Execution Process

1. **Scope** — Read the full request. Count how many distinct deliverables are expected (files, functions, sections, answers). Lock that number.
2. **Build** — Generate every deliverable completely. No partial drafts, no "you can extend this later."
3. **Cross-check** — Before output, re-read the original request. Compare your deliverable count against the scope count. If anything is missing, add it before responding.

## Handling Long Outputs

When a response approaches the token limit:

- Do not compress remaining sections to squeeze them in.
- Do not skip ahead to a conclusion.
- Write at full quality up to a clean breakpoint (end of a function, end of a file, end of a section).
- End with:

```
[PAUSED — X of Y complete. Send "continue" to resume from: next section name]
```

On "continue", pick up exactly where you stopped. No recap, no repetition.

## Quick Check

Before finalizing any response, verify:
- No banned patterns from the list above appear anywhere in the output
- Every item the user requested is present and finished
- Code blocks contain actual runnable code, not descriptions of what code would do
- Nothing was shortened to save space

View saved version →

---
name: image-to-code
description: Elite website image-to-code skill for Codex. For visually important web tasks, it must first generate the design image(s) itself, deeply analyze them, then implement the website to match them as closely as possible. In Codex, it must prefer large, readable, section-specific images instead of tiny compressed boards, generate fresh standalone images for sections or detail views instead of cropping old ones, avoid lazy under-generation, avoid cards-inside-cards-inside-cards UI, and keep the hero clean, spacious, readable, and visible on a small laptop.
disable-model-invocation: true
---

# CORE DIRECTIVE: IMAGE-FIRST WEBSITE DESIGN TO CODE
You are an elite web design art director and implementation strategist.

Your job is not to generate generic website mockups.
Your job is to generate premium, artistic, implementation-friendly website section references and then turn them into real frontend.

This skill is for:
- hero sections
- landing pages
- marketing sites
- startup sites
- editorial brand pages
- product pages
- portfolio websites
- premium multi-section websites
- redesigns where visual quality matters

Standard AI output tends to collapse into repetitive defaults:
- one single giant compressed image for too many sections
- text that becomes too small to read
- centered dark hero clichés
- generic card spam
- repeated left-text/right-image layouts
- weak typography hierarchy
- vague spacing
- cards inside cards inside cards
- giant rounded section containers everywhere
- too much visible information in the first screen
- tiny pills, labels, tags, system markers, and fake interface jargon
- nice-looking but unextractable designs
- generic coded reinterpretations after the image step
- lazily generating too few images for too many sections

Your goal is to aggressively break these defaults.

The output must feel:
- premium
- art-directed
- readable
- structured
- implementation-friendly
- deeply analyzable
- visually strong
- faithful enough to build from
- clean on first view
- responsive in spirit
- realistic on a small laptop viewport

IMPORTANT:
For visual website tasks, you must first generate the design image(s) yourself.
Then you must deeply analyze the generated image(s).
Only after that should you implement the frontend.

Do not skip image generation when image generation is available.
Do not begin with freeform coding first.
The generated image(s) are the primary visual source of truth.

The required workflow is:

image generation first  
deep image analysis second  
implementation third

If the task is mainly visual, this order is mandatory.

---

## 1. ACTIVE BASELINE CONFIGURATION

- DESIGN_VARIANCE: 8  
  `(1 = rigid / conventional, 10 = highly art-directed / asymmetric)`
- VISUAL_DENSITY: 3  
  `(1 = airy / calm, 10 = dense / packed)`
- ART_DIRECTION: 8  
  `(1 = safe commercial, 10 = bold creative statement)`
- IMPLEMENTATION_CLARITY: 9  
  `(1 = loose moodboard, 10 = highly buildable UI reference)`
- IMAGE_USAGE_PRIORITY: 9  
  `(1 = mostly typographic, 10 = strongly image-led when appropriate)`
- SPACING_GENEROSITY: 9  
  `(1 = compact / tight, 10 = spacious / breathable)`
- ANALYSIS_PRECISION: 10  
  `(1 = broad vibe only, 10 = deep extraction of design details)`
- IMAGE_GENERATION_EAGERNESS: 10  
  `(1 = minimal image count, 10 = generate as many images as needed for excellent extraction)`
- UI_SIMPLICITY_DISCIPLINE: 9  
  `(1 = willing to add many micro-elements, 10 = aggressively reduce clutter and unnecessary UI chrome)`

AI Instruction:
Use these as defaults unless the user clearly wants something else.
Adapt them to the prompt.

Interpretation:
- If the user says “clean”, reduce density and increase clarity.
- If the user says “crazy creative”, increase variance and art direction.
- If the user says “premium SaaS”, keep clarity high and art direction controlled.
- If the user says “editorial”, allow stronger type and more asymmetry.
- Keep sections breathable.
- Prefer readability over squeezing too much into one image.
- In Codex, bias strongly toward larger, more analyzable section images.
- If more images would improve extraction quality, generate more images.
- Do not be lazy with image count.
- Default away from nested containers, excessive pills, tiny labels, and dashboard clutter.

---

## 2. MANDATORY IMAGE-FIRST RULE

For website design requests where visual quality matters, image generation is mandatory first.

This means:
1. generate the design image or image set yourself first
2. deeply inspect and analyze the generated image(s)
3. extract the design system from them
4. implement the frontend only after that

Do not:
- start with freeform coding
- skip straight to implementation
- describe a website without first generating the visual reference when generation is available
- rely on memory of “good frontend taste” instead of producing the actual reference

The image is the design source.
The code is the translation layer.

---

## 3. GENERATE ENOUGH IMAGES RULE

Generate enough images to make the design truly readable and extractable.

Do not be lazy with image count.

If more images would improve:
- text readability
- typography extraction
- spacing analysis
- button analysis
- card analysis
- color extraction
- component inspection
- implementation fidelity
- responsive understanding
- section clarity

then generate more images.

Strong rule:
- it is better to generate too many clear images than too few compressed images
- it is better to generate one clear image per section than one unreadable board for the whole site
- it is better to create an extra detail image than to guess details later

Never reduce image count just for convenience if that harms quality.

---

## 4. CODEX-SPECIFIC SECTION IMAGE RULE

Inside Codex, do not compress too many website sections into one single image if that would make the text, spacing, buttons, or layout details too small to analyze properly.

In Codex, prefer separate large images per section.

Default rule inside Codex:
- 1 section requested → generate 1 image
- 2 sections requested → generate 2 images
- 3 sections requested → generate 3 images
- 4 sections requested → generate 4 images
- 5 sections requested → generate 5 images
- 6 sections requested → generate 6 images
- 7 sections requested → generate 7 images
- 8 sections requested → generate 8 images
- 9 sections requested → generate 9 images
- 10 sections requested → generate 10 images
- and so on when reasonable

This is preferred because:
- text stays readable
- typography becomes analyzable
- spacing stays visible
- button details stay visible
- layout proportions stay visible
- extraction quality becomes much better
- implementation becomes more faithful

Do not default to:
- one giant multi-column collage
- one long compressed board with tiny unreadable text
- one image containing many sections if that reduces extraction quality

If necessary, generate more images rather than shrinking everything.

Outside Codex, this skill may still allow more compact multi-section composition when appropriate.
Inside Codex, prioritize section clarity and extraction accuracy.

---

## 5. DO NOT CROP OLD IMAGES RULE

When a section needs a dedicated image or a closer detail view, do not simply crop, cut out, zoom into, or slice it from a previously generated larger image.

Do not:
- crop a hero out of a full-page board
- crop a pricing area out of a larger composition
- crop tiny cards out of a multi-section image
- rely on rough cutouts from existing images
- use extracted image fragments as the main source for implementation if they distort spacing, proportions, or typography

Instead:
- generate a fresh new image for that section
- generate a fresh new detail image for that section
- keep the same design language, palette, typography mood, and component family
- make the new image specifically optimized for readability and extraction

Reason:
cropped images often destroy:
- spacing accuracy
- type scale relationships
- clean margins
- layout proportions
- button clarity
- section balance
- overall implementation fidelity

Fresh section-specific generation is strongly preferred over cropping.

---

## 6. FRESH RE-GENERATION RULE

If a section or detail is not clear enough, generate it again as a new standalone image.

This standalone regeneration should:
- preserve the same visual language as the original overall design
- keep the same palette
- keep the same typography mood
- keep the same button style
- keep the same radius logic
- keep the same image treatment
- keep the same overall brand world

But it should also:
- make text larger and more readable
- make spacing more visible
- make buttons easier to inspect
- make component structure easier to analyze
- make layout proportions clearer
- make the section cleaner if the previous render was too busy

This is not a different design.
It is a cleaner, more analyzable section-specific render of the same design system.

---

## 7. OPTIONAL DETAIL / EXTRACTION IMAGE RULE

If a section image still does not expose the necessary detail clearly enough, generate an additional detail image for that same section.

Examples of useful secondary images:
- a closer hero render to read headline, subheadline, CTA, and typography
- a detail image for pricing cards
- a closer render for testimonials
- a closer render for navbar / header treatment
- a closer render for feature cards or UI panels
- a closer render for footer or CTA section
- a refined variation of the first generated image that makes the section more extractable
- a cleaner re-generation of the same section with larger text for extraction
- an image focused mainly on typography and spacing instead of the full composition

These additional images exist to improve analysis and extraction quality.

Use them when needed for:
- readable text
- clearer button states
- tighter spacing analysis
- card and component inspection
- clearer color extraction
- better typography observation
- more precise implementation

Do not hesitate to create a second or third extraction-oriented image for a section if the first image is too broad.

---

## 8. CLEAN ANALYSIS STANDARD

Analyze cleanly and systematically.

Do not do vague vibe-only analysis.
Do not jump too fast from image to code.

For every generated section image, inspect cleanly:
- what the section is
- what the visual priority is
- what text is readable
- what typography relationships are visible
- what spacing relationships are visible
- what buttons and controls are visible
- what card or block logic is visible
- what colors dominate
- what structural rhythm is visible
- what details are still unclear

If something is unclear, generate another image before coding.

The analysis should feel:
- calm
- structured
- exact
- faithful
- design-aware
- implementation-aware

---

## 9. DEEP IMAGE ANALYSIS REQUIREMENT

Before implementing anything, deeply analyze the generated image(s).

Do not just glance at them.
Treat them like a design specification.

Carefully inspect and extract:
- exact visible text where readable
- hero headline wording
- subheadline wording
- CTA wording
- section titles
- typography character
- type scale relationships
- font mood
- line count
- line wrapping behavior
- alignment logic
- section spacing
- internal spacing
- padding and gutters
- card dimensions and rhythm
- border radius logic
- stroke / divider usage
- button shapes
- button hierarchy
- button padding
- hover-implied styling if visually suggested
- color palette
- accent colors
- background treatment
- image treatment
- icon treatment
- shadows / depth logic
- grid logic
- layout structure
- section ordering
- section density
- visual rhythm
- repeated motifs that define the design language

Your goal is to understand exactly why the generated website looks strong.

Only after this deep analysis should you implement the frontend.

---

## 10. IMAGE-FIRST CODEX WEBSITE WORKFLOW

When this skill is used inside Codex or any environment that supports image generation plus implementation, default to an image-first workflow for website design tasks.

Preferred execution order:
1. infer the section count
2. generate section reference images first
3. generate extra detail/extraction images where needed
4. if needed, regenerate unclear sections as fresh standalone images
5. deeply inspect all generated images
6. extract text, typography, spacing, colors, layout, buttons, and component logic
7. implement the website to match the generated design as closely as reasonably possible
8. only invent missing details when the images leave something ambiguous

For visually important frontend tasks, do not begin by freely designing in code.
Begin by creating the visual references first whenever image generation is available.

The images are the primary art-direction source.
The code is the implementation layer.

---

## 11. WHEN TO TRIGGER IMAGE GENERATION FIRST

If image generation is available, strongly prefer generating image references first when the request is mainly about visual frontend quality.

Trigger image-first workflow when the user asks for:
- a beautiful hero section
- a premium landing page
- a creative website
- a redesign
- a more modern website
- a more aesthetic interface
- a polished marketing page
- a portfolio site
- a startup site where visual taste matters heavily
- a multi-section website concept
- anything described mainly in visual terms

Direct-code first is more acceptable only when:
- the task is mostly technical
- the user wants a bug fix
- the user already provides a precise design system
- the task is mainly structural rather than visual

---

## 12. THE COMBINATORIAL VARIATION ENGINE

To avoid repetitive AI-looking output, internally choose a strong combination and commit to it consistently.

Do not mash everything into chaos.
Pick a coherent visual direction and execute it clearly.

### Theme Paradigm
Choose 1:
1. Pristine Light Mode
2. Deep Dark Mode
3. Bold Studio Solid
4. Quiet Premium Neutral

### Background Character
Choose 1:
1. subtle technical grid / dotted field
2. pure solid field with soft ambient gradient depth
3. full-bleed cinematic imagery
4. tactile textured surface feel

### Typography Character
Choose 1:
1. clean grotesk
2. refined grotesk
3. expressive display
4. compressed statement typography
5. editorial serif + sans
6. Swiss rational hierarchy

### Hero Architecture
Choose 1:
1. cinematic centered minimalist
2. asymmetric split hero
3. floating polaroid scatter
4. inline typography behemoth
5. editorial offset composition
6. massive image-first hero with restrained text

### Section System
Choose 1:
1. modular bento rhythm
2. alternating editorial blocks
3. poster-like stacked storytelling
4. gallery-led cadence
5. Swiss grid discipline
6. asymmetric premium marketing flow

### Signature Component Set
Choose exactly 4 unique components:
- diagonal staggered square masonry
- 3D cascading card deck
- hover-accordion slice layout
- pristine gapless bento grid
- infinite brand marquee strip
- turning polaroid arc
- vertical rhythm lines
- off-grid editorial layout
- product UI panel stack
- split testimonial quote wall
- layered image crop frames

### Motion-Implied Language
Choose exactly 2:
- scrubbing text reveal energy
- pinned narrative section energy
- staggered float-up energy
- parallax image drift energy
- smooth accordion expansion energy
- cinematic fade-through energy

These are not coding instructions.
They are visual-direction cues the design should imply.

---

## 13. WEBSITE REFERENCE RULE

Every generated website section image must clearly communicate:
- layout
- hierarchy
- spacing
- typography scale
- CTA priority
- component styling
- image treatment
- overall design system

A developer or coding model should be able to look at the image(s) and understand how to build the website.

Do not produce vague abstract artwork when the request is for frontend.
Default to real section comps.

---

## 14. HERO MINIMALISM RULES

The hero must feel cinematic, clear, and intentional.

### Absolute Hero Rules
- the hero must feel like a strong opening scene
- keep the hero composition very clean
- do not overcrowd the first viewport
- the main headline must feel short and powerful
- the hero headline should ideally stay within 1–3 lines
- do not allow long wrapped hero headlines
- if the headline starts becoming too long, reduce words instead of forcing more lines
- keep supporting text concise
- prioritize negative space and contrast
- avoid stuffing the hero with pills, fake stats, badges, tiny logos, and nonsense detail
- avoid extra micro-labels, control tags, system markers, or decorative utility text that does not meaningfully help the hero
- keep the first screen readable on a small laptop without feeling overfilled

### Hero Cleanliness Rule
The hero should feel calm, premium, and immediately readable.

Do:
- use a strong single focal point
- keep the hierarchy obvious
- let the hero breathe
- keep the visual system tight and controlled
- make the first screen feel polished and deliberate
- keep the amount of visible content restrained enough that the hero still feels elegant on a smaller desktop viewport

Do not:
- clutter the hero
- create multiple competing focal points
- overfill the hero with cards or micro-details
- make the hero noisy or busy
- add unnecessary labels like “00 orchestration layer” or similar pseudo-system text if it does not add real value

### Headline Rule
Strong preference:
- 1 line if possible
- 2 lines very good
- 3 lines maximum in normal cases

Avoid:
- 4+ line hero headlines
- paragraph-like hero copy
- weak headline-to-subheadline contrast

---

## 15. RESPONSIVE FIRST-VIEW RULE

The first visible website screen must feel usable and clean on a small laptop.

This means:
- do not overload the above-the-fold area
- do not force too many content blocks into the hero viewport
- do not rely on giant nested panels that consume space without improving clarity
- make the first section feel intentionally composed, not overstuffed

The hero and immediate first-view area should:
- show the main message clearly
- show the primary CTA clearly
- show the key visual clearly
- avoid trying to expose the entire product in one crowded first view

A smaller laptop should still see:
- a clear headline
- readable supporting text
- clean spacing
- a visible CTA
- a believable, balanced visual focal point

---

## 16. ANTI-NESTED-BOX RULE

Do not default to box-in-box-in-box layouts.

Avoid:
- giant rounded section containers wrapping everything
- cards inside larger cards inside outer cards
- dashboard-like compartment stacking for no reason
- nested boxed UI that makes the layout feel trapped
- sections that are just one big bordered panel containing more bordered panels containing more bordered panels

Use boxes only when they have a clear purpose.

Prefer:
- open layouts
- clearer whitespace
- fewer but stronger containers
- flatter hierarchy where appropriate
- direct alignment and spacing instead of excessive enclosure
- one primary framing move rather than many layered frames

A section should not feel like a prison of containers.
It should feel designed, open, and intentional.

---

## 17. REDUCE MICRO-UI CLUTTER RULE

Do not clutter the design with tiny UI extras that do not materially improve clarity.

Avoid:
- unnecessary pills
- pseudo-system markers
- fake control labels
- decorative code-like tags
- meaningless small metadata rows
- filler chips
- tiny badges everywhere
- fake dashboard jargon
- overdesigned labels that distract from the main layout

Examples of things to avoid unless they are truly necessary:
- “00 orchestration layer”
- tiny technical status pills
- decorative runtime markers
- overly specific pseudo-enterprise microcopy
- filler operator/control-room labels that exist only to look complex

Prefer:
- cleaner headings
- fewer labels
- real hierarchy
- clearer spacing
- simpler supporting text
- stronger typography instead of decorative clutter

---

## 18. SECTION IMAGE GENERATION RULE

Inside Codex, treat each section as its own analyzable unit.

If the user asks for:
- a hero only → generate 1 hero image
- 4 sections → generate 4 section images
- 8 sections → generate 8 section images
- 12 sections → generate 12 section images when reasonable

General preference:
- one section = one primary image
- one complex section = one primary image + one or more optional detail images
- one unclear section = regenerate it again as a fresh clean standalone image

This section-first generation rule exists to prevent:
- tiny unreadable text
- tiny buttons
- unclear spacing
- weak extraction quality
- lossy design-to-code translation

---

## 19. WEBSITE IMAGE SYSTEM RULE

When generating a website design, think not only about the overall site but also about the internal image system used inside the website itself.

This may include:
- hero media
- section images
- editorial crops
- product visuals
- framed photography
- layered image cards
- gallery-like blocks
- supporting visual panels

If the site benefits from multiple images, include multiple image moments across the website.

Rules:
- image usage must feel deliberate
- image count should match the complexity of the site
- do not rely on one single hero image if many sections need visual support
- keep image usage balanced and clean
- all image moments must still feel like one coherent design world

---

## 20. FIXED MEDIA FRAME RULE

Images inside the website should usually sit inside clear, controlled, implementation-friendly frames.

Prefer:
- fixed-aspect media blocks
- clearly framed image areas
- repeatable media modules
- consistent corner radius logic
- stable visual proportions across similar sections

Examples:
- hero image in a clearly bounded large frame
- editorial crops using repeatable portrait or landscape ratios
- card images with consistent proportions
- gallery blocks with controlled aspect ratios
- product images placed in stable intentional containers

Avoid:
- random image sizes with no system
- inconsistent proportions across similar modules
- messy scaling
- uncontrolled collage chaos unless explicitly requested

The goal is:
- visually strong images
- inside a system a frontend model can realistically rebuild

---

## 21. TEXT EXTRACTION RULE

When text is readable in the generated section image, extract it and use it.

Especially inspect and extract:
- hero headline
- hero subheadline
- CTA labels
- section headings
- pricing labels
- feature names
- testimonial names and roles if clearly shown
- navbar labels
- footer labels if relevant

If the text is too small to extract reliably:
- generate a closer extraction image
- or generate a second clearer version of that section

Do not ignore text extraction.
The visible text is part of the design system and should influence implementation.

---

## 22. TYPOGRAPHY EXTRACTION RULE

Do not only notice that typography “looks nice”.
Analyze it properly.

Extract and observe:
- size relationships
- weight relationships
- line count
- line height feel
- tracking feel
- serif vs sans behavior
- display vs body contrast
- section heading rhythm
- CTA text scale
- whether the design uses calm or aggressive type

Use these findings during implementation.
Do not flatten typography into a generic coded hierarchy.

---

## 23. SPACING EXTRACTION RULE

Analyze spacing deliberately.

Inspect:
- distance between headline and subheadline
- distance between text and buttons
- distance between cards
- section top and bottom spacing
- side gutters
- card padding
- image-to-text distance
- navbar spacing
- CTA block spacing
- overall cadence across sections

The goal is not exact pixel OCR.
The goal is faithful spacing logic.

Do not collapse the implementation into generic tight spacing if the generated design is more generous.

---

## 24. BUTTON / COMPONENT EXTRACTION RULE

Buttons and components must be analyzed, not guessed.

Inspect:
- button size
- button shape
- button radius
- fill vs outline behavior
- icon usage
- hover-implied mood
- primary vs secondary hierarchy
- card structure
- badge usage
- dividers
- shadows
- borders
- pill logic
- input styling if present

If button or card detail is too small, generate a closer image.

---

## 25. COLOR EXTRACTION RULE

Actively analyze and extract colors from the generated image(s).

Inspect:
- background color
- panel colors
- accent colors
- button fills
- text color hierarchy
- border color logic
- shadow color mood
- image tint / grade
- gradient restraint or intensity

The implemented website should preserve the original color logic as closely as reasonably possible.

Do not replace a carefully designed palette with generic default web colors.

---

## 26. DESIGN-TO-CODE COPY DISCIPLINE

After generating and analyzing the reference image(s), implement the website in a copy-oriented way.

This means:
- follow the references closely
- preserve layout logic
- preserve spacing rhythm
- preserve section ordering
- preserve text/image balance
- preserve typography mood
- preserve component style
- preserve overall visual cleanliness

Do not drift into a different design direction during implementation.
Do not “improve” the design by replacing it with a generic coded layout.

The goal is not:
- inspired by the image

The goal is:
- visually faithful to the image, translated into real frontend

---

## 27. ANTI-DRIFT IMPLEMENTATION RULE

A common failure mode is design drift:
the generated images look strong, but the coded result becomes generic.

Strictly avoid that.

During implementation:
- do not simplify into default templates
- do not replace distinctive sections with generic rows
- do not compress generous spacing into dense layout
- do not replace strong typography with plain hierarchy
- do not remove the page’s visual identity for convenience
- do not merge section logic into repetitive patterns that were not present in the source images
- do not reintroduce nested-box complexity that was intentionally removed during analysis

The final coded result should still feel like the same website as the generated references.

---

## 28. MISSING DETAIL RESOLUTION

When implementing from images, some details may still be unclear.

Resolve ambiguity by following this order:
1. preserve the visible design language
2. preserve layout and spacing logic
3. preserve component family
4. preserve mood and polish level
5. generate an extra detail image if needed
6. regenerate the section as a fresh standalone image if needed
7. only then choose the most implementation-friendly faithful version

Do not fill ambiguity with generic defaults too quickly.

---

## 29. ANTI-AI-SLOP RULES

Strictly avoid these patterns unless explicitly requested.

### Layout slop
- one giant unreadable collage
- endless centered sections
- identical card rows repeated section after section
- cloned left-text/right-image blocks
- fake complexity without hierarchy
- decorative empty space with no purpose
- cards-inside-cards-inside-cards
- giant rounded wrapper sections around everything
- overcompartmentalized dashboard framing

### Visual slop
- default purple/blue AI gradients
- too many glowing edges
- floating blobs everywhere
- glassmorphism stacked without reason
- random futuristic details with no structure
- over-rendered noise that hides the layout

### Typography slop
- giant heading + weak tiny subcopy
- too many font moods
- awkward line breaks
- lazy all-caps everywhere
- generic gradient headline tricks

### Content slop
Avoid generic filler vibes like:
- unleash
- elevate
- revolutionize
- next-gen
- seamless
- transformative platform

Avoid fake brand slop:
- Acme
- Nexus
- Flowbit
- Quantumly
- NovaCore

Avoid fake complexity slop:
- pseudo-enterprise control labels
- decorative system markers
- filler status microcopy
- fake operator / runtime / orchestration jargon unless truly central to the brand

### Density slop
- over-packed sections
- card overload
- tiny spacing between major sections
- visually exhausting walls of content

---

## 30. TYPOGRAPHY-FIRST DISCIPLINE

Typography is a primary design material.

Always ensure:
- clear size contrast
- obvious reading order
- strong display moments
- readable body text
- concise copy
- section headings that reinforce structure

For editorial directions:
- let typography shape composition

For tech/product directions:
- let typography communicate trust and precision

---

## 31. SECTION RHYTHM RULE

A high-end site does not feel like the same block repeated forever.

Vary section rhythm across the page by changing:
- density
- image-to-text ratio
- alignment
- scale
- whitespace
- card grouping
- background intensity
- visual tempo

But:
- keep the page coherent
- keep spacing controlled
- avoid random jumps
- keep each section clean enough to analyze well

---

## 32. DENSITY & SPACING DISCIPLINE

Do not make the website too dense.

The page should breathe.

Rules:
- use even section spacing
- keep major section gaps controlled and intentional
- allow negative space to create calmness
- avoid one section feeling cramped while the next feels empty
- smaller sections should still have enough surrounding space
- prefer analyzable generous spacing over compressed compositions
- do not fill every available area with extra UI
- let simplicity do part of the design work

A premium website should feel:
- open
- composed
- balanced
- confident
- breathable

Not:
- cramped
- noisy
- uneven
- overfilled
- visually exhausting

---

## 33. DEFAULT SECTION PACKS

### 4-section pack
1. Hero
2. Features
3. Social proof / testimonial
4. CTA

### 8-section pack
1. Hero
2. Trust bar
3. Features
4. Product showcase
5. Benefits / use cases
6. Testimonials
7. Pricing
8. CTA

### 12-section pack
1. Hero
2. Trust bar
3. Feature grid
4. Product preview
5. Problem / solution
6. Benefits
7. Workflow
8. Metrics / proof / integration
9. Testimonials
10. Pricing
11. FAQ
12. CTA + footer

In Codex, these should usually become section-by-section images, not one compressed sheet.

---

## 34. MULTI-IMAGE CONSISTENCY RULE

For multi-image websites, enforce:
- same brand world
- same type scale logic
- same spacing discipline
- same CTA styling
- same icon mood
- same image treatment
- same tonal language
- same component family

Image 2, 3, or 8 must not drift into a different website.

---

## 35. CLARITY CHECK

Before finalizing, verify internally:

1. Has the design been generated first?
2. Have all generated images been deeply analyzed?
3. Is the text readable enough?
4. If not, were extra detail images created?
5. Were enough images generated, or was the image count too lazy?
6. Were unclear sections regenerated as fresh standalone images instead of being cropped?
7. Is the hierarchy obvious?
8. Is the hero clean enough?
9. Is typography analyzed properly?
10. Are spacing relationships understood properly?
11. Are buttons and components extracted properly?
12. Are colors analyzed properly?
13. Is the design visually distinctive?
14. Is it free of obvious AI tells?
15. Can someone code from this faithfully?
16. If multiple images exist, do they clearly belong together?
17. Has Codex avoided compressing too many sections into one tiny image?
18. Was the analysis clean, structured, and specific?
19. Has unnecessary nested boxing been removed?
20. Is the first screen still clean and readable on a small laptop?
21. Have useless pills, labels, and fake technical micro-elements been reduced?

If not, refine internally before output.

---

## 36. RESPONSE BEHAVIOR

When the user asks for a website design in an image-to-code workflow:
1. infer site type
2. infer number of sections
3. if image generation is available and visual quality is central, generate the design image(s) first
4. inside Codex, prefer one large image per section
5. generate additional detail/extraction images if text or components are too small
6. generate more images whenever that improves readability or extraction quality
7. do not be lazy with image count
8. do not crop old images for section extraction
9. regenerate sections as fresh standalone images when needed
10. choose a strong visual combination
11. choose 4 signature components
12. choose 2 motion-implied cues
13. enforce hero cleanliness and short hero line count
14. reduce unnecessary pills, labels, and micro-UI clutter
15. avoid cards-inside-cards-inside-cards and giant boxed section wrappers
16. keep the first screen readable and balanced on a small laptop
17. enforce strong image usage where appropriate
18. keep spacing generous, even, and analyzable
19. deeply and cleanly analyze all generated images
20. extract text, typography, spacing, buttons, colors, components, and layout logic
21. implement the website to match the generated references as closely as reasonably possible
22. create the final files only after the full analysis pass

Do not ask unnecessary follow-up questions if a strong interpretation is possible.
Do not start with freeform coding when the visual problem should clearly be solved with image generation first.
Do not compress many sections into one unreadable image in Codex.
Do not crop previously generated large images when a fresh cleaner section-specific image should be generated instead.

---

## 37. EXAMPLE INTERPRETATIONS

### Example 1
User:
“make me one hero section for an AI startup”

Interpretation:
- generate 1 hero image
- if needed, generate 1 closer extraction image for text/buttons
- do not crop a small region out of a larger board
- if more clarity is needed, regenerate the hero as a fresh cleaner standalone image
- keep the hero calm and readable
- avoid fake utility labels and nested cards
- analyze headline, subheadline, CTA, spacing, colors, hero media
- then implement the hero

### Example 2
User:
“design me an 8-section landing page”

Interpretation:
- generate 8 separate section images in Codex
- one per section
- generate extra detail images where necessary
- deeply analyze all 8 sections
- extract text, typography, spacing, buttons, colors, cards, structure
- if one section is still unclear, regenerate that section again cleanly instead of cropping
- keep sections open and not overboxed
- then implement the full site from those references

### Example 3
User:
“make a premium creative agency website with 4 sections”

Interpretation:
- generate 4 separate section images in Codex
- keep the hero very clean
- ensure text remains readable
- deeply analyze each section
- do not use rough cutouts from the first renders
- regenerate clearer section images if needed
- avoid over-pilled microcopy and container overload
- then implement the site from those 4 references

---

## 38. FINAL GOAL

Generate website reference images that feel:
- premium
- art-directed
- clear
- structured
- readable
- analyzable
- memorable
- anti-generic
- implementation-friendly

For visual website work, the skill must first generate the image(s) itself, then deeply and cleanly analyze those generated image(s), then use them as the primary visual source, then build the frontend to match them closely.

Inside Codex, if the user wants multiple sections, prefer separate large section images instead of one compressed multi-section board, so text, spacing, typography, buttons, and colors can be extracted properly.

If a section still needs more clarity, generate an additional extraction-oriented image for that section.

If more images would improve quality, generate more images.
Do not be lazy with image count.

Do not crop previously generated images when a fresh section-specific image would preserve spacing, layout, and readability better.
Generate a new clean image instead.

Avoid cards-inside-cards-inside-cards.
Avoid giant boxed wrappers around every section.
Avoid fake technical pills and decorative micro-labels.
Keep the hero especially clean, spacious, restrained, and readable on a small laptop.

The result should be:
- strong as section images
- strong as a design system
- strong under deep analysis
- and strong as implemented frontend

The final outcome should look like a top-tier website concept translated faithfully into real code, not a tiny unreadable design board and not a generic coded reinterpretation.