ui-web — Slop-Free Web UI Skill

You are generating production-grade web UI in React + TypeScript + Tailwind. This skill exists because untouched LLMs produce AI slop: purple→blue gradients, Inter everywhere, 3-icon-card grids, "Lightning fast / Powered by AI" copy, glassmorphism by default, arbitrary spacing values, and the median of every Tailwind tutorial scraped from GitHub. This skill replaces guesses with constraints.

The non-negotiable rule: NEVER use a buzzword in place of a token. Words like clean, modern, professional, sleek, premium are banned from your reasoning. Every aesthetic choice must trace back to a named anchor recipe in anchors.md and a token in the project's tailwind.config.ts.

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Workflow (follow in order)

Step 0 — Project scan (decides bootstrap vs extend mode)

Before any other action, check for:

DESIGN_RULES.md            # at repo root → if exists, you are in EXTEND mode
tailwind.config.{ts,js}    # → if exists with custom theme, you are in EXTEND mode
app/globals.css            # check for CSS custom properties / tokens
src/styles/tokens.css

• If DESIGN_RULES.md exists: read it. Read the existing tailwind.config.*. Skip to Step 3 (Phase 2: UI). Use only existing tokens. NEVER add new colors/spacing/radii without asking.
• If tokens exist but no DESIGN_RULES.md: read tokens, infer the closest matching anchor, ask the user to confirm the inferred anchor, then write DESIGN_RULES.md and proceed to Phase 2.
• If neither exists: you are in bootstrap mode. Continue to Step 1.

Step 1 — Intake (interactive, bootstrap only)

Use AskUserQuestion to gather, in this order:

1. Anchor pick — show the 8 recipes from anchors.md (one-line summary each). Let the user pick 1–3. If 2–3, ask which is primary and which contributes type vs color vs motion.
2. Ban menu — show the 8 ban patterns from ban-patterns.md with the 3 default-on items pre-checked. Confirm.
3. Project context:
   • Content density: airy / balanced / dense
   • Primary surface: marketing site / app / docs / dashboard / mobile-web
   • Dark mode: required / optional / none
   • Brand color (if any): hex value or "derive from anchor"

Do NOT ask vibe questions ("how should it feel?"). Ask only the questions above.

Step 2 — Phase 1: tokens (gated)

Generate, in this order:

1. tailwind.config.ts — extend theme using the chosen anchor's recipe. Use the template at templates/tailwind.config.ts.tmpl. Required keys: colors, spacing, borderRadius, fontSize, fontFamily, boxShadow, transitionDuration, transitionTimingFunction.
2. app/globals.css (or src/index.css for Vite) — CSS custom properties mirroring the Tailwind tokens, plus dark-mode overrides if requested.
3. eslint.config.js patch — enable the slop-blocking lint rules from templates/eslint.slop.cjs.tmpl. Add a lint:design script to package.json.
4. DESIGN_RULES.md at repo root — fill templates/DESIGN_RULES.md.tmpl with the chosen anchors, active bans, token file paths, and verification command.
5. CLAUDE.md patch — append (do not overwrite): Before any UI/UX work, read and follow DESIGN_RULES.md.

Then run the Token Audit from verification.md and print the PASS/FAIL table to the user. Do not proceed to Phase 2 until the user approves.

Step 3 — Phase 2: UI

Generate the requested screen/component using only tokens from the config. Follow:

• component-anatomy.md — exact rules for button, input, card, list, nav, modal, toast, empty-state, form-field, table-row.
• motion.md — easing curves and durations.
• copy-voice.md — every string is real, contextual copy. No lorem ipsum, no filler.
• icons-imagery.md — icon library, sizing, alignment. No emoji bullets in serious UI.

Then run the UI Audit from verification.md AND pnpm lint:design (or npm/yarn equivalent). Print the audit table. Fix every FAIL before claiming done.

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Files in this skill

File	When to read
anchors.md	Step 1, before showing the user choices. ALWAYS read fully — never quote from memory.
ban-patterns.md	Step 1, when showing ban menu. Step 2 and 3, when verifying.
component-anatomy.md	Step 3, before writing any component.
motion.md	Step 3, when adding any transition or animation.
copy-voice.md	Step 3, before writing any user-facing string.
icons-imagery.md	Step 3, when choosing icons or images.
verification.md	After Step 2 (Token Audit) and after Step 3 (UI Audit). MANDATORY — do not skip.
templates/*	Use as the basis for the generated files; fill placeholders, never ship as-is.

Hard rules (the model must obey these always)

1. No arbitrary values. Forbidden: mt-[13px], w-[372px], text-[#3a4f6b], rounded-[7px]. Every value must be a token in tailwind.config.ts. If you need a value that does not exist, ask the user to add it to the token set.
2. No buzzwords in code or comments. Banned strings in your output: clean, modern, professional, sleek, premium, beautiful, elegant (except in copy if the user explicitly asked for those words).
3. No default-style-tells unless the chosen anchor explicitly allows them. Specifically: no bg-gradient-to-r from-purple-* to-pink-*, no from-indigo-* to-purple-*, no backdrop-blur on regular cards (only on iOS-style chrome/sheets if anchor allows).
4. No filler copy. No lorem ipsum. No "Lightning fast", "Built for the modern web", "Powered by AI", "Get started in seconds", "The future of X", "Beautiful and intuitive".
5. Touch targets ≥ 44px on any control intended for tap.
6. Focus rings always visible. Never focus:outline-none without an explicit replacement.
7. Every async surface has empty + loading + error states. No exceptions.
8. Dark mode parity. If the project supports dark mode, every component you write must work in both — verify by reading the colors you used.
9. You must run the verification checklist before responding "done". Print the audit table to the user.

What this skill is NOT

• Not a magic-aesthetic generator. You still have to pick an anchor and follow it.
• Not a copy generator. Phase 2 stops and asks for real copy when needed.
• Not a brand-design tool. Brand identity (logo, custom typography family selection beyond what anchors provide) is the user's call.
• Not a replacement for design review with humans. The audit table is a floor, not a ceiling.