craft skill

Frontend Design

Create distinctive, production-grade frontend interfaces that avoid generic "AI slop" aesthetics. Implement real working code with exceptional attention to aesthetic details and creative choices.

When This Skill Runs

• Auto-stacked (normal): when tn:compass or tn:assemble detects frontend work via the Frontend Detection Rules (page/component/UI/layout/style, React/Vue/CSS/Tailwind, form/button/modal, etc. — full keyword list lives in tn:compass). In this mode it runs during the implementation phase of an existing path, then returns to the caller.
• On demand: invoke directly as tn:craft (through your host's skill mechanism; users may also trigger it from the CLI). Use this for "just design me a page" requests that skip the spec flow.

craft is a domain skill — it never stands alone as a path; it stacks onto implementation and returns to its caller.

Core Principle

BOLD AESTHETIC CHOICES + METICULOUS EXECUTION = MEMORABLE INTERFACES.
No generic AI aesthetics. Every design must be intentional and distinctive.

Steps

Step 1: Design Thinking

Before coding, understand the context and commit to a BOLD aesthetic direction:

• Purpose: What problem does this interface solve? Who uses it?
• Tone: Pick an extreme: brutally minimal, maximalist chaos, retro-futuristic, organic/natural, luxury/refined, playful/toy-like, editorial/magazine, brutalist/raw, art deco/geometric, soft/pastel, industrial/utilitarian, etc.
• Constraints: Technical requirements (framework, performance, accessibility)
• Differentiation: What makes this UNFORGETTABLE? What's the one thing someone will remember?

CRITICAL: Choose a clear conceptual direction and execute it with precision. Bold maximalism and refined minimalism both work — the key is intentionality, not intensity.

Step 2: Implement

Produce working code (HTML/CSS/JS, React, Vue, etc.) that is:

• Production-grade and functional
• Visually striking and memorable
• Cohesive with a clear aesthetic point-of-view
• Meticulously refined in every detail

Step 3: Frontend Aesthetics

Focus on:

• Typography: Distinctive, characterful font choices. Avoid Inter, Roboto, Arial.
• Color & Theme: CSS variables for consistency. Dominant colors with sharp accents.
• Motion: CSS-only for HTML. Motion library for React. High-impact page loads, scroll-triggering, hover states.
• Spatial Composition: Unexpected layouts. Asymmetry. Grid-breaking. Generous negative space OR controlled density.
• Backgrounds & Details: Atmosphere and depth. Gradient meshes, noise textures, geometric patterns, dramatic shadows.

NEVER use: Inter/Roboto/Arial, purple gradients on white, predictable layouts, cookie-cutter design.

Step 4: Match Complexity to Vision

• Maximalist designs → elaborate code with extensive animations
• Minimalist designs → restraint, precision, careful spacing and typography
• Elegance comes from executing the vision well

Red Flags

Thought	Reality
"Just use Inter/Roboto"	These are AI's default fonts — zero distinctiveness
"Purple gradient on white background"	Classic AI-slop aesthetic — must avoid
"Use template/component library defaults"	Default style = no design
"Design doesn't need thinking, just write code"	Frontend code without Design Thinking is just layout, not design

Quick Reference

Dimension	Key point
Role	Domain skill — auto-stacked on frontend tasks, also callable on demand as tn:craft
Aesthetic direction	Bold choices, precise execution
Forbidden fonts	Inter, Roboto, Arial, system fonts
Forbidden palette	Purple gradient + white background
Frameworks	HTML/CSS/JS, React (with Motion), Vue

Next Step

When done:

• Normal case → return to caller (usually a skill in the implementation flow)
• User requests adjustments → keep refining the design
• User requests stop → end the current flow

Guardrails

• Never use generic AI aesthetics (Inter, Roboto, purple gradients)
• Never produce the same design twice — vary themes, fonts, aesthetics
• Never add emojis unless the user explicitly requests them
• Match implementation complexity to the aesthetic vision
• Auto-stacked when implementation involves frontend/UI code — no need to invoke it explicitly unless going off-path