Frontend design

Frontend Design

Build web interfaces that look like a human designer made them, not an AI. This skill enforces intentional aesthetic choices, proper typography hierarchy, and deliberate color systems to produce production-grade frontend code.

Design Thinking

Before writing any code, answer these questions:

1. What is the purpose? — What is the user trying to accomplish? What emotion or response should the interface evoke? (Trust? Excitement? Calm efficiency?)

2. Pick a bold aesthetic direction — Choose a specific visual identity. Examples:

   • Dark editorial (high contrast, serif headlines, generous whitespace)
   • Warm minimal (earth tones, rounded corners, soft shadows)
   • Technical precision (monospace accents, grid-heavy, data-forward)
   • Playful conversational (hand-drawn feel, bright accents, informal type)

3. Identify constraints — Viewport targets, accessibility needs, brand guidelines, performance budgets, framework requirements.

4. Find differentiation — What makes this interface not look like every other AI-generated page? At least one element should be unexpected or distinctive.

---

Anti-Slop Checklist

Before shipping, verify none of these appear:

Banned Defaults

• No default blue (#3b82f6) — If you need blue, choose a specific shade with intention (slate blue, electric blue, navy). Never use Tailwind's blue-500 without customization.
• No generic gradients — bg-gradient-to-r from-blue-500 to-purple-600 is the hallmark of AI-generated UI. If using gradients, make them subtle and purposeful.
• No "Hero → Features Grid → CTA" template — This is the most common AI layout. Break the pattern: lead with a story, use asymmetric layouts, or let content dictate structure.
• No Lorem Ipsum — Every piece of text should be real or clearly marked as placeholder with context (e.g., "[Company tagline — 6-8 words]").
• No decorative emojis as design elements — Emojis are content, not decoration. Use proper icons (Lucide, Heroicons) or custom SVG.
• No centered-everything layouts — Left-aligned text is easier to read. Center-align only headlines and short CTAs.
• No identical card grids — If showing multiple items, vary the presentation (featured item larger, alternating layouts, editorial list style).

---

Typography Hierarchy

Establish a clear type scale. Every level should be visually distinct at a glance.

Level	Role	Size Range	Weight	Notes
Display	Hero headlines, page titles	48–72px	700–900	Use sparingly, one per page max
Heading	Section titles	28–36px	600–700	Clear contrast from body text
Subheading	Subsection labels, card titles	20–24px	500–600	Bridges heading and body
Body	Paragraphs, descriptions	16–18px	400	Optimize for readability, 1.5–1.75 line height
Caption	Labels, metadata, timestamps	12–14px	400–500	Lighter color or reduced opacity for visual hierarchy

Type Rules

• Maximum two typefaces — One for headings, one for body. Or one typeface at different weights.
• Line length: 50–75 characters per line for body text. Use max-w-prose or equivalent.
• Vertical rhythm: Maintain consistent spacing between type levels. Heading margin-bottom should relate to body line-height.

---

Color System

Structure

• 2–3 primary colors maximum — One dominant, one secondary, one accent. Adding more dilutes the visual identity.
• Neutral palette — Build from a tinted neutral (warm gray, cool slate, olive) rather than pure gray. Pure #gray feels flat.
• Semantic colors — Success, warning, error, info. These should harmonize with your primary palette, not use default green/yellow/red/blue.

Contrast Requirements

• Body text on background: minimum 4.5:1 contrast ratio (WCAG AA)
• Large text (>18px bold or >24px): minimum 3:1
• Interactive elements: clearly distinguished from static content
• Hover/focus states: visible change in at least one property (color, shadow, border, scale)

Accent Usage

• Accent color should appear on 5–15% of the visible surface
• Use for: primary CTAs, active states, key data points, navigation indicators
• Never use accent as a background for large areas

---

Layout Principles

Whitespace

• More than you think — The most common amateur mistake is insufficient spacing. When in doubt, add more padding.
• Consistent spacing scale — Use a base unit (4px or 8px) and multiply. Common scale: 4, 8, 12, 16, 24, 32, 48, 64, 96.
• Section breathing room — Major sections need 64–128px vertical padding. This is not wasted space; it is structure.

Visual Rhythm

• Vary element sizes — Not every card should be the same size. Not every section should be the same height. Monotony is the enemy of engagement.
• Create focal points — Each viewport should have one dominant element that draws the eye first. Use size, color, or position contrast.
• Asymmetry with intent — Perfectly centered, perfectly symmetric layouts feel static. Introduce controlled asymmetry (offset headings, unequal column widths, varied card sizes).

Responsive Design

• Design for content, not breakpoints — Let content determine where the layout needs to adapt, rather than forcing arbitrary breakpoints.
• Mobile is not "desktop but smaller" — Reconsider information hierarchy for small screens. What matters most on mobile may differ from desktop.
• Touch targets — Minimum 44×44px for interactive elements on touch devices.

---

Banned Patterns

These specific patterns are overused in AI-generated interfaces and should be avoided or significantly reimagined:

Pattern	Problem	Alternative
3-column equal card grid	Every AI page has this	Vary card sizes, use masonry, editorial list, or featured+grid
Gradient background header	Screams "template"	Solid color, image, pattern, or color block composition
Rounded avatar + name + title card	Generic "team section"	Photo collage, editorial bios, interactive profiles
Icon + heading + paragraph (×6)	Default "features" section	Show, don't tell: use screenshots, demos, or stories
Full-width centered everything	Lacks visual hierarchy	Left-aligned content areas with intentional whitespace
Shadow-everything	Over-decorated	Use shadows sparingly for elevation hierarchy only

---

Platform Guidance

Zo.space (React + Tailwind)

• Routes are single-file React components with Tailwind CSS 4
• lucide-react available for icons
• Use useState, useEffect for interactivity
• Tailwind classes for all styling — no external CSS files
• Reference assets with absolute paths (/images/...)

Standalone HTML

• Single-file delivery: inline CSS in <style>, inline JS in <script>
• Use CSS custom properties for theming
• Prefer modern CSS (grid, flexbox, clamp, container queries) over frameworks
• Include viewport meta tag and minimal reset

Next.js

• Component-based architecture with proper file structure
• Use CSS Modules, Tailwind, or styled-components consistently (pick one)
• Server components by default, client components only when needed
• Image optimization via next/image
• Font optimization via next/font