name: ui-ux-design description: UI/UX design systems, Figma workflows, accessibility checklists, browser-based visual audit with automated screenshots, component specification patterns, and design-to-code handoff procedures. Use when designing interfaces, creating design systems, auditing accessibility, reviewing existing UI via browser screenshots, specifying components, or preparing design handoff for developers. user-invocable: true codex-roles:
- frontend-engineer
- ui-ux-designer
UI/UX Design
Systematic UI/UX design skill with design system creation guides, Figma workflow patterns, accessibility audit checklists, browser-based visual audit procedures, and design-to-code handoff templates. Produces consistent, accessible, conversion-optimized interfaces.
When to Use
- Creating or extending a design system (tokens, components, patterns)
- Designing new pages, features, or user flows
- Auditing existing UI for accessibility compliance
- Preparing design specifications for developer handoff
- Setting up Figma project structure and workflows
- Reviewing existing UI via automated browser screenshots and heuristic analysis
- Reviewing UI components against heuristics and platform guidelines
When NOT to Use
- Writing page content or copy (use
content-creationskill) - Implementing frontend code (use
frontend-engineerrole) - Conducting SEO audits (use
seo-reviewskill workflow) - Writing technical documentation (use
docsskill workflow)
Design System Creation
Step 1: Audit Existing UI
Before creating a design system:
- Screenshot inventory: Capture all existing screens and components
- Pattern extraction: Identify recurring colors, typography, spacing, components
- Inconsistency map: Document where the same concept is implemented differently
- Priority matrix: Rank components by frequency of use × inconsistency severity
Step 2: Define Foundations
Build from the ground up:
| Foundation | What to Define | Token Naming |
|---|---|---|
| Color | Brand, semantic, neutral, overlay palettes | color-{category}-{shade} |
| Typography | Font families, size scale, weights, line heights | font-{property}-{size} |
| Spacing | Base unit (4px or 8px), scale | spacing-{size} |
| Border radius | Scale from none to full | radius-{size} |
| Elevation | Shadow levels | shadow-{level} |
| Motion | Duration, easing curves | motion-{property}-{variant} |
| Breakpoints | Viewport thresholds | breakpoint-{name} |
Step 3: Build Components
Follow Atomic Design progression:
- Atoms: Button, Input, Label, Icon, Badge, Avatar, Checkbox, Radio, Toggle
- Molecules: Input Group, Search Bar, Card, Dropdown, Tooltip, Alert, Breadcrumb
- Organisms: Header, Footer, Sidebar, Form, Data Table, Modal, Navigation
For each component, document:
- Variants: Primary, secondary, outline, ghost, destructive
- Sizes: xs, sm, md, lg, xl
- States: Default, hover, focus, active, disabled, loading, error
- Accessibility: ARIA role, keyboard behavior, screen reader announcement
- Responsive: Behavior at each breakpoint
- Do / Don't: Usage examples and anti-patterns
Step 4: Document and Maintain
- Publish component library with live examples
- Version with semantic versioning
- Changelog for every update
- Deprecation notices with migration guides
See design-system-checklist.md for the full creation checklist.
Figma Workflow
See figma-workflow.md for detailed Figma project setup, component organization, Auto Layout patterns, and developer handoff procedures.
Quick Reference
| Figma Concept | Code Equivalent |
|---|---|
| Auto Layout | Flexbox / CSS Grid |
| Component variants | React props / variant configs |
| Design tokens (Variables) | CSS custom properties |
| Constraints | CSS positioning / responsive rules |
| Component instances | React component usage |
Accessibility Audit
See accessibility-checklist.md for the comprehensive WCAG 2.2 AA audit checklist.
Quick Audit (5-Minute Check)
- Tab through the page — can you reach and operate every interactive element?
- Zoom to 200% — does content reflow without horizontal scrolling?
- Check contrast — do all text elements meet 4.5:1 (normal) / 3:1 (large)?
- Screen reader test — do headings, landmarks, and alt text make sense?
- Keyboard-only — can you complete the primary task without a mouse?
Design-to-Code Handoff Template
When handing off designs to developers, provide:
## Component: [Name]
### Visual Spec
- Dimensions: [width × height or fluid]
- Spacing: [padding, margin in token values]
- Colors: [background, text, border in token values]
- Typography: [font, size, weight, line-height in token values]
- Border: [width, style, color, radius in token values]
- Shadow: [elevation token]
### Variants
- [variant-name]: [visual differences]
### States
- Default: [spec]
- Hover: [changes from default]
- Focus: [focus indicator spec]
- Active: [changes]
- Disabled: [opacity, cursor, interaction]
### Responsive Behavior
- Mobile (< 640px): [layout changes]
- Tablet (640–1024px): [layout changes]
- Desktop (> 1024px): [default layout]
### Interactions
- [trigger] → [animation: property, duration, easing]
### Accessibility
- Role: [ARIA role if not implicit]
- Keyboard: [key bindings]
- Screen reader: [announcement text]
### Code Reference
- Component: `<ComponentName variant="..." size="..." />`
- Tokens: `--token-name: value`
Integration
- Follows rules:
ui-ux-designerrole (design principles, accessibility, design systems) - Used by workflows:
ui-ux-designskill (primary),feature-devskill (UI features) - Companion resources:
design-system-checklist.md,figma-workflow.md,accessibility-checklist.md,visual-audit-checklist.md