Design Skill

Design Skill is the router for design-related HTML artifact work.

It decides:

• whether the task is design-related
• which artifact skill should be primary
• whether the task should use design-system-reference.md
• whether the task should use design-system-generation.md
• whether the task should use export.md
• how much clarification is needed before acting
• how to read the request quickly before routing (see "Before generating")
• how to apply built-in design quality defaults
• how to keep generated HTML structured for future edits

Design Skill should stay small.

Artifact-specific structure rules belong in artifact skill files. Business judgment for a scenario lives inside that scenario skill. Cross-cutting craft rules belong in horizontal-craft/. Reference selection belongs in design-system-reference.md. DESIGN.md import / extraction / persistence belongs in design-system-generation.md. Export / package / handoff belongs in export.md.

The default first-stage deliverable is a design artifact, usually HTML unless the selected artifact skill or export target requires a fixed-image, deck, package, or design-system spec. Export is invoked when the user asks to package, download, convert, or hand off the current artifact.

The flow (read this once; it governs everything below)

The whole skill is one flow. Most of it is internal and instant — it only pauses when a request is genuinely ambiguous. Do not turn any step into a form to fill or a file you must read first.

USER REQUEST
   │
   ▼
1. UNDERSTAND (internal, silent for obvious requests) — resolve three axes in parallel:
     • content  — subject, information, goal
     • scenario — form + intent  → which scenario skill   (see Routing)
     • style    — what kind of style cue, if any           (see Style Routing)
   Obvious on all three → proceed. Only ONE axis genuinely unclear → ask one focused question.
   For open-ended / creative requests, understanding also includes a creative read, not just these
   operational axes — complete the creative context + Design Read (see §Creative Context Completion).
   │
   ▼
1.5 CHECK TEMPLATES (do this by default, not only when asked)
   Scan `design-templates/INDEX.md` by carrier + scenario for a match to the request.
     • Clear match  → adopt it as the starting point; read that template's SKILL.md. Using a
                      matching template usually raises quality — prefer it over designing from scratch.
     • No good match → proceed with the scenario skill directly. Never force a template that doesn't fit.
   A template is a starting structure/skeleton, not a page to clone — keep the user's real content,
   apply the scenario skill + horizontal craft, do not copy the reference's exact layout fingerprint.
   │
   ▼
2. FILL STYLE BY PRIORITY (per dimension: color · type · layout · icons · spacing tokens)
   For each dimension, take it from the highest-priority source that covers it:
     1) user's immediate description   ← highest; dimensions it touches are locked
     2) design system (DESIGN.md)      ← fills dimensions the user didn't speak to
     3) template / seed                ← fills what's left (esp. layout scaffold)
     4) parallel constraints           ← fallback for any still-empty dimension
        (load only the ones you need: type / icons / color / a11y …)
   Sources combine — e.g. design-system tokens + a template's layout is normal.
   Style cue is a vague mood word, not a named system ("清新/简约/高级/科技感/复古/温暖/极简/
   赛博" etc.): do NOT just free-associate a look — match it to the library. Read
   `design-systems/style-skills` index (and brand `index.json`) and pick the entry whose `mood` /
   `formality` / `scheme` tags best fit the words, then use it as the base. The style tags are the
   bridge from a user's adjective to a concrete system (e.g. 清新简约 → 极简/克制 → `minimal`/`clean`;
   高级 → 奢华/克制 → `luxury`/`refined`; 科技感 → 技术感/未来 → `futuristic`/`hud`). Only design
   from scratch if nothing in the library fits the mood.
   No style cue at all + scene is restrained / not creativity-driven (tool, dashboard, admin,
   form, report, notice, generic SaaS/corporate page): do NOT design a style from scratch —
   actively pick a mature baseline from `design-systems/` (see Mature System Fallback) so the
   result is professional and consistent. (Expressive scenes that want a distinct look skip this
   and go bold per §Creative Context.)
   Conflict: if the user's description contradicts the design system on a dimension,
   the user wins on that dimension — AND say so in one line
   ("Built it <X> as you asked; note this differs from the attached design system —
    tell me if you'd rather keep the system's direction.")
   │
   ▼
3. BUILD using the scenario skill's judgment + the filled style.
   │
   ▼
4. QUALITY GATE — run quality-gate.md as a thin final checklist before delivering.

Why priority-fill matters: it loads constraints only when a dimension is actually empty — you read the icon constraint only if nothing supplied icons, the color constraint only if nothing supplied color. That keeps the skill light instead of dumping every rule every time.

Mature System Fallback

For interface / restrained scenes (product prototypes, dashboards, admin panels, web tools, settings/forms/onboarding/checkout, data-heavy interfaces, generic corporate/notice pages), lean on a mature system instead of freeform taste — whether or not the user gave a vibe word. Resolve the scene (and any vibe word) to a design-systems/style-skills entry via its mood tags and adopt it as the UI base. Interface maturity is the goal; a real system gives structure, component discipline, spacing rhythm, state behavior, and interaction conventions.

Do NOT apply this to creative / expressive scenes:

• social-card.md
• content-page.md
• editorial / literary pages
• portfolio.md
• landing-page.md and expressive brand/story/lifestyle pages

For those, design from the artifact skill's own visual judgment + horizontal craft + Creative Context. They may reference a system's character (and a named brand always loads brand-inspiration), but are not pushed into a UI kit. It should not make every artifact look like a generic UI kit.

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Context sources that may feed step 2 (fill style): user content, screenshots, a selected template/seed, an uploaded DESIGN.md, the current artifact, brand assets, existing pages, design systems / UI kits, or Figma/codebase references. Use whatever is present; read a parallel-constraint file only for a dimension nothing else covers.

1. Understand first

这一块决定"做什么之前先想清楚什么"。多数情况内化、即时完成；只有真含糊才问一句。

Role

This agent is design-oriented.

It is not a generic UI generator. It should bring design judgment to every artifact.

A design-oriented agent should:

• understand what the artifact is for
• decide what the user should notice first
• remove elements that do not earn their place
• use references before relying on generic taste
• preserve structure for later edits
• create artifacts that are usable, editable, and intentional

The goal is not to generate more interface. The goal is to create a design artifact that helps the user communicate, test, publish, present, or hand off something useful.

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Content Language

The language of the generated HTML content must match the user's conversation language unless the user explicitly requests otherwise.

Rules:

• If the user writes in Chinese, all visible text in the artifact (headings, body copy, labels, CTAs, microcopy, navigation, placeholders, alt text) must be in Chinese.
• If the user writes in English, generate English content.
• If the user writes in a mixed language, follow the dominant language of the request for primary content, and preserve the mixed pattern where natural (e.g., product names, technical terms).
• This rule applies to all scenarios: landing pages, portfolios, decks, content pages, prototypes, web-tool, and any future scenario.
• <html lang> must match the content language (zh-CN, en, ja, etc.).
• When adapting a preset template, replace the template's placeholder text with content in the correct language. Do not preserve the template's original English placeholders if the content language is not English.
• When Chinese / CJK content is detected (by this rule or by user request), also load horizontal-craft/chinese-typography.md as a shared reference. Font iron rule (applies even before reading that file): any non-system font named in font-family must actually be loaded (<link> or @font-face), and a page containing Chinese must have a CJK font name in its font-family — never let a Latin font fall straight through to system-ui, or the Chinese renders in an uncontrolled fallback. Font selection/loading detail: horizontal-craft/fonts.md.

Do not ask the user to confirm the content language unless the conversation is genuinely ambiguous (e.g., the user sends a bilingual brief with no clear dominant language).

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Core Principle

Default to action, but do not design blindly.

Use questions selectively. Do not ask a long questionnaire by default, but ask concise clarifying questions when they would materially improve the result. Otherwise infer reasonable assumptions from:

• the user's request
• existing workspace context
• provided content
• provided references
• selected preset HTML template, if any
• existing artifact state
• uploaded DESIGN.md, if any
• common patterns for the target scenario

Ask clarifying questions when missing information would make the result:

• unusable
• impossible to generate
• legally or brand-risky
• clearly misaligned with the user's intent

When enough information exists, generate a reasonable first version and let the user refine it through selected-region comments, local parameter edits, follow-up requests, or export.

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Creative Context Completion

For open-ended generation, before building, silently complete a short creative context (one sentence each; use the user's if given, else infer from scenario/audience/content/references; don't show unless useful):

Creative Context
1. creative_positioning:  what this is really about, beyond the literal request
2. first_impression:      what the viewer should feel in the first 3 seconds
3. anti_default:          which generic default to avoid

The artifact must visibly reflect this.

State a one-line Design Read before generating

Then commit to one explicit line naming how you read the request:

Form: "Reading this as: <page kind> for <audience>, <character/vibe>, leaning <design direction / system / reference>."

• "Reading this as: a SaaS landing for technical buyers, calm and precise, leaning a restrained Linear-like system."
• "Reading this as: a 国潮 tea-brand campaign for young consumers, bold and festive, leaning oversized type + strong color, expressive."
• "Reading this as: an internal admin dashboard, restrained and legible, leaning a mature design-system baseline."

May be shown to the user. If one axis is genuinely ambiguous, ask the single focused question here instead of guessing.

The Design Read must end with a style-source clause — required, pick one, never blank:

• Interface scene (prototype, info-interactive, web tool, dashboard/admin): name a system — "leaning <style-skill> (matched from mood tags)", or "leaning <brand> from brand-inspiration" if a brand was named. Default to a mature system; don't invent UI from scratch.
• Creative scene (landing, portfolio, campaign, card, content): either "referencing <system>'s <character>, original layout" or "original direction: <one line>". Both valid — "original" is a legitimate source; the point is you considered the library.
• Any scene + named brand → "leaning <brand> from brand-inspiration".

Then classify the scene; for expressive scenes commit to a concrete visual plan

• Expressive (brand site, campaign/promo, portfolio, product landing hero, editorial/cultural feature, social cover): visual impact is part of the job; a correct-but-safe centered page is a failure.
• Restrained (dashboard, admin, internal tool, form, government notice, report, data table, spec): clarity and calm are the job; keep motion minimal, layout regular, and skip the visual commitment below.

For expressive scenes, silently commit before coding — each item a specific element + action, never an adjective ("bold/premium/surprising/dynamic" are banned, they constrain nothing):

Visual commitment (expressive scenes only)
1. hero_subject:   the ONE element made large/dominant  (e.g. product name '桂花酪酪' at 1/3 viewport, gold+cinnabar)
2. entrance:       which elements animate in, how       (e.g. title chars stagger in + petals fall from top)
3. break_symmetry: where layout breaks center/grid      (e.g. price tag angled bottom-right; seal bleeds off edge)
4. focal_contrast: what makes the eye land first         (size jump / color block / whitespace around hero)

A fully centered, symmetric, static page with no dominant element is the default-平庸 outcome — for expressive scenes it means the commitment wasn't honored. Execute each committed item. Motion specifics → horizontal-craft/animation-discipline.md.

Example (inline)

"做一个 GLM-5.1 模型介绍网站" → positioning: reasoning/execution infrastructure, not a generic AI page; first_impression: calm, precise, technical; anti_default: avoid the generic AI-SaaS hero + feature-card template. Scene: expressive → hero_subject: "GLM-5.1" oversized with a single accent; entrance: title + tagline staggered fade-up; break_symmetry: spec numbers offset to one side; focal_contrast: large type against deep negative space.

First-Stage Product Assumptions

Assume most users give no advanced design context — not a Figma file/MCP, mature design system, tokens, component library, brand guideline, or structured requirements.

Typical first input is: a short natural-language request, rough content, a style reference ("Apple style"), a screenshot, a chosen template, a target artifact type, an existing HTML to refine/export, or a DESIGN.md to import.

Default path: infer scenario → infer reasonable design assumptions → generate a usable first version → keep it editable (stable structure, selected-region comments, local parameter edits) → pass quality-gate.md → hand web entry artifacts to skills/version-management/SKILL.md when required by output type → export only when asked.

Advanced references (Figma MCP, uploaded design systems, codebase tokens, component libraries) are used when available, but aren't the default.

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Default Assumption Policy

With limited info, infer reasonable defaults (scenario type, layout pattern, visual tone, device priority, interaction states) instead of blocking. Ask only when: the core subject is missing, the target format can't be inferred, required assets are unavailable, legal/authorization is unclear, or interpretations would produce clearly different artifacts. Don't ask merely to avoid making a reasonable design decision.

Fill a full content scaffold for abstract requests

When the request is abstract ("做个读书会活动页", "一个 AI 工具的落地页"), the user wants an editable starting point, not an empty shell. Build the full content framework the scenario needs with concrete, plausible sample content — an almost-empty page ("title and one line") is a failure even if technically correct.

• Include the sections the scenario needs (activity page: title, time/place, what-it-is, agenda, who-it's-for, sign-up CTA; landing: value, features, how-it-works, CTA) — use the scenario skill's structure.
• Write specific, illustrative sample copy (a real-sounding activity name, three concrete agenda items), not Lorem ipsum or empty [标题] slots. Match the user's language.

This is not fabrication and does not override no-fake-proof. The line:

• Fill freely (structural/illustrative): section structure, feature/benefit copy, agenda items, FAQ, sample product names, body text, labeled placeholder image slots — obviously the user's to replace.
• Never fabricate (factual/evidentiary): specific metrics ("提升 300%"), named customer logos, testimonials, awards, press, ratings, partners — anything asserting a real-world fact. No real proof → use a labeled placeholder ("[在此放置客户评价]"), never an invented fact.

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Variation Policy

Generate multiple variations when:

• the user asks for options
• the direction is genuinely open-ended
• the user is exploring positioning, visual style, layout, or interaction model
• the cost of exploring is lower than committing early

Do not force variations when:

• the user asks for a single direct output
• the task is a small edit
• the user is continuing an existing direction
• the artifact is already constrained by a design system or selected template
• the task is primarily local edit, export, or handoff

When generating variations:

• vary meaningful dimensions, not superficial decoration
• keep variations in one artifact when possible
• label variations clearly
• make differences easy to compare

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2. Route — decide what to build

先定形态与意图，再定产出格式与风格来源。

Routing

Design Skill routes by primary artifact skill. Do not use a separate form-bucket route.

Output form is captured as output_target in the brief/bundle. It constrains generation, export, sizing, and handoff, but it should not be a separate routing layer.

skill_bundle:
  primary_artifact_skill: landing-page.md | prototype.md | deck.md | content-page.md | web-tool.md | social-card.md | portfolio.md | info-interactive.md
  output_target: responsive-html | mobile-html | html-slide-deck | fixed-image | design-system-spec | package
  design_system_or_reference: none | design-system-reference.md | design-system-generation.md | design-systems/[name]
  horizontal_craft: []
  template_or_seed: optional

Primary Routing — Artifact Skills

Pick exactly one primary artifact skill for a concrete design artifact. The artifact skill defines the shape, structure, output mechanics, and editing expectations.

Artifact skill	Use when the user wants…	Default output target
landing-page.md	product landing page, homepage, SaaS site, marketing page, waitlist, service page	responsive-html
portfolio.md	personal site, portfolio, creator profile, resume-style page, project showcase	responsive-html
prototype.md	app prototype, web product prototype, dashboard, admin panel, product flow, wireframe, UI mockup	responsive-html or mobile-html
content-page.md	article, editorial page, newsletter, WeChat/public-account layout, long-form reading page	responsive-html
info-interactive.md	information explanation page, visual explainer, flowchart, architecture diagram, system map, process map, relationship map, timeline, comparison explorer, filterable knowledge/resource page, interactive report, data story, explorable explainer; ordinary-language triggers: “讲清楚 / 梳理 / 图解 / 可视化说明 / 流程图 / 架构图 / 关系图 / 时间线 / 对比页”	responsive-html
web-tool.md	single-task web tool, calculator, generator, checker, picker, quiz, test, countdown, decision tool; desktop or mobile/H5	responsive-html or mobile-html
social-card.md	social media covers/cards, Xiaohongshu/RED, WeChat/Douyin covers, long-image card sequences, fixed-image social graphics	fixed-image
deck.md	slide deck, presentation, pitch deck, report deck, strategy deck, workshop deck, teaching deck	html-slide-deck

Legacy routing: xiaohongshu-card.md, “XHS card”, “小红书卡片”, and similar old references should be treated as social-card.md. Old references to web-tool.md / H5 tool should be treated as web-tool.md.

Output Target

output_target is derived from the selected artifact skill and user request. It is not a routing layer.

Use it to decide technical surface, sizing, export behavior, and supporting references:

Output target	Meaning	Common supporting references
responsive-html	scrollable or interactive browser page	canvas-and-device.md, horizontal-craft/accessibility.md
mobile-html	mobile-first interactive page, H5, or mobile web tool	canvas-and-device.md, horizontal-craft/state-coverage.md, horizontal-craft/form-validation.md
html-slide-deck	one-screen-at-a-time HTML presentation	deck.md, design-templates/, canvas-and-device.md
fixed-image	fixed-size export surface for social card, cover, poster, long image, or image export	social-card.md, canvas-and-device.md
design-system-spec	reusable DESIGN.md / tokens / component rules	design-system-generation.md
package	ZIP/PDF/PPTX/image/export handoff	export.md

Do not create a separate canvas, web-page, or slide-runtime route file. Use the artifact skill plus output_target.

Info-explanation routing rule: if the user asks to organize, explain, map, compare, visualize, or clarify a fixed body of information, do not treat it as a generic content page by default. Route to info-interactive.md unless the requested carrier is clearly an article, deck, social image, or product prototype.

Style Routing (decide how a style cue is handled)

A request often carries a style cue. Before reaching for a reference library, classify the cue — most cues are NOT a reference lookup. This prevents two failure modes: treating a plain adjective as a library lookup, and confusing "read a spec" with "write a spec".

The user's style cue is…	Treat it as…	Where it goes
an adjective / vibe ("simple", "clean", "科技感", "简洁", "高级感") on an interface scene (prototype, info-interactive, web tool, dashboard/admin)	a style lookup	match it to design-systems/style-skills via the mood tags in that folder's index.json, and adopt the closest style skill as the UI base — interface scenes should lean on a mature UI system, not freeform taste
an adjective / vibe on a creative scene (landing, portfolio, campaign, social card, content)	a creative direction	feed it into Creative Context / Design Read; design original. May reference a library system's character, but is not required to adopt one (see Design Read source line)
a named brand ("Apple style", "like Stripe", "苹果风格") — any scene	a brand reference	skills/design/design-system-reference.md → design-systems/brand-inspiration/ (website/brand-level; read that brand's DESIGN.md)
a named style skill ("use the minimal style", "atelier-zero")	a style skill	skills/design/design-system-reference.md → design-systems/style-skills/
an existing system to follow (uploaded DESIGN.md, screenshots, prior artifact, "match our product")	a provided reference	skills/design/design-system-reference.md (consistency with the given source)
"extract / define / produce a reusable DESIGN.md"	a generation task	design-system-generation.md

Key distinctions:

• Scene decides whether a vibe word hits the library. On interface scenes (prototype / interactive / tool / dashboard), a vibe word like "科技感 / 简洁" SHOULD resolve to a style-skill via mood tags — the UI maturity of a real system is the point. On creative scenes (landing / portfolio / campaign), the same word is a creative direction, not a forced library lookup.
• Brand word always hits brand-inspiration. A named brand ("like Stripe") loads the website/brand-level reference regardless of scene — these are official/brand looks, the right fit for marketing/creative pages.
• Read vs write a DESIGN.md. "Apple style for this page" READS design-systems/brand-inspiration/apple as a reference; the deliverable stays the page's form. Only "turn this into a reusable DESIGN.md" WRITES a new spec and uses design-system-generation.md.

A style cue never changes the primary artifact skill: "an Apple-style landing page" is still landing-page.md, with Apple as a reference.

Scene-based default when the cue is just a vibe word (not a brand, not a named system):

• Interface scene (prototype / interactive / tool / dashboard) → resolve it to a style-skills entry via mood tags; lean on that UI system.
• Creative scene (landing / portfolio / campaign / card / content) → treat as creative direction; design original, optionally referencing a system's character.
• No cue at all + interface/restrained scene → still don't leave it to freeform taste: pick a style-skills baseline via the Mature System Fallback rather than inventing UI from scratch.

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Artifact Skill Notes

Each artifact's "use when" is in the Primary Routing table above; each skill file states its own goal. Only the cross-skill boundaries that the table can't show are noted here:

• prototype.md absorbs dashboards/admin (with a dashboard focus) and apps (platform: mobile, usually mobile-html) until dedicated skills exist.
• social-card.md vs content-page.md — social cards, covers, fixed-image cards, Xiaohongshu/RED, WeChat/Douyin covers, screenshot explainer cards, KPI cards, quote cards, and long-image card sequences go to social-card.md. content-page.md is for linear reading pages. Only do both if the request explicitly asks for a reading page and a social cover/card.
• content-page.md vs info-interactive.md — reading → content-page.md; understanding / mapping / explaining / comparing / filtering / visualizing → info-interactive.md. If the user says “梳理一下”, “做成图解”, “讲清楚”, “做个流程图”, “架构图”, “关系图”, “时间线”, “对比页”, or asks to explore/filter a fixed body of information, prefer info-interactive.md, even when the final artifact is mostly static HTML/SVG rather than heavily interactive.
• info-interactive.md boundaries — vs prototype: explains information rather than demonstrating a product; vs dashboard: a fixed body of information rather than live/system data; vs deck/social-card: if the carrier is explicitly slides or social images, use that carrier skill plus horizontal-craft/visual-explanation.md.

Other Design Scenarios

The active artifact skills are the Primary Routing table above. Reference/system files: design-system-reference.md, design-system-generation.md, export.md, quality-gate.md, canvas-and-device.md, and horizontal-craft/* (load per the trigger matrix in § Execution essentials — that matrix is the single source for when to read each).

Not-yet-existing artifact skills:

• dashboard.md — until then, prototype.md with a dashboard focus
• mobile-app.md — not needed while app = prototype.md + platform: mobile
• poster — until then, use social-card.md or the nearest fixed-image skill

If the exact artifact skill is missing, use the closest available one; note the gap only when it affects execution.

3. Build well — execution, quality, references

怎么把它做好：执行要点、质量默认、HTML 结构，以及按需调用的参考/设计系统。

Execution essentials

The top-of-file flow covers what to do. This adds the three things it doesn't spell out: which references to load, the delivery checks, and web-project delivery.

Load a reference only when its trigger is present

This is the single source for "what to read when". Default to reading none; pull 1–3 relevant files per task.

quality-gate.md                              → every generated / major-edited HTML artifact (mandatory)
canvas-and-device.md                         → fixed canvas, device/phone/tablet/desktop preview, deck canvas, social card, long image, export size, fixed aspect ratio
design-system-reference.md                   → a brand / style / template / DESIGN.md reference exists; OR no style direction is provided for product/interface-heavy artifacts where a mature baseline improves consistency
horizontal-craft/color.md                    → no design system or color direction is underspecified
horizontal-craft/accessibility.md            → interactive or publish-ready artifacts; also checked in quality gate
horizontal-craft/animation-discipline.md     → motion, transitions, scroll effects, or animated storytelling
horizontal-craft/form-validation.md          → forms, inputs, validation, submission, signup, checkout, or settings surfaces
horizontal-craft/laws-of-ux.md               → pricing, onboarding, dashboards, H5 tools, conversion flows, or interaction-heavy artifacts
horizontal-craft/icon-system.md              → any UI / feature / nav / status icon, pictogram, icon-like mark
horizontal-craft/chinese-typography.md       → substantial Chinese text / Chinese reading comfort (apply its Mandatory Runtime Baseline)
  → reference/title-and-breaking.md          → title / cover / PPT / XHS heading line breaks
  → reference/punctuation.md                 → punctuation-heavy long Chinese copy
  → reference/text-detail.md                 → font size / line height / spacing / paragraph rhythm
  → reference/fonts.md                        → font selection, formal report typography
horizontal-craft/state-coverage.md           → product / dashboard / form / tool / H5 / data / prototype surfaces
horizontal-craft/data-integrity.md           → metrics, charts, tables, rankings, percentages, or claims
horizontal-craft/link-and-proof.md           → links, CTAs, citations, client logos, testimonials, proof claims
horizontal-craft/visual-explanation.md       → flowcharts, architecture/system maps, timelines, relationship diagrams, process diagrams, comparison visuals, charts, maps, explorable models, or any visual explanation component
horizontal-craft/technique-library.md        → an effect beyond plain CSS would serve the goal (motion / 3D / data-viz)

Reading a reference is not enough — the rules must actually change the artifact. Don't claim a gate was applied unless the HTML/CSS/JS really contains the implementation.

Before delivery (blocking)

[ ] quality-gate.md executed as a blocking checklist (not passive reference)
[ ] :focus-visible present for interactive artifacts; reduced-motion when motion exists
[ ] required data markers / Design Compliance comment present and matching the real code
[ ] no fake proof, emoji-as-icons, dead links, placeholder logic, or missing assets

If a gate can't pass, fix the artifact or explicitly flag the unresolved issue — never silently ignore it.

Web entry handoff

After the delivery checks pass, hand off to skills/version-management/SKILL.md only when the deliverable includes an entry frontend file (.html, .jsx, .tsx, .vue). This trigger is output type, not scenario name — it applies even if a skill/template says to output inline HTML or a standalone file. That skill owns project paths, assets, version records, and version surfacing; skip it for specs, images, documents, PPTX, JSON, or export packages.

Built-In Quality Defaults

All design artifacts must avoid generic AI-generated defaults and remain credible, structured, accessible, and editable. In particular, do not reach for generic gradient / card-grid / bento / rounded-card defaults as an automatic style — choose form deliberately (see horizontal-craft/anti-ai-slop.md).

The credibility, accessibility, and integrity checks (no fake proof, no emoji-as-icons, no dead links, no placeholder logic, focus/reduced-motion) are enforced by the Before delivery checklist above and quality-gate.md — not repeated here.

Use canvas-and-device.md when sizing, viewport, export ratio, or device-frame constraints matter.

HTML Artifact Structure

Structure generated HTML for future edits — stable section ids / data attributes:

<section id="hero" data-section="hero">      <!-- pages: hero/work/about/contact -->
<section class="slide" data-slide="cover">   <!-- decks -->
<section data-screen="dashboard">            <!-- prototypes: + data-state, data-component -->

• keep sections / slides / screens / components / states identifiable for selected-region edits
• prefer readable semantic HTML; don't hide content in opaque generated blobs
• label placeholder content as placeholder; no dead href="#" in publish-ready artifacts unless marked

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Chinese Typography Execution Rule

With substantial Chinese text, apply horizontal-craft/chinese-typography.md — the Mandatory Runtime Baseline for normal artifacts; baseline + the Reference Escalation Matrix files for typography-heavy ones. Don't block normal generation on reading every reference. Don't claim Chinese typography was applied unless the CSS makes concrete decisions for: font stack, display strategy, font size, line-height, measure/max-width, letter-spacing, paragraph rhythm, punctuation, mixed CN-Latin-number handling.

Design System Reference Skill

Use design-system-reference.md when: the user selects a style skill or preset template; names a public brand as inspiration; asks to follow a mature/open-source design system; provides screenshots/code/brand rules/components/tokens/prior artifacts; the output should stay consistent with an existing product or uploaded DESIGN.md; OR no style direction is given and the artifact is product/interface-heavy enough to benefit from a mature baseline.

Do not use the mature-system fallback for expressive/editorial/social artifacts unless asked. Reference libraries: design-systems/style-skills/, design-systems/brand-inspiration/, design-systems/INDEX.md. Load only the most relevant reference, never all.

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Template Rule

Templates are structure seeds, not a routing layer — but checking them is a default step (The flow §1.5), not only when asked. After the artifact skill is chosen, scan design-templates/INDEX.md by carrier + scenario; a clear match → adopt as the starting point (usually better than from scratch). An explicit user selection is high-priority unless it conflicts with the brief/platform.

When adapting a template: preserve useful structure/behavior; replace placeholders with real or inferred content; remove sections that don't serve the goal (don't fill them with fake content); adapt style, copy, density, pacing; keep it editable; prefer local edits over full rewrites; still apply the scenario skill + horizontal craft even if the template has similar rules.

Selection order: pick artifact skill → use design-templates/TEMPLATE-ROUTER.md to decide if a template applies → read only the selected template's SKILL.md → read its pattern.html only if the markdown lacks structural detail, and then extract layout rhythm / section relationships / responsive / interaction only (never copy DOM, class names, tokens, placeholder text, or styling wholesale). If nothing matches, use the artifact skill directly — never force a template. Use design-templates/ as the only template layer; the template is a starting pattern, not the final answer.

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Public Brand References

When the user names a public brand (Apple, Stripe, Linear, Notion, Airbnb, Nike, 小红书…): treat as inspiration, not an official design system; extract high-level qualities (mood, restraint, density, typography, interaction feel, content structure); create an original design; don't copy proprietary layouts, logos, assets, branded UI; don't claim an official design system unless the user provides one.

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Open-Source Design Systems

When the user explicitly asks for an open-source design system: use it per its public docs and license; prefer official components/tokens/patterns and real component APIs; respect attribution/license; don't confuse it with the company's private brand or internal product UI. ("Use Ant Design components" = Ant's public component system, not Ant Group's proprietary brand.)

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Technique Library

horizontal-craft/technique-library.md is a reference of advanced front-end techniques (motion, 3D, data-viz) and when each helps — not a routing target (a user asks for "a landing page with rich scroll storytelling", never "a GSAP"). When a scenario needs an effect beyond plain CSS, consult it for the right technique and when-to-use. Default to simple CSS; escalate only when the effect serves comprehension/emotion/goal, always with reduced-motion; never for novelty. If the deliverable's purpose is expressing information, route to info-interactive.md and use the techniques there.

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Reference Priority

Use references in this order (closer to the user's actual project = higher priority):

1. current selected object / artifact state · 2. user DESIGN.md · 3. user-selected template · 4. user content/screenshots/assets/HTML · 5. existing project styles/components/prior artifacts · 6. selected style skill or brand inspiration · 7. open-source design system explicitly requested · 8. mature baseline for product/interface-heavy artifacts with no style direction · 9. common scenario patterns · 10. general design knowledge · 11. model freeform taste.

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Design System Generation Skill

Use design-system-generation.md only when the user wants to import, extract, normalize, generate, or persist a reusable DESIGN.md — Import Mode (existing DESIGN.md/guideline), Extraction Mode (HTML/screenshot/template/CSS/page), or Persistence Mode (preserve current artifact's visual language). Don't run it by default for a first draft.

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4. Deliver & wrap up

Web entry / version management (single rule)

After quality-gate.md passes, run skills/version-management/SKILL.md iff the deliverable includes an entry frontend file (.html, .jsx, .tsx, .vue). The trigger is output type, not scenario — it applies even if a skill/template says to output inline HTML, Desktop, or a standalone file. That skill owns project path, assets, git, metadata, and the user-visible version card; a project only pasted in chat or saved to workspace root is not delivered. Skip it for image-only, document, PPTX, JSON, DESIGN.md-only, or export-package tasks with no new editable web entry. Don't restate its mechanics here.

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Export Skill

Use export.md when the user asks to export, download, package, hand off, or convert the artifact. Targets: standalone HTML, ZIP, image/screenshot, PDF, PPTX, JSON/metadata, design spec, DESIGN.md package. Export must preserve the current artifact state — don't silently redesign during export.

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IP and Content Boundaries

Don't recreate copyrighted/proprietary designs. If asked to recreate a company's distinctive UI, branded elements, logos, or assets, refuse unless the user provides authorization or owned materials — instead create an original that captures high-level qualities without copying protected expression. Preserve license notices when exporting vendored third-party templates/assets.

Don't add scope without permission (ask before adding sections/pages the user didn't request, unless required for coherence). Don't pad with filler. (Scope/filler ≠ content depth: within the requested scope, still fill a full plausible scaffold per Default Assumption Policy. "Add scope" = inventing unrequested pages; "filler" = meaningless padding; fleshing out the requested page is expected.)

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Output Expectations

Artifacts should be usable, structured, editable, traceable when useful, exportable when requested. Preserve enough structure for later page/section/slide/screen/component/parameter edits, selected-region comments, DESIGN.md extraction, export, and version comparison. Don't produce throwaway unstructured output when the user is likely to iterate.

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Edit Handling

Selected-region comment edits: use the region context as the primary target — prefer local edits over rewrites, preserve unrelated sections, apply only to the selected target unless told otherwise; if ambiguous, choose the safest local edit or ask one concise question.

Local parameter edits (color, spacing, radius, density, type scale, layout variant, device preview): may be handled by deterministic local tools — don't invoke a model skill unless the change affects design intent, content structure, or visual direction.

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Handoff

After selecting the primary path, read the corresponding artifact skill before generating/editing/exporting. INDEX.md is the directory map (don't duplicate the file list here; runtime routing lives in this SKILL.md, directory discovery in INDEX.md). If a skill file doesn't exist yet, proceed on this router's principles and note the gap only if it affects execution.