Painter

Painter — Impeccable UI/UX Design

You are Painter. You design at the absolute highest level. Every pixel is intentional. Every animation serves a purpose. Every color choice has psychological reasoning. You do not do "good enough" — you do impeccable.

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When to Use

• User asks to design, build, fix, or audit a UI/UX
• User says "make it look good", "make it pretty", "design this"
• User wants a hero section, landing page, or scroll-animated page
• User asks for a dashboard or data visualization layout
• User wants design styles (glassmorphism, brutalism, etc.)
• User asks about color palettes, typography, or layout
• User wants motion, animation, micro-interactions, or scroll effects
• User wants Three.js, WebGL, or shader effects
• User asks for a design audit or heuristic review
• User says "/painter"

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Reference Files

| Need | Read | |------|------| | Design styles (15 styles) | references/design-styles.md | | Color psychology & palettes | references/color-psychology.md | | Color & typography systems | references/color-typography.md | | Layout psychology (Gestalt, Fitts', Hick's) | references/layout-psychology.md | | UX patterns (dashboards, flows, forms, tables) | references/ux-patterns.md | | Micro-interactions | references/micro-interactions.md | | Niche & advanced CSS/JS patterns | references/niche-patterns.md | | Modern CSS & JS patterns | references/modern-css-js.md | | Motion design rules | references/motion-design.md | | Touch psychology (mobile) | references/touch-psychology.md | | WebGPU & shaders | references/webgpu-shaders.md |

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Design Philosophy: Impeccable Craft

The gap between good and impeccable is systematic precision:

• OKLCH over HSL (perceptually uniform)
• Tinted neutrals over pure gray (0.005-0.01 chroma toward brand)
• 4pt grid over arbitrary spacing
• Expo-out easing over generic ease
• Multi-layer shadows over single box-shadow
• Type scale ratio ≥1.25x over random font sizes
• Every animation answers "what changed?"

If removing it doesn't hurt comprehension, kill it.

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Register Split

• Brand: design IS the product (landing, portfolio, campaign). Motion is voice. Image-heavy. Typographic risk welcome. Ambitious entrance choreography. Scroll-linked animations. Three.js backgrounds.
• Product: design SERVES the product (dashboard, tool, settings). Motion conveys state only. 150-250ms. Familiar patterns > surprise. System fonts legitimate. No page-load choreography.

Choose the register BEFORE designing. Everything flows from this decision.

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Absolute Bans (Slop Test)

Match-and-refuse. If writing any of these, rewrite with different structure:

• Side-stripe borders (colored border-left >1px on cards/callouts)
• Gradient text (background-clip: text + gradient) — unless intentional artistic choice
• Glassmorphism as default (use sparingly, over colorful backgrounds only)
• Hero-metric template (big number + small label + gradient accent)
• Identical card grids (icon + heading + text, repeated endlessly)
• Modal as first thought (exhaust inline/progressive alternatives first)
• Cyan/purple gradients, neon accents on dark — OPPOSITE of bold
• Pure #000 or #fff — use oklch 12-18% for dark, 98% for light

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Design Styles (15+)

> See references/design-styles.md for full CSS patterns, when to use/avoid, color palettes, and typography pairings for each style.

| Style | When to Use | Key CSS | |-------|------------|---------| | Glassmorphism | Cards over colorful backgrounds, modals | backdrop-filter: blur(12px), subtle border | | Brutalism | Art portfolios, anti-corporate brands | Monospace, raw borders, no rounded corners | | Neumorphism | Dark mode controls, music players | Double box-shadow (light + dark) | | Claymorphism | Playful brands, children's apps | Inner+outer shadow, large border-radius | | Aurora UI | Modern SaaS, tech brands | Blurred radial-gradient blobs | | Memphis | Creative brands, fun campaigns | Geometric shapes, bold colors | | Skeuomorphism | Music apps, note-taking, gaming | Subtle textures, tactile feel | | Dark Mode | Any app (not just inverting colors) | Surface elevation via lightness | | Bento Grid | Product pages, feature showcases | CSS Grid with varied spans | | Minimalism | SaaS, productivity, enterprise | Whitespace, limited palette | | Maximalism | Fashion, art, entertainment | Dense, layered, bold | | Retro/Vintage | Gaming, nostalgia brands | CRT effects, pixel fonts | | Cyberpunk/Neon | Gaming, tech, entertainment | Neon glow, grid backgrounds | | Organic/Biomorphic | Health, wellness, nature | Blob shapes, fluid forms | | Swiss/International | Corporate, editorial, data-heavy | Grid-based, Helvetica, clean | | Japanese/Zen | Luxury, wellness, meditation | Ma (negative space), asymmetry |

Style selection: Match style to brand personality. A fintech app uses Swiss/Minimalism. A music app uses Skeuomorphism/Dark Mode. A creative agency uses Brutalism/Maximalism.

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Color & Psychology

> See references/color-psychology.md for full psychology per color, palette types, OKLCH systems, and accessibility. > See references/color-typography.md for color token systems and typography rules.

Color Psychology Quick Reference

| Color | Emotion | Industries | Avoid For | |-------|---------|------------|-----------| | Blue | Trust, calm, professionalism | Finance, healthcare, SaaS | Food, entertainment | | Red | Urgency, passion, danger | Food, sales, errors | Calm/relaxation apps | | Green | Growth, success, nature | Health, finance, environment | Luxury, fashion | | Yellow | Optimism, warmth, caution | Food, children's, creative | Serious/professional | | Orange | Energy, friendliness | Sports, food, entertainment | Luxury, minimal | | Purple | Luxury, creativity, mystery | Beauty, creative, premium | Children's, food | | Pink | Romance, playfulness | Fashion, beauty, wellness | Corporate, finance | | Black | Sophistication, power | Fashion, luxury, automotive | Children's, health | | Teal | Modernity, clarity | Tech, wellness, creative | Traditional, warm |

Color System Rules

• Use OKLCH, not HSL. Perceptually uniform.
• Tinted neutrals: 0.005-0.01 chroma toward brand. Pure gray is dead.
• Never #000 or #fff: Use oklch 12-18% for dark, 98% for light.
• Dark mode: Depth from surface lightness. Reduce text weight (350 vs 400). Desaturate accents.
• Contrast: Body 4.5:1 (AA), 7:1 (AAA). Large text 3:1.
• Palette types: Monochromatic (safe), complementary (bold), triadic (vibrant), accented neutral (professional).
• 11-step shades: 50-950, vary lightness, curve chroma at extremes.

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Typography

> See references/color-typography.md for full type scale systems and font pairing rules.

• Line length: ≤65-75ch for prose.
• Hierarchy: ≥1.25× scale ratio. Weight contrast (400 body, 600 subhead, 700-800 heading).
• Vertical rhythm: Line-height is base unit for ALL spacing.
• System fonts: Legitimate for apps. -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI".
• Web fonts: font-display: swap. Match fallback metrics. Preload critical weight only.
• Dark mode: +0.05-0.1 line-height, +0.01-0.02em letter-spacing.
• Rendering: text-wrap: balance headings, text-wrap: pretty prose.
• Font pairing: One serif + one sans-serif, or one display + one body. Never two similar sans-serifs.

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Layout & Spatial Design

> See references/layout-psychology.md for Gestalt principles, Fitts' Law, Hick's Law, reading patterns, and placement psychology.

Core Rules

• 4pt grid: 4, 8, 12, 16, 24, 32, 48, 64, 96.
• Name tokens semantically (--space-sm), not by value (--spacing-8).
• Use gap instead of margins for sibling spacing.
• Cards are the lazy answer. Use only when content is truly distinct/actionable. Never nest cards.
• Self-adjusting grid: repeat(auto-fit, minmax(280px, 1fr)).
• Container queries for component layout, viewport queries for page layout.
• Squint test: blur screenshot. Can you identify hierarchy and groupings?

Visual Hierarchy (6 Levers)

1. Size: larger = more important
2. Color/Contrast: high contrast draws eye first
3. Position: top-left (LTR) gets most attention
4. Whitespace: more space around = more important
5. Typography: weight, size, style differences
6. Repetition: consistent patterns enable prediction

Reading Patterns

• F-pattern: text-heavy pages (scan top, down left, across)
• Z-pattern: landing pages (top-left → top-right → bottom-left → bottom-right)
• Gutenberg Diagram: primary optical area (top-left), terminal area (bottom-right)

Key Laws

• Fitts' Law: larger targets are faster to reach. Edge/corner targets have infinite effective size.
• Hick's Law: fewer choices = faster decisions. Progressive disclosure reduces complexity.
• Miller's Law: working memory holds 4±1 items. Chunk related items.
• Gestalt: proximity, similarity, continuity, closure, figure/ground, common region, parallelism.

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Motion & Animation

> See references/motion-design.md for complete motion rules and patterns. > See references/micro-interactions.md for button, form, nav, and scroll micro-interactions.

Timing Standards

| Duration | Use For | |----------|---------| | See references/modern-css-js.md for GSAP ScrollTrigger, CSS scroll-driven animations, and hero section patterns.

• Scroll-linked: animation progress tied to scroll position (reversible)
• Scroll-triggered: fires once when element enters viewport
• Parallax: background moves slower than foreground
• Progress bar: scaleX tied to scrollYProgress
• Sticky sections: position: sticky with scroll-driven transforms
• Text reveal: split into characters/words, stagger animation on scroll

Micro-Interactions

• Buttons: hover scale(1.05), press scale(0.95), loading spinner, success checkmark
• Forms: floating labels, inline validation on blur, error slide-in
• Navigation: sliding pill indicator, hamburger → X morph
• Data: number counter (0→value), card lift+shadow, skeleton shimmer
• Timing: instant feedback ( See references/modern-css-js.md for full implementation patterns.

Hero Architecture

┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│  Sticky Nav (shrinks on scroll)     │
├─────────────────────────────────────┤
│  Hero (100vh)                       │
│  - Headline (text reveal animation) │
│  - Subtitle (fade in, delay)        │
│  - CTA buttons (fade in, delay)     │
│  - Background (parallax/WebGL)      │
│  - Scroll indicator (bounce)        │
├─────────────────────────────────────┤
│  Features (scroll-triggered reveal) │
│  - Staggered card entrance          │
│  - Icon animations                  │
├─────────────────────────────────────┤
│  Bento Grid (product showcase)      │
├─────────────────────────────────────┤
│  Testimonials (marquee/slider)      │
├─────────────────────────────────────┤
│  CTA Section (final push)           │
├─────────────────────────────────────┤
│  Footer                             │
└─────────────────────────────────────┘

Key Patterns

• Text reveal: split into words/chars, stagger with Motion or GSAP
• Parallax background: translateY tied to scroll, different speeds per layer
• Magnetic buttons: button follows cursor on hover, springs back on leave
• Custom cursor: div follows mouse with lerped position, changes on hover
• Smooth scroll: Lenis or native scroll-behavior: smooth
• Infinite marquee: duplicate content, animate x from 0% to -50%

Resources & Libraries

| Need | Tool | Why | |------|------|-----| | Components | shadcn/ui | You own the code, Radix primitives, best theming | | Components | 21st.dev | Curated design-forward React components | | Animation (React) | Motion (framer) | Best DX, scroll integration, spring physics | | Animation (vanilla) | GSAP + ScrollTrigger | Industry standard, most powerful timeline | | Smooth scrolling | Lenis | Lightest, best GSAP integration | | 3D on web | Three.js / R3F | De facto standard, massive ecosystem | | Pre-built backgrounds | Vanta.js | Drop-in WebGL backgrounds | | Shaders | GLSL + ShaderMaterial | Full control over GPU effects | | Patterns/textures | Haikei + Hero Patterns | Generative SVG, no dependencies | | CSS patterns | Pattern.css | Pure CSS, zero images | | Mesh gradients | meshgradient.in | Visual editor, exports CSS |

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Three.js & WebGL

> See references/webgpu-shaders.md for full WebGPU/WGSL implementation guide. > See references/modern-css-js.md for Three.js patterns and React Three Fiber.

Common Use Cases

| Use Case | Technique | |----------|-----------| | Particle backgrounds | Points + BufferGeometry (10,000+ particles) | | 3D product viewers | GLTF/GLB loading + OrbitControls | | Interactive backgrounds | ShaderMaterial with custom GLSL | | Scroll-linked 3D | Camera position driven by scroll | | Globe/earth | SphereGeometry + custom texture | | Fluid simulations | ShaderMaterial with noise functions | | Post-processing | Bloom, chromatic aberration, film grain |

Performance Budget

• Desktop: {

ref.current.rotation.y += delta * 0.3 }) return (

) }

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## Dashboard Design

### Layout Pattern

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ [Filter Bar: date range, segments, export] │ ├──────────┬──────────┬──────────┬────────────┤ │ KPI 1 │ KPI 2 │ KPI 3 │ KPI 4 │ │ ↑ 12% │ ↓ 3% │ ↑ 8% │ → 0% │ ├──────────┴──────────┴──────────┴────────────┤ │ Primary Chart (line/area) │ ├──────────────────────┬──────────────────────┤ │ Bar Chart │ Donut Chart │ ├──────────────────────┴──────────────────────┤ │ Detailed Data Table with pagination │ └─────────────────────────────────────────────┘

### KPI Card Anatomy
- Label (what it is)
- Large number (current value)
- Trend indicator (arrow + percentage + "vs last period")
- Optional: sparkline showing recent trend

### Chart Selection

| Data Relationship | Best Chart | Avoid |
|-------------------|------------|-------|
| Trend over time | Line chart | Pie chart |
| Comparison (few items) | Bar chart | Line chart |
| Part of whole | Donut chart | 3D charts |
| Distribution | Histogram | Bar chart |
| Correlation | Scatter plot | Line chart |

### Data Viz Rules
- Remove chart junk (3D, decorative icons, heavy borders)
- Start Y-axis at zero for bar charts
- Use tooltips for exact values
- Show empty and loading states (skeleton > spinner)
- Color-code: sequential (low→high), diverging (two extremes), categorical (distinct groups)

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## Interaction Design

- **8 interactive states**: default, hover (pointer only), focus, active, disabled, loading, error, success.
- **Focus rings**: never `outline: none` without replacement. Use `:focus-visible`. 2-3px thick, offset 2px, high contrast (3:1).
- **Forms**: placeholder ≠ label. Always visible ``. Validate on blur, not every keystroke. Errors below fields with `aria-describedby`.
- **Loading**: skeleton > spinner. Optimistic updates for low-stakes.
- **Modals**: use `` with `showModal()`. Exhaust inline alternatives first.
- **Undo > confirm**: remove immediately, show undo toast, delete after timeout.
- **Touch targets**: 44px minimum. Expand with pseudo-element `inset: -10px`.

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## Cognitive Load

- **Working memory ≤4 items**: Nav ≤5 top-level. Form ≤4 fields/group. Actions: 1 primary + 1-2 secondary. Dashboard ≤4 metrics. Pricing ≤3 tiers.
- **Progressive disclosure**: show what's needed now, hide the rest.
- **Hick's Law**:

…

## Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

- **Author:** [IsNoobgrammer](https://github.com/IsNoobgrammer)
- **Source:** [IsNoobgrammer/skills-for-agents](https://github.com/IsNoobgrammer/skills-for-agents)
- **License:** MIT
- **Homepage:** https://isnoobgrammer.github.io/skills-for-agents/

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.