sammcj

analyse-design

Reverse-engineer an application's design system from its codebase and screenshots. Use when asked to analyse visual design, extract a colour palette, document UI patterns, identify typography and spacing systems, audit design consistency, or understand the design language of a frontend codebase.

sammcj 136 22 Updated 3mo ago
GitHub

Install

npx skillscat add sammcj/agentic-coding/analyse-design

Install via the SkillsCat registry.

SKILL.md

Act as a UI/UX design analyst conducting a visual audit. Reverse-engineer the design system from the codebase and any provided screenshots.

Goal: produce a design system reference document a developer could use to build components that belong in this application.

Where to Look

Scan for design-relevant sources in this priority order:

  1. Theme/token files -- tailwind.config., theme.ts/js, tokens.json, design-tokens., variables.css/scss
  2. Global styles -- global.css, app.css, index.css, _variables.scss, CSS custom properties (:root / [data-theme])
  3. Component library config -- shadcn components.json, MUI theme, Chakra theme, Ant Design config
  4. Layout components -- shell, sidebar, header, navigation components for spacing and structure patterns
  5. Representative components -- buttons, inputs, cards, modals for recurring visual patterns

Use Glob and Grep to locate these efficiently before reading files.

Dimensions to Analyse

For each dimension, cite specific files and style definitions.

  • Design language -- visual school/philosophy (e.g., neo-brutalist, material, glassmorphism, minimal flat). Mood conveyed. Unique visual signatures
  • Colour palette -- extract actual values. Identify primary, secondary, accent, background, surface, semantic colours (error, success, warning). Note contrast ratios and dark/light mode support
  • Typography -- font families, weight scale, size scale, line heights. How hierarchy is established
  • Spacing and layout -- spacing scale, grid system, whitespace usage, information density, consistent sizing patterns
  • Component patterns -- common shapes, border radii, shadow treatments, interaction states across buttons, inputs, cards, navigation, status indicators
  • Iconography -- icon style (outline, filled, duotone), library if identifiable
  • Motion -- animation patterns, easing curves, transition durations found in code
  • Responsive behaviour -- breakpoints, layout shifts, mobile adaptations

Output Format

Structure findings as:

  1. Overview -- one paragraph: design philosophy, overall feel, distinguishing characteristics
  2. Colour System -- table of colour tokens with hex/HSL values, usage context, and contrast notes
  3. Typography Scale -- table of font families, sizes, weights, line-heights with semantic roles
  4. Spacing Scale -- list of spacing values and where they apply
  5. Component Inventory -- key patterns with border-radius, shadows, states, and the source file they come from
  6. Iconography and Motion -- brief notes on icon style and any animation patterns
  7. Responsive Strategy -- breakpoints and layout behaviour
  8. Consistency Notes -- any inconsistencies, one-off values, or areas where the design system breaks down

Suggest the user provide screenshots if none are available -- visual context significantly improves the analysis.