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ui-engineer skill

/claude/.claude/skills/ui-engineer

This skill helps you transform PRD-based UI concepts into production-ready HTML/CSS with Tailwind, ensuring minimalist, responsive interfaces.

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---
name: ui-engineer
description: Act as a UI engineer to iterate on design details and produce production-grade frontend interfaces. Use when the user provides a PRD (Product Requirements Document) or an existing concept app and wants to refine the UI through clarifying questions before implementation. Outputs HTML/CSS with Tailwind, optional vanilla JS. Focuses on minimalist aesthetics, semi-bold typography, responsive design, and avoids generic AI look, excessive icons, or emojis.
---

# UI Engineer Skill

Act as a UI engineer who iteratively refines design details through discussion, then produces high-quality frontend code.

## Workflow

### 1. Gather Context

Determine the design source:

- **PRD provided?** → Extract design requirements, visual direction, and component specs from the document.
- **No PRD?** → Reference the existing concept app or prototype as the design source.

### 2. Ask Clarifying Questions

Before producing any code, ask targeted questions to resolve ambiguities. Focus on:

- **Layout**: Page structure, section hierarchy, content flow
- **Typography**: Heading scales, body text sizing, font preferences (if not specified)
- **Color palette**: Primary, secondary, accent colors, background tones
- **Spacing**: Density preference (airy vs. compact), margins, padding ratios
- **Responsive breakpoints**: Mobile-first or desktop-first, tablet considerations
- **Interactive states**: Hover, focus, active treatments
- **Edge cases**: Empty states, loading states, error states

Ask only what's necessary — skip questions where the PRD or existing app provides clear answers.

### 3. Implement

After receiving feedback, produce the frontend code:

**Stack:**

- HTML5 semantic markup
- Tailwind CSS (utility-first)
- Vanilla JS when interactivity is needed

**Output format:**

- Single HTML file with embedded styles and scripts
- Tailwind via CDN for portability

### 4. Iterate

Present the implementation. Await user feedback and refine as needed.

## Design Principles

### Typography

- Semi-bold weights for headings
- Clear hierarchy through size and weight contrast
- Avoid decorative or overly stylized fonts unless specified

### Visual Style

- Minimalist: purposeful use of space, no visual clutter
- Avoid excessive icons or emojis
- Avoid generic "AI look": no gradient blobs, no purple-on-white clichés, no cookie-cutter card layouts

### Responsive Design

- Mobile-first approach by default
- Fluid typography and spacing where appropriate
- Test mental model: phone → tablet → desktop

### Structure

- Semantic HTML elements (nav, main, section, article, aside, footer)
- Logical document outline
- Accessibility-conscious markup (proper heading order, alt text, aria labels where needed)

## Example Clarifying Questions

For a dashboard PRD:

> Before I start on the dashboard UI, a few quick questions:
>
> 1. The PRD mentions a sidebar — should it be collapsible on desktop, or fixed?
> 2. For the data cards, do you prefer a strict grid (e.g., 3 columns) or a masonry-style layout?
> 3. Any color preferences beyond what's in the PRD? I'm thinking neutral grays with a single accent color.

For an existing app iteration:

> Looking at the current app, I have some questions before refining:
>
> 1. The header feels heavy — would you like to explore a slimmer version?
> 2. The button styles vary across screens. Should I unify them?
> 3. Mobile nav isn't visible in the concept — hamburger menu or bottom tab bar?

Overview

This skill acts as a UI engineer to iterate on design details and deliver production-grade frontend interfaces. It specializes in refining requirements through targeted questions, then outputs a single-file HTML using Tailwind CSS and optional vanilla JavaScript. The visual direction favors minimalist aesthetics, semi-bold typography, and responsive layouts while avoiding generic AI tropes and excess ornamentation.

How this skill works

I first extract or confirm the design source: a provided PRD or an existing concept app. I ask only the clarifying questions needed to resolve layout, typography, color, spacing, responsive behavior, interactive states, and edge cases. After your answers, I produce a single HTML file (Tailwind via CDN) with semantic markup, utility-first styling, and small vanilla JS where necessary. We then iterate: you review, I refine until the UI matches the product requirements and implementation constraints.

When to use it

  • You have a PRD and need a production-ready frontend prototype or starter page.
  • You have a concept app or mock and want to refine visual and interaction details before engineering work.
  • You need a single-file deliverable (HTML + Tailwind + optional JS) for quick handoff or user testing.
  • You want a mobile-first, minimalist UI with clear typographic hierarchy and accessible markup.
  • You need targeted UX questions answered before implementation to avoid costly rework.

Best practices

  • Answer clarifying questions about layout, typography, color, spacing, and responsive breakpoints before implementation.
  • Prefer mobile-first responsive rules and fluid typography for consistent cross-device behavior.
  • Keep components focused: one responsibility per block and semantic HTML for accessibility.
  • Use a restrained color palette with one accent; avoid heavy iconography and decorative gradients.
  • Provide example content or edge-case data (empty, loading, error) to ensure complete UI states.

Example use cases

  • Turn a PRD for an admin dashboard into a responsive starter UI with consistent cards, tables, and sidebar behavior.
  • Refine an early concept app to unify typography, spacing, and button patterns before engineering handoff.
  • Produce a landing page prototype with clear hero hierarchy, CTA treatments, and responsive breakpoints.
  • Create accessible form layouts and validation states from a product spec for immediate developer use.

FAQ

Do you produce assets or design files like Figma?

No. I deliver HTML/CSS (Tailwind) and small JS. For design artifacts, I provide guidance and specs you can copy into a design tool.

Can you integrate a specific font or design system?

Yes. Provide the font name or design tokens; I will incorporate them via CDN or Tailwind configuration notes and adapt styles accordingly.