frontend-design

Commit to a BOLD aesthetic direction: • Purpose: What problem does this interface solve? Who uses it? • Tone: Pick an extreme: brutally minimal, maximalist chaos, retro-futuristic, organic/natural, luxury/refined, playful/toy-like, editorial/magazine, brutalist/raw, art deco/geometric, soft/pastel, industrial/utilitarian, etc. There are so many flavors to choose from. Use these for inspiration but design one that is true to the aesthetic direction. • Constraints: Technical requirements (framework, performance, accessibility). • Differentiation: What makes this UNFORGETTABLE? What's the one thing someone will remember? CRITICAL: Choose a clear conceptual direction and execute it with precision. Bold maximalism and refined minimalism both work—the key is intentionality, not intensity. Then implement working code that is: • Production-grade and functional • Visually striking and memorable • Cohesive with a clear aesthetic point-of-view • Meticulously refined in every detail

→ Consult typography reference for scales, pairing, and loading strategies. Choose fonts that are beautiful, unique, and interesting. Pair a distinctive display font with a refined body font. DO: Use a modular type scale with fluid sizing (clamp) DO: Vary font weights and sizes to create clear visual hierarchy DON'T: Use overused fonts—Inter, Roboto, Arial, Open Sans, system defaults DON'T: Use monospace typography as lazy shorthand for "technical/developer" vibes DON'T: Put large icons with rounded corners above every heading—they rarely add value and make sites look templated

→ Consult color reference for OKLCH, palettes, and dark mode. Commit to a cohesive palette. Dominant colors with sharp accents outperform timid, evenly-distributed palettes. DO: Use modern CSS color functions (oklch, color-mix, light-dark) for perceptually uniform, maintainable palettes DO: Tint your neutrals toward your brand hue—even a subtle hint creates subconscious cohesion DON'T: Use gray text on colored backgrounds—it looks washed out; use a shade of the background color instead DON'T: Use pure black (#000) or pure white (#fff)—always tint; pure black/white never appears in nature DON'T: Use the AI color palette: cyan-on-dark, purple-to-blue gradients, neon accents on dark backgrounds DON'T: Use gradient text for "impact"—especially on metrics or headings; it's decorative rather than meaningful DON'T: Default to dark mode with glowing accents—it looks "cool" without requiring actual design decisions

→ Consult spatial reference for grids, rhythm, and container queries. Create visual rhythm through varied spacing—not the same padding everywhere. Embrace asymmetry and unexpected compositions. Break the grid intentionally for emphasis. DO: Create visual rhythm through varied spacing—tight groupings, generous separations DO: Use fluid spacing with clamp() that breathes on larger screens DO: Use asymmetry and unexpected compositions; break the grid intentionally for emphasis DON'T: Wrap everything in cards—not everything needs a container DON'T: Nest cards inside cards—visual noise, flatten the hierarchy DON'T: Use identical card grids—same-sized cards with icon + heading + text, repeated endlessly DON'T: Use the hero metric layout template—big number, small label, supporting stats, gradient accent DON'T: Center everything—left-aligned text with asymmetric layouts feels more designed DON'T: Use the same spacing everywhere—without rhythm, layouts feel monotonous