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erichowens/some_claude_skills · updated Apr 8, 2026

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$npx skills add https://github.com/erichowens/some_claude_skills --skill web-design-expert
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summary

Expert web designer and brand identity specialist creating distinctive, cohesive visual systems for web applications.

skill.md

Web Design Expert

Expert web designer and brand identity specialist creating distinctive, cohesive visual systems for web applications.

When to Use This Skill

Use for:

  • Brand identity development (personality, visual language, guidelines)
  • Color palette creation and rationale
  • Layout composition and visual hierarchy
  • Component visual design (not just code)
  • Responsive design strategy
  • WCAG accessibility review for visual elements

Do NOT use for:

  • Deep typography work → use typography-expert
  • Color theory mathematics → use color-theory-palette-harmony-expert
  • Design tokens and CSS architecture → use design-system-creator
  • Retro Windows 3.1 → use windows-3-1-web-designer
  • Native app design → use native-app-designer

Core Design Process

1. Discovery (Critical First Step)

BUSINESS CONTEXT:
- What is the primary goal?
- Who is the target audience?
- What action should users take?
- Who are competitors?

BRAND PERSONALITY:
- If this brand were a person, how would they dress?
- Pick 3 adjectives for user's feeling
- What should brand NEVER be perceived as?

2. Visual Direction (Provide 2-3 Concepts)

Each concept includes:

  • Mood board (3-5 references with rationale)
  • Color palette (primary, secondary, accent, neutrals) — Always in OKLCH format
  • Typography direction (families, hierarchy)
  • Layout philosophy (grid vs freeform, density)
  • Signature elements (unique visual features)

OKLCH: The Modern Color Standard

⚠️ All color palettes must use OKLCH, not hex or HSL.

OKLCH is the 2024+ standard for professional web design because:

  • Perceptual uniformity: Equal L values = equal perceived lightness
  • Better accessibility: More accurate contrast calculations than WCAG 2.x hex
  • Predictable scaling: Math works (L=50% + 20% = L=70% that looks right)
/* OKLCH format: oklch(Lightness% Chroma Hue) */
--brand-primary: oklch(55% 0.22 265);    /* Vibrant blue */
--brand-accent: oklch(75% 0.18 45);      /* Warm orange */
--text-primary: oklch(20% 0.02 265);     /* Near-black */
--bg-surface: oklch(98% 0.01 265);       /* Near-white */

Essential OKLCH Resources:

Resource Purpose
oklch.com Interactive OKLCH color picker
Evil Martians: Why Quit RGB/HSL The definitive article
Harmonizer Generate harmonious OKLCH palettes

When presenting color palettes:

Primary: oklch(55% 0.22 265) — Vibrant blue, strong CTA presence
Secondary: oklch(70% 0.08 265) — Muted blue, supporting elements
Accent: oklch(75% 0.18 45) — Warm orange, attention-grabbing

Never present palettes as #3b82f6 — always convert to OKLCH.

3. Design Principles

Hierarchy: Most important element immediately obvious? Eye flows naturally?

Consistency: Same colors mean same things? Spacing follows scale?

Common Anti-Patterns

Design by Committee

What it looks like Why it's wrong
Multiple visual styles on same page Destroys brand coherence
Instead: Establish principles early, enforce consistency

Decoration Over Function

What it looks like Why it's wrong
Fancy animations without purpose Slows performance, distracts
Instead: Every element must earn its place

Ignoring the Fold

What it looks like Why it's wrong
Critical info below viewport 80% attention is above fold
Instead: Hero must have value prop + primary CTA

Low Contrast Text

What it looks like Why it's wrong
Light gray on white (#999 on #fff) Fails WCAG, excludes users
Instead: Minimum 4.5:1 contrast ratio

Mobile as Afterthought

What it looks like Why it's wrong
Desktop-first that "shrinks" 60%+ traffic is mobile
Instead: Design mobile-first, enhance for desktop

Design Trend Evolution

Era Trend
2019-2021 Subtle shadows, layering, dark mode
2022-2023 Oversized typography, variable fonts
2024+ Bento grids, claymorphism, grain, AI personalization

Watch For (dated patterns LLMs may suggest):

  • Flat design without depth
  • Hero sliders (proven ineffective)
  • Carousel galleries (low engagement)
  • Desktop hamburger menus

Output Deliverables

  1. Brand Identity Guide: Colors, typography, voice, do's/don'ts
  2. Design Specifications: Spacing, radius, shadows, animation timing
  3. Component Examples: Buttons, forms, cards, navigation (all states)
  4. Responsive Guidelines: Breakpoints, layout changes, touch targets

MCP Tools

Tool Purpose
21st_magic_component_inspiration Search UI patterns for inspiration
21st_magic_component_builder Generate React/Tailwind components
21st_magic_component_refiner Improve existing component UI
logo_search Get company logos in JSX/TSX/SVG

Integration with Other Skills

  • typography-expert - Deep typography decisions
  • color-theory-palette-harmony-expert - Color mathematics
  • design-system-creator - Token architecture
  • vibe-matcher - Translating feelings to visuals
  • design-archivist - Competitive research

Reference Files

File Contents
references/layout-systems.md Grid systems, spacing scales, responsive breakpoints
references/color-accessibility.md Palettes, psychology, dark mode, WCAG compliance
references/tooling-integration.md 21st.dev, Figma MCP, component workflows

The best design is invisible until you notice its excellence.

how to use web-design-expert

How to use web-design-expert on Cursor

AI-first code editor with Composer

1

Prerequisites

Before installing skills in Cursor, ensure your development environment meets these requirements:

  • ›Cursor installed and configured on your development machine
  • ›Node.js version 16.0+ with npm package manager (verify with node --version)
  • ›Active project directory or workspace where you want to add web-design-expert
2

Execute installation command

Execute the skills CLI command in your project's root directory to begin installation:

$npx skills add https://github.com/erichowens/some_claude_skills --skill web-design-expert

The skills CLI fetches web-design-expert from GitHub repository erichowens/some_claude_skills and configures it for Cursor.

3

Select Cursor when prompted

The CLI will show a list of available agents. Use arrow keys to navigate and space to select Cursor:

◆ Which agents do you want to install to?
│
│ ── Universal (.agents/skills) ── always included ────
│ • Amp
│ • Antigravity
│ • Cline
│ • Codex
│ ●Cursor(selected)
│ • Cursor
│ • Windsurf
4

Verify installation

Confirm successful installation by checking the skill directory location:

.cursor/skills/web-design-expert

Reload or restart Cursor to activate web-design-expert. Access the skill through slash commands (e.g., /web-design-expert) or your agent's skill management interface.

⚠

Security & Verification Notice

We perform automated surface-level scans (Gen AI Scanner, Socket, Snyk) during installation. These checks detect common vulnerabilities but do not guarantee complete security. Always review skill source code and verify the publisher's reputation before production use.

Skills execute code in your development environment. Always verify the publisher's identity, review recent commits, and test in isolated environments before production deployment.

Additional Resources

›View source code on GitHub›Skills CLI documentation›Learn more about Cursor›What are agent skills?

List & Monetize Your Skill

Submit your Claude Code skill and start earning

GET_STARTED →

Use Cases▌

Task Automation & Efficiency

Automate repetitive workflows and reduce manual effort

Example

Generate reports, summarize documents, draft communications

✓

Save 3-5 hours per week on routine tasks

Knowledge Enhancement

Learn new skills, understand complex topics, get expert guidance

Example

Explain concepts, provide examples, suggest learning resources

✓

Accelerate learning and skill development by 2x

Quality Improvement

Enhance output quality through reviews, suggestions, and refinements

Example

Review drafts, suggest improvements, catch errors

✓

Improve work quality by 30-40% with less effort

Implementation Guide▌

Prerequisites

  • ›Claude Desktop or compatible AI client with skill support
  • ›Clear understanding of task or problem to solve
  • ›Willingness to iterate and refine outputs

Time Estimate

15-45 minutes depending on use case complexity

Installation Steps

  1. 1.Install skill using provided installation command
  2. 2.Test with simple use case relevant to your work
  3. 3.Evaluate output quality and relevance
  4. 4.Iterate on prompts to improve results
  5. 5.Integrate into regular workflow if valuable

Common Pitfalls

  • ⚠Expecting perfect results without iteration
  • ⚠Not providing enough context in prompts
  • ⚠Using skill for tasks outside its intended scope
  • ⚠Accepting outputs without review and validation

Best Practices▌

✓ Do

  • +Start with clear, specific prompts
  • +Provide relevant context and constraints
  • +Review and refine all outputs before using
  • +Iterate to improve output quality
  • +Document successful prompt patterns

✗ Don't

  • −Don't use without understanding skill limitations
  • −Don't skip validation of outputs
  • −Don't share sensitive information in prompts
  • −Don't expect skill to replace human judgment

💡 Pro Tips

  • ★Be specific about desired format and style
  • ★Ask for multiple options to choose from
  • ★Request explanations to understand reasoning
  • ★Combine AI efficiency with human expertise

When to Use This▌

✓ Use When

Use when skill capabilities match your task, clear ROI on time saved, and you can validate outputs. Best for repetitive tasks, learning, and quality improvement.

✗ Avoid When

Avoid when task requires deep expertise you can't validate, involves sensitive decisions, or when learning process is more valuable than speed of completion.

Learning Path▌

  1. 1Familiarize yourself with skill capabilities and limitations
  2. 2Start with low-risk, non-critical tasks
  3. 3Progress to more complex and valuable use cases
  4. 4Build expertise through regular use and experimentation

Discussion

Product Hunt–style comments (not star reviews)
  • No comments yet — start the thread.
general reviews

Ratings

4.8★★★★★35 reviews
  • ★★★★★Dhruvi Jain· Dec 20, 2024

    Registry listing for web-design-expert matched our evaluation — installs cleanly and behaves as described in the markdown.

  • ★★★★★Oshnikdeep· Nov 11, 2024

    web-design-expert reduced setup friction for our internal harness; good balance of opinion and flexibility.

  • ★★★★★Ganesh Mohane· Oct 2, 2024

    I recommend web-design-expert for anyone iterating fast on agent tooling; clear intent and a small, reviewable surface area.

  • ★★★★★Amelia Desai· Sep 21, 2024

    web-design-expert has been reliable in day-to-day use. Documentation quality is above average for community skills.

  • ★★★★★Rahul Santra· Sep 13, 2024

    Solid pick for teams standardizing on skills: web-design-expert is focused, and the summary matches what you get after install.

  • ★★★★★Camila Iyer· Sep 5, 2024

    web-design-expert reduced setup friction for our internal harness; good balance of opinion and flexibility.

  • ★★★★★Xiao Menon· Aug 24, 2024

    I recommend web-design-expert for anyone iterating fast on agent tooling; clear intent and a small, reviewable surface area.

  • ★★★★★Dev Menon· Aug 12, 2024

    Keeps context tight: web-design-expert is the kind of skill you can hand to a new teammate without a long onboarding doc.

  • ★★★★★Dev Park· Aug 12, 2024

    Useful defaults in web-design-expert — fewer surprises than typical one-off scripts, and it plays nicely with `npx skills` flows.

  • ★★★★★Pratham Ware· Aug 4, 2024

    We added web-design-expert from the explainx registry; install was straightforward and the SKILL.md answered most questions upfront.

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