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Frontend Design

Create distinctive, production-grade frontend interfaces with high design quality

anthropic January 14, 2025

This skill guides creation of distinctive, production-grade frontend interfaces that avoid generic "AI slop" aesthetics. Implement real working code with exceptional attention to aesthetic details and creative choices.

Design Thinking

Before coding, understand the context and commit to a BOLD aesthetic direction:

  • Purpose: What problem does this interface solve? Who uses it?
  • Tone: Pick an extreme aesthetic approach (minimalist, maximalist, retro-futuristic, organic, luxury, playful, editorial, brutalist, art deco, soft/pastel, industrial, etc.)
  • Constraints: Technical requirements (framework, performance, accessibility)
  • Differentiation: "What makes this UNFORGETTABLE? What's the one thing someone will remember?"

Frontend Aesthetics Guidelines

Focus on:

  • Typography: Choose distinctive, characterful fonts. Avoid generic options; pair compelling display fonts with refined body fonts.
  • Color & Theme: Commit to cohesive aesthetics. Use CSS variables for consistency. Dominant colors with sharp accents outperform timid palettes.
  • Motion: Use animations for effects and micro-interactions. Orchestrate page load reveals with staggered animations.
  • Spatial Composition: Employ unexpected layouts, asymmetry, overlap, diagonal flow, and generous negative space.
  • Backgrounds & Visual Details: Create atmosphere through gradient meshes, noise textures, geometric patterns, layered transparencies.

What to Avoid

Never default to generic AI aesthetics: overused font families (Inter, Roboto, Arial), clichéd color schemes (purple gradients), predictable layouts, or cookie-cutter designs lacking context-specific character.