ui-template-library Skill
Purpose: Capture and apply aesthetic "vibes" across plugins using structured prose descriptions rather than rigid specifications.
Operations
You MUST determine which operation the user is requesting, then execute ONLY that operation.
Operation Routing (match user request to keywords):
- save/capture/extract → save_aesthetic (Operation 1)
- apply/use/generate → apply_aesthetic (Operation 2)
- list/show/browse → list_aesthetics (Operation 3)
- delete/remove → delete_aesthetic (Operation 4)
- update/modify/refine → update_aesthetic (Operation 5)
- save_aesthetic - Analyze mockup HTML and generate structured prose aesthetic.md
- apply_aesthetic - Interpret aesthetic.md to generate new mockup with appropriate layout
- list_aesthetics - Show all saved aesthetics with prose summaries
- delete_aesthetic - Remove aesthetic from library
- update_aesthetic - Refine aesthetic.md from improved mockup
CRITICAL: Checkpoint Verification Protocol
Before presenting decision menu in ANY operation:
ALL steps must complete successfully. If ANY step fails: HALT, report specific error, DO NOT proceed to decision menu.
Verification checklist (run before showing menu):
- All required files created successfully
- File contents are valid (aesthetic.md not empty, metadata.json valid JSON)
- manifest.json updated successfully
- Git commit completed (if applicable)
- No error states from previous steps
Error handling:
- Steps 1-6 fail → Report error, do not create partial aesthetic directory
- Step 7 fails (manifest) → Aesthetic files exist but not registered, offer retry
- Step 7.5 fails (git) → Non-fatal, warn "Aesthetic saved but not committed"
Note: Always use inline numbered menus (NOT AskUserQuestion tool) to maintain consistency with system-wide Checkpoint Protocol.
Directory Structure
.claude/aesthetics/
├── manifest.json # Registry of all aesthetics
└── [aesthetic-id]/
├── aesthetic.md # Structured prose description (THE SOURCE OF TRUTH)
├── preview.html # Visual reference (original mockup)
└── metadata.json # Name, description, source plugin, tagsKey change from previous system:
- aesthetic.yaml → aesthetic.md: YAML specs replaced with structured prose descriptions
- Format is consistent and parseable, but content is interpretable concepts, not rigid values
<critical_sequence> Initialize.claude/aesthetics/ directory if missing (mkdir -p) Validate mockup file exists and is readable Read mockup HTML file into memory (Read tool) Extract visual patterns using pattern-extraction.md strategies Generate prose descriptions using prose-generation.md guidelines Write aesthetic.md following aesthetic-template.md structure exactly: same section headers in same order, fill all sections with prose (no placeholders) (load template from assets/aesthetic-template.md, if missing: report critical error) Copy preview.html to aesthetic directory Generate metadata.json with inferred tags Update manifest.json using Read → modify → Write pattern (if missing: initialize from assets/manifest-init.json) Commit aesthetic to git using conventional format Present confirmation + decision menu </critical_sequence>
<state_requirement> See "CRITICAL: Checkpoint Verification Protocol" section for complete verification requirements. </state_requirement>
Operation 1: save_aesthetic
See: references/save-operation.md for complete 8-step workflow.
<critical_sequence> Load aesthetic.md and metadata.json (Read tool) Read target plugin parameter-spec.md or creative-brief.md Interpret aesthetic prose using aesthetic-interpretation.md strategies Choose layout based on parameter count (layout-generation.md) Generate HTML/CSS applying aesthetic to chosen layout Save generated mockup to target plugin mockups directory Update aesthetic metadata.json usedInPlugins array Present decision menu as inline numbered list, NOT AskUserQuestion tool (rationale: consistent with system-wide Checkpoint Protocol - see CLAUDE.md) </critical_sequence>
<decision_gate wait_required="true"> Present decision menu with preview/continue options MUST wait for user response </decision_gate>
Operation 2: apply_aesthetic
See: references/apply-operation.md for complete 8-step workflow.
<decision_gate wait_required="true"> Wait for user to select action from menu </decision_gate>
Operation 3: list_aesthetics
Display all saved aesthetics in table format with preview paths. See: references/list-operation.md for complete 4-step workflow.
Operation 4: delete_aesthetic
Remove aesthetic from library with confirmation. See: references/delete-operation.md for complete 4-step workflow.
Operation 5: update_aesthetic
Refine aesthetic.md from improved mockup while preserving user edits. See: references/update-operation.md for complete 7-step workflow.
API Contract
This skill provides operations for managing aesthetic templates. Called by ui-mockup skill.
save_aesthetic(mockup_path, plugin_name, aesthetic_name?):
- Input: Absolute path to mockup HTML, plugin name, optional aesthetic name
- Output: aesthetic_id (string), aesthetic_path (absolute path)
- Process: Analyzes mockup, generates aesthetic.md prose, saves to.claude/aesthetics/
apply_aesthetic(aesthetic_id, plugin_name, parameter_spec_path):
- Input: Aesthetic ID, target plugin name, path to parameter-spec.md
- Output: mockup_path (absolute path to generated mockup)
- Process: Loads aesthetic prose, interprets to CSS, generates mockup with appropriate layout
Invocation: Inline invocation from ui-mockup (both skills are lightweight and stateless).
Success Criteria
Save operation successful when:
- ✅ aesthetic.md generated following exact template structure
- ✅ All sections filled with interpretable prose (no placeholders)
- ✅ Example color codes provided as concrete reference
- ✅ preview.html copied to aesthetic directory
- ✅ metadata.json created with tags and source info
- ✅ manifest.json updated with new aesthetic entry
- ✅ Format is idempotent (same mockup → same structure every time)
Apply operation successful when:
- ✅ aesthetic.md parsed and interpreted correctly
- ✅ Appropriate layout chosen for parameter count
- ✅ Generated mockup reflects aesthetic visual language
- ✅ Control styling matches prose descriptions
- ✅ Colors, typography, spacing consistent with aesthetic
- ✅ WebView constraints enforced (no viewport units, etc.)
- ✅ Result is recognizably the same aesthetic despite different layout
List operation successful when:
- ✅ All aesthetics shown in readable table
- ✅ Vibe summaries extracted from prose
- ✅ Preview paths provided for visual reference
- ✅ Decision menu presented for next action
Implementation Notes
Technical details about parsing, quality control, and constraints. See: references/implementation-notes.md for complete technical documentation.
Reference Documentation
- Pattern extraction:
references/pattern-extraction.md- String/regex strategies for extracting visual patterns from HTML - Prose generation:
references/prose-generation.md- Guidelines for transforming patterns into interpretable prose - Aesthetic interpretation:
references/aesthetic-interpretation.md- Strategies for parsing prose and generating CSS/HTML - Layout generation:
references/layout-generation.md- Layout decision trees and control placement strategies
Template Assets
- Aesthetic template:
assets/aesthetic-template.md- Complete structured prose template (THE FORMAT SPEC) - Metadata template:
assets/metadata-template.json- Metadata JSON structure - Manifest init:
assets/manifest-init.json- Empty manifest structure for initialization