design-dna

---
name: design-dna
description: >-
  Extract, define, and apply design DNA across three dimensions: design system
  (tokens), design style (qualitative feel), and visual effects (Canvas, WebGL,
  3D, particles, shaders, scroll effects, etc.). Use this skill when: (1) a user
  wants to see the full 3-dimension design structure/schema, (2) a user provides
  images, screenshots, or URLs of reference designs and wants them analyzed into
  a structured JSON profile covering all three dimensions, (3) a user has a
  Design DNA JSON and content and wants a design generated from it, or (4) any
  combination of these phases. Triggers on "design DNA", "extract design style",
  "analyze design", "design tokens from reference", "generate design from JSON",
  "design system from screenshot", "design profile", "style guide JSON",
  "visual effects analysis", "design with effects", "3d design analysis".
---

# Design DNA

A 3-phase workflow for extracting, structuring, and applying design identity across three dimensions:

1. **Design System** — measurable tokens (color, typography, spacing, layout, shape, elevation, motion, components)
2. **Design Style** — qualitative perception (mood, visual language, composition, imagery, interaction feel, brand voice)
3. **Visual Effects** — special rendering (Canvas, WebGL, 3D, particles, shaders, scroll effects, cursor effects, SVG animations, glassmorphism, etc.)

## Phases

### Phase 1: Structure — Output the Schema

When the user asks for the structural dimensions or schema:

1. Read [references/schema.md](references/schema.md)
2. Present the full schema with field descriptions
3. Explain the three dimensions and their roles:
   - **design_system**: What you can measure — exact hex values, pixel sizes, rem scales
   - **design_style**: What you can feel — mood, personality, composition strategy
   - **visual_effects**: What you can see but can't express in CSS alone — WebGL scenes, particle systems, shader distortions, scroll-driven animations
4. Ask if the user wants to customize or extend any dimensions

### Phase 2: Analyze — Extract DNA from References

When the user provides images, screenshots, or links representing a target design style:

1. Read [references/schema.md](references/schema.md) for the full field list
2. For each reference provided:
   - If image/screenshot: analyze visual properties directly
   - If URL: fetch and analyze the page's visual design
3. For every field in the schema, extract or infer a value from the references
4. When multiple references conflict, note the dominant pattern and mention variants
5. Output a complete Design DNA JSON — every field populated, no empty strings
6. After output, ask: "Want to adjust any values before using this for generation?"

**Analysis approach per dimension:**

#### Dimension 1: design_system
- **color**: Extract dominant palette via visual sampling. Primary by area dominance, secondary by supporting role, accent by CTA usage. Map neutral scale from lightest background to darkest text.
- **typography**: Identify font families by visual characteristics (geometric, humanist, serif class). Estimate scale ratios from heading/body size relationships.
- **spacing**: Assess density by element proximity. Measure rhythm by section gap consistency.
- **layout**: Identify grid by content alignment patterns. Note max-width, column count, asymmetry.
- **shape**: Measure border-radius by comparing to element height. Note border and divider presence.
- **elevation**: Classify shadow softness, spread, and layering approach.
- **motion**: If observable (video/interactive), note easing curves and duration feel.

#### Dimension 2: design_style
- Synthesize holistic impressions — mood, personality, composition strategy
- Compare against genre archetypes (SaaS, editorial, brutalist, etc.)
- Note ornamentation level and whitespace philosophy

#### Dimension 3: visual_effects
- **From code**: Scan for `<canvas>`, WebGL contexts, Three.js/Pixi.js imports, GSAP/Lottie usage, custom shaders, IntersectionObserver scroll triggers, SVG `<animate>` elements
- **From screenshots**: Describe visible effects that go beyond standard CSS — glowing particles, 3D object renders, noise textures, gradient animations, parallax depth, cursor trails, text distortions, glassmorphic surfaces. Note these in `composite_notes` when exact implementation can't be determined.
- **From video/interaction demos**: Note scroll behaviors, hover distortions, transition choreography, loading sequences
- Set `enabled: false` for any effect category not present in the reference
- Rate `overview.effect_intensity` and `overview.performance_tier` based on what's observed

### Phase 3: Generate — Apply DNA to Content

When the user provides DNA JSON + content to design:

1. Read [references/generation-guide.md](references/generation-guide.md)
2. Parse the DNA JSON and extract all tokens across three dimensions
3. Build CSS custom properties from `design_system` values
4. Apply `design_style` qualitative fields to guide subjective design decisions
5. When the design needs assets or source materials, fetch them from the original source whenever possible. If the user provided a URL, retrieve the real asset from that URL instead of recreating, approximating, or substituting it.
6. Implement `visual_effects` using appropriate technologies:
   - Lightweight effects → CSS animations, SVG, vanilla JS
   - Medium effects → Canvas 2D, GSAP, Lottie
   - Heavy effects → Three.js, custom GLSL shaders, Pixi.js
7. Generate the design output (default: self-contained HTML with inline CSS/JS)
8. Run quality checks from the generation guide

**If the user provides only content without DNA JSON**, ask whether to:
- Analyze a reference first (go to Phase 2)
- Use a described style (extract DNA from description, then generate)

## Phase Combinations

Users may invoke any combination:
- **Phase 1 only**: "Show me the design structure/schema"
- **Phase 2 only**: "Analyze this design" (with images/links)
- **Phase 2 → 3**: "Analyze this design and build me a landing page in the same style"
- **Phase 1 → 2 → 3**: Full pipeline
- **Phase 3 only**: User already has DNA JSON

Detect which phase(s) are needed from context and execute accordingly.