Adapt existing designs to work effectively across different contexts - different screen sizes, devices, platforms, or use cases.
MANDATORY PREPARATION
Read the design guidelines which contain design principles, anti-patterns, and the Context Gathering Protocol. Follow the protocol before proceeding — if .impeccable.md exists in the project root, read it for design context. If no design context exists yet, tell the user to run /wf-design:setup first.
Assess Adaptation Challenge
Understand what needs adaptation and why:
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Identify the source context:
- •What was it designed for originally? (Desktop web? Mobile app?)
- •What assumptions were made? (Large screen? Mouse input? Fast connection?)
- •What works well in current context?
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Understand target context:
- •Device: Mobile, tablet, desktop, TV, watch, print?
- •Input method: Touch, mouse, keyboard, voice, gamepad?
- •Screen constraints: Size, resolution, orientation?
- •Connection: Fast wifi, slow 3G, offline?
- •Usage context: On-the-go vs desk, quick glance vs focused reading?
- •User expectations: What do users expect on this platform?
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Identify adaptation challenges:
- •What won't fit? (Content, navigation, features)
- •What won't work? (Hover states on touch, tiny touch targets)
- •What's inappropriate? (Desktop patterns on mobile, mobile patterns on desktop)
CRITICAL: Adaptation is not just scaling - it's rethinking the experience for the new context.
Plan Adaptation Strategy
Create context-appropriate strategy:
Mobile Adaptation (Desktop → Mobile)
Layout Strategy:
- •Single column instead of multi-column
- •Vertical stacking instead of side-by-side
- •Full-width components instead of fixed widths
- •Bottom navigation instead of top/side navigation
Interaction Strategy:
- •Touch targets 44x44px minimum (not hover-dependent)
- •Swipe gestures where appropriate (lists, carousels)
- •Bottom sheets instead of dropdowns
- •Thumbs-first design (controls within thumb reach)
- •Larger tap areas with more spacing
Content Strategy:
- •Progressive disclosure (don't show everything at once)
- •Prioritize primary content (secondary content in tabs/accordions)
- •Shorter text (more concise)
- •Larger text (16px minimum)
Navigation Strategy:
- •Hamburger menu or bottom navigation
- •Reduce navigation complexity
- •Sticky headers for context
- •Back button in navigation flow
Tablet Adaptation (Hybrid Approach)
Layout Strategy:
- •Two-column layouts (not single or three-column)
- •Side panels for secondary content
- •Master-detail views (list + detail)
- •Adaptive based on orientation (portrait vs landscape)
Interaction Strategy:
- •Support both touch and pointer
- •Touch targets 44x44px but allow denser layouts than phone
- •Side navigation drawers
- •Multi-column forms where appropriate
Desktop Adaptation (Mobile → Desktop)
Layout Strategy:
- •Multi-column layouts (use horizontal space)
- •Side navigation always visible
- •Multiple information panels simultaneously
- •Fixed widths with max-width constraints (don't stretch to 4K)
Interaction Strategy:
- •Hover states for additional information
- •Keyboard shortcuts
- •Right-click context menus
- •Drag and drop where helpful
- •Multi-select with Shift/Cmd
Content Strategy:
- •Show more information upfront (less progressive disclosure)
- •Data tables with many columns
- •Richer visualizations
- •More detailed descriptions
Print Adaptation (Screen → Print)
Layout Strategy:
- •Page breaks at logical points
- •Remove navigation, footer, interactive elements
- •Black and white (or limited color)
- •Proper margins for binding
Content Strategy:
- •Expand shortened content (show full URLs, hidden sections)
- •Add page numbers, headers, footers
- •Include metadata (print date, page title)
- •Convert charts to print-friendly versions
Email Adaptation (Web → Email)
Layout Strategy:
- •Narrow width (600px max)
- •Single column only
- •Inline CSS (no external stylesheets)
- •Table-based layouts (for email client compatibility)
Interaction Strategy:
- •Large, obvious CTAs (buttons not text links)
- •No hover states (not reliable)
- •Deep links to web app for complex interactions
Implement Adaptations
Apply changes systematically:
Responsive Breakpoints
Choose appropriate breakpoints:
- •Mobile: 320px-767px
- •Tablet: 768px-1023px
- •Desktop: 1024px+
- •Or content-driven breakpoints (where design breaks)
Layout Adaptation Techniques
- •CSS Grid/Flexbox: Reflow layouts automatically
- •Container Queries: Adapt based on container, not viewport
- •
clamp(): Fluid sizing between min and max - •Media queries: Different styles for different contexts
- •Display properties: Show/hide elements per context
Touch Adaptation
- •Increase touch target sizes (44x44px minimum)
- •Add more spacing between interactive elements
- •Remove hover-dependent interactions
- •Add touch feedback (ripples, highlights)
- •Consider thumb zones (easier to reach bottom than top)
Content Adaptation
- •Use
display: nonesparingly (still downloads) - •Progressive enhancement (core content first, enhancements on larger screens)
- •Lazy loading for off-screen content
- •Responsive images (
srcset,pictureelement)
Navigation Adaptation
- •Transform complex nav to hamburger/drawer on mobile
- •Bottom nav bar for mobile apps
- •Persistent side navigation on desktop
- •Breadcrumbs on smaller screens for context
IMPORTANT: Test on real devices, not just browser DevTools. Device emulation is helpful but not perfect.
NEVER:
- •Hide core functionality on mobile (if it matters, make it work)
- •Assume desktop = powerful device (consider accessibility, older machines)
- •Use different information architecture across contexts (confusing)
- •Break user expectations for platform (mobile users expect mobile patterns)
- •Forget landscape orientation on mobile/tablet
- •Use generic breakpoints blindly (use content-driven breakpoints)
- •Ignore touch on desktop (many desktop devices have touch)
Verify Adaptations
Test thoroughly across contexts:
- •Real devices: Test on actual phones, tablets, desktops
- •Different orientations: Portrait and landscape
- •Different browsers: Safari, Chrome, Firefox, Edge
- •Different OS: iOS, Android, Windows, macOS
- •Different input methods: Touch, mouse, keyboard
- •Edge cases: Very small screens (320px), very large screens (4K)
- •Slow connections: Test on throttled network
Remember: You're a cross-platform design expert. Make experiences that feel native to each context while maintaining brand and functionality consistency. Adapt intentionally, test thoroughly.