UI Skills

Opinionated constraints for building better interfaces with agents.

Stack

• •MUST use Tailwind CSS defaults (spacing, radius, shadows) before custom values
• •MUST use motion/react (formerly framer-motion) when JavaScript animation is required
• •SHOULD use tw-animate-css for entrance and micro-animations in Tailwind CSS
• •MUST use cn utility (clsx + tailwind-merge) for class logic

Components

• •MUST use accessible component primitives for anything with keyboard or focus behavior (Base UI, React Aria, Radix)
• •MUST use the project's existing component primitives first
• •NEVER mix primitive systems within the same interaction surface
• •SHOULD prefer Base UI for new primitives if compatible with the stack
• •MUST add an aria-label to icon-only buttons
• •NEVER rebuild keyboard or focus behavior by hand unless explicitly requested

Interaction

• •MUST use an AlertDialog for destructive or irreversible actions
• •SHOULD use structural skeletons for loading states
• •NEVER use h-screen, use h-dvh
• •MUST respect safe-area-inset for fixed elements
• •MUST show errors next to where the action happens
• •NEVER block paste in input or textarea elements

Animation

• •NEVER add animation unless it is explicitly requested
• •MUST animate only compositor props (transform, opacity)
• •NEVER animate layout properties (width, height, top, left, margin, padding)
• •SHOULD avoid animating paint properties (background, color) except for small, local UI (text, icons)
• •SHOULD use ease-out on entrance
• •NEVER exceed 200ms for interaction feedback
• •MUST pause looping animations when off-screen
• •MUST respect prefers-reduced-motion
• •NEVER introduce custom easing curves unless explicitly requested
• •SHOULD avoid animating large images or full-screen surfaces

Typography

• •MUST use text-balance for headings and text-pretty for body/paragraphs
• •MUST use tabular-nums for data
• •SHOULD use truncate or line-clamp for dense UI
• •NEVER modify letter-spacing (tracking-) unless explicitly requested

Layout

• •MUST use a fixed z-index scale (no arbitrary z-x)
• •SHOULD use size-x for square elements instead of w-x + h-x

Performance

• •NEVER animate large blur() or backdrop-filter surfaces
• •NEVER apply will-change outside an active animation
• •NEVER use useEffect for anything that can be expressed as render logic

Design

• •NEVER use gradients unless explicitly requested
• •NEVER use purple or multicolor gradients
• •NEVER use glow effects as primary affordances
• •SHOULD use Tailwind CSS default shadow scale unless explicitly requested
• •MUST give empty states one clear next action
• •SHOULD limit accent color usage to one per view
• •SHOULD use existing theme or Tailwind CSS color tokens before introducing new ones

Vercel Web Interface Guidelines

Standards for building excellent web interfaces.

Interactions

• •All flows MUST be keyboard-operable following WAI-ARIA standards
• •MUST manage focus properly (return focus after dialogs, etc.)
• •MUST match visual and hit targets (clickable area matches visual element)
• •MUST prevent double-tap zoom on mobile (use touch-action: manipulation)
• •NEVER disable paste in <input> or <textarea>
• •SHOULD implement optimistic updates for better perceived performance
• •MUST confirm destructive actions with dialogs
• •SHOULD use tooltips for icon-only actions
• •MUST respect scroll behavior preferences
• •SHOULD support deep linking for important states
• •MUST make drag interactions accessible with keyboard alternatives

Animations

• •MUST honor prefers-reduced-motion user preference
• •SHOULD prefer CSS animations over JavaScript when possible
• •MUST ensure animations are interruptible (user can cancel mid-animation)
• •SHOULD only animate when clarifying cause-and-effect relationships
• •MUST use GPU-accelerated properties (transform, opacity)
• •NEVER use transition: all - be explicit about animated properties
• •MUST handle SVG transform cross-browser compatibility

Layout

• •SHOULD prioritize optical alignment over mathematical alignment
• •MUST be responsive across all device sizes
• •MUST respect safe area insets on mobile devices
• •SHOULD let browsers handle sizing through flexbox/grid rather than JavaScript
• •MUST manage scrollbar appearance consistently
• •SHOULD balance contrast in text/icon combinations

Content

• •MUST mirror final content structure in skeleton screens
• •MUST design all UI states: empty, sparse, dense, error, loading
• •MUST use semantic HTML elements
• •MUST ensure accessible names for all interactive elements
• •SHOULD use proper typographic details (curly quotes, no widows/orphans)
• •MUST use tabular-nums for numeric data display
• •SHOULD provide redundant status cues (not just color)
• •MUST provide labels for icons
• •MUST build proper heading hierarchies (h1 > h2 > h3)
• •MUST handle user-generated content resiliently
• •SHOULD use locale-aware formatting for dates/numbers

Forms

• •MUST enable Enter key to submit forms
• •MUST provide labels for all form fields
• •MUST allow clicking labels to activate inputs
• •SHOULD allow incomplete form submission to surface validation errors
• •NEVER block typing even for number-only fields
• •MUST show errors next to related fields
• •SHOULD use proper autocomplete attributes
• •SHOULD be selective about spellcheck
• •MUST use correct input type and inputmode
• •SHOULD warn about unsaved changes before navigation
• •MUST ensure password manager compatibility

Performance

• •MUST test across devices and browsers
• •SHOULD batch DOM reads and writes to prevent layout thrashing
• •SHOULD virtualize large lists
• •SHOULD preload critical resources
• •MUST prevent layout shift during loading
• •SHOULD preconnect to external origins
• •SHOULD preload fonts and use font subsetting
• •SHOULD move expensive work to Web Workers

Design

• •SHOULD use layered shadows for depth
• •SHOULD combine borders and shadows appropriately
• •MUST calculate nested border radii correctly (inner = outer - padding)
• •SHOULD maintain hue consistency across color palette
• •SHOULD use colorblind-friendly palettes
• •SHOULD prefer APCA over WCAG 2 for contrast calculations
• •MUST ensure interactive states have higher contrast than rest states
• •SHOULD set theme-color meta tag for browser chrome
• •SHOULD declare color-scheme for system integration
• •MUST handle text anti-aliasing during transforms
• •SHOULD mitigate gradient banding

Vercel Copywriting Standards

• •Use active voice, not passive
• •Use Title Case for headings (Chicago style)
• •Be concise - remove unnecessary words
• •Prefer ampersand (&) over "and" in UI
• •Use action-oriented language
• •Use consistent noun terminology
• •Write in second person (you/your)
• •Use consistent placeholders
• •Use numerals for numbers
• •Format currency consistently
• •Use non-breaking spaces between numbers and units
• •Frame messages positively
• •Error messages should guide toward recovery
• •Labels should be specific and clear

Quick Reference

MUST Rules (Non-negotiable)

1. •Keyboard accessibility
2. •prefers-reduced-motion respect
3. •Semantic HTML
4. •Accessible names for interactions
5. •Form labels
6. •Enter key form submission
7. •No paste blocking
8. •Error placement near action
9. •h-dvh not h-screen
10. •aria-label for icon-only buttons

NEVER Rules

1. •NEVER add animation without explicit request
2. •NEVER animate layout properties
3. •NEVER use useEffect for render logic
4. •NEVER use gradients without explicit request
5. •NEVER use transition: all
6. •NEVER block paste
7. •NEVER use arbitrary z-index values
8. •NEVER modify letter-spacing without explicit request

SHOULD Preferences

1. •Optimistic updates
2. •Skeleton loading states
3. •Tailwind defaults before custom values
4. •text-balance / text-pretty
5. •CSS animations over JS
6. •Layered shadows for depth
7. •One accent color per view