Agent skill

Visual Design Foundations

by wshobson in wshobson/agents

Apply typography, color theory, spacing systems, and iconography principles to create cohesive visual designs.

MITAuto-check passedFrontend & Design

Install Visual Design Foundations

skills CLI
$ npx skills add wshobson/agents --skill visual-design-foundations -a claude-code

Project install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install wshobson/agents visual-design-foundations --agent claude-code

Project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

Manual copy
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/wshobson/agents.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/plugins/ui-design/skills/visual-design-foundations .claude/skills/visual-design-foundations && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.

Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/

Facts

Skill name
visual-design-foundations
GitHub stars
40k
Used in
2 other repos
Token cost
~1.8k tokens
SKILL.md length
288 words
Files
4 (incl. references)
Skills in repo
142
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
MIT

At a glance

Apply typography, color theory, spacing systems, and iconography principles to create cohesive visual designs.

  • Works in 3 steps: Typography Scale → Spacing System → Color System
  • Establishing design tokens
  • SKILL.md covers When to Use This Skill, Core Systems, Quick Start: Design Tokens in… and Typography Best Practices, plus 5 more sections
  • Instructions only: no scripts, shell commands, URLs or credentials in SKILL.md

What it does

Visual Design Foundations is an agent skill from wshobson/agents. Apply typography, color theory, spacing systems, and iconography principles to create cohesive visual designs. Use when establishing design tokens, building style guides, or improving visual hierarchy and consistency.

Its SKILL.md is about 1.8k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. The skill folder holds 4 other files, including reference files (for example `references/color-systems.md`, `references/spacing-iconography.md` and `references/typography-systems.md`).

It sits in Frontend & Design, covering UI design, Typography and Design tokens. The repository describes itself as: Multi-harness agentic plugin marketplace for Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, OpenCode, GitHub Copilot, Google Antigravity, and Pi. The licence is MIT.

When your agent uses it

  • Establishing design tokens
  • Building style guides
  • Improving visual hierarchy and consistency

Example prompts

  • “/visual-design-foundations”

Workflow steps

3 steps, taken from the step headings in SKILL.md.

  1. Typography Scale
  2. Spacing System
  3. Color System

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 46891e7. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

  • Tool permissions

    Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.

    From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.

  • Runs code

    No scripts in the folder and no shell commands in SKILL.md (its code samples are css, typescript and javascript).

    From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.

  • Network

    No URLs in SKILL.md.

    From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.

  • Credentials

    Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.

    From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

Context cost

Visual Design Foundations loads about 1.8k tokens when it runs, and up to ~9.4k if it reads all its reference files. Until then it costs about 61 tokens; SKILL.md has 288 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~61
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~1.8k
With references · SKILL.md plus every file in references/, read only if the agent opens them
~9.4k

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

Auto-check passed

The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from wshobson/agents at commit 46891e7, republished under its MIT licence (© wshobson). 288 words, ~1,805 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/visual-design-foundations/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder). This skill also uses 3 other files; get the full folder from GitHub.
name
visual-design-foundations
description
Apply typography, color theory, spacing systems, and iconography principles to create cohesive visual designs. Use when establishing design tokens, building style guides, or improving visual hierarchy and consistency.

Visual Design Foundations

Build cohesive, accessible visual systems using typography, color, spacing, and iconography fundamentals.

When to Use This Skill

  • Establishing design tokens for a new project
  • Creating or refining a spacing and sizing system
  • Selecting and pairing typefaces
  • Building accessible color palettes
  • Designing icon systems and visual assets
  • Improving visual hierarchy and readability
  • Auditing designs for visual consistency
  • Implementing dark mode or theming

Core Systems

1. Typography Scale

Modular Scale (ratio-based sizing):

css
:root {
  --font-size-xs: 0.75rem; /* 12px */
  --font-size-sm: 0.875rem; /* 14px */
  --font-size-base: 1rem; /* 16px */
  --font-size-lg: 1.125rem; /* 18px */
  --font-size-xl: 1.25rem; /* 20px */
  --font-size-2xl: 1.5rem; /* 24px */
  --font-size-3xl: 1.875rem; /* 30px */
  --font-size-4xl: 2.25rem; /* 36px */
  --font-size-5xl: 3rem; /* 48px */
}

Line Height Guidelines:

Text TypeLine Height
Headings1.1 - 1.3
Body text1.5 - 1.7
UI labels1.2 - 1.4
2. Spacing System

8-point grid (industry standard):

css
:root {
  --space-1: 0.25rem; /* 4px */
  --space-2: 0.5rem; /* 8px */
  --space-3: 0.75rem; /* 12px */
  --space-4: 1rem; /* 16px */
  --space-5: 1.25rem; /* 20px */
  --space-6: 1.5rem; /* 24px */
  --space-8: 2rem; /* 32px */
  --space-10: 2.5rem; /* 40px */
  --space-12: 3rem; /* 48px */
  --space-16: 4rem; /* 64px */
}
3. Color System

Semantic color tokens:

css
:root {
  /* Brand */
  --color-primary: #2563eb;
  --color-primary-hover: #1d4ed8;
  --color-primary-active: #1e40af;

  /* Semantic */
  --color-success: #16a34a;
  --color-warning: #ca8a04;
  --color-error: #dc2626;
  --color-info: #0891b2;

  /* Neutral */
  --color-gray-50: #f9fafb;
  --color-gray-100: #f3f4f6;
  --color-gray-200: #e5e7eb;
  --color-gray-300: #d1d5db;
  --color-gray-400: #9ca3af;
  --color-gray-500: #6b7280;
  --color-gray-600: #4b5563;
  --color-gray-700: #374151;
  --color-gray-800: #1f2937;
  --color-gray-900: #111827;
}

Quick Start: Design Tokens in Tailwind

js
// tailwind.config.js
module.exports = {
  theme: {
    extend: {
      fontFamily: {
        sans: ["Inter", "system-ui", "sans-serif"],
        mono: ["JetBrains Mono", "monospace"],
      },
      fontSize: {
        xs: ["0.75rem", { lineHeight: "1rem" }],
        sm: ["0.875rem", { lineHeight: "1.25rem" }],
        base: ["1rem", { lineHeight: "1.5rem" }],
        lg: ["1.125rem", { lineHeight: "1.75rem" }],
        xl: ["1.25rem", { lineHeight: "1.75rem" }],
        "2xl": ["1.5rem", { lineHeight: "2rem" }],
      },
      colors: {
        brand: {
          50: "#eff6ff",
          500: "#3b82f6",
          600: "#2563eb",
          700: "#1d4ed8",
        },
      },
      spacing: {
        // Extends default with custom values
        18: "4.5rem",
        88: "22rem",
      },
    },
  },
};

Typography Best Practices

Font Pairing

Safe combinations:

  • Heading: Inter / Body: Inter (single family)
  • Heading: Playfair Display / Body: Source Sans Pro (contrast)
  • Heading: Space Grotesk / Body: IBM Plex Sans (geometric)
Responsive Typography
css
/* Fluid typography using clamp() */
h1 {
  font-size: clamp(2rem, 5vw + 1rem, 3.5rem);
  line-height: 1.1;
}

p {
  font-size: clamp(1rem, 2vw + 0.5rem, 1.125rem);
  line-height: 1.6;
  max-width: 65ch; /* Optimal reading width */
}
Font Loading
css
/* Prevent layout shift */
@font-face {
  font-family: "Inter";
  src: url("/fonts/Inter.woff2") format("woff2");
  font-display: swap;
  font-weight: 400 700;
}

Color Theory

Contrast Requirements (WCAG)
ElementMinimum Ratio
Body text4.5:1 (AA)
Large text (18px+)3:1 (AA)
UI components3:1 (AA)
Enhanced7:1 (AAA)
Dark Mode Strategy
css
:root {
  --bg-primary: #ffffff;
  --bg-secondary: #f9fafb;
  --text-primary: #111827;
  --text-secondary: #6b7280;
  --border: #e5e7eb;
}

[data-theme="dark"] {
  --bg-primary: #111827;
  --bg-secondary: #1f2937;
  --text-primary: #f9fafb;
  --text-secondary: #9ca3af;
  --border: #374151;
}
Color Accessibility
tsx
// Check contrast programmatically
function getContrastRatio(foreground: string, background: string): number {
  const getLuminance = (hex: string) => {
    const rgb = hexToRgb(hex);
    const [r, g, b] = rgb.map((c) => {
      c = c / 255;
      return c <= 0.03928 ? c / 12.92 : Math.pow((c + 0.055) / 1.055, 2.4);
    });
    return 0.2126 * r + 0.7152 * g + 0.0722 * b;
  };

  const l1 = getLuminance(foreground);
  const l2 = getLuminance(background);
  const lighter = Math.max(l1, l2);
  const darker = Math.min(l1, l2);

  return (lighter + 0.05) / (darker + 0.05);
}

Spacing Guidelines

Component Spacing
Card padding:      16-24px (--space-4 to --space-6)
Section gap:       32-64px (--space-8 to --space-16)
Form field gap:    16-24px (--space-4 to --space-6)
Button padding:    8-16px vertical, 16-24px horizontal
Icon-text gap:     8px (--space-2)
Visual Rhythm
css
/* Consistent vertical rhythm */
.prose > * + * {
  margin-top: var(--space-4);
}

.prose > h2 + * {
  margin-top: var(--space-2);
}

.prose > * + h2 {
  margin-top: var(--space-8);
}

Iconography

Icon Sizing System
css
:root {
  --icon-xs: 12px;
  --icon-sm: 16px;
  --icon-md: 20px;
  --icon-lg: 24px;
  --icon-xl: 32px;
}
Icon Component
tsx
interface IconProps {
  name: string;
  size?: "xs" | "sm" | "md" | "lg" | "xl";
  className?: string;
}

const sizeMap = {
  xs: 12,
  sm: 16,
  md: 20,
  lg: 24,
  xl: 32,
};

export function Icon({ name, size = "md", className }: IconProps) {
  return (
    <svg
      width={sizeMap[size]}
      height={sizeMap[size]}
      className={cn("inline-block flex-shrink-0", className)}
      aria-hidden="true"
    >
      <use href={`/icons.svg#${name}`} />
    </svg>
  );
}

Best Practices

  1. Establish Constraints: Limit choices to maintain consistency
  2. Document Decisions: Create a living style guide
  3. Test Accessibility: Verify contrast, sizing, touch targets
  4. Use Semantic Tokens: Name by purpose, not appearance
  5. Design Mobile-First: Start with constraints, add complexity
  6. Maintain Vertical Rhythm: Consistent spacing creates harmony
  7. Limit Font Weights: 2-3 weights per family is sufficient

Common Issues

  • Inconsistent Spacing: Not using a defined scale
  • Poor Contrast: Failing WCAG requirements
  • Font Overload: Too many families or weights
  • Magic Numbers: Arbitrary values instead of tokens
  • Missing States: Forgetting hover, focus, disabled
  • No Dark Mode Plan: Retrofitting is harder than planning

© wshobson, MIT. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file

Files

SKILL.md and 3 other files (references) in plugins/ui-design/skills/visual-design-foundations of wshobson/agents.

  • SKILL.md
  • references/color-systems.md
  • references/spacing-iconography.md
  • references/typography-systems.md

Open the folder on GitHubat commit 46891e7

Used in 2 other repositories

We found 2 copies of this SKILL.md (exact, near-identical or edited) in other folders, from 2 other GitHub owners. This page covers the copy in wshobson/agents, which our catalogue first saw on October 7, 2026.

Compare with similar skills

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UI UX Pro Maxsaoudi-h/solar-icons18618 repos~11kAutomated safety check: NotesCustom licence
Scalar Design Systemscalar/scalar16k—~2.7kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Design Guidepaperclipai/paperclip99k1 repos~3.1kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Liuguang Banlan UIsickn33/agentic-awesome-skills47k1 repos~2.5kAutomated safety check: PassMIT

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Questions about Visual Design Foundations

What does Visual Design Foundations do?

Apply typography, color theory, spacing systems, and iconography principles to create cohesive visual designs. Visual Design Foundations is an agent skill from wshobson/agents. Apply typography, color theory, spacing systems, and iconography principles to create cohesive visual designs.

When should I use Visual Design Foundations?

Visual Design Foundations fits situations like: establishing design tokens; building style guides; improving visual hierarchy and consistency.

How do I install Visual Design Foundations in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add wshobson/agents --skill visual-design-foundations -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (plugins/ui-design/skills/visual-design-foundations in wshobson/agents) into .claude/skills/visual-design-foundations in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Visual Design Foundations in Codex?

Run `npx skills add wshobson/agents --skill visual-design-foundations -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (plugins/ui-design/skills/visual-design-foundations in wshobson/agents) into .agents/skills/visual-design-foundations in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Visual Design Foundations in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?

Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add wshobson/agents --skill visual-design-foundations -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/visual-design-foundations, .gemini/skills/visual-design-foundations, .github/skills/visual-design-foundations and .opencode/skills/visual-design-foundations in your project.

What does Visual Design Foundations need to run?

SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: Visual Design Foundations is instructions for the agent only.

Does Visual Design Foundations access the network?

SKILL.md contains no URLs. Any network use would come from the scripts or tools the agent runs. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Visual Design Foundations safe to install?

Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.

What licence does Visual Design Foundations use?

Visual Design Foundations is published under the MIT licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Visual Design Foundations use?

About 1.8k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 7.2k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full. Its references folder adds about 7.6k tokens, read only when the agent opens those files.

What are the alternatives to Visual Design Foundations?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Visual Design Foundations: Theming Components (ancoleman/ai-design-components, 526 stars), UI UX Pro Max (saoudi-h/solar-icons, 186 stars), Scalar Design System (scalar/scalar, 16k stars) and Design Guide (paperclipai/paperclip, 99k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Visual Design Foundations?

wshobson (a GitHub user) maintains it in wshobson/agents, which has 40,305 GitHub stars. The repository holds 142 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on October 5, 2026.

Source: wshobson/agents on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.