frontend-design

This skill guides creation of distinctive, production-grade frontend interfaces that avoid generic "AI slop" aesthetics. Implement real working code with exceptional attention to aesthetic details and creative choices.

The user provides frontend requirements: a component, page, application, or interface to build. They may include context about the purpose, audience, or technical constraints.

Design Thinking

Before coding, understand the context and commit to a BOLD aesthetic direction:

• Purpose: What problem does this interface solve? Who uses it?
• Tone: Pick an extreme: brutally minimal, maximalist chaos, retro-futuristic, organic/natural, luxury/refined, playful/toy-like, editorial/magazine, brutalist/raw, art deco/geometric, soft/pastel, industrial/utilitarian, etc. There are so many flavors to choose from. Use these for inspiration but design one that is true to the aesthetic direction.
• Constraints: Technical requirements (framework, performance, accessibility).
• Differentiation: What makes this UNFORGETTABLE? What's the one thing someone will remember?

CRITICAL: Choose a clear conceptual direction and execute it with precision. Bold maximalism and refined minimalism both work - the key is intentionality, not intensity.

Then implement working code (HTML/CSS/JS, React, Vue, etc.) that is:

• Production-grade and functional
• Visually striking and memorable
• Cohesive with a clear aesthetic point-of-view
• Meticulously refined in every detail

Frontend Aesthetics Guidelines

Focus on:

• Typography: Choose fonts that are beautiful, unique, and interesting. Avoid generic fonts like Arial and Inter; opt instead for distinctive choices that elevate the frontend's aesthetics; unexpected, characterful font choices. Pair a distinctive display font with a refined body font.
• Color & Theme: Commit to a cohesive aesthetic. Use CSS variables for consistency. Dominant colors with sharp accents outperform timid, evenly-distributed palettes.
• Motion: Use animations for effects and micro-interactions. Prioritize CSS-only solutions for HTML. Use Motion library for React when available. Focus on high-impact moments: one well-orchestrated page load with staggered reveals (animation-delay) creates more delight than scattered micro-interactions. Use scroll-triggering and hover states that surprise.
• Spatial Composition: Unexpected layouts. Asymmetry. Overlap. Diagonal flow. Grid-breaking elements. Generous negative space OR controlled density.
• Backgrounds & Visual Details: Create atmosphere and depth rather than defaulting to solid colors. Add contextual effects and textures that match the overall aesthetic. Apply creative forms like gradient meshes, noise textures, geometric patterns, layered transparencies, dramatic shadows, decorative borders, custom cursors, and grain overlays.

NEVER use generic AI-generated aesthetics like overused font families (Inter, Roboto, Arial, system fonts), cliched color schemes (particularly purple gradients on white backgrounds), predictable layouts and component patterns, and cookie-cutter design that lacks context-specific character.

Interpret creatively and make unexpected choices that feel genuinely designed for the context. No design should be the same. Vary between light and dark themes, different fonts, different aesthetics. NEVER converge on common choices (Space Grotesk, for example) across generations.

IMPORTANT: Match implementation complexity to the aesthetic vision. Maximalist designs need elaborate code with extensive animations and effects. Minimalist or refined designs need restraint, precision, and careful attention to spacing, typography, and subtle details. Elegance comes from executing the vision well.

Remember: Claude is capable of extraordinary creative work. Don't hold back, show what can truly be created when thinking outside the box and committing fully to a distinctive vision.

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LeadFraud.org Visual Specifications

When working on LeadFraud.org specifically, apply these design tokens based on the approved "Investigative Broadsheet" aesthetic:

Theme

• Light theme with warm off-white background (#FAF9F7)
• Premium editorial feel inspired by investigative journalism (Hindenburg Research, ProPublica)
• "Investigative Broadsheet" aesthetic: bold, distinctive, meticulous
• Ink blob decorations, paper textures, asymmetric layouts
• Floating animations and entrance effects

Color System

Token	Hex	Usage
paper	#FAF9F7	Page background
surface	#FFFFFF	Cards, modals
ink	#1A1A1A	Primary text, headlines
ink-light	#3D3D3D	Body text
muted	#6B6B6B	Captions, meta
border	#E8E4DF	Dividers, borders
cardinal	#F97316	Primary accent (Vibrant Orange) - CTAs, highlights, key text
cardinal-dark	#EA580C	Hover states for primary accent
gold	#C2410C	Secondary accent
evidence	#0D9488	Evidence callouts, verified badges

Typography

Element	Font	Weight	Usage
Display/Headlines	Playfair Display	400-600	Hero text, section headers, dramatic headlines
Body	Nunito	400/600	Paragraphs, UI text, navigation
Monospace	IBM Plex Mono	400	Data, evidence, timestamps, sources

Load fonts via Google Fonts:

<link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=IBM+Plex+Mono:wght@400;500&family=Nunito:wght@400;600;700&family=Playfair+Display:ital,wght@0,400;0,600;1,400&display=swap" rel="stylesheet">

Signature Design Elements

1. Ink Blob Decorations: Organic shapes with border-radius: 60% 40% 70% 30%, subtle opacity, floating animation
2. Paper Cards: White cards with soft shadows, hover lift effect, orange border glow on hover
3. Pull Quotes: Rotated (rotate(-1deg)), large decorative quotation marks, grid-breaking margins
4. Drop Caps: Serif display font, oversized first letter in cardinal color
5. Evidence Callouts: Left border accent, "EVIDENCE" label badge
6. Redaction Bars: Black bars that reveal text on hover

Animation System

Animation	Effect	Usage
fadeUp	Opacity 0→1, translateY(40px)→0	Hero content, section entrances
float	Gentle vertical bob	Ink blob decorations
pulse	Subtle opacity pulse	Giant statistics
scaleIn	Scale 0.9→1 with fade	Success states
lift	translateY(-8px) + shadow glow	Card hover effects

Use staggered delays (delay-100 through delay-600) for cascading entrance effects.

Button Styles

• Primary CTA: Orange background (bg-cardinal), white text, lifts on hover with orange glow
• Secondary CTA: Transparent with ink border, fills to ink on hover

Component Classes (CSS)

.paper-card      /* Cards with shadow and hover lift */
.btn-primary     /* Orange CTA buttons */
.btn-secondary   /* Outlined buttons */
.pull-quote      /* Rotated blockquotes */
.evidence-callout /* Blue-bordered evidence blocks */
.stat-giant      /* Large pulsing statistics */
.drop-cap        /* First letter styling */
.nav-link        /* Animated underline links */

Key Visual: The Pipeline Fog Funnel

Create an iconic visual showing:

• Marketing funnel at top
• "Leads" entering funnel as dots
• Fog/mist effect obscuring the middle (CSS animation)
• Few real prospects emerging at bottom
• Tagline: "What's really in your pipeline?"

Design Principles

1. Asymmetry over symmetry - Offset layouts, grid-breaking elements
2. Editorial density - Rich with information, but meticulously composed
3. Warm paper aesthetic - Cream backgrounds, subtle textures
4. Investigative authority - Bold headlines, evidence-focused
5. Vibrant orange accents - Draws attention without being aggressive