reference-design-contract
Turn vague taste, screenshots, URLs, product notes, or "make it feel like this" references into a grounded DESIGN.md plus an implementation handoff. Use it before prototypes, decks, redesigns, or image remix work when the user needs a reusable visual direction rather than a one-off prompt.
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SKILL.md
name: reference-design-contractzh_name: "参考转设计合约"en_name: "Reference Design Contract"description: | Turn vague taste, screenshots, URLs, product notes, or "make it feel like this" references into a grounded DESIGN.md plus an implementation handoff. Use it before prototypes, decks, redesigns, or image remix work when the user needs a reusable visual direction rather than a one-off prompt.triggers: - "design contract" - "reference design brief" - "style contract" - "visual direction handoff" - "turn references into DESIGN.md" - "make it feel like this" - "做同款但不照抄" - "把参考图转成设计规范"od: mode: design-system platform: desktop scenario: planning category: design-systems preview: type: html entry: example.html design_system: requires: false generates: true sections: [visual-theme, color, typography, spacing, layout, components, motion, voice, anti-patterns] craft: requires: - typography - color - anti-ai-slop inputs: - name: brief type: string required: true description: "Goal, audience, references, or the style problem to resolve" outputs: primary: DESIGN.md secondary: - design-contract.md - implementation-handoff.md - example.html capabilities_required: - file_write example_prompt: "Create a reference design contract for a developer-notes app. The direction should feel editorial, calm, tactile, and serious, but not copy any specific product. Produce DESIGN.md and an implementation handoff." example_prompt_i18n: zh-CN: "为一个开发者笔记应用创建「参考转设计合约」。方向要有编辑感、安静、触感强、认真,但不要照抄任何具体产品。输出 DESIGN.md 和实现交接说明。"Reference Design Contract
Use this skill when the user has taste signals, references, or a rough "like this" request and needs a reusable design contract before generation. The goal is not to write a longer prompt. The goal is to make design decisions explicit enough that a later prototype, deck, redesign, or image-remix run can execute without guessing.
What this skill produces
Create three files:
DESIGN.md— the reusable visual direction, following OpenDesign's standard nine-section design-system shape.design-contract.md— the decision record: evidence used, keep/change boundaries, rationale, risks, and quality gate.implementation-handoff.md— concise build instructions for the next artifact-producing skill or coding agent.
If a preview is useful, also create example.html as a small hand-built
contract preview. Do not make it the main deliverable.
Workflow
- Lock the job. Identify target artifact type, audience, brand/product context, references, and constraints. Ask at most two questions only when a missing answer would change the direction. Otherwise choose a sensible default and label it as inferred.
- Read evidence. Use provided screenshots, URLs, existing
DESIGN.md, brand docs, image artifacts, or user notes. If evidence is missing, say so and base the contract on the brief only; do not invent brand facts. - Separate reference semantics. For every reference, split it into:
Keep: qualities to preserve, such as density, composition, material, typography rhythm, color temperature, or motion attitude.Change: subject matter, copy, brand marks, exact layout, protected assets, and anything the user wants adapted.Do not copy: literal screenshots, logos, claims, pricing, proprietary UI, or exact prompt wording from examples.
- Freeze the direction. Choose one coherent visual stance. Do not provide five unrelated moodboards. If there are genuinely competing directions, name them briefly, pick the recommended one, and continue.
- Write
DESIGN.md. Use these nine headings exactly:## 1. Visual Theme & Atmosphere## 2. Color## 3. Typography## 4. Spacing & Grid## 5. Layout & Composition## 6. Components## 7. Motion & Interaction## 8. Voice & Brand## 9. Anti-patterns
- Write
design-contract.md. Include:- goal and target artifact
- evidence table with confidence (
observed,provided,inferred) - keep/change/do-not-copy table
- final design stance in one paragraph
- risks and explicit unknowns
- quality gate checklist
- Write
implementation-handoff.md. Keep it short and operational:- files to read
- token/palette/type/layout constraints
- asset rules
- responsive requirements
- "first artifact should prove..." acceptance notes
- Validate. Read
references/checklist.mdand satisfy every P0 gate before final handoff.
Output rules
- Make every claim traceable to user input, observed reference evidence, or an explicitly labeled inference.
- Prefer concrete constraints over adjectives: "one warm accent, no purple or blue glow" beats "premium".
- Treat "do the same style" as "borrow controllable qualities", not "clone the original subject or prompt".
- If the user asks for immediate UI generation too, finish these contract files first, then hand off to the appropriate artifact skill in the next step.