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Basic Design Principles

Checked
zenobi-us·vlatest·other·MIT

Helps with design, principles as part of agent workflows workflows.

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This skill no longer installs under the name basic-design-principles. zenobi-us/dotfiles no longer contains any SKILL.md.

We check each listing against its upstream repository with the rules the skills CLI uses, last on 2026-10-24. We don't show a command we know will fail.

Repository install instructions

What we know about this skill

Publisher

zenobi-us

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Install target

Live repository

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No human has reviewed this code. The checks below are a static scan of the files at one commit — nobody has run this skill or judged whether it works. A skill runs with whatever access you give your agent, so read the source before you install it.

Automated safety checks

scanned

This skill passed all 6 checks. We read its files at one commit and looked for the things that make a skill dangerous to run — not for whether it works.

  • Declares what it does: passed

    SKILL.md parses and declares a name and a description.

    SKILL.md exists, its frontmatter parses, and it declares a name and a description.

  • No undeclared network calls: passed

    Makes no network calls.

    Every host the skill dials — from its scripts, its config endpoints or the commands it tells the agent to run — is either well-known package and API infrastructure or declared in its own frontmatter. Links in documentation are not counted.

  • No obfuscated payloads: passed

    No encoded or obfuscated payloads.

    No base64, hex or compressed blob is decoded and then executed, and no encoded shell commands.

  • No credential access: passed

    Reads no keys, tokens, keychains or credential files.

    Neither the code nor the SKILL.md instructions read SSH keys, cloud credentials, keychains, token stores, browser cookie databases or dotfiles that hold secrets.

  • No pipe-to-shell installers: passed

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    No `curl … | sh` pattern, in the code or in the instructions, that runs code fetched at run time.

  • Pinned to a commit: passed

    Scanned zenobi-us/dotfiles at b8fd7910f5.

    The exact upstream commit SHA that was scanned is recorded, so the result refers to specific bytes.

Commit
b8fd7910f5
Manifest
files/devtools/agent/bundles/developer/skills/uidev/basic-design-principles/SKILL.md
Scanned
1 file, 235 lines
This is a static scan, not a review. It reads the skill's files; it does not run them, and it cannot tell you whether the skill is any good or whether the code does what its description says. A skill runs with whatever access you give your agent.
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About this skill

What it does

This skill guides AI agents in crafting precise and intentional designs for enterprise software, SaaS dashboards, admin interfaces, and web applications. It emphasizes a design philosophy inspired by Jony Ive's attention to detail, aiming for polished interfaces tailored to their specific context. The skill prompts the agent to commit to a defined design direction before any code is written, ensuring consistency and purpose in the final product.

When to use it

Here are scenarios where this skill would be beneficial:

  • Designing a new SaaS dashboard requiring a specific aesthetic (e.g., "precision & density" for power users).
  • Refining an existing user interface to better align with desired brand personality and user experience.
  • Creating mockups or prototypes for enterprise software, ensuring design consistency across different features.
  • When needing help defining the emotional impact of a product through its visual appearance (e.g., conveying trust or efficiency).
  • Guiding the creation of developer tools where functionality takes precedence over visual flair.

Key capabilities

  • Provides a framework for establishing a clear design direction before coding begins.
  • Offers six distinct personality archetypes: Precision & Density, Warmth & Approachability, Sophistication & Trust, Boldness & Clarity, Utility & Function, and Data & Analysis.
  • Suggests color foundation choices (warm neutrals, cool foundations) to influence the overall feel of the design.
  • Prompts consideration of product context, target users, and desired emotional impact.

Example prompts

  • "I'm designing a finance tool for power users. What design direction should I commit to?"
  • "Suggest color palettes that convey trust and sophistication for a B2B application."
  • "Help me define the 'emotional job' of this product; it’s an analytics dashboard for marketing teams."
  • “What are some key considerations when designing a tool primarily used by developers?”

Tips & gotchas

  • Design Direction is Required: The skill emphasizes committing to a design direction before any coding begins. Skipping this step will limit the skill's effectiveness.
  • Context Matters: Carefully consider the product’s purpose, users, and desired emotional impact when selecting a personality archetype.
  • This skill focuses on high-level design principles; it doesn't provide specific UI/UX implementation details or code generation.