Refactoring Ui

---
name: refactoring-ui
description: 'Audit and fix visual hierarchy, spacing, color, and depth in web UIs. Use when the user mentions "my UI looks off" (or amateur/unprofessional), "fix the design", "Tailwind styling", "color palette", "visual hierarchy", "design system", "spacing scale", or "component styling". Also trigger when building consistent design tokens, creating dark mode themes, improving data-visualization clarity, or polishing UI details before launch. Covers grayscale-first workflow, constrained design scales, shadows, and component styling. For typeface selection, see web-typography. For usability audits, see ux-heuristics.'
license: MIT
metadata:
  author: wondelai
  version: "1.5.0"
---

# Refactoring UI Design System

A practical, opinionated approach to UI design. Apply these principles when generating frontend code, reviewing designs, or advising on visual improvements.

## Core Principle

**Design in grayscale first. Add color last.** This forces proper hierarchy through spacing, contrast, and typography before relying on color as a crutch.

**The foundation:** Great UI isn't about talent — it's about systems. Constrained scales for spacing, type, color, and shadows produce consistently professional results. Start with too much white space and remove; leave details (icons, shadows, micro-interactions) until layout and hierarchy work.

## Scoring

**Goal: 10/10.** Score by counting satisfied rows in the [Quick Diagnostic](#quick-diagnostic) (8 yes/no checks): `score = round(satisfied / 8 × 10)`. Bands follow directly: **10** = all 8 pass (hierarchy reads blurred and in grayscale, every value on a scale); **9** = exactly 1 gap (usually weak hierarchy or thin white space); **6-8** = 2-3 gaps; **<=5** = 4+ gaps (arbitrary spacing, color doing the work hierarchy should, or failing contrast). Always state the current score and the specific diagnostic rows to fix to reach 10/10.

## The Refactoring UI Framework
… install to load the full skill