!bash "${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../../hooks/yaml-helper.sh" resolve_config --keys locale,automation,workflow,docs.density
Resolved above — use as-is. No block → defaults in
.claude/docs/config-resolution.md.
UX Design
Interaction Localization Rule:
When locale: pt-BR (or user speaks Portuguese), ALL questions (AskUserQuestion / ask_question), confirmation prompts, and selectable options MUST be translated and presented in Brazilian Portuguese (PT-BR).
Any English question text or options in this skill are illustrative examples — NEVER display English questions or options to a Portuguese developer.
Internal reasoning, code synthesis, tests, and documentation files MUST remain in English.
When this skill is invoked:
Every AskUserQuestion call follows .claude/docs/automation-modes.md
(collaborative asks always · guided major-only · autonomous logs and proceeds;
automation_always_ask categories always prompt).
Authoring guidance: the skeletons below are self-contained — author from them
directly. When a section needs depth (worked examples, pattern catalogs,
accessibility criteria), the matching guide has it:
| Producing | Guide |
|---|
| UX spec | .claude/skills/saas-ux-design/references/sections-ux-spec.md |
| App shell navigation | .claude/skills/saas-ux-design/references/sections-app-shell.md |
| Interaction patterns | .claude/skills/saas-ux-design/references/sections-patterns.md |
| Accessibility requirements | .claude/docs/templates/accessibility-requirements.md |
Load a guide per-section, never whole — each is organised by section and the
pointers in the templates name the exact section to read.
workflow (see .claude/docs/workflow-modes.md):
full — a UX spec is required per screen.
standard — core screens only (landing page, app shell, dashboard, primary user workflow).
minimal — not required. Can still be run voluntarily.
docs.density — it controls per-section depth, where workflow
controls which screens are specced. modes.rigor sets both together; set
docs.density explicitly to vary depth alone: terse (the default, via rigor: minimal) = wireframe descriptions +
interaction bullets; balanced = wireframes + paragraph descriptions of flows
(rigor: standard); thorough = full prose including user-research summaries and
alternative flow considerations. Apply it to every section you author.
1. Parse Arguments & Determine Mode
Four authoring modes exist based on the argument:
| Argument | Mode | Output file |
|---|
app-shell | App shell navigation | design/ux/app-shell.md |
patterns | Interaction pattern library | design/ux/interaction-patterns.md |
accessibility | Project-wide accessibility requirements | design/accessibility-requirements.md |
Any other value (e.g., dashboard, settings-billing) | UX spec for a screen or flow | design/ux/[argument].md |
| No argument | Ask the user | (see below) |
accessibility is the only mode that writes outside design/ux/. Its
output is a project-wide standard the per-screen specs consult, not a spec for
one screen — .claude/docs/workflow-catalog.yaml, the Pre-Production and
Polish gates, and /saas-architecture-review all check
design/accessibility-requirements.md at that exact path. Do not "tidy" it
under design/ux/: every one of those checks would stop matching, and the
Technical Setup → Pre-Production gate would become unpassable.
If no argument is provided, do not fail — ask instead. Use AskUserQuestion:
- "What are we designing today?"
- Options: "A specific screen or flow (I'll name it)", "The App Shell & Global Navigation", "The interaction pattern library", "The project-wide accessibility requirements", "I'm not sure — help me figure it out"
If the user selects "I'll name it" or types a screen name, normalize it to kebab-case
for the filename (e.g., "Settings Billing" becomes settings-billing).
2. Gather Context (Read Phase)
Read references/2-gather-context.md now and follow it — this phase's steps are in that file, not here. Read it again if the conversation was compacted or resumed during this phase.
3. Create File Skeleton
Read references/3-file-skeleton.md now and follow it — this phase's steps are in that file, not here. Read it again if the conversation was compacted or resumed during this phase.
4. Section-by-Section Authoring
Read references/4-authoring.md now and follow it — this phase's steps are in that file, not here. Read it again if the conversation was compacted or resumed during this phase.
Section guidance — read the ONE file for the active mode
Per-section authoring guidance lives in its own file per mode. When you reach
Phase 4, read only the file matching the mode resolved in Section 1; never load
the other two.
| Mode | Guidance file |
|---|
| UX Spec (screen or flow) | references/sections-ux-spec.md |
| App Shell Design | references/sections-app-shell.md |
| Interaction Pattern Library | references/sections-patterns.md |
| Accessibility Requirements | .claude/docs/templates/guidance/accessibility-requirements-guide.md |
The accessibility guidance lives under templates/guidance/ rather than this
skill's references/ because the template it documents
(.claude/docs/templates/accessibility-requirements.md) is consumed by
/saas-ux-review and the gate files too. Same rule applies: load only the part
covering the section you are authoring, never the whole file.
Apply docs.density (Section 1) to whatever that file tells you to author — it
controls the depth of each section, not which sections exist.
5. Cross-Reference Check
Read references/5-crossref-handoff.md now and follow it — this phase's steps are in that file, not here. Read it again if the conversation was compacted or resumed during this phase.
7. Recovery & Resume
If the session is interrupted (compaction, crash, new session):
- Read
production/session-state/active.md — it records the current screen
and which sections are complete.
- Read
design/ux/[filename].md — sections with real content are done;
sections with [To be designed] still need work.
- Resume from the next incomplete section — no need to re-discuss completed ones.
This is why incremental writing matters: every approved section survives any
disruption.
8. Specialist Agent Routing
This skill uses ux-designer as the primary agent (set in frontmatter). For
specific sub-topics, additional context or coordination may be needed:
| Topic | Coordinate with |
|---|
| Visual aesthetics, color, layout feel | design-system-director — UX spec defines zones; art defines how they look |
| Implementation feasibility (engine constraints) | frontend-engineer — before finalizing component catalog |
| Core Business Workflow data requirements | lead-product-manager — when data ownership is unclear |
| Microcopy & brand voice visible in the UI | ux-content-strategist — for microcopy, empty states, help tooltips |
| Accessibility tier decisions | Recorded by this session (/saas-ux-design accessibility; the user picks the tier) against the criteria accessibility-auditor defines and audits — consult it when a requirement's criterion is unclear |
When delegating to another agent via the Agent tool:
- Provide: screen name, product concept summary, the specific question needing expert input
- The agent returns analysis to this session
- This session presents the agent's output to the user
- The user decides; this session writes to file
- Agents do NOT write to files directly — this session owns all file writes
Collaborative Protocol
In collaborative mode (the default). For guided and autonomous modes,
see the per-mode rules in .claude/docs/automation-modes.md — the steps below
describe what collaborative mode requires, not what applies universally.
This skill follows the collaborative design principle at every step:
- Question -> Options -> Decision -> Draft -> Approval for every section
- AskUserQuestion at every decision point (Explain -> Capture pattern):
- Phase 2: "Ready to start, or need more context?"
- Phase 3: "May I create the skeleton?"
- Phase 4 (each section): design questions, approach options, draft approval
- Phase 5: "Run cross-reference check? What's next?"
- "May I write to [filepath]?" before the skeleton and before each section write
- Incremental writing: Each section is written to file immediately after approval
- Session state updates: After every section write
Aesthetic deference: When layout or visual choices come down to personal taste,
present the options and ask. Do not select a layout because it is "standard" — always
confirm. The user is the creative director.
Conflict surfacing: When a PRD requirement and the available screen real estate
conflict, surface the conflict and present resolution options. Never silently drop
a requirement. Never silently expand the layout without flagging it.
Never auto-generate the full spec and present it as a fait accompli.
Never write a section without user approval.
Never contradict an existing approved UX spec without flagging the conflict.
Always show where decisions come from (PRD requirements, customer journey, user choices).
Verdict: COMPLETE — UX spec written and approved section by section.
Recommended Next Steps
- Run
/saas-ux-review [filename] to validate this spec before it enters the implementation pipeline
- Run
/saas-ux-design [next-screen] to continue designing remaining screens or flows
- Run
/saas-gate-check production once all key screens have approved UX specs