UX Spec to Build-Order Prompts

Overview

Transform detailed UX specifications into a sequence of self-contained prompts optimized for UI generation tools. Each prompt builds one discrete feature/view with full context included.

When to Use

• User has a UX spec, PRD, or detailed feature documentation
• Output needs to feed into UI generation tools (v0, Bolt, Claude, etc.)
• User wants build-order sequencing (foundations → features → polish)
• Large specs that would overwhelm a single prompt

Not for: Quick component requests, already-atomic features, specs that fit in one prompt.

Core Pattern

UX Spec → Extract Atomic Units → Sequence by Dependencies → Generate Self-Contained Prompts

Build Order Strategy

Generate prompts in this order:

digraph build_order {
    rankdir=TB;
    "1. Foundation" -> "2. Layout Shell";
    "2. Layout Shell" -> "3. Core Components";
    "3. Core Components" -> "4. Interactions";
    "4. Interactions" -> "5. States & Feedback";
    "5. States & Feedback" -> "6. Polish";
}

Phase	What to Include	Why First
Foundation	Design tokens, shared types, base styles	Everything depends on these
Layout Shell	Page structure, navigation, panels	Container for all features
Core Components	Primary UI elements (nodes, cards, inputs)	Building blocks for features
Interactions	Drag-drop, connections, pickers	Depend on components existing
States & Feedback	Empty, loading, error, success states	Refinement of existing elements
Polish	Animations, responsive, edge cases	Final layer

Prompt Structure Template

Each generated prompt follows this structure:

## [Feature Name]

### Context

[What this feature is and where it fits in the app]

### Requirements

- [Specific behavior/appearance requirement]
- [Another requirement]
- [Include relevant specs: dimensions, colors, states]

### States

- Default: [description]
- [Other states from spec]

### Interactions

- [How user interacts]
- [Keyboard support if applicable]

### Constraints

- [Technical or design constraints]
- [What NOT to include]

Extraction Process

Step 1: Identify Atomic Units

Read through the spec and list discrete buildable features:

• Each screen/view
• Each reusable component
• Each interaction pattern
• Each state variation

Step 2: Map Dependencies

For each unit, note what it requires:

• "Node card requires design tokens"
• "Connection lines require nodes to exist"
• "Lens picker requires prompt field"

Step 3: Sequence by Dependency Graph

Order units so dependencies come first. Group related items into single prompts when they're tightly coupled.

Step 4: Write Self-Contained Prompts

For each prompt:

1. Re-state relevant context - Don't assume reader saw previous prompts
2. Include specific measurements - Extract from spec (dimensions, spacing)
3. Include all states - Pull from state design section
4. Include interaction details - Pull from affordances section
5. Set boundaries - What this prompt does NOT include

Self-Containment Rules

Each prompt MUST include:

• Enough context to understand the feature in isolation
• All visual specs (colors, spacing, dimensions) relevant to that feature
• All states that feature can be in
• All interactions for that feature

Each prompt MUST NOT:

• Reference "see previous prompt" or "as described earlier"
• Assume knowledge from other prompts
• Leave specs vague ("appropriate styling")

Example Transformation

From UX Spec:

#### Node Card (Sidebar)
- Dimensions: ~200px width, ~48px height
- Content: Icon (left), Name (center/left), Preview badge (right, if applicable)
- States: Default, Hover (subtle highlight), Dragging (ghost follows cursor)

To Prompt:

## Sidebar Node Card Component

### Context

A draggable card in the workflow builder sidebar representing a node type
users can add to the canvas. Part of a node palette with "Triggers" and
"Actions" sections.

### Requirements

- Width: 200px, Height: 48px
- Layout: Icon on left, node name center-left, optional "Preview" badge on right
- Background: Neutral/card background color
- Border-radius: 8px (standard card radius)

### States

- Default: Standard card appearance
- Hover: Subtle background highlight, cursor changes to grab
- Dragging: Semi-transparent ghost follows cursor, original card shows placeholder

### Interactions

- Click: Could select or auto-place on canvas
- Drag: Initiates drag-drop to canvas
- Drag end on canvas: Creates node at drop position
- Drag end outside canvas: Cancels, no node created

### Constraints

- Component only - not the full sidebar
- Do not implement actual drag-drop logic, just visual states
- Placeholder nodes show muted styling + "Preview" badge

Output Format

Generate a markdown document with:

# Build-Order Prompts: [Project Name]

## Overview

[1-2 sentence summary of what's being built]

## Build Sequence

1. [Prompt name] - [brief description]
2. [Prompt name] - [brief description]
   ...

---

## Prompt 1: [Feature Name]

[Full self-contained prompt]

---

## Prompt 2: [Feature Name]

[Full self-contained prompt]

...

Quality Checklist

Before finalizing prompts:

• Every measurement from spec is captured in a prompt
• Every state from spec is captured in a prompt
• Every interaction from spec is captured in a prompt
• No prompt references another prompt
• Build order respects dependencies
• Each prompt could be given to someone with no context

Common Mistakes

Mistake	Fix
Prompts too large (whole spec in one)	Break into atomic features
Prompts reference each other	Re-state needed context inline
Missing states	Cross-reference spec's state design section
Vague measurements ("good spacing")	Use exact values from spec
Wrong build order	Check dependency graph
Duplicated component definitions	Each component defined once, in first prompt that needs it