gsp-project-design

Works with the dual-diamond architecture: reads brand system from .design/branding/{brand}/patterns/ via brand.ref, reads/writes project assets in .design/projects/{project}/.

Input: Research + brief + brand system + project BRIEF.md Output: {project}/design/ (screen chunks + shared/ + INDEX.md) + exports/INDEX.md update Agent: gsp-project-designer

<execution_context> @${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../../templates/phases/design.md </execution_context>

Resolve project from .design/projects/ (one → use it, multiple → ask). Set PROJECT_PATH.

Read {PROJECT_PATH}/brand.ref → set BRAND_PATH.

Step 0.5: Validate prerequisites

Read {PROJECT_PATH}/STATE.md. Check that Brief (Phase 1) is complete. If not: "Brief hasn't been completed yet. Run /gsp-project-brief first." Then stop.

Research (Phase 2) is recommended but not required — if skipped, log: "No research artifacts found — designing from brief only."

Step 1: Load context

Read {PROJECT_PATH}/config.json — get implementation_target, design_scope, codebase_type. Read {PROJECT_PATH}/BRIEF.md — app type, audience, goals.

Revision mode

Check {PROJECT_PATH}/STATE.md for design status. If status is needs-revision:

1. Read {PROJECT_PATH}/critique/prioritized-fixes.md — design issues to address
2. Read {PROJECT_PATH}/critique/accessibility-fixes.md — accessibility issues to address
3. Log: "🔄 Revision mode — addressing critique issues from prioritized-fixes.md"
4. Pass critique fixes to designer agent in Step 3

Custom references

If {PROJECT_PATH}/references/ exists, scan for files (images, PDFs, markdown, URLs). Pass any found references to the designer agent as additional context.

Brand patterns (chunk-first)

Read {BRAND_PATH}/patterns/INDEX.md. If it exists, load all foundation chunks + selective component chunks.

If it doesn't exist, tell the user to run /gsp-brand-guidelines first.

Brand context (selective)

Read {BRAND_PATH}/identity/INDEX.md. If it exists, load color-system.md, typography.md, and imagery-style.md.

STYLE.md (visual DNA)

Check for {BRAND_PATH}/patterns/STYLE.md. This is the single document that governs all visual decisions.

If found, read it. Pass to the designer agent in Step 3 as the primary visual direction — it contains intensity dials, component patterns, constraints (never/always), effects vocabulary, and bold bets.

If not found, fall back to scanning {BRAND_PATH}/patterns/ for a .md file that is NOT INDEX.md or inside components/ (legacy {brand-name}.md format).

If neither found, proceed without it (older brands may not have this file).

Brief (chunk-first)

Read {PROJECT_PATH}/brief/INDEX.md. If it exists, load scope.md and target-adaptations.md.

If brief doesn't exist, proceed without it (brief is informative, not blocking).

Research (chunk-first)

Read {PROJECT_PATH}/research/INDEX.md. If it exists, load ux-patterns.md, recommendations.md, and reference-specs.md.

If research doesn't exist, proceed without it (research is informative, not blocking).

Step 1.5: Scope check

If design_scope is tokens:

1. Update {PROJECT_PATH}/STATE.md — set Phase 3 (Design) status to skipped
2. Display: "Design phase skipped — design scope is tokens."
3. Route: "Run /gsp-project-build."
4. Stop here.

If design_scope is partial: Read BRIEF.md "Target screens" to get the specific screen list.

Step 2: Load existing design system context

When implementation_target is not figma:

• If .design/system/COMPONENTS.md and .design/system/TOKENS.md exist, read them. Pass to the agent.
• If not, fall back to scanning the codebase.

Step 2.5: Load design references

Read these reference files (relative to skill dir ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../../references/):

• block-patterns.md

Hold their content for inlining into the agent prompt in Step 3.

Note: Apple HIG patterns and anti-patterns are distilled into the gsp-project-designer agent prompt. Visual effects are covered by STYLE.md's patterns/constraints/effects blocks (from #69). Full refs remain on disk for edge-case agent lookup.

Step 2.8: Load agent methodology

Read ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/methodology/gsp-project-designer.md. Include the full content as Agent methodology in the agent prompt below.

Step 3: Spawn designer

Spawn the gsp-project-designer agent. Inline all content — the agent should not need to read any input files.

Pass in the agent prompt:

• Agent methodology (loaded in Step 2.8)
• Content of STYLE.md when available — this is the primary visual direction. When STYLE.md exists, skip foundation chunks (color-system, typography, spacing, elevation, border-radius) — STYLE.md already contains this data. Only load selective component chunks.
• Content of all brand patterns foundation chunks (only when STYLE.md does NOT exist — fallback for older brands)
• Content of brand identity chunks: imagery-style.md (always — not covered by STYLE.md). Skip identity color-system.md and typography.md when STYLE.md exists (redundant).
• Content of brief chunks: scope.md, target-adaptations.md (loaded in Step 1)
• Content of research chunks: ux-patterns.md, recommendations.md, reference-specs.md (loaded in Step 1)
• Content of BRIEF.md
• Content of .design/system/COMPONENTS.md, TOKENS.md (when loaded in Step 2)
• Content of custom references (when loaded in Step 1)
• Content of critique fixes: prioritized-fixes.md, accessibility-fixes.md (when in revision mode)
• Design output template (from execution_context)
• Content of block patterns reference (loaded in Step 2.5)
• implementation_target, design_scope, codebase_type
• Target screens (when partial)
• Output path: {PROJECT_PATH}/design/

The agent writes chunks directly:

• design/screen-{NN}-{name}.md (one per screen)
• design/shared/ (personas, IA, navigation, micro-interactions, responsive, component-plan)
• design/preview.html (self-contained wireframe preview)
• design/INDEX.md
• Updates {PROJECT_PATH}/exports/INDEX.md (design section)

Step 4: Update state

Update {PROJECT_PATH}/STATE.md:

• Set Phase 3 (Design) status to complete
• Record completion date

Step 5: Phase transition output

Invoke /gsp-phase-transition with phase design and output directory {PROJECT_PATH}/design/.