Design Integration

Overview

Detect the project's design system, embrace it fully, and extend it only through sanctioned channels. Never resist it, never overlook it, never rebuild what it already offers.

Core principle: When a project has a design system, every component you create must consume that system's primitives, tokens, and patterns. When no system exists, establish one before writing components.

No exceptions. No workarounds. No shortcuts.

The Prime Directive

NEVER REBUILD WHAT THE DESIGN SYSTEM ALREADY PROVIDES

If the system ships a <Dialog> component, use it. Do not fabricate your own. Do not wrap it in a container with overriding styles. Consume its variant API and extend only through its documented extension points.

When to Use

Mandatory when:

• Entering any existing codebase with a user interface
• Introducing new UI elements to an established application
• Growing a project's component library
• Initializing a new project that will have a UI layer

Specifically triggered by:

• Imports from @shadcn/ui, @mui/material, antd, @chakra-ui, or equivalents
• A components/ui directory containing base-level primitives
• Configuration files such as tailwind.config, theme.ts, or a design token file
• The need to add UI to a project with no system in place

The Entry Protocol

BEFORE authoring any UI component:

1. DETECT: What design system governs this project? (see Detection below)
2. STUDY: Read the system's component API for the element you are building
3. ASSESS: Does the system already provide this component?
   - Yes -> Consume it directly. Do NOT recreate it.
   - Partially -> Compose from existing primitives
   - No -> Build it adhering to the system's conventions
4. VALIDATE: Does your component feel native to the system?

Omit any step = fighting the system

Detection Sequence

digraph detect_system {
    rankdir=TB;
    start [label="New project or\nnew component", shape=doublecircle];
    check_deps [label="Inspect package.json\nfor UI frameworks", shape=box];
    known [label="Recognized design\nsystem present?", shape=diamond];
    check_code [label="Search source tree\nfor UI import patterns", shape=box];
    has_custom [label="Internal component\nlibrary found?", shape=diamond];
    check_tokens [label="Look for\ndesign token definitions", shape=box];
    has_tokens [label="Token file\ndetected?", shape=diamond];
    adopt_known [label="ADOPT\nUse the recognized system", shape=box, style=filled, fillcolor="#ccffcc"];
    adopt_internal [label="ADOPT\nFollow internal library conventions", shape=box, style=filled, fillcolor="#ccffcc"];
    bootstrap [label="BOOTSTRAP\nInitialize a design system", shape=box, style=filled, fillcolor="#ccccff"];
    extend_tokens [label="BUILD\non existing token foundation", shape=box, style=filled, fillcolor="#ccffcc"];

    start -> check_deps;
    check_deps -> known;
    known -> adopt_known [label="yes"];
    known -> check_code [label="no"];
    check_code -> has_custom;
    has_custom -> adopt_internal [label="yes\n(components/ui\nor equivalent)"];
    has_custom -> check_tokens [label="no"];
    check_tokens -> has_tokens;
    has_tokens -> extend_tokens [label="yes"];
    has_tokens -> bootstrap [label="no"];
}

Phase 1: Inspect Dependencies

Dependency	System	Approach
@radix-ui/*, class-variance-authority	shadcn/ui	Adhere to shadcn file and variant conventions
@mui/material, @emotion/react	Material UI	Follow Material Design specifications
antd	Ant Design	Follow Ant component patterns
@chakra-ui/react	Chakra UI	Follow Chakra theming and style props
@headlessui/react	Headless UI	Pair with Tailwind for styling
@mantine/core	Mantine	Follow Mantine hook and component patterns
primereact, primevue	PrimeReact/PrimeVue	Follow Prime theming and template system

Phase 2: Scan for Internal Components

Look for:

• components/ui/ directory (typical shadcn/ui layout)
• components/common/ or components/shared/
• Barrel re-exports from component directories
• Storybook stories (.stories.tsx)

Phase 3: Locate Design Tokens

Search for:

• tailwind.config.js/ts (Tailwind CSS theme customization)
• theme.ts or theme.js (custom theme objects)
• CSS custom properties defined on :root or [data-theme]
• tokens/ or design-tokens/ directories
• styles/variables.css or styles/tokens.css

Adoption: Operating Within an Existing System

Universal Principles

1. Consume the component API as-is. Do not add wrapper elements with inline overrides.
2. Use the system's variant mechanism. If it offers variant="danger", use that instead of manually overriding colors.
3. Use the system's sizing props. If it accepts size="sm", do not override with custom CSS.
4. Extend through the system's designated extension points. Not through CSS specificity wars.
5. Follow the system's directory conventions. If primitives live in components/ui/, new ones go there too.

shadcn/ui

Copy-and-customize components built on Radix UI + Tailwind CSS.

Conventions:

• Primitives in components/ui/ (base building blocks)
• Application components in components/ (composed from primitives)
• cn() helper for merging class strings
• cva() from class-variance-authority for variant definitions
• All styling through Tailwind utility classes

Adding a missing component:

npx shadcn@latest add [component-name]

Composing custom components:

import { Card, CardContent, CardHeader, CardTitle } from "@/components/ui/card"
import { Badge } from "@/components/ui/badge"

export function ProjectCard({ project }) {
  return (
    <Card>
      <CardHeader><CardTitle>{project.title}</CardTitle></CardHeader>
      <CardContent>
        <Badge variant={project.live ? "default" : "secondary"}>
          {project.live ? "Live" : "Draft"}
        </Badge>
      </CardContent>
    </Card>
  )
}

Forbidden:

• Overriding shadcn styles with raw CSS files
• Rebuilding a component shadcn already provides
• Applying non-Tailwind styling alongside shadcn components
• Ignoring the cn() helper for conditional class composition

Material UI

Conventions:

• Theme defined via createTheme() in theme.ts
• Components imported from @mui/material
• Styling via sx prop or styled() API
• Global overrides through theme.components

Extending the theme:

const theme = createTheme({
  palette: { primary: { main: '#0d9488' } },
  components: {
    MuiButton: {
      defaultProps: { disableElevation: true },
      styleOverrides: { root: { textTransform: 'none', borderRadius: 8 } },
    },
  },
});

Ant Design

Conventions:

• Components imported from antd
• Theming through ConfigProvider + token system
• Global tokens via theme.token, per-component via theme.components

Forbidden: Direct overrides of .ant-* CSS classes or mixing Ant with a competing component library.

Tailwind CSS (Standalone, No Component Library)

When the project uses Tailwind without an accompanying component framework:

1. Inspect tailwind.config for custom theme extensions
2. Consume those values exclusively -- no arbitrary values
3. Replicate existing class patterns found in the codebase

Extension: Adding to an Existing System

When the system lacks a component you require:

Pre-Build Checklist

1. Search the system's documentation -- it may exist under a different name
2. Determine whether it can be assembled from existing primitives
3. Look for community plugins or extensions

Building a New Component Within the System

Align with the system's norms:

1. NAMING -- Follow the system's naming pattern (PascalCase components, kebab-case files, etc.)
2. API -- Follow the system's prop conventions (variant + size, cva, sx, etc.)
3. STYLING -- Use the same styling mechanism (Tailwind + cn(), sx prop, token references)
4. TOKENS -- Reference system token values, never raw literals
5. ACCESSIBILITY -- Reproduce the system's a11y patterns (ARIA attributes, keyboard navigation, focus management)

Bootstrap: When No System Exists

Project Scale	Recommendation
Prototype / MVP	Tailwind CSS + shadcn/ui
Small team, distinctive brand	Tailwind CSS + headless primitives (Radix/Headless UI)
Enterprise / large organization	Material UI or Ant Design (full-featured, opinionated)
Design-centric / agency work	Tailwind CSS + bespoke component library

Minimum Bootstrap Steps

1. Install a CSS framework (Tailwind recommended for most scenarios)
2. Define design tokens (leverage templates from godmode:ux-patterns design-tokens.md)
3. Create foundational components (Button, Input, Card, Badge at minimum)
4. Configure theming (CSS custom properties or Tailwind config)

Fast-Track Bootstrap (Tailwind + shadcn/ui)

npx tailwindcss init -p
npx shadcn@latest init
npx shadcn@latest add button input card badge dialog toast

Customize tailwind.config.ts with project-specific token values afterward.

Token Discovery in Existing Codebases

When joining a project that lacks documented tokens:

Token Category	Where to Find
Colors	CSS variables, Tailwind config, theme files, most-used hex/rgb values
Typography	Font imports, CSS font declarations, Tailwind config fonts section
Spacing	Most frequent padding/margin/gap values across stylesheets
Border radius	Most common border-radius values in component styles
Shadows	Most common box-shadow declarations

Discovery process:

1. Search for CSS custom properties (--) across all style files
2. Inspect tailwind.config for theme.extend customizations
3. Check for theme.ts or theme.js exports
4. If nothing is found, audit the 5-10 most-used components for recurring values and document them as tokens

Cognitive Traps

Rationalization	Truth
"The system does not have this component"	Compose from primitives or extend within conventions. Do not bypass the system.
"Writing raw CSS is faster than learning the API"	Faster today, inconsistent forever. Invest in learning the system.
"I will wire it into the system later"	Later never arrives. Components outside the system infect everything they touch.
"The system's API is too restrictive"	The API prevents inconsistency by design. Work within it or extend properly.
"Combining two systems gives us the best of both"	Combining two systems delivers the worst of both: conflicting styles, doubled bundle weight.
"This is a one-off component, it does not matter"	One-off components multiply. Build it correctly or it becomes technical debt.
"I will just override this one property"	One override becomes twenty. Use the system's theming mechanism.

Guardrails -- HALT

• Overriding system styles with !important
• Mixing two different component frameworks in one project
• Rebuilding a component the system already ships
• Ignoring the system's theming or token approach
• Using raw HTML elements when system components exist
• Creating components/custom/ alongside components/ui/
• Adding standalone CSS files in a Tailwind project
• Hard-coding hex colors when the system provides a palette
• Installing a second UI library when one is already present

Every item on this list means: HALT. Consume the existing system.

Integration

Prerequisite knowledge:

• godmode:ux-patterns -- Provides design references; this skill handles system-specific implementation

Complementary skills:

• godmode:ui-engineering -- Implementation patterns that operate within design systems
• godmode:project-bootstrap -- Initialize a design system during project setup