product-design

Installation
SKILL.md

Product Design Knowledge Base

451 expert practices across 25 categories, grounded in established research and proven patterns. Each practice includes tags, priority (core/situational/niche), and applies_when frontmatter for precise retrieval. Match the user's situation to the router below, read the starter files, then explore the full category directory for deeper guidance.

How to Use This Skill

  1. Match the user's design situation to the router table below
  2. Read the 3-4 starter files listed for that situation
  3. Use Glob to explore the full category directory when deeper guidance is needed (e.g., practices/forms-and-input/*.md)
  4. Use priority metadata to pick files when many match: core (read first) > situational > niche
  5. When a situation spans multiple categories, use Grep across practices/ to find cross-cutting practices by searching applies_when or tags in frontmatter

Every practice file includes tags, priority, and applies_when in its YAML frontmatter for targeted retrieval.

Design Situation Router

Situation Directory Key Starter Files
Form design practices/forms-and-input/ single-column-form-layouts-and-logical-field-sequencing.md, never-use-placeholder-text-as-label-substitute.md, inline-validation.md
Dashboard practices/dashboard-design/ design-dashboards-around-user-goals.md, data-ink-ratio-and-anti-clutter.md, preattentive-attributes-for-fast-visual-processing-in-dashboards.md
Data table practices/data-display-and-tables/ data-tables-support-all-four-core-user-tasks.md, frozen-headers-and-visual-anchors-in-large-tables.md, correct-data-alignment-in-tables.md
Error handling practices/feedback-and-error-handling/ error-severity-categorization.md, inline-error-messages.md, graceful-degradation-for-network-errors.md
Navigation / IA practices/navigation-and-information-architecture/ three-level-navigation.md, left-side-vertical-navigation.md, deep-linking-and-url-state-persistence.md
Onboarding practices/onboarding-and-empty-states/ empty-states-communicate-system-status.md, first-run-experience-pre-populated-samples.md, progressive-onboarding.md
Component selection practices/component-patterns/ modals.md, tooltips.md, nonmodal-side-panels.md, combobox-autocomplete.md
AI features practices/interaction-patterns/ human-in-the-loop-copilot-pattern.md, appropriate-friction-for-ai-powered-actions.md, ai-suggestion-autocomplete-ghost-text.md, transparency-about-ai-limitations.md
Interaction design practices/interaction-patterns/ affordances.md, direct-manipulation.md, design-every-interactive-state.md, undo-enables-exploration.md
Enterprise / B2B practices/enterprise-and-b2b/ role-based-interface-adaptation.md, permission-based-ui-rendering.md, bulk-actions-for-power-users.md, hierarchical-settings-architecture.md
Design system practices/design-systems-and-tokens/ 8pt-grid-spatial-system.md, three-layer-design-token-architecture.md, typographic-scale-principles.md
Search / filter practices/search-filter-and-sort/ faceted-search-show-filters-and-results-simultaneously.md, autocomplete-and-autosuggestion-in-search.md, saved-filters-and-search-views.md
Wizard / workflow practices/workflow-and-multi-step/ wizards-for-novice-users.md, wizard-step-indicators.md, conditional-branching-workflows.md
Loading states practices/loading-and-performance/ skeleton-screens-for-full-page-loads.md, doherty-threshold.md, progress-bars-for-deterministic-operations.md
Desktop app practices/desktop-specific/ master-detail-layout.md, comprehensive-keyboard-shortcut-system.md, sovereign-posture-full-attention-apps.md
Accessibility practices/accessibility/ semantic-html-and-aria-roles.md, full-keyboard-accessibility.md, color-contrast.md, visible-focus-indicators.md
Visual layout practices/layout-and-visual-hierarchy/ visual-hierarchy-through-grouping-and-weight.md, proximity-creates-grouping.md, avoid-visual-clutter.md
Gestalt principles practices/gestalt/ figure-ground-focal-layers.md, proximity-spatial-density.md, similarity-consistent-visual-attributes.md, praegnanz-simplest-interpretation.md
Cognitive load practices/cognitive-load/ eliminate-extraneous-load.md, chunking.md, split-attention-effect.md, working-memory-window.md
Reading / scanning practices/reading-psychology/ layer-cake-scanning.md, optimal-line-length.md, f-pattern-scanning.md, plain-language.md
Cognitive psychology practices/cognitive-psychology/ millers-law.md, build-mental-models-through-consistent-pattern-reuse.md, hicks-law.md
Human biases practices/human-biases/ default-effect.md, loss-aversion.md, anchoring-bias.md, framing-effect.md
Persuasion / engagement practices/behavioral-psychology/ goal-gradient-effect.md, nudge-theory-and-choice-architecture.md, aesthetic-usability-effect.md
Gamification practices/gamification/ flow-state-design.md, immediate-feedback-loops-and-celebratory-micro-interactions.md, progress-visualization-with-zeigarnik-effect.md
Usability heuristics practices/usability-heuristics/ nielsens-10-usability-heuristics.md, user-control-and-freedom-undo-over-confirmation.md, match-between-system-and-real-world.md
Cross-cutting concerns practices/cross-cutting/ goal-directed-design.md, teslers-law-absorb-complexity.md, design-for-perpetual-intermediate.md, inclusive-design.md

All Categories

Category Directory File Count
Human Biases practices/human-biases/ 32
Gestalt Principles practices/gestalt/ 52
Cognitive Load practices/cognitive-load/ 23
Reading Psychology practices/reading-psychology/ 21
Behavioral Psychology practices/behavioral-psychology/ 13
Gamification practices/gamification/ 4
Forms & Input practices/forms-and-input/ 14
Feedback & Error Handling practices/feedback-and-error-handling/ 18
Interaction Patterns practices/interaction-patterns/ 32
Layout & Visual Hierarchy practices/layout-and-visual-hierarchy/ 13
Onboarding & Empty States practices/onboarding-and-empty-states/ 12
Navigation & IA practices/navigation-and-information-architecture/ 16
Loading & Performance practices/loading-and-performance/ 8
Cognitive Psychology practices/cognitive-psychology/ 17
Component Patterns practices/component-patterns/ 18
Accessibility practices/accessibility/ 11
Dashboard Design practices/dashboard-design/ 19
Data Display & Tables practices/data-display-and-tables/ 20
Desktop-Specific practices/desktop-specific/ 23
Enterprise & B2B practices/enterprise-and-b2b/ 33
Design Systems & Tokens practices/design-systems-and-tokens/ 9
Search, Filter & Sort practices/search-filter-and-sort/ 11
Workflow & Multi-Step practices/workflow-and-multi-step/ 20
Usability Heuristics practices/usability-heuristics/ 4
Cross-Cutting practices/cross-cutting/ 8
Weekly Installs
2
GitHub Stars
35
First Seen
Apr 2, 2026