Stage 06 - UX Design

Design the user experience including visual design system, wireframes, user flows, responsive guidelines, and accessibility requirements to create a cohesive and user-centered product interface.

When to Use This Skill

User asks to start stage 06 (ux)
User wants to create wireframes or design system
User asks about UI design, accessibility, or responsive design

Your Roles in This Skill

See dev-swarm/docs/general-dev-stage-rule.md for role selection guidance.

Role Communication

See dev-swarm/docs/general-dev-stage-rule.md for the required role announcement format.

Pre-Stage Check

Before starting, verify previous stages:

Check if 00-init-ideas/ through 05-prd/ folders have content (not just .gitkeep)
If any previous stage is empty and has no SKIP.md:
- Ask user: "Stage {XX} is not complete. Would you like to skip it or start from that stage first?"

Instructions

Step 1: Context Review

Read all files to understand the project:

ideas.md
00-init-ideas/*.md through 05-prd/*.md - All markdown files

Step 2: Create Stage Proposal

General Rules: See dev-swarm/docs/general-dev-stage-rule.md → "Create Stage Proposal Rules" section.

If this stage is skipped (has SKIP.md), execute the next non-skipped stage's agent skill. Otherwise, create the file 06-ux/README.md with the following content:

2.1 Stage Goal

Brief the goal in 2-3 paragraphs:

What this stage aims to achieve
Why UX design is critical for product success and user adoption
How this builds upon previous stages (personas, MVP scope, PRD)
What deliverables will be produced

2.2 File Selection

Select files from these options based on project needs:

Design System:

design-system-guide.md - Color palette, typography, spacing, and button styles
design-ui-preview.html - Sample HTML/CSS/JS page demonstrating the design system

Wireframes & Layouts:

wireframe_descriptions.md - Textual descriptions of UI layout for each key screen

User Flows & Navigation:

user-flows/ - User navigation flow diagrams

Responsive & Accessibility:

responsive-design.md - Guidelines for how UI adapts across screen sizes
accessibility.md - Accessibility requirements following WCAG guidelines

UI Mockups (for GUI projects):

design-ui-mockup/README.md - Mockup proposal listing all pages/screens to be created (include in this approval step; mockup files created after design system approval). Required for any web, mobile, or desktop app with a graphic user interface when HTML mockups can express workflow.

For each selected file, provide:

Short description
Why it's essential for this project
Key information it should include

Note: If design-ui-mockup/ is selected, include design-ui-mockup/README.md (mockup proposal) in this stage proposal for approval together with other files. The actual mockup HTML/CSS/JS files will be created in Step 4 after design system files are approved.

2.3 Request User Approval

Ask user: "Please check the Stage Proposal in 06-ux/README.md. Update it directly or tell me how to update it."

Step 3: Execute Stage Plan

Once user approves 06-ux/README.md:

3.1 Create All Planned Files

Create each file listed in the approved README:

For .md files: Write comprehensive content based on personas, MVP requirements, and PRD
For diagram folders: Follow dev-swarm/docs/mermaid-diagram-guide.md to create related diagrams files
For .html files: Create functional preview pages demonstrating the design system with css/js as needed
For design-ui-mockup/README.md: Create the mockup proposal (see format below)

Mockup Proposal Format (for design-ui-mockup/README.md):

Purpose Statement:

These mockups are NOT the final design implementation
They serve as visual references for user review of the final layout, navigation flow, and overall user experience before actual development begins

Page/Screen List: Based on wireframes and user flows, list all pages/screens to be created:

Page name
Brief description
Key components/sections on this page
Navigation links to other pages

Shared Assets:

styles.css - Design system styles (colors, typography, spacing, buttons)
navigation.js - Inter-page navigation simulation

Proposed Structure:

design-ui-mockup/
├── README.md           # This proposal (will become review instructions after approval)
├── index.html          # Entry point / landing page
├── home.html           # Home/dashboard
├── login.html          # Authentication screens
├── [feature].html      # Feature-specific pages
├── styles.css          # Shared design system styles
└── navigation.js       # Inter-page navigation

Quality Guidelines:

Base design decisions on user personas and their needs
Align UX with MVP features defined in stage 03
Ensure all user flows support functional requirements from stage 05
Accessibility must meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards at minimum

3.2 Request User Approval for Files

After creating all files (including design-ui-mockup/README.md if applicable):

Provide a summary of what was created
Highlight key design decisions and rationale
Ask: "Please review the UX design files. You can update or delete files, or let me know how to modify them."

Step 4: Create UI Mockups (For GUI Projects)

Trigger Condition: Execute this step if:

The project has a GUI component (web app, mobile app, desktop app)
design-ui-mockup/README.md was created and approved by user in Step 3

UI mockups are required for GUI projects where HTML pages can represent the workflow, including this project.

4.1 Create Mockup Files

Create all mockup files based on the approved design-ui-mockup/README.md:

For each page/screen listed in the approved proposal, create:

Individual HTML files: One file per page/screen (e.g., home.html, login.html, dashboard.html, settings.html)
Shared CSS: styles.css - Apply design system (colors, typography, spacing, buttons)
Navigation JS: navigation.js - Enable clicking between pages to simulate user flow

Content Guidelines:

Use fake/placeholder data for all text content (lorem ipsum, sample names, mock statistics)
Use placeholder images (solid color boxes with dimensions, or placeholder.com URLs)
Use placeholder videos (colored rectangles with play button overlay)
Include all interactive states (hover, active, disabled) where applicable
Show responsive breakpoints if responsive design is required

4.2 Update Mockup README

After creating all mockup files, update 06-ux/design-ui-mockup/README.md to include:

How to open and navigate the mockups (open index.html in browser)
Complete list of all pages/screens created
Navigation flow instructions (which pages link to which)
Notes on placeholder content

4.3 Request User Approval for Mockups

After creating all mockups:

Provide a summary of pages/screens created
Explain how to navigate through the mockup flow
Ask: "Please review the UI mockups by opening design-ui-mockup/index.html in your browser. These mockups show the final layout and navigation flow. Let me know if any changes are needed before we proceed."

Step 5: Finalize Stage

Once user approves all files (and mockups if applicable):

5.1 Documentation Finalization

Sync 06-ux/README.md to remove any deleted files
Ensure all files are complete and well-formatted
Check that all diagrams render correctly
Validate HTML preview and mockups display correctly

5.2 Prepare for Next Stage

Summarize key design decisions for reference in architecture stage
Note any technical constraints discovered during UX design
Reference mockups as the visual baseline for implementation

5.3 Announce Completion

Inform user:

"Stage 06 (UX Design) is complete"
Summary of deliverables created
Key design decisions made
"Ready to proceed to Stage 07 (Architecture) when you are"

Stage Completion Rules

See dev-swarm/docs/general-dev-stage-rule.md for stage completion, commit, and skip rules.

Key Principles

Base design on user personas and needs
Ensure accessibility compliance
Keep design consistent across all screens
Support smooth transition to architecture design

dev-swarm-stage-ux