AI UI Generation

Patterns for generating, reviewing, and integrating UI components produced by AI tools (json-render, v0, Bolt, Cursor). json-render is the first choice for multi-surface, MCP visual output, and type-safe catalog workflows. AI-generated UI is 80% boilerplate, 20% custom — the human reviews, refactors, and owns the output. These rules ensure AI output meets design system, accessibility, and quality standards before shipping.

Quick Reference

Category	Rules	Impact	When to Use
json-render Integration	1	HIGH	Multi-surface output, MCP visual output, type-safe catalogs
Prompt Engineering	2	HIGH	Writing prompts for component generation
Quality Assurance	2	CRITICAL/HIGH	Reviewing and gating AI-generated code
Design System Integration	2	HIGH	Injecting tokens, refactoring for conformance
Tool Selection & Workflow	2	MEDIUM	Choosing the right AI tool, iterating prompts

Total: 8 rules across 5 categories

Decision Table — json-render vs v0 vs Bolt vs Cursor

Scenario	Tool	Why
Multi-surface / MCP visual output	json-render	Single catalog renders to any surface — FIRST CHOICE
Type-safe component catalog	json-render	Schema-driven specs with per-platform registries
Streaming UI from AI agents	json-render	Structured JSON specs render progressively
New component from scratch	v0	Full scaffold with shadcn/ui, Tailwind, a11y. Pass preset code for style consistency
Full-stack prototype/app	Bolt	Includes backend, routing, deployment
Incremental change in existing codebase	Cursor	Understands project context, imports, tokens
Refactor existing component	Cursor	Reads surrounding code, respects conventions
Explore visual design variations	v0	Fast iteration on look-and-feel
Add feature to running app	Bolt	Hot-reload preview, full environment
Fix bug in existing component	Cursor	Inline edits with full project awareness

Quick Start

Structured Prompt Example

Generate a React signup form component using:
- Framework: React 19 + TypeScript
- Styling: Tailwind CSS v4 + shadcn/ui (Luma style — rounded-4xl, shadow-md elevation)
- Preset: --preset b2D0xPaDb (or read from project's components.json style field)
- Tokens: use color.primary, color.destructive, spacing.md from our design system
- A11y: ARIA labels on all inputs, error announcements via aria-live
- States: default, loading (disabled + spinner), error (inline messages), success
- Responsive: stack on mobile (<640px), 2-col on desktop

Review Example — After AI Generation

// AI generated: hardcoded hex value
<button className="bg-[#3b82f6] text-white px-4 py-2">Submit</button>

// After human review: design token applied
<Button variant="default" size="md">Submit</Button>

Rule Details

json-render Integration

json-render is the first choice for AI UI generation when output must render across multiple surfaces (web, mobile, CLI, MCP). Define a catalog of components once, generate JSON specs from AI, and render on any target surface. See ork:json-render-catalog for catalog authoring patterns.

Rule	File	Key Pattern
json-render Patterns	rules/json-render-patterns.md	Catalog-first: define once, render anywhere via per-platform registries

Prompt Engineering

Structured prompts that specify framework, tokens, a11y, and states upfront.

Rule	File	Key Pattern
Prompt Patterns	rules/ai-prompt-patterns.md	Constraint-first prompts with framework, tokens, a11y
Iteration Patterns	rules/ai-iteration-patterns.md	Multi-pass prompts for complex interactive states

Quality Assurance

Systematic review and CI gating for AI-generated components.

Rule	File	Key Pattern
Review Checklist	rules/ai-review-checklist.md	10-point checklist for every AI-generated component
CI Gate	rules/ai-ci-gate.md	Automated quality gates before merge

Design System Integration

Ensuring AI output uses design tokens and conforms to the design system.

Rule	File	Key Pattern
Token Injection	rules/ai-token-injection.md	Pass token names in prompts, reject hardcoded values
Refactoring Conformance	rules/ai-refactoring-conformance.md	Steps to refactor raw AI output for design system

Tool Selection & Workflow

Choosing the right AI tool and iterating effectively.

Rule	File	Key Pattern
Tool Selection	rules/ai-tool-selection.md	Match tool to use case: v0, Bolt, Cursor
Iteration Patterns	rules/ai-iteration-patterns.md	Iterative refinement for complex states

Key Principles

1. Own the output — AI generates a draft; the engineer reviews, refactors, and is accountable for what ships.
2. Tokens over literals — Never accept hardcoded colors, spacing, or typography values. Always map to design tokens.
3. Constraint-first prompts — Specify framework, tokens, shadcn style (Luma/Nova/etc.), a11y, and states upfront. Vague prompts produce vague output.
4. Iterative refinement — Complex components need 2-3 prompt passes: structure first, states second, polish third.
5. CI is non-negotiable — Every AI-generated component goes through the same CI pipeline as hand-written code.
6. Accessibility by default — Include a11y requirements in every prompt; verify with automated checks post-generation.

Anti-Patterns (FORBIDDEN)

• Shipping raw AI output — Never merge AI-generated code without human review and design system refactoring.
• Vague prompts — "Make a nice form" produces inconsistent, non-conformant output. Always specify constraints.
• Hardcoded hex/rgb values — AI tools default to arbitrary colors. Replace with OKLCH design tokens.
• Skipping CI for "simple" components — AI-generated code has the same bug surface as hand-written code.
• Using v0 for incremental changes — v0 generates from scratch; use Cursor for changes within an existing codebase.
• Single-pass complex components — Multi-state components (loading, error, empty, success) need iterative prompting.
• Trusting AI a11y claims — AI tools add ARIA attributes inconsistently. Always verify with axe-core or Storybook a11y addon.

Detailed Documentation

Resource	Description
references/ai-ui-tool-comparison.md	json-render vs v0 vs Bolt vs Cursor vs Copilot comparison
references/prompt-templates-library.md	Copy-paste prompt templates for common components
references/ai-ui-failure-modes.md	Top 10 failure modes and fixes

Related Skills

• ork:json-render-catalog — json-render catalog authoring, schema validation, and registry patterns
• ork:mcp-visual-output — MCP visual output rendering with json-render specs
• ork:multi-surface-render — Cross-platform rendering from a single component catalog
• ork:ui-components — shadcn/ui component patterns and CVA variants
• ork:accessibility — WCAG compliance, ARIA patterns, screen reader support
• ork:animation-motion-design — Motion library animation patterns
• ork:responsive-patterns — Responsive layout and container query patterns
• ork:design-system — Design token architecture and theming