oiloil-ui-ux-guide

OilOil UI/UX Guide (Modern Minimal)

Use this skill in two modes:

• guide: Provide compact principles and concrete do/don't rules for modern clean UI/UX.
• review: Review an existing UI (screenshot / mock / HTML / PR) and output prioritized, actionable fixes.

Keep outputs concise. Prefer bullets, not long paragraphs.

Workflow (pick one)

1) guide workflow

1. Identify the surface: marketing page / dashboard / settings / creation flow / list-detail / form.
2. Identify the primary user task and primary CTA.
3. Apply the system-level guiding principles first (mental model and interaction logic).
4. Then apply the core principles below (start from UX, then refine with CRAP).
5. If icons are involved: apply references/icons.md.

2) review workflow

1. State assumptions (platform, target user, primary task).
2. List findings as P0/P1/P2 (blocker / important / polish) with short evidence.
3. For each major issue, label the diagnosis: execution vs evaluation gulf; slip vs mistake (see references/design-psych.md).
4. Propose fixes that are implementable (layout, hierarchy, components, copy, states).
5. End with a short checklist to verify changes.

Use references/review-template.md when you need a stable output format.

Non-negotiables (hard rules)

• No emoji used as icons (or as UI decoration). If an emoji appears, replace it with a proper icon.
• Icons must be intuitive and refined. Use a single consistent icon set for the product (avoid mixing styles).
• Minimize copy by default. Add explanatory text only when it prevents errors, reduces ambiguity, or improves trust.

System-Level Guiding Principles

Apply these as first-order constraints before choosing components or page patterns. Full definitions and review questions: references/system-principles.md.

Key principles: concept constancy · primary task focus · UI copy source discipline · state perceptibility · help text layering (L0–L3) · feedback loop closure · prevention + recoverability · progressive complexity · action perceptibility · cognitive load budget · evolution with semantic continuity.

Core Principles (minimal set)

A) Task-first UX

• Make the primary task obvious in <3 seconds.
• Allow exactly one primary CTA per screen/section.
• Optimize the happy path; hide advanced controls behind progressive disclosure.

B) Information architecture (grouping & findability)

• Group by user mental model (goal/object/time/status), not by backend fields.
• Use clear section titles; keep navigation patterns stable across similar screens.
• When item count grows: add search/filter/sort early, not late.

C) Feedback & system status

• Cover all states: loading, empty, error, success, permission. Details in references/checklists.md.
• After any action, answer: "did it work?" + "what changed?" + "what can I do next?"
• Prefer inline, contextual feedback over global toasts (except for cross-page actions).

D) Consistency & predictability

• Same interaction = same component + same wording + same placement.
• Use a small, stable set of component variants; avoid one-off styles.

E) Affordance + Signifiers (make actions obvious)

• Clickable things must look clickable (button/link styling + hover/focus + cursor). On web, custom clickable elements need cursor: pointer and focus styles.
• Primary actions need a label; icon-only is reserved for universally-known actions.
• Show constraints before submit (format, units, required), not only after errors.
• For deeper theory (affordances, signifiers, mapping, constraints): see references/design-psych.md.

F) Error prevention & recovery

• Prevent errors with constraints, defaults, and inline validation.
• Make destructive actions reversible when possible; otherwise require deliberate confirmation.
• Error messages must be actionable (what happened + how to fix).

G) Cognitive load control

• Reduce choices: sensible defaults, presets, and progressive disclosure.
• Break long tasks into steps only when it reduces thinking (not just to look "enterprise").
• Keep visual noise low: fewer borders, fewer colors, fewer competing highlights.

H) CRAP (visual hierarchy & layout)

• Contrast: emphasize the few things that matter (CTA, current state, key numbers).
• Repetition: tokens/components/spacing follow a scale; avoid “almost the same” styles.
• Alignment: align to a clear grid; fix 2px drift; align baselines where text matters.
• Proximity: tight within a group, loose between groups; spacing is the primary grouping tool.

Spacing & layout discipline (compact rule set)

Use this when implementing or reviewing layouts. Keep it short, but enforce it strictly.

• Rule 1 - One spacing scale:
  • Base unit: 4px.
  • Allowed spacing set (recommended): 4 / 8 / 12 / 16 / 24 / 32 / 40 / 48.
  • New gaps/padding should use this set; off-scale values need a clear reason.
• Rule 2 - Repetition first:
  • Same component type keeps the same internal spacing (cards, list rows, form groups, section blocks).
  • Components with the same visual role should not have different spacing patterns.
• Rule 3 - Alignment + grouping:
  • Align to one grid and fix 1-2px drift.
  • Tight spacing within a group, looser spacing between groups.
• Rule 4 - No decorative nesting:
  • Extra wrappers must add real function (grouping, state, scroll, affordance).
  • If a wrapper only adds border/background, remove it and group with spacing instead.
• Quick review pass:
  • Any off-scale spacing values?
  • Any baseline/edge misalignment?
  • Any wrapper layer removable without losing meaning?

Modern minimal style guidance (taste with rules)

• Use whitespace + typography to create hierarchy; avoid decoration-first design.
• Prefer subtle surfaces (light elevation, low-contrast borders). Avoid heavy shadows.
• Keep color palette small; use one accent color for primary actions and key states.
• Copy: short, direct labels; add helper text only when it reduces mistakes or increases trust.

Motion (animation) guidance (content/creator-friendly, not flashy)

• Motion explains hierarchy (what is a layer/panel) and state change (what just happened). Avoid motion as decoration.
• Default motion vocabulary: fade; then small translate+fade; allow tiny scale+fade for overlays. Avoid big bouncy motion.
• Keep the canvas/content area stable. Panels/overlays can move; the work surface should not “float.”
• Prefer consistency over variety: same component type uses the same motion pattern.
• Avoid layout jumps. Use placeholders/skeletons to keep layout stable while loading.

Anti-AI Self-Check (run after generating UI)

Before finalizing any generated UI, verify these items. Violating any one is a mandatory fix.

• Gradient restraint — Gradients must convey meaning (progress, depth, state distinction). Purely decorative gradients: at most one per page. If background, buttons, and borders all use gradients simultaneously, that is overuse — pick one and flatten the rest.
• No emoji as UI — Already a non-negotiable. Re-check: no emoji slipped in as section icons, status indicators, or button labels.
• Copy necessity — For every piece of text, ask: if I remove this, can the user still understand through layout, icons, and position alone? If yes, remove it. Text is the last resort, not the default.
• Decoration justification — Every purely visual effect (blur, glow, animated entrance, layered shadows) must answer: "what does this help the user understand?" No answer → remove.

References

• System-level guiding principles (concept constancy, copy discipline, state perceptibility, etc.): references/system-principles.md
• Interaction psychology (Fitts/Hick/Miller, cognitive biases, flow, attention): references/interaction-psychology.md
• Design psychology (affordances, signifiers, mapping, constraints, gulfs, slips vs mistakes): references/design-psych.md
• Icon rules and "intuitive refined" guidance: references/icons.md
• Review output template and scoring: references/review-template.md
• Expanded checklists (states, affordance, lists, forms, settings, motion, dashboards, copy): references/checklists.md