CSS Design System

Settings

design_system: simple
theme:
  - light
  - dark
  - system

Skill loaders strip YAML frontmatter, so settings live here at the top of the body. They are already in your context — never open this file to look them up. When a command changes a setting, rewrite the value in this block.

Create CSS design-system foundations using CSS files only. Do not add Tailwind, Sass, component libraries, CDNs, build steps, or generated JavaScript.

This skill follows a portable structure: one clear CSS entry point loads primitive tokens, semantic theme tokens, base styles, and component classes when the project uses that split. The root directory and file split must follow the target project's existing style location when one exists; do not assume any fixed path from the reference project.

Command Rules

Preview

Do not create preview.html during normal design-system generation. Only create it when the user explicitly invokes a preview command, such as:

css-design-system preview
css-design-system preview.html
generate preview.html with css-design-system

Without one of those preview commands, write CSS files only.

Design System

Use design_system from Settings as the default design-system setting.

When the user explicitly names a design system while asking to create, switch, migrate, or update the design system, update design_system in Settings before generating files.

css-design-system design-system material-ui
css-design-system design-system carbon
change css-design-system to Fluent
use Material UI design system for this app

Store the design-system key in lowercase kebab-case, such as simple, material-ui, carbon, fluent, or custom.

If the requested system is external, inspect the codebase first, then search official or primary documentation before choosing token names, token values, and theme defaults.

Selection rules:

1. Always use design_system as the selected design system unless the user explicitly names another one.
2. If this appears to be the first time this skill is used in the codebase and existing styles clearly match a different design system, ask whether to update design_system to match before generating.
3. Treat it as a first use when there is no existing generated CSS entry, no prior css-design-system comments, and no project documentation naming this skill.
4. If design_system is simple, create a compact neutral CSS foundation with primitive tokens, semantic themes, base reset, and common component classes.

Themes

Use theme from Settings as the default themes setting.

When the user explicitly names themes while asking to create, switch, migrate, or update the design system, update theme in Settings before generating files.

css-design-system themes light dark system
css-design-system themes dark
generate this design system with light, dark, and high-contrast themes

Store theme names in theme as a YAML list.

Theme selection order:

1. Follow existing codebase theme conventions.
2. Otherwise use theme.
3. For a named external design system, consider that system's documented default theme model first, such as standard light/dark modes or default color-scheme assumptions.
4. Add named themes with [data-theme='<name>'] blocks and keep shared semantic token names stable across themes.

File Structure

Use this as an example structure, not a required file list. The actual split may change by project size, existing conventions, and user request.

styles/
├── index.css
├── base.css
├── theme.css
├── primitives/
│   ├── index.css
│   ├── palette.css
│   ├── size.css
│   └── typography.css
└── components/
    ├── index.css
    ├── button.css
    ├── form.css
    ├── badge.css
    ├── avatar.css
    ├── card.css
    ├── alert.css
    ├── progress.css
    ├── tabs.css
    ├── table.css
    └── link.css

The styles/ root above is only an example. Before writing, choose the root directory with this priority:

1. Use the user-provided output directory when present.
2. Reuse an existing CSS/style root, such as src/styles/, app/src/styles/, styles/, app/styles/, assets/styles/, or the project's established equivalent.
3. If no convention exists, create styles/ at the project root.

Do not prefer a candidate path only because it appeared in the reference project. Prefer the target project's actual imports and directory conventions.

Keep one clear CSS entry file. Split files only when it helps maintainability or matches the project convention.

When using the example split, index.css should import in this order:

@import "./primitives/index.css";
@import "./theme.css";
@import "./base.css";
@import "./components/index.css";

When present, primitives/index.css imports primitive files and components/index.css imports component files.

Token Guidance

Generate enough tokens for the CSS in this project to work, but do not create an exhaustive design-token encyclopedia. Token groups are conceptual; they may live in the example files above or in whatever file split the project already uses.

Primitives:

• Raw colors: black, white, gray scale, accent colors, danger, success, and warning.
• Size and motion: spacing scale, control heights, radius scale, transition duration/easing, and any project-specific layout sizes.
• Typography: sans and mono font families plus a small font-size scale.
• Effects when needed: shadows, focus rings, elevation, or other reusable visual effects.

Theme:

• Map primitive values to semantic tokens used by app CSS.
• Suggested semantic colors: --bg, --bg-subtle, --bg-muted, --bg-elevated, --fg, --fg-muted, --fg-subtle, --border, --border-strong, --accent, --accent-muted, --highlight, --highlight-muted, --danger, --success, --warning.
• Add, rename, or omit semantic tokens to match the codebase, but keep names stable once components depend on them.
• Include :root for light theme, [data-theme='dark'] for dark theme, and [data-theme='system'] for system theme when system is listed in theme. Implement system theme with prefers-color-scheme unless the project already has another convention.

Use this as a simple starting scale only when the project has no established scale:

--space-xs: 4px;
--space-sm: 8px;
--space-md: 16px;
--space-lg: 24px;
--space-xl: 40px;
--btn-sm: 28px;
--btn-md: 32px;
--btn-lg: 40px;
--radius-sm: 4px;
--radius-md: 8px;
--radius-lg: 12px;
--transition: 150ms ease;

CSS Layers

Use CSS imports and classes. CSS @layer is optional; use it only if the target project already uses layers or the user asks for them.

Prefer one clear CSS entry file. Keep variables as implementation details for the design-system CSS where practical; app-specific CSS may still reference tokens when composing project-specific views.

Components

Write small, reusable component classes that consume semantic tokens. The list below is an example set, not a required set:

• Button: .btn with .primary, .secondary, .ghost, .danger, .sm, .lg, disabled state
• Form: .field, .label, .input, .textarea, .select, .help, .choice, .switch
• Common UI: .badge, .avatar, .card, .alert, .progress, .tabs, .table, .link

Keep components minimal. Generate only the components the project needs or already uses. Add project-specific component files only when they remove duplication.

Base Styles

Base styles may live in base.css or the project's existing global stylesheet. Include only the reset and bare-element defaults the project needs:

• box-sizing: border-box
• basic resets for links, buttons, form fields, lists, images, SVG, and tables
• html, body defaults using --bg, --fg, and --font-sans
• heading defaults, code, pre, ::selection, scrollbar defaults, and :focus-visible

Workflow

1. Inspect existing style files before writing.
2. Apply command rules: update Settings when a design system or themes are named, and keep preview opt-in.
3. Use design_system; on first use, ask before changing it to match an existing codebase system.
4. Choose the CSS root and file split from project conventions, using the example split only when it helps.
5. Generate in dependency order: primitive tokens, semantic themes, base/global styles, then component CSS.
6. Report files written, selected design system, selected themes, and whether preview was skipped or generated.