---
category: skills
topic: overview
content_type: reference
status: latest
retrieved: 2026-05-16
source_url: https://github.com/pbakaus/impeccable
license: Apache 2.0
tags: [design-quality, ai-agents, anti-patterns, typography, color, motion, accessibility, synthesis]
---

# Impeccable — Design Skill Overview

## What it is

Impeccable is a Claude Code / cursor / Codex skill for frontend design quality by Philip Bakaus. It ships as a system prompt with 7 domain reference files and 23 named commands. Its core thesis: LLMs trained on the same SaaS templates produce the same handful of tells on every project unless given explicit design guidance. Impeccable provides that guidance.

**Origin:** Built on top of and extending Anthropic's official `frontend-design` skill.

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## The AI slop problem

Without explicit guidance, AI agents consistently default to:

- Inter for everything
- Purple-to-blue gradients
- Cards nested in cards
- Gray text on colored backgrounds
- Rounded-square icon tiles above every heading
- Medium blue primaries
- Near-white `#FAFAFA` surfaces
- 6–8px uniform border radius across all components

These are not random errors — they are structural biases from training on a corpus dominated by generic SaaS templates. The problem is invisibility: the output is functionally correct and aesthetically unremarkable. It passes code review but fails design review.

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## 7 domain reference files

The skill loads these reference files alongside every design command:

| Reference | Covers |
|---|---|
| typography | Type systems, font pairing, modular scales, OpenType features |
| color-and-contrast | OKLCH, tinted neutrals, dark mode, accessibility |
| spatial-design | Spacing systems, grids, visual hierarchy |
| motion-design | Easing curves, staggering, reduced motion |
| interaction-design | Forms, focus states, loading patterns |
| responsive-design | Mobile-first, fluid design, container queries |
| ux-writing | Button labels, error messages, empty states |

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## 23 commands

The skill provides a shared design vocabulary via `/impeccable [command]`:

**Planning:** `craft`, `teach`, `document`, `extract`, `shape`  
**Review:** `critique`, `audit`, `polish`  
**Adjustment:** `bolder`, `quieter`, `distill`, `harden`, `onboard`  
**Specialized:** `animate`, `colorize`, `typeset`, `layout`, `delight`, `overdrive`, `clarify`, `adapt`, `optimize`, `live`

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## Anti-pattern framework

Impeccable includes two layers of anti-pattern detection:

**27 deterministic rules** — Run without an LLM, catching specific measurable failures (use of a banned font, pure black as a surface token, opacity-derived container colors, etc.). Each rule is tied to specific design guidance.

**12-rule LLM critique pass** — Applied by the AI after generation, checking for second-order pattern failures (e.g., landing in a predictable aesthetic pocket even while technically avoiding first-order reflexes).

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## Key anti-patterns flagged

- Overused fonts: Arial, Inter, Roboto, system defaults
- Gray text on colored backgrounds
- Pure black or pure gray without tint
- Wrapping everything in cards or nesting cards inside cards
- Bounce/elastic easing (dated feel)
- Glassmorphism as a default rather than a deliberate choice
- Color-only state signaling (always pair with a second signal)
- Identical padding/radius/shadow across all card types

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## Register concept

Impeccable distinguishes two design registers:

- **Brand register** — Marketing, landing pages, campaigns. Design IS the product. Maximum expressive latitude.
- **Product register** — App UI, dashboards, tools. Design SERVES the product. Restraint and consistency over expression.

The active register is identified from the task context and determines which reference guidelines apply most strictly.

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## Relationship to Anthropic frontend-design

Impeccable explicitly extends Anthropic's `frontend-design` skill (adding 7 reference domains, 23 commands, and deterministic anti-pattern rules). Both share the core philosophy of anti-generic design and deliberate aesthetic direction, but Impeccable provides more scaffolding for ongoing projects via PRODUCT.md and DESIGN.md context files.