name	ui-template-library
description	Manage aesthetic templates - save visual systems from completed mockups as interpretable prose, apply to new plugins with adaptive layouts
allowed-tools	Read, Write, Bash
preconditions	.claude/aesthetics/ directory exists (created by system-setup skill or auto-created on first save_aesthetic)

ui-template-library Skill

Purpose: Capture and apply aesthetic "vibes" across plugins using structured prose descriptions rather than rigid specifications.

Operations

You MUST determine which operation the user is requesting, then execute ONLY that operation.

Operation Routing (match user request to keywords):

save/capture/extract → save_aesthetic (Operation 1)
apply/use/generate → apply_aesthetic (Operation 2)
list/show/browse → list_aesthetics (Operation 3)
delete/remove → delete_aesthetic (Operation 4)
update/modify/refine → update_aesthetic (Operation 5)

save_aesthetic - Analyze mockup HTML and generate structured prose aesthetic.md
apply_aesthetic - Interpret aesthetic.md to generate new mockup with appropriate layout
list_aesthetics - Show all saved aesthetics with prose summaries
delete_aesthetic - Remove aesthetic from library
update_aesthetic - Refine aesthetic.md from improved mockup

CRITICAL: Checkpoint Verification Protocol

Before presenting decision menu in ANY operation:

ALL steps must complete successfully. If ANY step fails: HALT, report specific error, DO NOT proceed to decision menu.

Verification checklist (run before showing menu):

All required files created successfully
File contents are valid (aesthetic.md not empty, metadata.json valid JSON)
manifest.json updated successfully
Git commit completed (if applicable)
No error states from previous steps

Error handling:

Steps 1-6 fail → Report error, do not create partial aesthetic directory
Step 7 fails (manifest) → Aesthetic files exist but not registered, offer retry
Step 7.5 fails (git) → Non-fatal, warn "Aesthetic saved but not committed"

Note: Always use inline numbered menus (NOT AskUserQuestion tool) to maintain consistency with system-wide Checkpoint Protocol.

Directory Structure

.claude/aesthetics/
├── manifest.json                    # Registry of all aesthetics
└── [aesthetic-id]/
    ├── aesthetic.md                 # Structured prose description (THE SOURCE OF TRUTH)
    ├── preview.html                 # Visual reference (original mockup)
    └── metadata.json                # Name, description, source plugin, tags

Key change from previous system:

aesthetic.yaml → aesthetic.md: YAML specs replaced with structured prose descriptions
Format is consistent and parseable, but content is interpretable concepts, not rigid values

Capture visual design from mockup as structured prose aesthetic.md Initialize .claude/aesthetics/ directory if missing (mkdir -p) Validate mockup file exists and is readable Read mockup HTML file into memory (Read tool) Extract visual patterns using pattern-extraction.md strategies Generate prose descriptions using prose-generation.md guidelines Write aesthetic.md following aesthetic-template.md structure exactly: same section headers in same order, fill all sections with prose (no placeholders) (load template from assets/aesthetic-template.md, if missing: report critical error) Copy preview.html to aesthetic directory Generate metadata.json with inferred tags Update manifest.json using Read → modify → Write pattern (if missing: initialize from assets/manifest-init.json) Commit aesthetic to git using conventional format Present confirmation + decision menu See "CRITICAL: Checkpoint Verification Protocol" section for complete verification requirements.

Operation 1: save_aesthetic

See: references/save-operation.md for complete 8-step workflow.

Generate new mockup by interpreting aesthetic prose and adapting to target plugin Load aesthetic.md and metadata.json (Read tool) Read target plugin parameter-spec.md or creative-brief.md Interpret aesthetic prose using aesthetic-interpretation.md strategies Choose layout based on parameter count (layout-generation.md) Generate HTML/CSS applying aesthetic to chosen layout Save generated mockup to target plugin mockups directory Update aesthetic metadata.json usedInPlugins array Present decision menu as inline numbered list, NOT AskUserQuestion tool (rationale: consistent with system-wide Checkpoint Protocol - see CLAUDE.md) Present decision menu with preview/continue options MUST wait for user response

Operation 2: apply_aesthetic

See: references/apply-operation.md for complete 8-step workflow.

Read manifest.json Format as markdown table Show preview paths Present decision menu Wait for user to select action from menu

Operation 3: list_aesthetics

Display all saved aesthetics in table format with preview paths. See: references/list-operation.md for complete 4-step workflow.

Operation 4: delete_aesthetic

Remove aesthetic from library with confirmation. See: references/delete-operation.md for complete 4-step workflow.

Operation 5: update_aesthetic

Refine aesthetic.md from improved mockup while preserving user edits. See: references/update-operation.md for complete 7-step workflow.

API Contract

This skill provides operations for managing aesthetic templates. Called by ui-mockup skill.

save_aesthetic(mockup_path, plugin_name, aesthetic_name?):

Input: Absolute path to mockup HTML, plugin name, optional aesthetic name
Output: aesthetic_id (string), aesthetic_path (absolute path)
Process: Analyzes mockup, generates aesthetic.md prose, saves to .claude/aesthetics/

apply_aesthetic(aesthetic_id, plugin_name, parameter_spec_path):

Input: Aesthetic ID, target plugin name, path to parameter-spec.md
Output: mockup_path (absolute path to generated mockup)
Process: Loads aesthetic prose, interprets to CSS, generates mockup with appropriate layout

Invocation: Inline invocation from ui-mockup (both skills are lightweight and stateless).

Success Criteria

Save operation successful when:

✅ aesthetic.md generated following exact template structure
✅ All sections filled with interpretable prose (no placeholders)
✅ Example color codes provided as concrete reference
✅ preview.html copied to aesthetic directory
✅ metadata.json created with tags and source info
✅ manifest.json updated with new aesthetic entry
✅ Format is idempotent (same mockup → same structure every time)

Apply operation successful when:

✅ aesthetic.md parsed and interpreted correctly
✅ Appropriate layout chosen for parameter count
✅ Generated mockup reflects aesthetic visual language
✅ Control styling matches prose descriptions
✅ Colors, typography, spacing consistent with aesthetic
✅ WebView constraints enforced (no viewport units, etc.)
✅ Result is recognizably the same aesthetic despite different layout

List operation successful when:

✅ All aesthetics shown in readable table
✅ Vibe summaries extracted from prose
✅ Preview paths provided for visual reference
✅ Decision menu presented for next action

Implementation Notes

Technical details about parsing, quality control, and constraints. See: references/implementation-notes.md for complete technical documentation.

Reference Documentation

Pattern extraction: references/pattern-extraction.md - String/regex strategies for extracting visual patterns from HTML
Prose generation: references/prose-generation.md - Guidelines for transforming patterns into interpretable prose
Aesthetic interpretation: references/aesthetic-interpretation.md - Strategies for parsing prose and generating CSS/HTML
Layout generation: references/layout-generation.md - Layout decision trees and control placement strategies

Template Assets

Aesthetic template: assets/aesthetic-template.md - Complete structured prose template (THE FORMAT SPEC)
Metadata template: assets/metadata-template.json - Metadata JSON structure
Manifest init: assets/manifest-init.json - Empty manifest structure for initialization

ui-template-library

Install Skill

SKILL.md