feat(design): carve UX doctrine + Pretext patterns into read-on-demand sections

design-html 57→49KB, design-shotgun 53→50KB. Sections wrap
{{UX_PRINCIPLES}} so scripts/resolvers/design.ts stays the source of
truth; the pretext-patterns STOP sits at the top of Step 3 so the read
provably precedes the Write.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Fable 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
This commit is contained in:
Garry Tan
2026-08-25 18:05:54 +00:00
co-authored by Claude Fable 5
parent eae484c0f7
commit 4fce22d708
12 changed files with 566 additions and 478 deletions
+19 -238
View File
@@ -402,6 +402,20 @@ approximations. Computed layout via Pretext. Text reflows on resize, heights adj
to content, cards size themselves, chat bubbles shrinkwrap, editorial spreads flow
around obstacles.
---
## Section index — Read each section when its situation applies
This skill is a decision-tree skeleton. The steps below point to on-demand
sections. Read a section in full before doing its step; do not work from memory.
| When | Read this section |
|------|-------------------|
| analyzing the design or making any layout/visual decision (Step 1 onward) — the UX-principles doctrine governs every design choice | `sections/doctrine.md` |
| writing the finalized HTML in Step 3 — the Pretext wiring patterns and API cheatsheet are the required reference for all text-layout code | `sections/pretext-patterns.md` |
---
## DESIGN SETUP (run this check BEFORE any design mockup command)
```bash
@@ -445,90 +459,8 @@ MUST be saved to `~/.gstack/projects/$SLUG/designs/`, NEVER to `.context/`,
`docs/designs/`, `/tmp/`, or any project-local directory. Design artifacts are USER
data, not project files. They persist across branches, conversations, and workspaces.
## UX Principles: How Users Actually Behave
These principles govern how real humans interact with interfaces. They are observed
behavior, not preferences. Apply them before, during, and after every design decision.
### The Three Laws of Usability
1. **Don't make me think.** Every page should be self-evident. If a user stops
to think "What do I click?" or "What does this mean?", the design has failed.
Self-evident > self-explanatory > requires explanation.
2. **Clicks don't matter, thinking does.** Three mindless, unambiguous clicks
beat one click that requires thought. Each step should feel like an obvious
choice (animal, vegetable, or mineral), not a puzzle.
3. **Omit, then omit again.** Get rid of half the words on each page, then get
rid of half of what's left. Happy talk (self-congratulatory text) must die.
Instructions must die. If they need reading, the design has failed.
### How Users Actually Behave
- **Users scan, they don't read.** Design for scanning: visual hierarchy
(prominence = importance), clearly defined areas, headings and bullet lists,
highlighted key terms. We're designing billboards going by at 60 mph, not
product brochures people will study.
- **Users satisfice.** They pick the first reasonable option, not the best.
Make the right choice the most visible choice.
- **Users muddle through.** They don't figure out how things work. They wing
it. If they accomplish their goal by accident, they won't seek the "right" way.
Once they find something that works, no matter how badly, they stick to it.
- **Users don't read instructions.** They dive in. Guidance must be brief,
timely, and unavoidable, or it won't be seen.
### Billboard Design for Interfaces
- **Use conventions.** Logo top-left, nav top/left, search = magnifying glass.
Don't innovate on navigation to be clever. Innovate when you KNOW you have a
better idea, otherwise use conventions. Even across languages and cultures,
web conventions let people identify the logo, nav, search, and main content.
- **Visual hierarchy is everything.** Related things are visually grouped. Nested
things are visually contained. More important = more prominent. If everything
shouts, nothing is heard. Start with the assumption everything is visual noise,
guilty until proven innocent.
- **Make clickable things obviously clickable.** No relying on hover states for
discoverability, especially on mobile where hover doesn't exist. Shape, location,
and formatting (color, underlining) must signal clickability without interaction.
- **Eliminate noise.** Three sources: too many things shouting for attention
(shouting), things not organized logically (disorganization), and too much stuff
(clutter). Fix noise by removal, not addition.
- **Clarity trumps consistency.** If making something significantly clearer
requires making it slightly inconsistent, choose clarity every time.
### Navigation as Wayfinding
Users on the web have no sense of scale, direction, or location. Navigation
must always answer: What site is this? What page am I on? What are the major
sections? What are my options at this level? Where am I? How can I search?
Persistent navigation on every page. Breadcrumbs for deep hierarchies.
Current section visually indicated. The "trunk test": cover everything except
the navigation. You should still know what site this is, what page you're on,
and what the major sections are. If not, the navigation has failed.
### The Goodwill Reservoir
Users start with a reservoir of goodwill. Every friction point depletes it.
**Deplete faster:** Hiding info users want (pricing, contact, shipping). Punishing
users for not doing things your way (formatting requirements on phone numbers).
Asking for unnecessary information. Putting sizzle in their way (splash screens,
forced tours, interstitials). Unprofessional or sloppy appearance.
**Replenish:** Know what users want to do and make it obvious. Tell them what they
want to know upfront. Save them steps wherever possible. Make it easy to recover
from errors. When in doubt, apologize.
### Mobile: Same Rules, Higher Stakes
All the above applies on mobile, just more so. Real estate is scarce, but never
sacrifice usability for space savings. Affordances must be VISIBLE: no cursor
means no hover-to-discover. Touch targets must be big enough (44px minimum).
Flat design can strip away useful visual information that signals interactivity.
Prioritize ruthlessly: things needed in a hurry go close at hand, everything
else a few taps away with an obvious path to get there.
> **STOP.** Before analyzing the design or making any layout/visual decision (Step 1 onward) — the UX-principles doctrine governs every design choice, Read `~/.claude/skills/gstack/design-html/sections/doctrine.md` and execute it
> in full. Do not work from memory — that section is the source of truth for this step.
## SETUP (run this check BEFORE any browse command)
@@ -741,6 +673,9 @@ If no framework detected: default to vanilla HTML, no question needed.
## Step 3: Generate Pretext-Native HTML
> **STOP.** Before writing the finalized HTML in Step 3 — the Pretext wiring patterns and API cheatsheet are the required reference for all text-layout code, Read `~/.claude/skills/gstack/design-html/sections/pretext-patterns.md` and execute it
> in full. Do not work from memory — that section is the source of truth for this step.
### Pretext Source Embedding
For **vanilla HTML output**, check for the vendored Pretext bundle:
@@ -802,160 +737,6 @@ For framework output, save to:
- Generic testimonial sections
- Cookie-cutter hero sections with left-text right-image
### Pretext Wiring Patterns
Use these patterns based on the tier selected in Step 2. These are the correct
Pretext API usage patterns. Follow them exactly.
**Pattern 1: Basic height computation (Simple layout, Card/grid)**
```js
import { prepare, layout } from './pretext-inline.js'
// Or if inlined: const { prepare, layout } = window.Pretext
// 1. PREPARE — one-time, after fonts load
await document.fonts.ready
const elements = document.querySelectorAll('[data-pretext]')
const prepared = new Map()
for (const el of elements) {
const text = el.textContent
const font = getComputedStyle(el).font
prepared.set(el, prepare(text, font))
}
// 2. LAYOUT — cheap, call on every resize
function relayout() {
for (const [el, handle] of prepared) {
const { height } = layout(handle, el.clientWidth, parseFloat(getComputedStyle(el).lineHeight))
el.style.height = `${height}px`
}
}
// 3. RESIZE-AWARE
new ResizeObserver(() => relayout()).observe(document.body)
relayout()
// 4. CONTENT-EDITABLE — re-prepare when text changes
for (const el of elements) {
if (el.contentEditable === 'true') {
new MutationObserver(() => {
const font = getComputedStyle(el).font
prepared.set(el, prepare(el.textContent, font))
relayout()
}).observe(el, { characterData: true, subtree: true, childList: true })
}
}
```
**Pattern 2: Shrinkwrap / tight-fit containers (Chat bubbles)**
```js
import { prepareWithSegments, walkLineRanges } from './pretext-inline.js'
// Find the tightest width that produces the same line count
function shrinkwrap(text, font, maxWidth, lineHeight) {
const segs = prepareWithSegments(text, font)
let bestWidth = maxWidth
walkLineRanges(segs, maxWidth, (lineCount, startIdx, endIdx) => {
// walkLineRanges calls back with progressively narrower widths
// The first call gives us the line count at maxWidth
// We want the narrowest width that still produces this line count
})
// Binary search for tightest width with same line count
const { lineCount: targetLines } = layout(prepare(text, font), maxWidth, lineHeight)
let lo = 0, hi = maxWidth
while (hi - lo > 1) {
const mid = (lo + hi) / 2
const { lineCount } = layout(prepare(text, font), mid, lineHeight)
if (lineCount === targetLines) hi = mid
else lo = mid
}
return hi
}
```
**Pattern 3: Text around obstacles (Editorial layout)**
```js
import { prepareWithSegments, layoutNextLine } from './pretext-inline.js'
function layoutAroundObstacles(text, font, containerWidth, lineHeight, obstacles) {
const segs = prepareWithSegments(text, font)
let state = null
let y = 0
const lines = []
while (true) {
// Calculate available width at current y position, accounting for obstacles
let availWidth = containerWidth
for (const obs of obstacles) {
if (y >= obs.top && y < obs.top + obs.height) {
availWidth -= obs.width
}
}
const result = layoutNextLine(segs, state, availWidth, lineHeight)
if (!result) break
lines.push({ text: result.text, width: result.width, x: 0, y })
state = result.state
y += lineHeight
}
return { lines, totalHeight: y }
}
```
**Pattern 4: Full line-by-line rendering (Complex editorial)**
```js
import { prepareWithSegments, layoutWithLines } from './pretext-inline.js'
const segs = prepareWithSegments(text, font)
const { lines, height } = layoutWithLines(segs, containerWidth, lineHeight)
// lines = [{ text, width, x, y }, ...]
// Use for Canvas/SVG rendering or custom DOM positioning
for (const line of lines) {
const span = document.createElement('span')
span.textContent = line.text
span.style.position = 'absolute'
span.style.left = `${line.x}px`
span.style.top = `${line.y}px`
container.appendChild(span)
}
```
### Pretext API Reference
```
PRETEXT API CHEATSHEET:
prepare(text, font) → handle
One-time text measurement. Call after document.fonts.ready.
Font: CSS shorthand like '16px Inter' or 'bold 24px Georgia'.
layout(prepared, maxWidth, lineHeight) → { height, lineCount }
Fast layout computation. Call on every resize. Sub-millisecond.
prepareWithSegments(text, font) → handle
Like prepare() but enables line-level APIs below.
layoutWithLines(segs, maxWidth, lineHeight) → { lines: [{text, width, x, y}...], height }
Full line-by-line breakdown. For Canvas/SVG rendering.
walkLineRanges(segs, maxWidth, onLine) → void
Calls onLine(lineCount, startIdx, endIdx) for each possible layout.
Find minimum width for N lines. For tight-fit containers.
layoutNextLine(segs, state, maxWidth, lineHeight) → { text, width, state } | null
Iterator. Different maxWidth per line = text around obstacles.
Pass null as initial state. Returns null when text is exhausted.
clearCache() → void
Clears internal measurement caches. Use when cycling many fonts.
setLocale(locale?) → void
Retargets word segmenter for future prepare() calls.
```
---
## Step 3.5: Live Reload Server
+9 -155
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@@ -39,9 +39,15 @@ approximations. Computed layout via Pretext. Text reflows on resize, heights adj
to content, cards size themselves, chat bubbles shrinkwrap, editorial spreads flow
around obstacles.
---
{{SECTION_INDEX:design-html}}
---
{{DESIGN_SETUP}}
{{UX_PRINCIPLES}}
{{SECTION:doctrine}}
{{BROWSE_SETUP}}
@@ -220,6 +226,8 @@ If no framework detected: default to vanilla HTML, no question needed.
## Step 3: Generate Pretext-Native HTML
{{SECTION:pretext-patterns}}
### Pretext Source Embedding
For **vanilla HTML output**, check for the vendored Pretext bundle:
@@ -281,160 +289,6 @@ For framework output, save to:
- Generic testimonial sections
- Cookie-cutter hero sections with left-text right-image
### Pretext Wiring Patterns
Use these patterns based on the tier selected in Step 2. These are the correct
Pretext API usage patterns. Follow them exactly.
**Pattern 1: Basic height computation (Simple layout, Card/grid)**
```js
import { prepare, layout } from './pretext-inline.js'
// Or if inlined: const { prepare, layout } = window.Pretext
// 1. PREPARE — one-time, after fonts load
await document.fonts.ready
const elements = document.querySelectorAll('[data-pretext]')
const prepared = new Map()
for (const el of elements) {
const text = el.textContent
const font = getComputedStyle(el).font
prepared.set(el, prepare(text, font))
}
// 2. LAYOUT — cheap, call on every resize
function relayout() {
for (const [el, handle] of prepared) {
const { height } = layout(handle, el.clientWidth, parseFloat(getComputedStyle(el).lineHeight))
el.style.height = `${height}px`
}
}
// 3. RESIZE-AWARE
new ResizeObserver(() => relayout()).observe(document.body)
relayout()
// 4. CONTENT-EDITABLE — re-prepare when text changes
for (const el of elements) {
if (el.contentEditable === 'true') {
new MutationObserver(() => {
const font = getComputedStyle(el).font
prepared.set(el, prepare(el.textContent, font))
relayout()
}).observe(el, { characterData: true, subtree: true, childList: true })
}
}
```
**Pattern 2: Shrinkwrap / tight-fit containers (Chat bubbles)**
```js
import { prepareWithSegments, walkLineRanges } from './pretext-inline.js'
// Find the tightest width that produces the same line count
function shrinkwrap(text, font, maxWidth, lineHeight) {
const segs = prepareWithSegments(text, font)
let bestWidth = maxWidth
walkLineRanges(segs, maxWidth, (lineCount, startIdx, endIdx) => {
// walkLineRanges calls back with progressively narrower widths
// The first call gives us the line count at maxWidth
// We want the narrowest width that still produces this line count
})
// Binary search for tightest width with same line count
const { lineCount: targetLines } = layout(prepare(text, font), maxWidth, lineHeight)
let lo = 0, hi = maxWidth
while (hi - lo > 1) {
const mid = (lo + hi) / 2
const { lineCount } = layout(prepare(text, font), mid, lineHeight)
if (lineCount === targetLines) hi = mid
else lo = mid
}
return hi
}
```
**Pattern 3: Text around obstacles (Editorial layout)**
```js
import { prepareWithSegments, layoutNextLine } from './pretext-inline.js'
function layoutAroundObstacles(text, font, containerWidth, lineHeight, obstacles) {
const segs = prepareWithSegments(text, font)
let state = null
let y = 0
const lines = []
while (true) {
// Calculate available width at current y position, accounting for obstacles
let availWidth = containerWidth
for (const obs of obstacles) {
if (y >= obs.top && y < obs.top + obs.height) {
availWidth -= obs.width
}
}
const result = layoutNextLine(segs, state, availWidth, lineHeight)
if (!result) break
lines.push({ text: result.text, width: result.width, x: 0, y })
state = result.state
y += lineHeight
}
return { lines, totalHeight: y }
}
```
**Pattern 4: Full line-by-line rendering (Complex editorial)**
```js
import { prepareWithSegments, layoutWithLines } from './pretext-inline.js'
const segs = prepareWithSegments(text, font)
const { lines, height } = layoutWithLines(segs, containerWidth, lineHeight)
// lines = [{ text, width, x, y }, ...]
// Use for Canvas/SVG rendering or custom DOM positioning
for (const line of lines) {
const span = document.createElement('span')
span.textContent = line.text
span.style.position = 'absolute'
span.style.left = `${line.x}px`
span.style.top = `${line.y}px`
container.appendChild(span)
}
```
### Pretext API Reference
```
PRETEXT API CHEATSHEET:
prepare(text, font) → handle
One-time text measurement. Call after document.fonts.ready.
Font: CSS shorthand like '16px Inter' or 'bold 24px Georgia'.
layout(prepared, maxWidth, lineHeight) → { height, lineCount }
Fast layout computation. Call on every resize. Sub-millisecond.
prepareWithSegments(text, font) → handle
Like prepare() but enables line-level APIs below.
layoutWithLines(segs, maxWidth, lineHeight) → { lines: [{text, width, x, y}...], height }
Full line-by-line breakdown. For Canvas/SVG rendering.
walkLineRanges(segs, maxWidth, onLine) → void
Calls onLine(lineCount, startIdx, endIdx) for each possible layout.
Find minimum width for N lines. For tight-fit containers.
layoutNextLine(segs, state, maxWidth, lineHeight) → { text, width, state } | null
Iterator. Different maxWidth per line = text around obstacles.
Pass null as initial state. Returns null when text is exhausted.
clearCache() → void
Clears internal measurement caches. Use when cycling many fonts.
setLocale(locale?) → void
Retargets word segmenter for future prepare() calls.
```
---
## Step 3.5: Live Reload Server
+86
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@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
<!-- AUTO-GENERATED from doctrine.md.tmpl — do not edit directly -->
<!-- Regenerate: bun run gen:skill-docs -->
## UX Principles: How Users Actually Behave
These principles govern how real humans interact with interfaces. They are observed
behavior, not preferences. Apply them before, during, and after every design decision.
### The Three Laws of Usability
1. **Don't make me think.** Every page should be self-evident. If a user stops
to think "What do I click?" or "What does this mean?", the design has failed.
Self-evident > self-explanatory > requires explanation.
2. **Clicks don't matter, thinking does.** Three mindless, unambiguous clicks
beat one click that requires thought. Each step should feel like an obvious
choice (animal, vegetable, or mineral), not a puzzle.
3. **Omit, then omit again.** Get rid of half the words on each page, then get
rid of half of what's left. Happy talk (self-congratulatory text) must die.
Instructions must die. If they need reading, the design has failed.
### How Users Actually Behave
- **Users scan, they don't read.** Design for scanning: visual hierarchy
(prominence = importance), clearly defined areas, headings and bullet lists,
highlighted key terms. We're designing billboards going by at 60 mph, not
product brochures people will study.
- **Users satisfice.** They pick the first reasonable option, not the best.
Make the right choice the most visible choice.
- **Users muddle through.** They don't figure out how things work. They wing
it. If they accomplish their goal by accident, they won't seek the "right" way.
Once they find something that works, no matter how badly, they stick to it.
- **Users don't read instructions.** They dive in. Guidance must be brief,
timely, and unavoidable, or it won't be seen.
### Billboard Design for Interfaces
- **Use conventions.** Logo top-left, nav top/left, search = magnifying glass.
Don't innovate on navigation to be clever. Innovate when you KNOW you have a
better idea, otherwise use conventions. Even across languages and cultures,
web conventions let people identify the logo, nav, search, and main content.
- **Visual hierarchy is everything.** Related things are visually grouped. Nested
things are visually contained. More important = more prominent. If everything
shouts, nothing is heard. Start with the assumption everything is visual noise,
guilty until proven innocent.
- **Make clickable things obviously clickable.** No relying on hover states for
discoverability, especially on mobile where hover doesn't exist. Shape, location,
and formatting (color, underlining) must signal clickability without interaction.
- **Eliminate noise.** Three sources: too many things shouting for attention
(shouting), things not organized logically (disorganization), and too much stuff
(clutter). Fix noise by removal, not addition.
- **Clarity trumps consistency.** If making something significantly clearer
requires making it slightly inconsistent, choose clarity every time.
### Navigation as Wayfinding
Users on the web have no sense of scale, direction, or location. Navigation
must always answer: What site is this? What page am I on? What are the major
sections? What are my options at this level? Where am I? How can I search?
Persistent navigation on every page. Breadcrumbs for deep hierarchies.
Current section visually indicated. The "trunk test": cover everything except
the navigation. You should still know what site this is, what page you're on,
and what the major sections are. If not, the navigation has failed.
### The Goodwill Reservoir
Users start with a reservoir of goodwill. Every friction point depletes it.
**Deplete faster:** Hiding info users want (pricing, contact, shipping). Punishing
users for not doing things your way (formatting requirements on phone numbers).
Asking for unnecessary information. Putting sizzle in their way (splash screens,
forced tours, interstitials). Unprofessional or sloppy appearance.
**Replenish:** Know what users want to do and make it obvious. Tell them what they
want to know upfront. Save them steps wherever possible. Make it easy to recover
from errors. When in doubt, apologize.
### Mobile: Same Rules, Higher Stakes
All the above applies on mobile, just more so. Real estate is scarce, but never
sacrifice usability for space savings. Affordances must be VISIBLE: no cursor
means no hover-to-discover. Touch targets must be big enough (44px minimum).
Flat design can strip away useful visual information that signals interactivity.
Prioritize ruthlessly: things needed in a hurry go close at hand, everything
else a few taps away with an obvious path to get there.
+1
View File
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
{{UX_PRINCIPLES}}
+20
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@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
{
"$schema": "https://gstack.dev/schemas/section-manifest.json",
"skill": "design-html",
"version": 1,
"note": "PASSIVE registry (v2 plan T9 / CM2). Fields are IDs, file paths, human titles, and human-readable trigger text ONLY. The skeleton's decision-tree prose is the ONLY place that decides WHEN to read a section; required-reads live in the E2E fixtures. No machine predicate here — see docs/designs/v2_PLAN.md:663.",
"sections": [
{
"id": "doctrine",
"file": "doctrine.md",
"title": "UX principles doctrine (how users actually behave)",
"trigger": "analyzing the design or making any layout/visual decision (Step 1 onward) — the UX-principles doctrine governs every design choice"
},
{
"id": "pretext-patterns",
"file": "pretext-patterns.md",
"title": "Pretext wiring patterns + API reference",
"trigger": "writing the finalized HTML in Step 3 — the Pretext wiring patterns and API cheatsheet are the required reference for all text-layout code"
}
]
}
+155
View File
@@ -0,0 +1,155 @@
<!-- AUTO-GENERATED from pretext-patterns.md.tmpl — do not edit directly -->
<!-- Regenerate: bun run gen:skill-docs -->
### Pretext Wiring Patterns
Use these patterns based on the tier selected in Step 2. These are the correct
Pretext API usage patterns. Follow them exactly.
**Pattern 1: Basic height computation (Simple layout, Card/grid)**
```js
import { prepare, layout } from './pretext-inline.js'
// Or if inlined: const { prepare, layout } = window.Pretext
// 1. PREPARE — one-time, after fonts load
await document.fonts.ready
const elements = document.querySelectorAll('[data-pretext]')
const prepared = new Map()
for (const el of elements) {
const text = el.textContent
const font = getComputedStyle(el).font
prepared.set(el, prepare(text, font))
}
// 2. LAYOUT — cheap, call on every resize
function relayout() {
for (const [el, handle] of prepared) {
const { height } = layout(handle, el.clientWidth, parseFloat(getComputedStyle(el).lineHeight))
el.style.height = `${height}px`
}
}
// 3. RESIZE-AWARE
new ResizeObserver(() => relayout()).observe(document.body)
relayout()
// 4. CONTENT-EDITABLE — re-prepare when text changes
for (const el of elements) {
if (el.contentEditable === 'true') {
new MutationObserver(() => {
const font = getComputedStyle(el).font
prepared.set(el, prepare(el.textContent, font))
relayout()
}).observe(el, { characterData: true, subtree: true, childList: true })
}
}
```
**Pattern 2: Shrinkwrap / tight-fit containers (Chat bubbles)**
```js
import { prepareWithSegments, walkLineRanges } from './pretext-inline.js'
// Find the tightest width that produces the same line count
function shrinkwrap(text, font, maxWidth, lineHeight) {
const segs = prepareWithSegments(text, font)
let bestWidth = maxWidth
walkLineRanges(segs, maxWidth, (lineCount, startIdx, endIdx) => {
// walkLineRanges calls back with progressively narrower widths
// The first call gives us the line count at maxWidth
// We want the narrowest width that still produces this line count
})
// Binary search for tightest width with same line count
const { lineCount: targetLines } = layout(prepare(text, font), maxWidth, lineHeight)
let lo = 0, hi = maxWidth
while (hi - lo > 1) {
const mid = (lo + hi) / 2
const { lineCount } = layout(prepare(text, font), mid, lineHeight)
if (lineCount === targetLines) hi = mid
else lo = mid
}
return hi
}
```
**Pattern 3: Text around obstacles (Editorial layout)**
```js
import { prepareWithSegments, layoutNextLine } from './pretext-inline.js'
function layoutAroundObstacles(text, font, containerWidth, lineHeight, obstacles) {
const segs = prepareWithSegments(text, font)
let state = null
let y = 0
const lines = []
while (true) {
// Calculate available width at current y position, accounting for obstacles
let availWidth = containerWidth
for (const obs of obstacles) {
if (y >= obs.top && y < obs.top + obs.height) {
availWidth -= obs.width
}
}
const result = layoutNextLine(segs, state, availWidth, lineHeight)
if (!result) break
lines.push({ text: result.text, width: result.width, x: 0, y })
state = result.state
y += lineHeight
}
return { lines, totalHeight: y }
}
```
**Pattern 4: Full line-by-line rendering (Complex editorial)**
```js
import { prepareWithSegments, layoutWithLines } from './pretext-inline.js'
const segs = prepareWithSegments(text, font)
const { lines, height } = layoutWithLines(segs, containerWidth, lineHeight)
// lines = [{ text, width, x, y }, ...]
// Use for Canvas/SVG rendering or custom DOM positioning
for (const line of lines) {
const span = document.createElement('span')
span.textContent = line.text
span.style.position = 'absolute'
span.style.left = `${line.x}px`
span.style.top = `${line.y}px`
container.appendChild(span)
}
```
### Pretext API Reference
```
PRETEXT API CHEATSHEET:
prepare(text, font) → handle
One-time text measurement. Call after document.fonts.ready.
Font: CSS shorthand like '16px Inter' or 'bold 24px Georgia'.
layout(prepared, maxWidth, lineHeight) → { height, lineCount }
Fast layout computation. Call on every resize. Sub-millisecond.
prepareWithSegments(text, font) → handle
Like prepare() but enables line-level APIs below.
layoutWithLines(segs, maxWidth, lineHeight) → { lines: [{text, width, x, y}...], height }
Full line-by-line breakdown. For Canvas/SVG rendering.
walkLineRanges(segs, maxWidth, onLine) → void
Calls onLine(lineCount, startIdx, endIdx) for each possible layout.
Find minimum width for N lines. For tight-fit containers.
layoutNextLine(segs, state, maxWidth, lineHeight) → { text, width, state } | null
Iterator. Different maxWidth per line = text around obstacles.
Pass null as initial state. Returns null when text is exhausted.
clearCache() → void
Clears internal measurement caches. Use when cycling many fonts.
setLocale(locale?) → void
Retargets word segmenter for future prepare() calls.
```
@@ -0,0 +1,153 @@
### Pretext Wiring Patterns
Use these patterns based on the tier selected in Step 2. These are the correct
Pretext API usage patterns. Follow them exactly.
**Pattern 1: Basic height computation (Simple layout, Card/grid)**
```js
import { prepare, layout } from './pretext-inline.js'
// Or if inlined: const { prepare, layout } = window.Pretext
// 1. PREPARE — one-time, after fonts load
await document.fonts.ready
const elements = document.querySelectorAll('[data-pretext]')
const prepared = new Map()
for (const el of elements) {
const text = el.textContent
const font = getComputedStyle(el).font
prepared.set(el, prepare(text, font))
}
// 2. LAYOUT — cheap, call on every resize
function relayout() {
for (const [el, handle] of prepared) {
const { height } = layout(handle, el.clientWidth, parseFloat(getComputedStyle(el).lineHeight))
el.style.height = `${height}px`
}
}
// 3. RESIZE-AWARE
new ResizeObserver(() => relayout()).observe(document.body)
relayout()
// 4. CONTENT-EDITABLE — re-prepare when text changes
for (const el of elements) {
if (el.contentEditable === 'true') {
new MutationObserver(() => {
const font = getComputedStyle(el).font
prepared.set(el, prepare(el.textContent, font))
relayout()
}).observe(el, { characterData: true, subtree: true, childList: true })
}
}
```
**Pattern 2: Shrinkwrap / tight-fit containers (Chat bubbles)**
```js
import { prepareWithSegments, walkLineRanges } from './pretext-inline.js'
// Find the tightest width that produces the same line count
function shrinkwrap(text, font, maxWidth, lineHeight) {
const segs = prepareWithSegments(text, font)
let bestWidth = maxWidth
walkLineRanges(segs, maxWidth, (lineCount, startIdx, endIdx) => {
// walkLineRanges calls back with progressively narrower widths
// The first call gives us the line count at maxWidth
// We want the narrowest width that still produces this line count
})
// Binary search for tightest width with same line count
const { lineCount: targetLines } = layout(prepare(text, font), maxWidth, lineHeight)
let lo = 0, hi = maxWidth
while (hi - lo > 1) {
const mid = (lo + hi) / 2
const { lineCount } = layout(prepare(text, font), mid, lineHeight)
if (lineCount === targetLines) hi = mid
else lo = mid
}
return hi
}
```
**Pattern 3: Text around obstacles (Editorial layout)**
```js
import { prepareWithSegments, layoutNextLine } from './pretext-inline.js'
function layoutAroundObstacles(text, font, containerWidth, lineHeight, obstacles) {
const segs = prepareWithSegments(text, font)
let state = null
let y = 0
const lines = []
while (true) {
// Calculate available width at current y position, accounting for obstacles
let availWidth = containerWidth
for (const obs of obstacles) {
if (y >= obs.top && y < obs.top + obs.height) {
availWidth -= obs.width
}
}
const result = layoutNextLine(segs, state, availWidth, lineHeight)
if (!result) break
lines.push({ text: result.text, width: result.width, x: 0, y })
state = result.state
y += lineHeight
}
return { lines, totalHeight: y }
}
```
**Pattern 4: Full line-by-line rendering (Complex editorial)**
```js
import { prepareWithSegments, layoutWithLines } from './pretext-inline.js'
const segs = prepareWithSegments(text, font)
const { lines, height } = layoutWithLines(segs, containerWidth, lineHeight)
// lines = [{ text, width, x, y }, ...]
// Use for Canvas/SVG rendering or custom DOM positioning
for (const line of lines) {
const span = document.createElement('span')
span.textContent = line.text
span.style.position = 'absolute'
span.style.left = `${line.x}px`
span.style.top = `${line.y}px`
container.appendChild(span)
}
```
### Pretext API Reference
```
PRETEXT API CHEATSHEET:
prepare(text, font) → handle
One-time text measurement. Call after document.fonts.ready.
Font: CSS shorthand like '16px Inter' or 'bold 24px Georgia'.
layout(prepared, maxWidth, lineHeight) → { height, lineCount }
Fast layout computation. Call on every resize. Sub-millisecond.
prepareWithSegments(text, font) → handle
Like prepare() but enables line-level APIs below.
layoutWithLines(segs, maxWidth, lineHeight) → { lines: [{text, width, x, y}...], height }
Full line-by-line breakdown. For Canvas/SVG rendering.
walkLineRanges(segs, maxWidth, onLine) → void
Calls onLine(lineCount, startIdx, endIdx) for each possible layout.
Find minimum width for N lines. For tight-fit containers.
layoutNextLine(segs, state, maxWidth, lineHeight) → { text, width, state } | null
Iterator. Different maxWidth per line = text around obstacles.
Pass null as initial state. Returns null when text is exhausted.
clearCache() → void
Clears internal measurement caches. Use when cycling many fonts.
setLocale(locale?) → void
Retargets word segmenter for future prepare() calls.
```
+15 -84
View File
@@ -415,6 +415,19 @@ You are a design brainstorming partner. Generate multiple AI design variants, op
side-by-side in the user's browser, and iterate until they approve a direction. This is
visual brainstorming, not a review process.
---
## Section index — Read each section when its situation applies
This skill is a decision-tree skeleton. The steps below point to on-demand
sections. Read a section in full before doing its step; do not work from memory.
| When | Read this section |
|------|-------------------|
| writing variant concepts or design briefs (Step 3 onward) — the UX-principles doctrine governs every design direction | `sections/doctrine.md` |
---
## DESIGN SETUP (run this check BEFORE any design mockup command)
```bash
@@ -458,90 +471,8 @@ MUST be saved to `~/.gstack/projects/$SLUG/designs/`, NEVER to `.context/`,
`docs/designs/`, `/tmp/`, or any project-local directory. Design artifacts are USER
data, not project files. They persist across branches, conversations, and workspaces.
## UX Principles: How Users Actually Behave
These principles govern how real humans interact with interfaces. They are observed
behavior, not preferences. Apply them before, during, and after every design decision.
### The Three Laws of Usability
1. **Don't make me think.** Every page should be self-evident. If a user stops
to think "What do I click?" or "What does this mean?", the design has failed.
Self-evident > self-explanatory > requires explanation.
2. **Clicks don't matter, thinking does.** Three mindless, unambiguous clicks
beat one click that requires thought. Each step should feel like an obvious
choice (animal, vegetable, or mineral), not a puzzle.
3. **Omit, then omit again.** Get rid of half the words on each page, then get
rid of half of what's left. Happy talk (self-congratulatory text) must die.
Instructions must die. If they need reading, the design has failed.
### How Users Actually Behave
- **Users scan, they don't read.** Design for scanning: visual hierarchy
(prominence = importance), clearly defined areas, headings and bullet lists,
highlighted key terms. We're designing billboards going by at 60 mph, not
product brochures people will study.
- **Users satisfice.** They pick the first reasonable option, not the best.
Make the right choice the most visible choice.
- **Users muddle through.** They don't figure out how things work. They wing
it. If they accomplish their goal by accident, they won't seek the "right" way.
Once they find something that works, no matter how badly, they stick to it.
- **Users don't read instructions.** They dive in. Guidance must be brief,
timely, and unavoidable, or it won't be seen.
### Billboard Design for Interfaces
- **Use conventions.** Logo top-left, nav top/left, search = magnifying glass.
Don't innovate on navigation to be clever. Innovate when you KNOW you have a
better idea, otherwise use conventions. Even across languages and cultures,
web conventions let people identify the logo, nav, search, and main content.
- **Visual hierarchy is everything.** Related things are visually grouped. Nested
things are visually contained. More important = more prominent. If everything
shouts, nothing is heard. Start with the assumption everything is visual noise,
guilty until proven innocent.
- **Make clickable things obviously clickable.** No relying on hover states for
discoverability, especially on mobile where hover doesn't exist. Shape, location,
and formatting (color, underlining) must signal clickability without interaction.
- **Eliminate noise.** Three sources: too many things shouting for attention
(shouting), things not organized logically (disorganization), and too much stuff
(clutter). Fix noise by removal, not addition.
- **Clarity trumps consistency.** If making something significantly clearer
requires making it slightly inconsistent, choose clarity every time.
### Navigation as Wayfinding
Users on the web have no sense of scale, direction, or location. Navigation
must always answer: What site is this? What page am I on? What are the major
sections? What are my options at this level? Where am I? How can I search?
Persistent navigation on every page. Breadcrumbs for deep hierarchies.
Current section visually indicated. The "trunk test": cover everything except
the navigation. You should still know what site this is, what page you're on,
and what the major sections are. If not, the navigation has failed.
### The Goodwill Reservoir
Users start with a reservoir of goodwill. Every friction point depletes it.
**Deplete faster:** Hiding info users want (pricing, contact, shipping). Punishing
users for not doing things your way (formatting requirements on phone numbers).
Asking for unnecessary information. Putting sizzle in their way (splash screens,
forced tours, interstitials). Unprofessional or sloppy appearance.
**Replenish:** Know what users want to do and make it obvious. Tell them what they
want to know upfront. Save them steps wherever possible. Make it easy to recover
from errors. When in doubt, apologize.
### Mobile: Same Rules, Higher Stakes
All the above applies on mobile, just more so. Real estate is scarce, but never
sacrifice usability for space savings. Affordances must be VISIBLE: no cursor
means no hover-to-discover. Touch targets must be big enough (44px minimum).
Flat design can strip away useful visual information that signals interactivity.
Prioritize ruthlessly: things needed in a hurry go close at hand, everything
else a few taps away with an obvious path to get there.
> **STOP.** Before writing variant concepts or design briefs (Step 3 onward) — the UX-principles doctrine governs every design direction, Read `~/.claude/skills/gstack/design-shotgun/sections/doctrine.md` and execute it
> in full. Do not work from memory — that section is the source of truth for this step.
## Step 0: Session Detection
+7 -1
View File
@@ -50,9 +50,15 @@ You are a design brainstorming partner. Generate multiple AI design variants, op
side-by-side in the user's browser, and iterate until they approve a direction. This is
visual brainstorming, not a review process.
---
{{SECTION_INDEX:design-shotgun}}
---
{{DESIGN_SETUP}}
{{UX_PRINCIPLES}}
{{SECTION:doctrine}}
## Step 0: Session Detection
+86
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@@ -0,0 +1,86 @@
<!-- AUTO-GENERATED from doctrine.md.tmpl — do not edit directly -->
<!-- Regenerate: bun run gen:skill-docs -->
## UX Principles: How Users Actually Behave
These principles govern how real humans interact with interfaces. They are observed
behavior, not preferences. Apply them before, during, and after every design decision.
### The Three Laws of Usability
1. **Don't make me think.** Every page should be self-evident. If a user stops
to think "What do I click?" or "What does this mean?", the design has failed.
Self-evident > self-explanatory > requires explanation.
2. **Clicks don't matter, thinking does.** Three mindless, unambiguous clicks
beat one click that requires thought. Each step should feel like an obvious
choice (animal, vegetable, or mineral), not a puzzle.
3. **Omit, then omit again.** Get rid of half the words on each page, then get
rid of half of what's left. Happy talk (self-congratulatory text) must die.
Instructions must die. If they need reading, the design has failed.
### How Users Actually Behave
- **Users scan, they don't read.** Design for scanning: visual hierarchy
(prominence = importance), clearly defined areas, headings and bullet lists,
highlighted key terms. We're designing billboards going by at 60 mph, not
product brochures people will study.
- **Users satisfice.** They pick the first reasonable option, not the best.
Make the right choice the most visible choice.
- **Users muddle through.** They don't figure out how things work. They wing
it. If they accomplish their goal by accident, they won't seek the "right" way.
Once they find something that works, no matter how badly, they stick to it.
- **Users don't read instructions.** They dive in. Guidance must be brief,
timely, and unavoidable, or it won't be seen.
### Billboard Design for Interfaces
- **Use conventions.** Logo top-left, nav top/left, search = magnifying glass.
Don't innovate on navigation to be clever. Innovate when you KNOW you have a
better idea, otherwise use conventions. Even across languages and cultures,
web conventions let people identify the logo, nav, search, and main content.
- **Visual hierarchy is everything.** Related things are visually grouped. Nested
things are visually contained. More important = more prominent. If everything
shouts, nothing is heard. Start with the assumption everything is visual noise,
guilty until proven innocent.
- **Make clickable things obviously clickable.** No relying on hover states for
discoverability, especially on mobile where hover doesn't exist. Shape, location,
and formatting (color, underlining) must signal clickability without interaction.
- **Eliminate noise.** Three sources: too many things shouting for attention
(shouting), things not organized logically (disorganization), and too much stuff
(clutter). Fix noise by removal, not addition.
- **Clarity trumps consistency.** If making something significantly clearer
requires making it slightly inconsistent, choose clarity every time.
### Navigation as Wayfinding
Users on the web have no sense of scale, direction, or location. Navigation
must always answer: What site is this? What page am I on? What are the major
sections? What are my options at this level? Where am I? How can I search?
Persistent navigation on every page. Breadcrumbs for deep hierarchies.
Current section visually indicated. The "trunk test": cover everything except
the navigation. You should still know what site this is, what page you're on,
and what the major sections are. If not, the navigation has failed.
### The Goodwill Reservoir
Users start with a reservoir of goodwill. Every friction point depletes it.
**Deplete faster:** Hiding info users want (pricing, contact, shipping). Punishing
users for not doing things your way (formatting requirements on phone numbers).
Asking for unnecessary information. Putting sizzle in their way (splash screens,
forced tours, interstitials). Unprofessional or sloppy appearance.
**Replenish:** Know what users want to do and make it obvious. Tell them what they
want to know upfront. Save them steps wherever possible. Make it easy to recover
from errors. When in doubt, apologize.
### Mobile: Same Rules, Higher Stakes
All the above applies on mobile, just more so. Real estate is scarce, but never
sacrifice usability for space savings. Affordances must be VISIBLE: no cursor
means no hover-to-discover. Touch targets must be big enough (44px minimum).
Flat design can strip away useful visual information that signals interactivity.
Prioritize ruthlessly: things needed in a hurry go close at hand, everything
else a few taps away with an obvious path to get there.
+1
View File
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
{{UX_PRINCIPLES}}
+14
View File
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
{
"$schema": "https://gstack.dev/schemas/section-manifest.json",
"skill": "design-shotgun",
"version": 1,
"note": "PASSIVE registry (v2 plan T9 / CM2). Fields are IDs, file paths, human titles, and human-readable trigger text ONLY. The skeleton's decision-tree prose is the ONLY place that decides WHEN to read a section; required-reads live in the E2E fixtures. No machine predicate here — see docs/designs/v2_PLAN.md:663.",
"sections": [
{
"id": "doctrine",
"file": "doctrine.md",
"title": "UX principles doctrine (how users actually behave)",
"trigger": "writing variant concepts or design briefs (Step 3 onward) — the UX-principles doctrine governs every design direction"
}
]
}