quieter

$npx mdskill add educlopez/ui-craft/quieter

Tone down visual noise while preserving clear hierarchy.

  • Reduces UI variance, motion, and layout complexity when users say 'quieter'.
  • Depends on the ui-craft skill and its craft-intent reference.
  • Reads the target UI and applies ordered reductions in design variance, motion, and weight.
  • Edits code directly to lower variance, motion, shadow depth, and accent placement.

SKILL.md

.github/skills/quieterView on GitHub ↗
---
name: quieter
description: "Tone down visual noise — lowers variance and motion, simplifies layout and color weight, keeps hierarchy clear. Use when the UI feels loud, busy, or over-designed, or when the user says "quieter", "more restrained", "simpler", or "tone it down". Invoke when the user asks for quieter on their UI, or mentions 'quieter' alongside design / UI / frontend work."
---

<!-- HARNESS MIRROR — do not edit here. Canonical source: commands/quieter.md. After editing source, copy into cli/assets/<harness>/ and repo-root harness mirrors. -->

**Context:** this sub-skill is one lens of the broader `ui-craft` skill. If the `ui-craft` skill is also installed, read its SKILL.md first for Discovery + Anti-Slop + Craft Test, then apply the specific lens below.

Make the UI at `the target the user described` quieter. Load the `ui-craft` skill and read `references/craft-intent.md`.

**Reduce amplitude without gutting hierarchy.** Calm ≠ boring.

**Apply in order (edit code directly):**

1. **Declare an updated Craft Read** — one line: what softened.
2. **Lower DESIGN_VARIANCE** by −1–2 (floor 2). Simplify asymmetric breaks; return to clearer grid rhythm where layout was experimental.
3. **Lower MOTION_INTENSITY** by −1–2 (floor 2). Remove scroll reveals and stagger; keep hover/focus only.
4. **Visual weight** — compress display sizes one step (e.g. 56→48px); reduce shadow depth to hairline or ambient-only; fewer bordered containers.
5. **Color** — pull accent placements toward the 3 minimum; neutralize decorative tints; no new hues.
6. **Cut decorative motion** — idle animations, parallax, floating elements with no job.

**Preserve:** primary hierarchy, one CTA level, accessibility, states, signature detail only if it carries meaning (else simplify it).

**Overlap:** for structural cuts (sections, copy), also apply `/distill` logic. For color strategy, see `/colorize`.

**Output:** edit code. Print Review Format table. End with the updated Craft Read line.

More from educlopez/ui-craft

SkillDescription
adaptResponsive layout pass covering breakpoints, touch targets, safe areas, and fluid type. Use when the UI has layout or touch issues on mobile/tablet, when adding a new screen that hasn't been tested across viewports, or when the user says "make it responsive" / "fix mobile layout". Invoke when the user asks for adapt on their UI, or mentions 'adapt' alongside design / UI / frontend work.
animateMotion design pass — adds purposeful animations or removes excessive ones, respecting MOTION_INTENSITY and the project's animation stack. Use when the user asks to add animation, "make it feel smoother", fix janky transitions, or trim motion that's distracting. Invoke when the user asks for animate on their UI, or mentions 'animate' alongside design / UI / frontend work.
bolderAmplify personality — raises layout variance and motion, strengthens typography and one signature detail, without slop. Use when the UI works but feels safe, flat, or "template-y", or when the user says "bolder", "more personality", "more creative", or "make it pop" (still professional). Invoke when the user asks for bolder on their UI, or mentions 'bolder' alongside design / UI / frontend work.
clarifyUX copy review across buttons, errors, empty states, and form hints — critiques by default, applies only on request. Use when copy feels vague, generic, or AI-sounding, or when the user says "fix the labels", "improve error messages", or "review the copy". Invoke when the user asks for clarify on their UI, or mentions 'clarify' alongside design / UI / frontend work.
colorizeColor strategy pass — introduces a single accent at 3-5 intentional placements, or reduces an over-colored UI back to 90% neutral. Use when the UI has no color identity, uses blue by default, or is shouting with too many competing accents. Invoke when the user asks for colorize on their UI, or mentions 'colorize' alongside design / UI / frontend work.
craftOne-shot build pipeline for a complete surface from an outcome recipe — inputs (or defaults) → composition → theme → build order → acceptance bar. Use when the user asks for a whole surface ("build me a dashboard", "hazme un dashboard") and expects a shippable result, not component-level help. Invoke when the user asks for craft on their UI, or mentions 'craft' alongside design / UI / frontend work.
critiqueDesign lens critique covering visual hierarchy, clarity, and anti-slop patterns — produces a findings table, no code edits unless asked. Use when the user wants a design review, says "what's wrong with this UI", or needs a second opinion before a handoff or presentation. Invoke when the user asks for critique on their UI, or mentions 'critique' alongside design / UI / frontend work.
delightDelight pass — adds one or two memorable micro-interactions (copy specificity, hover choreography, state transitions, one signature detail) without decoration or confetti. Use when the UI works but feels generic, or when the user says "make it feel special" / "add some personality". Invoke when the user asks for delight on their UI, or mentions 'delight' alongside design / UI / frontend work.
distillReduction pass — cuts content, structure, visuals, and dead code that doesn't answer a user question or drive an action, respecting CRAFT_LEVEL. Use when the UI feels cluttered, has too many CTAs, walls of text, or decorative noise, or when the user says "simplify this" / "it feels too busy". Invoke when the user asks for distill on their UI, or mentions 'distill' alongside design / UI / frontend work.
hardenProduction-readiness pass — audits and implements the full non-happy-path matrix: loading skeletons, empty states, error messages, partial data, i18n, offline, permissions, and first-run guidance. Use when preparing a surface for production or when the user says "it crashes on empty data" / "there's no loading state" / "harden this". Invoke when the user asks for harden on their UI, or mentions 'harden' alongside design / UI / frontend work.