---
name: design-elevation
description: Comprehensive design elevation system that automatically transforms functional visual outputs into polished, professional designs. Use when creating ANY visual output including presentations (pptx), spreadsheets (xlsx), dashboards, reports, HTML artifacts, PDFs, web pages, or data visualizations. Applies systematic design thinking grounded in Tailwind CSS as the canonical design token system. Structures decisions through functional patterns (what users interact with) and perceptual patterns (how the design feels), following Alla Kholmatova's design systems framework. Triggers on ALL requests for visual content creation, ensuring outputs look hand-crafted rather than template-based.
---

# Design Elevation System

This skill transforms functional visual outputs into polished, professional designs by applying systematic design thinking and refinement protocols.

## Design Philosophy

Follow Alla Kholmatova's design systems framework: every design decision is either a **functional pattern** (what users interact with — structure, layout, components) or a **perceptual pattern** (how it feels — color, typography, spacing, motion). Both layers must be intentional.

### Canonical Design Tokens: Tailwind CSS

All design decisions should map to **Tailwind CSS** as the shared design language. This means:
- Colors from Tailwind's palette (gray, blue, emerald, amber, rose, violet, etc.)
- Spacing from Tailwind's scale (1 = 0.25rem/4px, 2 = 0.5rem/8px, 4 = 1rem/16px, etc.)
- Typography from Tailwind's type scale (text-xs through text-9xl)
- Border radius from Tailwind's system (rounded-sm through rounded-2xl)
- Shadows from Tailwind's elevation (shadow-sm through shadow-2xl)

When writing CSS or HTML, use Tailwind utility classes. When defining design tokens for other formats (presentations, documents), translate Tailwind values into the target medium.

## Activation Protocol

When creating ANY visual output:

1. **Start with function** — Create a working version first
2. **Define functional patterns** — What does the user interact with? What's the structure? Use `references/grid-systems.md`
3. **Define perceptual patterns** — How should it feel? What's the personality? Use `references/elevation-protocol.md`
4. **Apply interrogation** — Question every default choice using `references/design-interrogation.md`
5. **Elevate with techniques** — Use specific moves from `references/technique-catalog.md`
6. **Polish data visualizations** — If any charts/data, apply `references/data-visualization.md`
7. **Final check** — Ensure output feels hand-crafted, not templated

## Functional Patterns by Output Type

### For Presentations (PPTX)
- Start with information hierarchy, not decoration
- Apply grid systems from `references/grid-systems.md`
- One idea per slide — if it needs two ideas, it needs two slides
- Build complexity gradually across the slide sequence

### For Dashboards & Data Visualization
- Begin with data relationships, not chart types
- Apply Tufte's data-ink ratio from `references/data-visualization.md`
- Structure: KPI bar → Primary chart → Supporting charts → Detail tables
- Use small multiples over multi-series charts when comparing 4+ categories
- Default to Tailwind's gray scale for non-data elements; reserve color for data

### For Documents & Reports
- Structure with clear typographic hierarchy
- Apply document grids from `references/grid-systems.md`
- Use Tailwind's type scale for consistent sizing

### For Web/HTML Artifacts
- Design with responsive grid foundations (Tailwind's grid/flex utilities)
- Use Tailwind utility classes directly
- Apply animation restraint — `transition-all duration-200 ease-out` as default

## Perceptual Patterns

### Typography Excellence
Tailwind's type scale is the foundation. Layer these refinements:
- Use `font-sans` (Inter/system) for UI, `font-serif` for editorial
- Apply `tracking-tight` for display text (text-3xl and above)
- Apply `leading-relaxed` for body text
- Use `font-semibold` for emphasis over `font-bold` — subtler hierarchy
- For numbers in data contexts: always `tabular-nums`
- Refer to `references/typography-scales.md` for scale selection

### Color Sophistication
Tailwind's palette is the source of truth:
- Build from `gray` neutrals (not pure black/white)
- `text-gray-900` for primary text, `text-gray-500` for secondary, `text-gray-400` for tertiary
- `bg-white` or `bg-gray-50` for backgrounds — never stark white with stark black
- Accent color: pick ONE from Tailwind's palette (blue, emerald, violet, etc.)
- Apply 60-30-10: 60% neutrals, 30% secondary, 10% accent
- Refer to `references/color-systems.md` for full system

### Spatial Systems
Tailwind's spacing scale provides the rhythm:
- Base unit: `4` (1rem / 16px) for most UI
- Component padding: `p-4` to `p-6` (16-24px)
- Section spacing: `py-12` to `py-20` (48-80px)
- Gaps: `gap-4` for tight, `gap-6` for comfortable, `gap-8` for spacious
- Use Tailwind's spacing scale exclusively — no arbitrary values
- Refer to `references/spacing-systems.md` for patterns

### Visual Refinement
- Border radius: `rounded-lg` as default for cards, `rounded-md` for buttons
- Borders: `border border-gray-100` for subtle card separation
- Shadows: `shadow-sm` for cards; reserve `shadow-lg` for modals/overlays
- Hover states: `hover:bg-gray-50` for interactive elements
- Transitions: `transition-colors duration-150` as default

## Design Exemplars

Use these as **illustrations of principles**, not as the system itself. The system is Tailwind + Kholmatova's framework. These exemplars show what excellence looks like:

- **Stripe**: Gradient sophistication, precise type, technical content made beautiful
- **Linear**: Dark mode mastery, keyboard-first, minimal and precise
- **Apple**: Scale contrasts, photography integration, restraint as premium
- **Swiss/International Style**: Grid discipline, objective clarity, mathematical spacing
- **Trimble Modus**: Enterprise utility, Open Sans 14px body, 4px radius, uniform shadows, professional restraint
- **IBM Carbon**: Sharp corners (0px radius), IBM Plex type family, 2x grid, four-theme architecture
- **Shopify Polaris**: Merchant-friendly, warm neutrals, dark primary buttons, 13px body, rounded cards
- **Adobe Spectrum**: Four color themes, two scale modes, three-layer token architecture, creative-tool patterns
- **Salesforce Lightning**: CRM-optimized, brand blue #0176d3, slds- utility classes, record-detail patterns

Refer to `references/design-exemplars.md` for specific techniques to borrow.

### Trimble Modus Override

When building for Trimble products or when Modus styling is requested, **Modus tokens override Tailwind defaults**:
- Font: Open Sans (not Inter), body at 14px (not 16px)
- Primary: `#0063A3` Trimble Blue (not Tailwind blue-600)
- Border radius: `4px` everywhere (not `rounded-lg`)
- Shadows: `0 0 4px rgba(36,35,45,0.3)` uniform (not directional)
- Gray scale: Modus grays with cool/blue undertone (not Tailwind neutral grays)
- Full reference: `references/modus-design-system.md`

### IBM Carbon Override

When building for IBM products or when Carbon styling is requested, **Carbon tokens override Tailwind defaults**:
- Font: IBM Plex Sans (not Inter), body at 14px
- Primary: `#0f62fe` Blue 60 (not Tailwind blue-600)
- Border radius: `0` everywhere (not `rounded-lg`) — Carbon's signature sharp corners
- Text: `#161616` Gray 100 (not Tailwind gray-900)
- Layers: alternating white/gray-10 (`#f4f4f4`) for depth
- Full reference: `references/carbon-design-system.md`

### Shopify Polaris Override

When building Shopify apps or when Polaris styling is requested, **Polaris tokens override Tailwind defaults**:
- Font: Inter, body at 13px (not 16px)
- Primary buttons: `#303030` dark (not blue!)
- Interactive/links: `#005bd3`
- Page background: `#f1f1f1` (not white)
- Border radius: `8px` for cards, `6px` for buttons
- Full reference: `references/polaris-design-system.md`

### Adobe Spectrum Override

When building Adobe products or when Spectrum styling is requested, **Spectrum tokens override Tailwind defaults**:
- Font: Adobe Clean / Source Sans Pro, body at 14px
- Accent: `#0D80D8` (light) / `#2A9AF4` (dark)
- Border radius: `4px` for controls, `8px` for cards
- Four themes: Lightest, Light, Dark, Darkest
- Two scales: Medium (desktop), Large (touch)
- Full reference: `references/spectrum-design-system.md`

### Salesforce Lightning Override

When building Salesforce apps or when Lightning/SLDS styling is requested, **SLDS tokens override Tailwind defaults**:
- Font: Salesforce Sans, body at 13px
- Brand: `#0176d3` (not Tailwind blue-600)
- Border radius: `4px` (0.25rem) everywhere
- Text: `#181818` (not Tailwind gray-900)
- Uses `slds-` prefix utility classes
- Full reference: `references/lightning-design-system.md`

## Critical Design Moves (Quick Reference)

### Make it feel intentional
- Replace `#000000` with `text-gray-900`
- Replace `#ffffff` with `bg-gray-50` for backgrounds
- Use `rounded-lg` consistently, not mixed radii
- Apply one spacing scale throughout

### Make it feel premium
- Generous whitespace — `p-8` or `p-12` on hero sections
- Tight tracking on display text: `tracking-tight`
- Colored shadows: `shadow-blue-500/10` instead of black
- Subtle borders: `border-gray-100` instead of `border-gray-300`

### Make it feel clean
- Remove borders and use whitespace to separate
- Reduce to 2-3 type sizes maximum per view
- Single accent color
- `text-gray-500` for supporting text, not smaller type

### Make data feel clear
- Title states the finding, not the chart type
- Direct labels over legends
- Gray out non-essential series
- `tabular-nums` on all number columns
- Source attribution in `text-xs text-gray-400`

## Resource Loading Priority

For efficiency, load resources in this order:
1. `references/elevation-protocol.md` — Always load first
2. `references/data-visualization.md` — Load when any data/charts involved
3. `references/technique-catalog.md` — Load for specific techniques
4. `references/design-interrogation.md` — Load for quality checks
5. `references/modus-design-system.md` — Load when Trimble/Modus styling is requested
6. `references/carbon-design-system.md` — Load when IBM/Carbon styling is requested
7. `references/polaris-design-system.md` — Load when Shopify/Polaris styling is requested
8. `references/spectrum-design-system.md` — Load when Adobe/Spectrum styling is requested
9. `references/lightning-design-system.md` — Load when Salesforce/Lightning styling is requested
10. Context-specific references (color, typography, spacing, grids) as needed

## Output Standards

Every delivered visual should:
- Use Tailwind's design tokens consistently (or their translated equivalents)
- Show clear functional patterns (structure, hierarchy, interaction)
- Express coherent perceptual patterns (color, type, spacing, motion)
- Demonstrate data integrity (if data is present, follow Tufte's principles)
- Feel intentionally designed, not defaulted
- Balance boldness with restraint

## Silent Execution

Unless explicitly asked, apply all design thinking internally. The user sees only the polished result. Document design decisions in code comments for HTML/CSS, or in speaker notes for presentations, but don't explain the process unless requested.

Great design is invisible when done right. The user should feel the quality without seeing the effort.
