Agent skill · design visual · thedotmack
design-is
Audit a design against Dieter Rams' ten "Good design is..." principles, then hand off a /make-plan prompt for one of three outcomes — new design, refine design, or redesign. Use when the user says "audit this design", "design review", "check this UI against Rams", "is this UI good", "critique this design", "design audit", or asks for a critique that should lead to a plan.
Why this skill is useful
Provides a structured audit framework based on Dieter Rams' principles, allowing the AI to generate detailed design critiques and actionable plans.
What it needs
About 12k tokens when loaded. Last updated 2026-08-05. 89,894 stars on the source repository.
What this skill does
Design Is Do not use for Routine UI code reviews → use /review Pure copy edits → use a separate copy pass Pre-design ideation with no artifact yet → start with /make-plan directly You are an ORCHESTRATOR. Audit a design against Dieter Rams' ten principles, score each principle with evidence, decide the outcome verdict (NEW / REFINE / REDESIGN), and hand off to /make-plan with a ready-to-run prompt. You do not write implementation code. You produce: evidence-cited scores, a verdict, and a /make-plan handoff prompt. The Ten Principles (Dieter Rams) Audit each principle in this exact order. Each gets a score 0–3 and ≥1 piece of evidence (file:line, screenshot region, copy excerpt, or measured value). 1. Good design is innovative — Does it advance the form, or imitate? Innovation rides on technology; never an end in itself. 2. Good design makes a product useful — Does it serve the primary task? Emphasizes usefulness; disregards anything that detracts. 3. Good design is aesthetic — Is it beautiful? Only well-executed objects can be beautiful; aesthetic quality affects well-being. 4. Good design makes a product understandable — Does the structure clarify function? Or is it self-explanatory at best? 5. Good design is unobtrusive — Does it stay out of the way? Neither decorative objects nor works of art — leave room for self-expression. 6. Good design is honest — Does it claim only what it is? No false promises, no manipulation, no inflated value. 7. Good design is long-lasting — Will it age well? Avoids being fashionable; never appears antiquated. 8. Good design is thorough down to the last detail — Are edges, empty states, errors, focus rings, motion curves all considered? Care and accuracy express respect for the user. 9. Good design is environmentally friendly — Does it conserve resources? Minimizes pollution — in software: bundle weight, energy, attention, cognitive load. 10. Good design is as little design as possible — Less, but better. …
How to use it
Reference it in AdaL, Claude Code, Cursor or any coding agent — nothing to install:
@skills thedotmack/design-is