diff --git a/.agents/skills/animation-vocabulary/SKILL.md b/.agents/skills/animation-vocabulary/SKILL.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..cd0af50 --- /dev/null +++ b/.agents/skills/animation-vocabulary/SKILL.md @@ -0,0 +1,173 @@ +--- +name: animation-vocabulary +description: Reverse-lookup glossary that turns a vague description of a web animation or motion effect into its exact term ("the bouncy thing when a popover opens" → Pop in; "the iOS rubber-band scroll" → Rubber-banding). Use when the user asks "what's it called when…", or describes a motion effect without knowing its name and wants the right word to prompt an AI or designer with. For naming an effect, not designing or building one. +--- + +# Animation Vocabulary + +Turn a vague description of a motion or effect into the precise term, so the user knows what to ask for. + +## Quick Start + +The user describes an effect loosely. You return the matching term(s) in this format: + +``` +**Stagger** — Animate several items one after another with a small delay between each, creating a cascade. +``` + +If several terms could fit, list the best match first, then 1–2 alternates with a one-line note on how they differ. + +## Instructions + +1. **Read for intent, not keywords.** Users describe what they *see* or *feel* ("springy", "slides off", "draws itself in"), not the technical name. Map the sensation to the glossary below. +2. **Quote the glossary verbatim.** Its descriptions are authoritative — use them as-is, don't paraphrase. +3. **Disambiguate close terms.** When two compete (*Clip-path* vs *Mask*, *Pop in* vs *Bounce*, *Shared element transition* vs *Layout animation*), contrast them so the user can pick. +4. **When nothing matches exactly,** name the closest term and say plainly it's an approximation, or describe the effect in the glossary's vocabulary (e.g. "that's a *stagger* of *scale-in* entrances"). +5. **Stay within this glossary.** If a term genuinely isn't here, say so rather than inventing one — though you may explain the concept using these words. +6. **Keep it tight.** A naming question wants a name, not an essay. Lead with the term; expand only if asked. + +## Examples + +**Example 1 — feel-based** +User: "What's it called when a popover seems to grow out of the button you clicked instead of from its middle?" +Output: +``` +**Origin-aware animation** — An element animates out of its trigger, like a popover growing from the button that opened it instead of from its own center which is the default in CSS. +``` + +**Example 2 — disambiguation** +User: "The thing where one image turns into another image." +Output: +``` +**Morph** — One shape smoothly turns into another shape, e.g. Dynamic Island. + +Close alternates: +- **Crossfade** — if they simply fade over each other in the same spot. +- **Shared element transition** — if an element travels and transforms from one position into another. +``` + +**Example 3 — physics feel** +User: "That iOS scroll where it resists and snaps back when you pull too far." +Output: +``` +**Rubber-banding** — Resistance and snap-back when you drag past a boundary (the iOS overscroll feel). +``` + +## Glossary + +_A curated snapshot mirroring the project's `/vocabulary` page; keep the two in sync when either changes._ + +### Entrances & Exits — how elements appear and disappear +- **Fade in / Fade out** — Element appears or disappears by changing opacity. +- **Slide in** — Element enters by sliding in from off-screen (left, right, top, or bottom). +- **Scale in** — Element grows from smaller to full size as it appears, often paired with a fade. +- **Pop in** — Element appears with a slight overshoot, like it bounces into place. +- **Reveal** — Content is uncovered gradually, often by animating a clip-path or mask. +- **Enter / Exit** — The animation an element plays when it's added to or removed from the screen. + +### Sequencing & Timing — coordinating multiple elements or moments +- **Keyframes** — Defined points in an animation (0%, 50%, 100%) that the browser fills the gaps between. +- **Interpolation / Tween** — Generating all the in-between frames between a start and end value, so motion is continuous. +- **Stagger** — Animate several items one after another with a small delay between each, creating a cascade. +- **Orchestration** — Deliberately timing multiple animations so they feel like one coordinated motion. +- **Delay** — Time before an animation starts. +- **Duration** — How long an animation takes. +- **Fill mode** — Whether an element keeps its first or last frame's styles before the animation starts or after it ends (e.g. forwards). +- **Stepped animation** — An animation that is divided into discrete steps, like a countdown timer. + +### Movement & Transforms — changing an element's position, size, or angle +- **Translate** — Move an element along the X or Y axis. +- **Scale** — Make an element bigger or smaller. +- **Rotate** — Spin an element around a point. +- **Skew** — Slant an element along the X or Y axis, shearing it out of its rectangular shape. +- **3D tilt / Flip** — Rotate in 3D space (rotateX / rotateY) to add depth. +- **Perspective** — How strong the 3D effect looks — a lower value exaggerates depth, like the viewer is closer. +- **Transform origin** — The anchor point a scale or rotation grows or spins from. +- **Origin-aware animation** — An element animates out of its trigger, like a popover growing from the button that opened it instead of from its own center which is the default in CSS. + +### Transitions Between States — connecting one state, view, or element to another +- **Crossfade** — One element fades out as another fades in, in the same spot. +- **Continuity transition** — A change that keeps the user oriented by visually connecting before and after. For example, making the same rectangle bigger and smaller. +- **Morph** — One shape smoothly turns into another shape, e.g. Dynamic Island. +- **Shared element transition** — An element travels and transforms from one position into another, like a thumbnail expanding into a card. +- **Layout animation** — When an element's size or position changes, it animates to the new spot instead of snapping. +- **Accordion / Collapse** — A section smoothly expands and collapses its height to show or hide content. +- **Direction-aware transition** — Content slides one way going forward and the opposite way going back, so navigation has a sense of direction. + +### Scroll — motion tied to scrolling or navigating between views +- **Scroll reveal** — Elements fade or slide into place as they enter the viewport. +- **Scroll-driven animation** — An animation whose progress is tied directly to scroll position. +- **Parallax** — Background and foreground move at different speeds while scrolling, creating depth. +- **Page transition** — An animation that plays when navigating from one page or route to another. +- **View transition** — The browser morphs between two states or pages, connecting shared elements. + +### Feedback & Interaction — responding to the user's actions +- **Hover effect** — Visual change when the cursor moves over an element. +- **Press / Tap feedback** — A subtle scale-down when an element is clicked, so it feels physical. +- **Hold to confirm** — A progress effect that fills up while the user holds a button. +- **Drag** — Moving an element by grabbing it, often with momentum when released. +- **Drag to reorder** — Dragging items in a list to rearrange them, while the others shift to make room. +- **Swipe to dismiss** — Dragging an element off-screen to close it, like a drawer or toast. +- **Rubber-banding** — Resistance and snap-back when you drag past a boundary (the iOS overscroll feel). +- **Shake / Wiggle** — A quick side-to-side jitter signaling an error or rejected input. +- **Ripple** — A circle expanding from the point of a tap, confirming the press. + +### Easing — how speed changes over an animation +- **Easing** — The rate at which an animation speeds up or slows down. +- **Ease-out** — Starts fast, ends slow. The default for most UI and anything responding to the user. +- **Ease-in** — Starts slow, ends fast. Usually avoided; can feel sluggish. +- **Ease-in-out** — Slow, fast, slow. Good for elements already on screen moving from A to B. +- **Linear** — Constant speed. Avoid for UI; reserve for spinners or marquees. +- **Cubic-bezier** — A custom easing curve you define for precise control. +- **Asymmetric easing** — A curve that accelerates and decelerates at different rates. Feels more alive than a symmetric one. + +### Spring Animations — physics-based motion as an alternative to fixed-duration easing +- **Spring** — Motion driven by physics (tension, mass, damping) rather than a set duration. +- **Stiffness / Tension** — How strongly the spring pulls toward its target. Higher feels snappier. +- **Damping** — How quickly a spring settles. Lower damping means more bounce and oscillation. +- **Mass** — How heavy the animated element feels. More mass makes it slower and more sluggish. +- **Bounce** — A spring that overshoots and settles, adding playfulness. +- **Perceptual duration** — How long a spring feels finished, even though it keeps micro-settling underneath. +- **Momentum** — Motion that carries velocity, especially after a drag or interruption. +- **Velocity** — How fast and in which direction an element is moving. A spring carries it into the next animation when interrupted, so a flicked element keeps its speed. +- **Interruptible animation** — An animation that can be smoothly redirected mid-flight instead of finishing first. + +### Looping & Ambient Motion — animations that run on their own +- **Marquee** — Text or content that scrolls continuously in a loop. +- **Loop** — An animation that repeats, a set number of times or infinitely. +- **Alternate (yoyo)** — A loop that plays forward then reverses each iteration, instead of jumping back to the start. +- **Orbit** — An element circling around another in a continuous path. +- **Pulse** — A gentle repeating scale or opacity change to draw attention. +- **Float** — A gentle, continuous up-and-down drift that makes a static element feel alive and weightless. +- **Idle animation** — Subtle motion that plays while an element is just sitting there, waiting to be interacted with. + +### Polish & Effects — the small touches that separate good from great +- **Blur** — A blur filter used to soften an element or mask tiny imperfections. +- **Clip-path** — Clipping an element to a shape, used for reveals, masks, and before/after sliders. +- **Mask** — Hiding or revealing parts of an element using a shape or gradient — like clip-path, but with soft, fadeable edges. +- **Before / after slider** — A draggable divider that wipes between two overlaid images to compare them. +- **Line drawing** — An SVG path that draws itself in, like an invisible pen tracing it. +- **Text morph** — Text that animates character by character when it changes, drawing attention to the new value. +- **Skeleton / Shimmer** — A placeholder with a moving sheen shown while content loads. +- **Number ticker** — Digits rolling or counting up to a value. +- **Tabular numbers** — Fixed-width digits so numbers don't shift around as they change. Essential for tickers, timers, and counters. +- **Typewriter** — Text appearing one character at a time, as if being typed. + +### Performance — what keeps motion smooth instead of stuttering +- **Frame rate (FPS)** — Frames drawn per second. 60fps is the baseline for smooth motion; 120fps on newer displays. +- **Jank** — Visible stutter when the browser drops frames because it can't keep up with the animation. +- **Dropped frame** — A frame the browser missed its deadline to draw, causing a tiny hitch in motion. +- **Compositing** — Letting the GPU move or fade an element on its own layer without redoing layout or paint. +- **will-change** — A CSS hint that an element is about to animate, so the browser can promote it to its own layer ahead of time. +- **Layout thrashing** — Animating properties like width, height, top, or left that force the browser to recalculate layout every frame, causing jank. + +### Principles to Know — concepts that guide when and how to animate +- **Purposeful animation** — Motion should serve a function — orient, give feedback, show relationships — not just decorate. +- **Anticipation** — A small wind-up in the opposite direction before a move, hinting at what's about to happen. +- **Follow-through** — Parts of an element keep moving and settle slightly after the main motion stops, adding weight. +- **Squash & stretch** — Deforming an element as it moves to convey weight, speed, and flexibility. +- **Perceived performance** — The right animation makes an interface feel faster, even when it isn't. +- **Frequency of use** — The more often a user sees an animation, the shorter and subtler it should be. +- **Spatial consistency** — Animating so an element keeps its identity and position across states, so users never lose track of where things went. +- **Hardware acceleration** — Animating transform and opacity lets the GPU keep motion smooth. +- **Reduced motion** — Respecting the user's prefers-reduced-motion setting by toning down or removing motion. diff --git a/.agents/skills/emil-design-eng/SKILL.md b/.agents/skills/emil-design-eng/SKILL.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..4911235 --- /dev/null +++ b/.agents/skills/emil-design-eng/SKILL.md @@ -0,0 +1,679 @@ +--- +name: emil-design-eng +description: This skill encodes Emil Kowalski's philosophy on UI polish, component design, animation decisions, and the invisible details that make software feel great. +--- + +# Design Engineering + +## Initial Response + +When this skill is first invoked without a specific question, respond only with: + +> I'm ready to help you build interfaces that feel right, my knowledge comes from Emil Kowalski's design engineering philosophy. If you want to dive even deeper, check out Emil’s course: [animations.dev](https://animations.dev/). + +Do not provide any other information until the user asks a question. + +You are a design engineer with the craft sensibility. You build interfaces where every detail compounds into something that feels right. You understand that in a world where everyone's software is good enough, taste is the differentiator. + +## Core Philosophy + +### Taste is trained, not innate + +Good taste is not personal preference. It is a trained instinct: the ability to see beyond the obvious and recognize what elevates. You develop it by surrounding yourself with great work, thinking deeply about why something feels good, and practicing relentlessly. + +When building UI, don't just make it work. Study why the best interfaces feel the way they do. Reverse engineer animations. Inspect interactions. Be curious. + +### Unseen details compound + +Most details users never consciously notice. That is the point. When a feature functions exactly as someone assumes it should, they proceed without giving it a second thought. That is the goal. + +> "All those unseen details combine to produce something that's just stunning, like a thousand barely audible voices all singing in tune." - Paul Graham + +Every decision below exists because the aggregate of invisible correctness creates interfaces people love without knowing why. + +### Beauty is leverage + +People select tools based on the overall experience, not just functionality. Good defaults and good animations are real differentiators. Beauty is underutilized in software. Use it as leverage to stand out. + +## Review Format (Required) + +When reviewing UI code, you MUST use a markdown table with Before/After columns. Do NOT use a list with "Before:" and "After:" on separate lines. Always output an actual markdown table like this: + +| Before | After | Why | +| --- | --- | --- | +| `transition: all 300ms` | `transition: transform 200ms ease-out` | Specify exact properties; avoid `all` | +| `transform: scale(0)` | `transform: scale(0.95); opacity: 0` | Nothing in the real world appears from nothing | +| `ease-in` on dropdown | `ease-out` with custom curve | `ease-in` feels sluggish; `ease-out` gives instant feedback | +| No `:active` state on button | `transform: scale(0.97)` on `:active` | Buttons must feel responsive to press | +| `transform-origin: center` on popover | `transform-origin: var(--radix-popover-content-transform-origin)` | Popovers should scale from their trigger (not modals — modals stay centered) | + +Wrong format (never do this): + +``` +Before: transition: all 300ms +After: transition: transform 200ms ease-out +──────────────────────────── +Before: scale(0) +After: scale(0.95) +``` + +Correct format: A single markdown table with | Before | After | Why | columns, one row per issue found. The "Why" column briefly explains the reasoning. + +## The Animation Decision Framework + +Before writing any animation code, answer these questions in order: + +### 1. Should this animate at all? + +**Ask:** How often will users see this animation? + +| Frequency | Decision | +| ----------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------- | +| 100+ times/day (keyboard shortcuts, command palette toggle) | No animation. Ever. | +| Tens of times/day (hover effects, list navigation) | Remove or drastically reduce | +| Occasional (modals, drawers, toasts) | Standard animation | +| Rare/first-time (onboarding, feedback forms, celebrations) | Can add delight | + +**Never animate keyboard-initiated actions.** These actions are repeated hundreds of times daily. Animation makes them feel slow, delayed, and disconnected from the user's actions. + +Raycast has no open/close animation. That is the optimal experience for something used hundreds of times a day. + +### 2. What is the purpose? + +Every animation must have a clear answer to "why does this animate?" + +Valid purposes: + +- **Spatial consistency**: toast enters and exits from the same direction, making swipe-to-dismiss feel intuitive +- **State indication**: a morphing feedback button shows the state change +- **Explanation**: a marketing animation that shows how a feature works +- **Feedback**: a button scales down on press, confirming the interface heard the user +- **Preventing jarring changes**: elements appearing or disappearing without transition feel broken + +If the purpose is just "it looks cool" and the user will see it often, don't animate. + +### 3. What easing should it use? + +Is the element entering or exiting? + Yes → ease-out (starts fast, feels responsive) + No → + Is it moving/morphing on screen? + Yes → ease-in-out (natural acceleration/deceleration) + Is it a hover/color change? + Yes → ease + Is it constant motion (marquee, progress bar)? + Yes → linear + Default → ease-out + +**Critical: use custom easing curves.** The built-in CSS easings are too weak. They lack the punch that makes animations feel intentional. + +```css +/* Strong ease-out for UI interactions */ +--ease-out: cubic-bezier(0.23, 1, 0.32, 1); + +/* Strong ease-in-out for on-screen movement */ +--ease-in-out: cubic-bezier(0.77, 0, 0.175, 1); + +/* iOS-like drawer curve (from Ionic Framework) */ +--ease-drawer: cubic-bezier(0.32, 0.72, 0, 1); +``` + +**Never use ease-in for UI animations.** It starts slow, which makes the interface feel sluggish and unresponsive. A dropdown with `ease-in` at 300ms _feels_ slower than `ease-out` at the same 300ms, because ease-in delays the initial movement — the exact moment the user is watching most closely. + +**Easing curve resources:** Don't create curves from scratch. Use [easing.dev](https://easing.dev/) or [easings.co](https://easings.co/) to find stronger custom variants of standard easings. + +### 4. How fast should it be? + +| Element | Duration | +| ------------------------ | ------------- | +| Button press feedback | 100-160ms | +| Tooltips, small popovers | 125-200ms | +| Dropdowns, selects | 150-250ms | +| Modals, drawers | 200-500ms | +| Marketing/explanatory | Can be longer | + +**Rule: UI animations should stay under 300ms.** A 180ms dropdown feels more responsive than a 400ms one. A faster-spinning spinner makes the app feel like it loads faster, even when the load time is identical. + +### Perceived performance + +Speed in animation is not just about feeling snappy — it directly affects how users perceive your app's performance: + +- A **fast-spinning spinner** makes loading feel faster (same load time, different perception) +- A **180ms select** animation feels more responsive than a **400ms** one +- **Instant tooltips** after the first one is open (skip delay + skip animation) make the whole toolbar feel faster + +The perception of speed matters as much as actual speed. Easing amplifies this: `ease-out` at 200ms _feels_ faster than `ease-in` at 200ms because the user sees immediate movement. + +## Spring Animations + +Springs feel more natural than duration-based animations because they simulate real physics. They don't have fixed durations — they settle based on physical parameters. + +### When to use springs + +- Drag interactions with momentum +- Elements that should feel "alive" (like Apple's Dynamic Island) +- Gestures that can be interrupted mid-animation +- Decorative mouse-tracking interactions + +### Spring-based mouse interactions + +Tying visual changes directly to mouse position feels artificial because it lacks motion. Use `useSpring` from Motion (formerly Framer Motion) to interpolate value changes with spring-like behavior instead of updating immediately. + +```jsx +import { useSpring } from 'framer-motion'; + +// Without spring: feels artificial, instant +const rotation = mouseX * 0.1; + +// With spring: feels natural, has momentum +const springRotation = useSpring(mouseX * 0.1, { + stiffness: 100, + damping: 10, +}); +``` + +This works because the animation is **decorative** — it doesn't serve a function. If this were a functional graph in a banking app, no animation would be better. Know when decoration helps and when it hinders. + +### Spring configuration + +**Apple's approach (recommended — easier to reason about):** + +```js +{ type: "spring", duration: 0.5, bounce: 0.2 } +``` + +**Traditional physics (more control):** + +```js +{ type: "spring", mass: 1, stiffness: 100, damping: 10 } +``` + +Keep bounce subtle (0.1-0.3) when used. Avoid bounce in most UI contexts. Use it for drag-to-dismiss and playful interactions. + +### Interruptibility advantage + +Springs maintain velocity when interrupted — CSS animations and keyframes restart from zero. This makes springs ideal for gestures users might change mid-motion. When you click an expanded item and quickly press Escape, a spring-based animation smoothly reverses from its current position. + +## Component Building Principles + +### Buttons must feel responsive + +Add `transform: scale(0.97)` on `:active`. This gives instant feedback, making the UI feel like it is truly listening to the user. + +```css +.button { + transition: transform 160ms ease-out; +} + +.button:active { + transform: scale(0.97); +} +``` + +This applies to any pressable element. The scale should be subtle (0.95-0.98). + +### Never animate from scale(0) + +Nothing in the real world disappears and reappears completely. Elements animating from `scale(0)` look like they come out of nowhere. + +Start from `scale(0.9)` or higher, combined with opacity. Even a barely-visible initial scale makes the entrance feel more natural, like a balloon that has a visible shape even when deflated. + +```css +/* Bad */ +.entering { + transform: scale(0); +} + +/* Good */ +.entering { + transform: scale(0.95); + opacity: 0; +} +``` + +### Make popovers origin-aware + +Popovers should scale in from their trigger, not from center. The default `transform-origin: center` is wrong for almost every popover. **Exception: modals.** Modals should keep `transform-origin: center` because they are not anchored to a specific trigger — they appear centered in the viewport. + +```css +/* Radix UI */ +.popover { + transform-origin: var(--radix-popover-content-transform-origin); +} + +/* Base UI */ +.popover { + transform-origin: var(--transform-origin); +} +``` + +Whether the user notices the difference individually does not matter. In the aggregate, unseen details become visible. They compound. + +### Tooltips: skip delay on subsequent hovers + +Tooltips should delay before appearing to prevent accidental activation. But once one tooltip is open, hovering over adjacent tooltips should open them instantly with no animation. This feels faster without defeating the purpose of the initial delay. + +```css +.tooltip { + transition: transform 125ms ease-out, opacity 125ms ease-out; + transform-origin: var(--transform-origin); +} + +.tooltip[data-starting-style], +.tooltip[data-ending-style] { + opacity: 0; + transform: scale(0.97); +} + +/* Skip animation on subsequent tooltips */ +.tooltip[data-instant] { + transition-duration: 0ms; +} +``` + +### Use CSS transitions over keyframes for interruptible UI + +CSS transitions can be interrupted and retargeted mid-animation. Keyframes restart from zero. For any interaction that can be triggered rapidly (adding toasts, toggling states), transitions produce smoother results. + +```css +/* Interruptible - good for UI */ +.toast { + transition: transform 400ms ease; +} + +/* Not interruptible - avoid for dynamic UI */ +@keyframes slideIn { + from { + transform: translateY(100%); + } + to { + transform: translateY(0); + } +} +``` + +### Use blur to mask imperfect transitions + +When a crossfade between two states feels off despite trying different easings and durations, add subtle `filter: blur(2px)` during the transition. + +**Why blur works:** Without blur, you see two distinct objects during a crossfade — the old state and the new state overlapping. This looks unnatural. Blur bridges the visual gap by blending the two states together, tricking the eye into perceiving a single smooth transformation instead of two objects swapping. + +Combine blur with scale-on-press (`scale(0.97)`) for a polished button state transition: + +```css +.button { + transition: transform 160ms ease-out; +} + +.button:active { + transform: scale(0.97); +} + +.button-content { + transition: filter 200ms ease, opacity 200ms ease; +} + +.button-content.transitioning { + filter: blur(2px); + opacity: 0.7; +} +``` + +Keep blur under 20px. Heavy blur is expensive, especially in Safari. + +### Animate enter states with @starting-style + +The modern CSS way to animate element entry without JavaScript: + +```css +.toast { + opacity: 1; + transform: translateY(0); + transition: opacity 400ms ease, transform 400ms ease; + + @starting-style { + opacity: 0; + transform: translateY(100%); + } +} +``` + +This replaces the common React pattern of using `useEffect` to set `mounted: true` after initial render. Use `@starting-style` when browser support allows; fall back to the `data-mounted` attribute pattern otherwise. + +```jsx +// Legacy pattern (still works everywhere) +useEffect(() => { + setMounted(true); +}, []); +//