OpenWriterControle/plugins/claude-code/scripts/context/ui/web/ui-styling-standards.md

UI Styling Standards

Overview

Standards and conventions for CSS frameworks, responsive design, and styling best practices in frontend development.

Quick Reference

Framework: Tailwind CSS + Flowbite (default) Approach: Mobile-first responsive Format: Utility-first CSS Specificity: Use !important for overrides when needed

---

CSS Framework Conventions

Tailwind CSS

Loading Method (Preferred):

<!-- ✅ Use CDN script tag -->
<script src="https://cdn.tailwindcss.com"></script>

Avoid:

<!-- ❌ Don't use stylesheet link -->
<link href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/tailwindcss@2.2.19/dist/tailwind.min.css" rel="stylesheet">

Why: Script tag allows for JIT compilation and configuration

Flowbite

Loading Method:

<!-- Flowbite CSS -->
<link href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/flowbite@2.0.0/dist/flowbite.min.css" rel="stylesheet">

<!-- Flowbite JS -->
<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/flowbite@2.0.0/dist/flowbite.min.js"></script>

Usage: Flowbite is the default component library unless user specifies otherwise

Components Available:

• Buttons, forms, modals
• Navigation, dropdowns, tabs
• Cards, alerts, badges
• Tables, pagination
• Tooltips, popovers

---

Responsive Design Requirements

Mobile-First Approach

Rule: ALL designs MUST be responsive

Breakpoints (Tailwind defaults):

/* Mobile first - base styles apply to mobile */
.element { }

/* Small devices (640px and up) */
@media (min-width: 640px) { }  /* sm: */

/* Medium devices (768px and up) */
@media (min-width: 768px) { }  /* md: */

/* Large devices (1024px and up) */
@media (min-width: 1024px) { } /* lg: */

/* Extra large devices (1280px and up) */
@media (min-width: 1280px) { } /* xl: */

/* 2XL devices (1536px and up) */
@media (min-width: 1536px) { } /* 2xl: */

Tailwind Syntax:

<!-- Mobile: stack, Desktop: side-by-side -->
<div class="flex flex-col md:flex-row">
  <div class="w-full md:w-1/2">Left</div>
  <div class="w-full md:w-1/2">Right</div>
</div>

<!-- Mobile: full width, Desktop: constrained -->
<div class="w-full lg:w-3/4 xl:w-1/2 mx-auto">
  Content
</div>

Testing Requirements

✅ Test at minimum breakpoints: 375px, 768px, 1024px, 1440px ✅ Verify touch targets (min 44x44px) ✅ Check text readability at all sizes ✅ Ensure images scale properly ✅ Test navigation on mobile

---

Color Palette Guidelines

Avoid Bootstrap Blue

Rule: NEVER use generic Bootstrap blue (#007bff) unless explicitly requested

Why: Overused, lacks personality, feels dated

Alternatives:

/* Instead of Bootstrap blue */
--bootstrap-blue: #007bff; /* ❌ Avoid */

/* Use contextual colors */
--primary: oklch(0.6489 0.2370 26.9728);    /* Vibrant orange */
--accent: oklch(0.5635 0.2408 260.8178);     /* Rich purple */
--info: oklch(0.6200 0.1900 260);            /* Modern blue */
--success: oklch(0.7323 0.2492 142.4953);    /* Fresh green */

Color Usage Rules

1. Semantic naming: Use --primary, --accent, not --blue, --red
2. Brand alignment: Choose colors that match project personality
3. Contrast testing: Ensure WCAG AA compliance (4.5:1 minimum)
4. Consistency: Use theme variables throughout

---

Background/Foreground Contrast

Contrast Rule

When designing components or posters:

• Light component → Dark background
• Dark component → Light background

Why: Ensures visibility and creates visual hierarchy

Examples:

<!-- Light card on dark background -->
<div class="bg-gray-900 p-8">
  <div class="bg-white text-gray-900 p-6 rounded-lg">
    Light card content
  </div>
</div>

<!-- Dark card on light background -->
<div class="bg-gray-50 p-8">
  <div class="bg-gray-900 text-white p-6 rounded-lg">
    Dark card content
  </div>
</div>

Component-Specific Rules

Posters/Hero Sections:

• Use high contrast for readability
• Consider overlay gradients for text on images
• Test with actual content

Cards/Panels:

• Subtle elevation with shadows
• Clear boundary between card and background
• Consistent padding

---

CSS Specificity & Overrides

Using !important

Rule: Use !important for properties that might be overwritten by Tailwind or Flowbite

Common Cases:

/* Typography overrides */
h1 {
  font-size: 2.5rem !important;
  font-weight: 700 !important;
  line-height: 1.2 !important;
}

body {
  font-family: 'Inter', sans-serif !important;
  color: var(--foreground) !important;
}

/* Component overrides */
.custom-button {
  background-color: var(--primary) !important;
  border-radius: var(--radius) !important;
}

When NOT to use:

/* ❌ Don't use for everything */
.element {
  margin: 1rem !important;
  padding: 1rem !important;
  display: flex !important;
}

/* ✅ Use Tailwind utilities instead */
<div class="m-4 p-4 flex">

Specificity Best Practices

1. Prefer utility classes over custom CSS
2. Use !important sparingly - only for framework overrides
3. Scope custom styles to avoid conflicts
4. Use CSS custom properties for theming

---

Layout Patterns

Flexbox (Preferred for 1D layouts)

<!-- Horizontal layout -->
<div class="flex items-center gap-4">
  <div>Item 1</div>
  <div>Item 2</div>
</div>

<!-- Vertical layout -->
<div class="flex flex-col gap-4">
  <div>Item 1</div>
  <div>Item 2</div>
</div>

<!-- Centered content -->
<div class="flex items-center justify-center min-h-screen">
  <div>Centered content</div>
</div>

Grid (Preferred for 2D layouts)

<!-- Responsive grid -->
<div class="grid grid-cols-1 md:grid-cols-2 lg:grid-cols-3 gap-6">
  <div>Card 1</div>
  <div>Card 2</div>
  <div>Card 3</div>
</div>

<!-- Dashboard layout -->
<div class="grid grid-cols-12 gap-4">
  <aside class="col-span-12 lg:col-span-3">Sidebar</aside>
  <main class="col-span-12 lg:col-span-9">Content</main>
</div>

Container Patterns

<!-- Centered container with max width -->
<div class="container mx-auto px-4 max-w-7xl">
  Content
</div>

<!-- Full-width section with contained content -->
<section class="w-full bg-gray-50">
  <div class="container mx-auto px-4 py-12 max-w-6xl">
    Content
  </div>
</section>

---

Typography Standards

Hierarchy

<!-- Heading scale -->
<h1 class="text-4xl md:text-5xl lg:text-6xl font-bold">Main Heading</h1>
<h2 class="text-3xl md:text-4xl font-semibold">Section Heading</h2>
<h3 class="text-2xl md:text-3xl font-semibold">Subsection</h3>
<h4 class="text-xl md:text-2xl font-medium">Minor Heading</h4>

<!-- Body text -->
<p class="text-base md:text-lg leading-relaxed">Body text</p>
<p class="text-sm text-gray-600">Secondary text</p>
<p class="text-xs text-gray-500">Caption text</p>

Font Loading

Always use Google Fonts:

<link rel="preconnect" href="https://fonts.googleapis.com">
<link rel="preconnect" href="https://fonts.gstatic.com" crossorigin>
<link href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Inter:wght@400;500;600;700&display=swap" rel="stylesheet">

Apply in CSS:

body {
  font-family: 'Inter', sans-serif !important;
}

Readability

• Line length: 60-80 characters optimal
• Line height: 1.5-1.75 for body text
• Font size: Minimum 16px for body text
• Contrast: 4.5:1 minimum for normal text

---

Component Styling Patterns

Buttons

<!-- Primary button -->
<button class="bg-primary text-primary-foreground px-6 py-3 rounded-lg font-medium hover:opacity-90 transition-opacity">
  Primary Action
</button>

<!-- Secondary button -->
<button class="bg-secondary text-secondary-foreground px-6 py-3 rounded-lg font-medium hover:bg-secondary/80 transition-colors">
  Secondary Action
</button>

<!-- Outline button -->
<button class="border-2 border-primary text-primary px-6 py-3 rounded-lg font-medium hover:bg-primary hover:text-primary-foreground transition-all">
  Outline Action
</button>

Cards

<!-- Basic card -->
<div class="bg-card text-card-foreground rounded-lg shadow-md p-6">
  <h3 class="text-xl font-semibold mb-2">Card Title</h3>
  <p class="text-muted-foreground">Card content</p>
</div>

<!-- Interactive card -->
<div class="bg-card text-card-foreground rounded-lg shadow-md p-6 hover:shadow-lg transition-shadow cursor-pointer">
  <h3 class="text-xl font-semibold mb-2">Interactive Card</h3>
  <p class="text-muted-foreground">Hover for effect</p>
</div>

Forms

<!-- Input field -->
<div class="space-y-2">
  <label class="block text-sm font-medium">Email</label>
  <input 
    type="email" 
    class="w-full px-4 py-2 border border-input rounded-lg focus:ring-2 focus:ring-ring focus:border-transparent transition-all"
    placeholder="you@example.com"
  >
</div>

<!-- Textarea -->
<div class="space-y-2">
  <label class="block text-sm font-medium">Message</label>
  <textarea 
    class="w-full px-4 py-2 border border-input rounded-lg focus:ring-2 focus:ring-ring focus:border-transparent transition-all resize-none"
    rows="4"
    placeholder="Your message..."
  ></textarea>
</div>

---

Accessibility Standards

ARIA Labels

<!-- Button with icon -->
<button aria-label="Close dialog">
  <svg>...</svg>
</button>

<!-- Navigation -->
<nav aria-label="Main navigation">
  <ul>...</ul>
</nav>

Semantic HTML

<!-- ✅ Use semantic elements -->
<header>...</header>
<nav>...</nav>
<main>...</main>
<article>...</article>
<aside>...</aside>
<footer>...</footer>

<!-- ❌ Avoid div soup -->
<div class="header">...</div>
<div class="nav">...</div>
<div class="main">...</div>

Focus States

/* Always provide visible focus states */
button:focus-visible {
  outline: 2px solid var(--ring);
  outline-offset: 2px;
}

/* Tailwind utility */
<button class="focus:ring-2 focus:ring-ring focus:ring-offset-2">
  Button
</button>

---

Performance Optimization

CSS Loading

<!-- Preconnect to font sources -->
<link rel="preconnect" href="https://fonts.googleapis.com">
<link rel="preconnect" href="https://fonts.gstatic.com" crossorigin>

<!-- Preload critical fonts -->
<link rel="preload" href="/fonts/inter.woff2" as="font" type="font/woff2" crossorigin>

Image Optimization

<!-- Responsive images -->
<img 
  src="image-800.jpg" 
  srcset="image-400.jpg 400w, image-800.jpg 800w, image-1200.jpg 1200w"
  sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, (max-width: 1200px) 50vw, 33vw"
  alt="Description"
  loading="lazy"
>

Critical CSS

<!-- Inline critical CSS -->
<style>
  /* Above-the-fold styles */
  body { margin: 0; font-family: system-ui; }
  .hero { min-height: 100vh; }
</style>

<!-- Load full CSS async -->
<link rel="stylesheet" href="styles.css" media="print" onload="this.media='all'">

---

Best Practices

Do's ✅

• Use Tailwind utility classes for rapid development
• Load Tailwind via script tag for JIT compilation
• Use Flowbite as default component library
• Ensure all designs are mobile-first responsive
• Test at multiple breakpoints
• Use semantic HTML elements
• Provide ARIA labels for interactive elements
• Use CSS custom properties for theming
• Apply !important for framework overrides
• Ensure proper color contrast (WCAG AA)

Don'ts ❌

• Don't use Bootstrap blue without explicit request
• Don't load Tailwind as a stylesheet
• Don't skip responsive design
• Don't use div soup (use semantic HTML)
• Don't forget focus states
• Don't hardcode colors (use theme variables)
• Don't skip accessibility testing
• Don't use tiny touch targets (<44px)
• Don't mix color formats
• Don't over-use !important

---

Framework Alternatives

If user requests a different framework:

Bootstrap:

<link href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/bootstrap@5.3.0/dist/css/bootstrap.min.css" rel="stylesheet">
<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/bootstrap@5.3.0/dist/js/bootstrap.bundle.min.js"></script>

Bulma:

<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/bulma@0.9.4/css/bulma.min.css">

Foundation:

<link rel="stylesheet" href="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/foundation-sites@6.7.5/dist/css/foundation.min.css">
<script src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/npm/foundation-sites@6.7.5/dist/js/foundation.min.js"></script>

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References

• Tailwind CSS Documentation
• Flowbite Components
• WCAG Guidelines
• MDN Web Accessibility