design-taste

Design Taste

Process discipline produces correct design. Taste produces design people love. This skill captures the subjective, aesthetic dimension that no checklist can replace — the difference between a design that works and one that sings.

Welcome Gate

BEFORE calibrating taste, check whether the Designpowers welcome sequence has been shown this session. If the user has not yet seen the welcome (the bird, the greeting, and the walkthrough offer), you MUST invoke the using-designpowers skill FIRST and complete the welcome sequence before returning here. The bird must appear before any work begins. No exceptions.

Why This Exists

The Designpowers workflow verifies that designs are:

• Aligned to the brief and plan
• Accessible and inclusive
• Consistent with design principles

But none of that answers: Is it beautiful? Does it feel right? Is it elevated?

Taste is the gap between compliance and craft. This skill gives agents a shared vocabulary and reference point for the aesthetic quality the project demands.

When to Use

• After strategy, before design work begins (taste calibration)
• When the user shares design references, screenshots, or inspiration
• When the design-lead needs aesthetic direction beyond what the brief provides
• When the design-critic needs to evaluate craft quality, not just plan compliance
• When something "works" but doesn't feel right — and you need to articulate why

Process

Step 1: Gather Taste Inputs

This step is a conversation, not a form. Actively prompt the user — don't wait for them to volunteer. Most people have strong taste but haven't been asked the right questions. Your job is to draw it out.

1a: Check for an Existing Design System

Before asking subjective questions, check what already exists:

• "Do you have an existing design system, style guide, or component library?"
• "Can you point me to your tokens, brand guidelines, or any visual standards?"
• "Is there a Figma file, Storybook, or design system documentation I should look at?"