Visual Design Foundations
Build cohesive, accessible visual systems using typography, color, spacing, and iconography fundamentals.
When to Use This Skill
- Establishing design tokens for a new project
- Creating or refining a spacing and sizing system
- Selecting and pairing typefaces
- Building accessible color palettes
- Designing icon systems and visual assets
- Improving visual hierarchy and readability
- Auditing designs for visual consistency
- Implementing dark mode or theming
Core Systems
1. Typography Scale
Modular Scale (ratio-based sizing):
Line Height Guidelines:
2. Spacing System
8-point grid (industry standard):
3. Color System
Semantic color tokens:
Quick Start: Design Tokens in Tailwind
Typography Best Practices
Font Pairing
Safe combinations:
- Heading: Inter / Body: Inter (single family)
- Heading: Playfair Display / Body: Source Sans Pro (contrast)
- Heading: Space Grotesk / Body: IBM Plex Sans (geometric)
Responsive Typography
Font Loading
Color Theory
Contrast Requirements (WCAG)
Dark Mode Strategy
Color Accessibility
Spacing Guidelines
Component Spacing
Visual Rhythm
Iconography
Icon Sizing System
Icon Component
Best Practices
- Establish Constraints: Limit choices to maintain consistency
- Document Decisions: Create a living style guide
- Test Accessibility: Verify contrast, sizing, touch targets
- Use Semantic Tokens: Name by purpose, not appearance
- Design Mobile-First: Start with constraints, add complexity
- Maintain Vertical Rhythm: Consistent spacing creates harmony
- Limit Font Weights: 2-3 weights per family is sufficient
Common Issues
- Inconsistent Spacing: Not using a defined scale
- Poor Contrast: Failing WCAG requirements
- Font Overload: Too many families or weights
- Magic Numbers: Arbitrary values instead of tokens
- Missing States: Forgetting hover, focus, disabled
- No Dark Mode Plan: Retrofitting is harder than planning

