Taste Skill Starter (SKILL.md)

What this is

A fill-in-the-blanks SKILL.md template that pairs with the Build Your Own Taste Skill workshop. Every [BRACKETED] placeholder is something you replace with your own values.

The result is a portable slash command at /taste that audits any AI generation against your design judgment.

How to use

Step 1: Create the folder

mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills/taste

Step 2: Paste the template below

Save the full block as ~/.claude/skills/taste/SKILL.md.

Step 3: Replace every [BRACKETED] placeholder

Work through the template top to bottom. Each placeholder has a comment explaining what to put there.

Step 4: Invoke it

After any generation:

/taste

Claude reads your skill, audits the output, and either fixes violations or prints a clean pass.

---

The full starter SKILL.md

---
name: taste
description: Apply [YOUR NAME]'s personal design taste to the most recent generation.
  Audits against the rules, anti-rules, and scorecard, then fixes violations inline
  and prints a 0-10 score per dimension.
---

## My taste: [2-4 WORD NAME]

# Example: "Warm minimal editorial", "Industrial utilitarian", "Deconstructed tech"
# The name forces specificity. If you cannot name it, you do not have one yet.

## My 5 rules

### Color
- Background: [HEX CODE]
- Text: [HEX CODE]
- Muted text: [HEX CODE]
- Accent: [HEX CODE] — used only for [SPECIFIC PURPOSE, e.g. "links and primary buttons"]
- [Any additional approved colors, each with its purpose]
- No other colors. If a design calls for a color not listed, ask first.

### Typography
- Headlines: [FONT NAME], weight [NUMBER], tracking [NUMBER]em
- Body: [FONT NAME], [SIZE]px, line-height [NUMBER]
- Mono (if used): [FONT NAME], [SIZE]px
- Maximum 3 sizes per page: [HERO SIZE] / [BODY SIZE] / [CAPTION SIZE]
- Maximum [NUMBER] font weights across the entire site

### Spacing
- Scale: [COMMA-SEPARATED PX VALUES, e.g. 4, 8, 12, 16, 24, 32, 48, 64, 96, 120]
- Section spacing: [PX VALUE] desktop, [PX VALUE] mobile
- Card padding: [PX VALUE]
- Grid gap: [PX VALUE]

### Motion
- Default motion level: [0, 1, 2, 3, or 4]
- Hover: [DURATION]ms ease-out. Only [APPROVED PROPERTIES]
- Page load: [none / approved Level 2 pattern]
- Scroll: [none / approved Level 2 or 3 pattern]
- Never: [list your forbidden motion patterns]

### Copy tone
- Person: [first person singular / first person plural / second person]
- Punctuation forbidden: [e.g. "exclamation marks, em dashes, ellipses"]
- Sentence length: under [NUMBER] words
- Headlines: [statements / questions / both]
- Never use these words: [comma-separated list, e.g. "leverage, unlock, empower, supercharge"]

## My 5 anti-rules

1. [Pattern you never want to see, written as a "never" statement]
2. [Pattern you never want to see, written as a "never" statement]
3. [Pattern you never want to see, written as a "never" statement]
4. [Pattern you never want to see, written as a "never" statement]
5. [Pattern you never want to see, written as a "never" statement]

# Example anti-rules:
# 1. No gradients. No colored shadows. No glow effects.
# 2. No border-radius above 4px. No rounded-full on containers.
# 3. No abstract 3D objects in the hero. No orbs, no blobs, no particles.
# 4. No scroll-triggered entrance animations.
# 5. No "we" language. No buzzwords. No stock SaaS copy.

## Required authorship element

Every page must contain at least one element that is specifically non-default.
Approved "authorship elements" I like to use:

- [Example: "An oversized pull quote in serif, left-aligned, no quotation marks"]
- [Example: "A dense raw data table with monospace type"]
- [Example: "A full-bleed single image at 80vh with no caption"]
- [Example: "A numbered list with unusually long explanatory paragraphs"]

# Claude must identify the authorship element in the output or add one that fits
# this list. If none is present and none was added, the audit fails.

## How to audit output

Read the most recently generated or edited file.

For every visual, motion, or copy choice:

1. Check it against the rules above.
2. Check it against the anti-rules.
3. If a rule is violated, state the violation, fix it, and explain the fix in one sentence.
4. If an anti-rule is hit, STOP and flag it explicitly. Anti-rule violations are
   higher priority than rule violations.
5. Check that at least one authorship element is present.

## Scorecard

Rate the output 0–10 on each dimension:

- Color discipline: Did every color come from the approved palette?
- Typography: Max 3 sizes, max [N] weights, correct font for each role?
- Spacing rhythm: Did every value come from the spacing scale?
- Motion restraint: Did the output stay at the approved motion level?
- Copy tone: Correct person, no buzzwords, headlines as statements?
- Anti-pattern cleanliness: Zero hits on the anti-rules?
- Authorship: At least one element feels specifically mine?

## Output format

For each violation:

- **Rule broken**: [rule name]
- **Where**: [file + line or component]
- **Fix**: [what was changed]
- **Reason**: [one sentence]

Then print the scorecard. Show each dimension 0–10.

If every dimension scores 8 or higher AND zero anti-rules were hit:

> Taste audit passed. [name] standard achieved.

Otherwise:

> Taste audit failed. [N] violations fixed. Re-run /taste to confirm.

## Priority order

Fix in this order when multiple violations exist:

1. Anti-rule hits (never ignore)
2. Copy tone violations (affect voice immediately)
3. Color discipline (affects identity)
4. Typography hierarchy
5. Spacing rhythm
6. Motion restraint
7. Authorship check (last, after everything else is clean)

## Never do

- Never suggest adding a gradient, shadow, or glow as a fix.
- Never suggest adding an animation to "fill" empty space.
- Never downgrade an anti-rule violation to a warning. Anti-rules are absolute.
- Never claim the audit passed without running the full scorecard.

---

Filling in the template

The Build Your Own Taste Skill workshop walks through each section with exercises. If you skip the workshop, read that guide first, then come back here.

Maturity milestones

Your first version of this skill will be incomplete. That is fine. Use it, notice what slips through, and add rules.

• Week 1: 5 rules, 5 anti-rules. Basic coverage.
• Month 1: 10–15 rules, 8–10 anti-rules. Most common generics caught.
• Month 3: 15–25 rules, 10–12 anti-rules. Mature enough to feel like a real design system for your output.
• Month 6+: Rules start being removed because the core is tight and extras were redundant.

A mature taste skill is small and sharp, not long and comprehensive.

Pairs with

• The Build Your Own Taste Skill workshop (the exercises that fill this template)
• The Taste Stack guide (where this skill lives alongside CLAUDE.md and local markdown)
• The Anti-Pattern Check Skill template (runs alongside your personal taste skill)
• The Motion Audit Skill template (motion-specific audit)