Design System Components

Patterns for building design system components using Surface primitives, CVA variants, and consistent styling. Use when building reusable UI components that follow design token architecture. Triggers on Surface component, CVA, class-variance-authority, component variants, design tokens.

Security Scan

This is an instruction-only skill that provides TypeScript/React design-system patterns and does not request credentials, install software, or perform operations outside its stated purpose.

Purpose & Capability

The name and description (design-system components using Surface primitives and CVA) match the SKILL.md content: example components, CVA variants, and usage snippets. There are no requested env vars, binaries, or unrelated capabilities that would contradict the stated purpose.

Instruction Scope

SKILL.md contains code patterns and usage guidance only. It does not instruct the agent to read system files, access environment variables, call external endpoints, or transmit data. No steps expand scope beyond authoring UI components.

Install Mechanism

There is no install spec in the registry metadata and no code files that will be executed by the platform. README contains manual copy instructions and an npx add line pointing at a GitHub tree URL (informational only). Because the skill is instruction-only, no runtime install or remote download is required by the skill itself.

Credentials

The skill requests no environment variables, credentials, or config paths. The content does not reference secrets or external service tokens. The requested privileges are proportional to a code-pattern documentation skill.

Persistence & Privilege

Flags show always:false and user-invocable:true (normal). The skill does not request persistent agent-wide presence or modify other skills, and it does not perform installation steps that would grant it elevated persistence.

Assessment

This skill is an instruction-only collection of UI component patterns and appears coherent with its description. Before installing or copying files into your project: (1) verify the origin and license (source/homepage are marked unknown), (2) review the snippets for compatibility with your stack and to ensure no unintended code is introduced, and (3) avoid running unfamiliar install commands; the README's 'npx add' line points to a GitHub tree URL (not a standard package install) — treat it as informational and prefer fetching files from a trusted repository or inspecting them locally first.

Build reusable components that leverage design tokens with Surface primitives and CVA (class-variance-authority).

---

When to Use

• Building component libraries with design tokens
• Need variant-based styling (size, color, state)
• Creating layered UI with consistent surfaces
• Want type-safe component APIs

---

Pattern 1: Surface Primitive

Single component for all layered surfaces:

import { cva, type VariantProps } from 'class-variance-authority';
import { cn } from '@/lib/utils';

const surfaceVariants = cva(
  'rounded-lg backdrop-blur-sm transition-colors',
  {
    variants: {
      layer: {
        panel: 'bg-tone-cadet/40 border border-tone-jordy/10 shadow-card',
        tile: 'bg-tone-midnight/60 border border-tone-jordy/5',
        chip: 'bg-tone-cyan/10 border border-tone-cyan/20 rounded-full',
        deep: 'bg-tone-void/80',
        metric: 'bg-tone-cadet/20 border border-tone-jordy/8',
        glass: 'bg-glass-bg backdrop-blur-lg border border-glass-border',
      },
      interactive: {
        true: 'cursor-pointer hover:bg-tone-cadet/50 active:scale-[0.98]',
        false: '',
      },
      glow: {
        true: 'shadow-glow',
        false: '',
      },
    },
    defaultVariants: {
      layer: 'tile',
      interactive: false,
      glow: false,
    },
  }
);

interface SurfaceProps
  extends React.HTMLAttributes<HTMLDivElement>,
    VariantProps<typeof surfaceVariants> {}

export function Surface({
  layer,
  interactive,
  glow,
  className,
  ...props
}: SurfaceProps) {
  return (
    <div
      className={cn(surfaceVariants({ layer, interactive, glow }), className)}
      {...props}
    />
  );
}

Usage

<Surface layer="panel" className="p-4">
  <h2>Dashboard</h2>
</Surface>

<Surface layer="chip" interactive>
  <span>Active</span>
</Surface>

<Surface layer="metric" glow>
  <span className="text-2xl">$1,234.56</span>
</Surface>

---

Pattern 2: CVA Button Variants

const buttonVariants = cva(
  'inline-flex items-center justify-center rounded-md font-medium transition-all focus-visible:outline-none focus-visible:ring-2 disabled:pointer-events-none disabled:opacity-50',
  {
    variants: {
      variant: {
        default: 'bg-primary text-primary-foreground hover:bg-primary/90',
        destructive: 'bg-destructive text-destructive-foreground hover:bg-destructive/90',
        outline: 'border border-input bg-background hover:bg-accent hover:text-accent-foreground',
        ghost: 'hover:bg-accent hover:text-accent-foreground',
        link: 'text-primary underline-offset-4 hover:underline',
        cyber: 'bg-gradient-to-r from-tone-cadet to-tone-azure text-white border border-tone-cyan/30 shadow-glow hover:shadow-glow-lg',
      },
      size: {
        default: 'h-10 px-4 py-2',
        sm: 'h-9 rounded-md px-3',
        lg: 'h-11 rounded-md px-8',
        icon: 'h-10 w-10',
      },
    },
    defaultVariants: {
      variant: 'default',
      size: 'default',
    },
  }
);

---

Pattern 3: Metric Display Component

const metricVariants = cva(
  'font-mono tabular-nums',
  {
    variants: {
      size: {
        lg: 'text-3xl font-bold tracking-tight',
        md: 'text-xl font-semibold',
        sm: 'text-base font-medium',
      },
      trend: {
        positive: 'text-success',
        negative: 'text-destructive',
        neutral: 'text-foreground',
      },
    },
    defaultVariants: {
      size: 'md',
      trend: 'neutral',
    },
  }
);

interface MetricProps extends VariantProps<typeof metricVariants> {
  value: string | number;
  label?: string;
  prefix?: string;
  suffix?: string;
}

export function Metric({
  value,
  label,
  prefix = '',
  suffix = '',
  size,
  trend,
}: MetricProps) {
  return (
    <div className="flex flex-col">
      {label && (
        <span className="text-xs uppercase tracking-wider text-muted-foreground mb-1">
          {label}
        </span>
      )}
      <span className={cn(metricVariants({ size, trend }))}>
        {prefix}{value}{suffix}
      </span>
    </div>
  );
}

---

Pattern 4: Card with Header

interface CardProps {
  title?: string;
  description?: string;
  action?: React.ReactNode;
  children: React.ReactNode;
}

export function Card({ title, description, action, children }: CardProps) {
  return (
    <Surface layer="panel" className="flex flex-col">
      {(title || action) && (
        <div className="flex items-center justify-between px-4 py-3 border-b border-tone-jordy/10">
          <div>
            {title && (
              <h3 className="font-display text-sm font-medium">{title}</h3>
            )}
            {description && (
              <p className="text-xs text-muted-foreground">{description}</p>
            )}
          </div>
          {action}
        </div>
      )}
      <div className="p-4">{children}</div>
    </Surface>
  );
}

---

Pattern 5: Badge/Chip Variants

const badgeVariants = cva(
  'inline-flex items-center rounded-full px-2.5 py-0.5 text-xs font-medium transition-colors',
  {
    variants: {
      variant: {
        default: 'bg-primary/10 text-primary border border-primary/20',
        success: 'bg-success/10 text-success border border-success/20',
        warning: 'bg-warning/10 text-warning border border-warning/20',
        destructive: 'bg-destructive/10 text-destructive border border-destructive/20',
        outline: 'border border-input text-foreground',
      },
    },
    defaultVariants: {
      variant: 'default',
    },
  }
);

---

Pattern 6: Composing Variants

Combine CVA with conditional classes:

function StatusIndicator({ 
  status, 
  size = 'md' 
}: { 
  status: 'online' | 'offline' | 'away';
  size?: 'sm' | 'md' | 'lg';
}) {
  const sizeClasses = {
    sm: 'size-2',
    md: 'size-3',
    lg: 'size-4',
  };

  const statusClasses = {
    online: 'bg-success animate-pulse',
    offline: 'bg-muted-foreground',
    away: 'bg-warning',
  };

  return (
    <span
      className={cn(
        'rounded-full',
        sizeClasses[size],
        statusClasses[status]
      )}
    />
  );
}

---

Related Skills

• Meta-skill: ai/skills/meta/design-system-creation/ — Complete design system workflow
• distinctive-design-systems — Token architecture and aesthetic foundations
• loading-state-patterns — Skeleton components for loading states

---

NEVER Do

• Build custom card containers — Use Surface primitive
• Hardcode colors in components — Use design tokens
• Skip variant types — CVA provides type safety
• Mix styling approaches — Pick CVA or cn(), not random inline styles
• Forget default variants — Components should work without props

---

Quick Reference

// 1. Define variants with CVA
const variants = cva('base-classes', {
  variants: {
    size: { sm: '...', md: '...', lg: '...' },
    color: { primary: '...', secondary: '...' },
  },
  defaultVariants: { size: 'md', color: 'primary' },
});

// 2. Type props from variants
interface Props extends VariantProps<typeof variants> {}

// 3. Apply in component
<div className={cn(variants({ size, color }), className)} />