penpot-uiux-design

SKILL.md

---
name: penpot-uiux-design
description: 'Comprehensive guide for creating professional UI/UX designs in Penpot using MCP tools. Use this skill when: (1) Creating new UI/UX designs for web, mobile, or desktop applications, (2) Building design systems with components and tokens, (3) Designing dashboards, forms, navigation, or landing pages, (4) Applying accessibility standards and best practices, (5) Following platform guidelines (iOS, Android, Material Design), (6) Reviewing or improving existing Penpot designs for usability. Triggers: "design a UI", "create interface", "build layout", "design dashboard", "create form", "design landing page", "make it accessible", "design system", "component library".'
---

# Penpot UI/UX Design Guide

Create professional, user-centered designs in Penpot using the `penpot/penpot-mcp` MCP server and proven UI/UX principles.

## Available MCP Tools

| Tool | Purpose |
| ---- | ------- |
| `mcp__penpot__execute_code` | Run JavaScript in Penpot plugin context to create/modify designs |
| `mcp__penpot__export_shape` | Export shapes as PNG/SVG for visual inspection |
| `mcp__penpot__import_image` | Import images (icons, photos, logos) into designs |
| `mcp__penpot__penpot_api_info` | Retrieve Penpot API documentation |

## MCP Server Setup

The Penpot MCP tools require the `penpot/penpot-mcp` server running locally. For detailed installation and troubleshooting, see [setup-troubleshooting.md](references/setup-troubleshooting.md).

### Before Setup: Check If Already Running

**Always check if the MCP server is already available before attempting setup:**

1. **Try calling a tool first**: Attempt `mcp__penpot__penpot_api_info` - if it succeeds, the server is running and connected. No setup needed.

2. **If the tool fails**, ask the user:
   > "The Penpot MCP server doesn't appear to be connected. Is the server already installed and running? If so, I can help troubleshoot. If not, I can guide you through the setup."

3. **Only proceed with setup instructions if the user confirms the server is not installed.**

### Quick Start (Only If Not Installed)

```bash
# Clone and install
git clone https://github.com/penpot/penpot-mcp.git
cd penpot-mcp
npm install

# Build and start servers
npm run bootstrap
```

Then in Penpot:
1. Open a design file
2. Go to **Plugins** → **Load plugin from URL**
3. Enter: `http://localhost:4400/manifest.json`
4. Click **"Connect to MCP server"** in the plugin UI

### VS Code Configuration

Add to `settings.json`:
```json
{
  "mcp": {
    "servers": {
      "penpot": {
        "url": "http://localhost:4401/sse"
      }
    }
  }
}
```

### Troubleshooting (If Server Is Installed But Not Working)

| Issue | Solution |
| ----- | -------- |
| Plugin won't connect | Check servers are running (`npm run start:all` in penpot-mcp dir) |
| Browser blocks localhost | Allow local network access prompt, or disable Brave Shield, or try Firefox |
| Tools not appearing in client | Restart VS Code/Claude completely after config changes |
| Tool execution fails/times out | Ensure Penpot plugin UI is open and shows "Connected" |
| "WebSocket connection failed" | Check firewall allows ports 4400, 4401, 4402 |

## Quick Reference

| Task | Reference File |
| ---- | -------------- |
| MCP server installation & troubleshooting | [setup-troubleshooting.md](references/setup-troubleshooting.md) |
| Component specs (buttons, forms, nav) | [component-patterns.md](references/component-patterns.md) |
| Accessibility (contrast, touch targets) | [accessibility.md](references/accessibility.md) |
| Screen sizes & platform specs | [platform-guidelines.md](references/platform-guidelines.md) |

## Core Design Principles

### The Golden Rules

1. **Clarity over cleverness**: Every element must have a purpose
2. **Consistency builds trust**: Reuse patterns, colors, and components
3. **User goals first**: Design for tasks, not features
4. **Accessibility is not optional**: Design for everyone
5. **Test with real users**: Validate assumptions early

### Visual Hierarchy (Priority Order)

1. **Size**: Larger = more important
2. **Color/Contrast**: High contrast draws attention
3. **Position**: Top-left (LTR) gets seen first
4. **Whitespace**: Isolation emphasizes importance
5. **Typography weight**: Bold stands out

## Design Workflow

1. **Check for design system first**: Ask user if they have existing tokens/specs, or discover from current Penpot file
2. **Understand the page**: Call `mcp__penpot__execute_code` with `penpotUtils.shapeStructure()` to see hierarchy
3. **Find elements**: Use `penpotUtils.findShapes()` to locate elements by type or name
4. **Create/modify**: Use `penpot.createBoard()`, `penpot.createRectangle()`, `penpot.createText()` etc.
5. **Apply layout**: Use `addFlexLayout()` for responsive containers
6. **Validate**: Call `mcp__penpot__export_shape` to visually check your work

## Design System Handling

**Before creating designs, determine if the user has an existing design system:**

1. **Ask the user**: "Do you have a design system or brand guidelines to follow?"
2. **Discover from Penpot**: Check for existing components, colors, and patterns

```javascript
// Discover existing design patterns in current file
const allShapes = penpotUtils.findShapes(() => true, penpot.root);

// Find existing colors in use
const colors = new Set();
allShapes.forEach(s => {
  if (s.fills) s.fills.forEach(f => colors.add(f.fillColor));
});

// Find existing text styles (font sizes, weights)
const textStyles = allShapes
  .filter(s => s.type === 'text')
  .map(s => ({ fontSize: s.fontSize, fontWeight: s.fontWeight }));

// Find existing components
const components = penpot.library.local.components;

return { colors: [...colors], textStyles, componentCount: components.length };
```

**If user HAS a design system:**

- Use their specified colors, spacing, typography
- Match their existing component patterns
- Follow their naming conventions

**If user has NO design system:**

- Use the default tokens below as a starting point
- Offer to help establish consistent patterns
- Reference specs in [component-patterns.md](references/component-patterns.md)

## Key Penpot API Gotchas

- `width`/`height` are READ-ONLY → use `shape.resize(w, h)`
- `parentX`/`parentY` are READ-ONLY → use `penpotUtils.setParentXY(shape, x, y)`
- Use `insertChild(index, shape)` for z-ordering (not `appendChild`)
- Flex children array order is REVERSED for `dir="column"` or `dir="row"`
- After `text.resize()`, reset `growType` to `"auto-width"` or `"auto-height"`

## Positioning New Boards

**Always check existing boards before creating new ones** to avoid overlap:

```javascript
// Find all existing boards and calculate next position
const boards = penpotUtils.findShapes(s => s.type === 'board', penpot.root);
let nextX = 0;
const gap = 100; // Space between boards

if (boards.length > 0) {
  // Find rightmost board edge
  boards.forEach(b => {
    const rightEdge = b.x + b.width;
    if (rightEdge + gap > nextX) {
      nextX = rightEdge + gap;
    }
  });
}

// Create new board at calculated position
const newBoard = penpot.createBoard();
newBoard.x = nextX;
newBoard.y = 0;
newBoard.resize(375, 812);
```

**Board spacing guidelines:**

- Use 100px gap between related screens (same flow)
- Use 200px+ gap between different sections/flows
- Align boards vertically (same y) for visual organization
- Group related screens horizontally in user flow order

## Default Design Tokens

**Use these defaults only when user has no design system. Always prefer user's tokens if available.**

### Spacing Scale (8px base)

| Token | Value | Usage |
| ----- | ----- | ----- |
| `spacing-xs` | 4px | Tight inline elements |
| `spacing-sm` | 8px | Related elements |
| `spacing-md` | 16px | Default padding |
| `spacing-lg` | 24px | Section spacing |
| `spacing-xl` | 32px | Major sections |
| `spacing-2xl` | 48px | Page-level spacing |

### Typography Scale

| Level | Size | Weight | Usage |
| ----- | ---- | ------ | ----- |
| Display | 48-64px | Bold | Hero headlines |
| H1 | 32-40px | Bold | Page titles |
| H2 | 24-28px | Semibold | Section headers |
| H3 | 20-22px | Semibold | Subsections |
| Body | 16px | Regular | Main content |
| Small | 14px | Regular | Secondary text |
| Caption | 12px | Regular | Labels, hints |

### Color Usage

| Purpose | Recommendation |
| ------- | -------------- |
| Primary | Main brand color, CTAs |
| Secondary | Supporting actions |
| Success | #22C55E range (confirmations) |
| Warning | #F59E0B range (caution) |
| Error | #EF4444 range (errors) |
| Neutral | Gray scale for text/borders |

## Common Layouts

### Mobile Screen (375×812)

```text
┌─────────────────────────────┐
│ Status Bar (44px)           │
├─────────────────────────────┤
│ Header/Nav (56px)           │
├─────────────────────────────┤
│                             │
│ Content Area                │
│ (Scrollable)                │
│ Padding: 16px horizontal    │
│                             │
├─────────────────────────────┤
│ Bottom Nav/CTA (84px)       │
└─────────────────────────────┘

```

### Desktop Dashboard (1440×900)

```text
┌──────┬──────────────────────────────────┐
│      │ Header (64px)                    │
│ Side │──────────────────────────────────│
│ bar  │ Page Title + Actions             │
│      │──────────────────────────────────│
│ 240  │ Content Grid                     │
│ px   │ ┌─────┐ ┌─────┐ ┌─────┐ ┌─────┐ │
│      │ │Card │ │Card │ │Card │ │Card │ │
│      │ └─────┘ └─────┘ └─────┘ └─────┘ │
│      │                                  │
└──────┴──────────────────────────────────┘

```

## Component Checklist

### Buttons

- [ ] Clear, action-oriented label (2-3 words)
- [ ] Minimum touch target: 44×44px
- [ ] Visual states: default, hover, active, disabled, loading
- [ ] Sufficient contrast (3:1 against background)
- [ ] Consistent border radius across app

### Forms

- [ ] Labels above inputs (not just placeholders)
- [ ] Required field indicators
- [ ] Error messages adjacent to fields
- [ ] Logical tab order
- [ ] Input types match content (email, tel, etc.)

### Navigation

- [ ] Current location clearly indicated
- [ ] Consistent position across screens
- [ ] Maximum 7±2 top-level items
- [ ] Touch-friendly on mobile (48px targets)

## Accessibility Quick Checks

1. **Color contrast**: Text 4.5:1, Large text 3:1
2. **Touch targets**: Minimum 44×44px
3. **Focus states**: Visible keyboard focus indicators
4. **Alt text**: Meaningful descriptions for images
5. **Hierarchy**: Proper heading levels (H1→H2→H3)
6. **Color independence**: Never rely solely on color

## Design Review Checklist

Before finalizing any design:

- [ ] Visual hierarchy is clear
- [ ] Consistent spacing and alignment
- [ ] Typography is readable (16px+ body text)
- [ ] Color contrast meets WCAG AA
- [ ] Interactive elements are obvious
- [ ] Mobile-friendly touch targets
- [ ] Loading/empty/error states considered
- [ ] Consistent with design system

## Validating Designs

Use these validation approaches with `mcp__penpot__execute_code`:

| Check | Method |
| ----- | ------ |
| Elements outside bounds | `penpotUtils.analyzeDescendants()` with `isContainedIn()` |
| Text too small (<12px) | `penpotUtils.findShapes()` filtering by `fontSize` |
| Missing contrast | Call `mcp__penpot__export_shape` and visually inspect |
| Hierarchy structure | `penpotUtils.shapeStructure()` to review nesting |

### Export CSS

Use `penpot.generateStyle(selection, { type: 'css', includeChildren: true })` via `mcp__penpot__execute_code` to extract CSS from designs.

## Tips for Great Designs

1. **Start with content**: Real content reveals layout needs
2. **Design mobile-first**: Constraints breed creativity
3. **Use a grid**: 8px base grid keeps things aligned
4. **Limit colors**: 1 primary + 1 secondary + neutrals
5. **Limit fonts**: 1-2 typefaces maximum
6. **Embrace whitespace**: Breathing room improves comprehension
7. **Be consistent**: Same action = same appearance everywhere
8. **Provide feedback**: Every action needs a response