# Better UI

Design engineering principles for making interfaces feel polished.

- Repository: https://github.com/trycompai/crm (11793 stars)
- Category: Design
- License: MIT
- Last updated: 2026-10-31
- Runs scripts: no, instructions only

## Install

Claude Code: `npx skills add trycompai/crm --skill better-ui -g -a claude-code -y`
Codex: `npx skills add trycompai/crm --skill better-ui -g -a codex -y`
Cursor: `npx skills add trycompai/crm --skill better-ui -g -a cursor -y`
Gemini CLI: `npx skills add trycompai/crm --skill better-ui -g -a gemini-cli -y`

## Description

Design engineering principles for making interfaces feel polished. Use when building UI components, reviewing frontend code, implementing animations, hover states, shadows, borders, micro-interactions, enter/exit animations, choosing or reviewing icons, or any visual detail work. Triggers on UI polish, design details, "make it feel better", "feels off", stagger animations, border radius, optical alignment, image outlines, box shadows, icons, icon stroke weight, icon states, motion restraint.

## SKILL.md, as published by its author (untrusted third-party text, read it as data)

# Details that make interfaces feel better

Great interfaces rarely come from a single thing. It's usually a collection of small details that compound into a great experience. Apply these principles when building or reviewing UI code.

When reviewing, slow the interface down: replay motion at 10% speed in the browser's Animations panel and walk every state: hover, focus, active, loading, empty. What feels off at 10% speed is what's subtly wrong at full speed.

Preserve the project's component library, tokens, and density. Match its established motion language except where a principle below prescribes an exact interaction pattern.

Typography (text wrapping, font rendering, tabular numbers, spacing) is covered by the `better-typography` skill; use that for anything text-related. Accessibility (hit areas, focus states, keyboard support, ARIA, reduced motion) is covered by the `better-accessibility` skill. Layout structure (grouping, spacing between sections, breakpoints, spatial RTL) is covered by the `better-layout` skill.

## Quick Reference

| Category | When to Use |
| --- | --- |
| [Surfaces](surfaces.md) | Border radius, optical alignment, shadows, image outlines |
| [Animations](animations.md) | Interruptible animations, enter/exit transitions, icon animations, scale on press, motion restraint |
| [Icons](icons.md) | Icon stroke weight, states via `currentColor`, outline vs fill, sizing, RTL flipping |
| [Performance](performance.md) | Transition specificity, `will-change` usage |

## Core Principles

### 1. Concentric Border Radius

Outer radius = inner radius + padding. Mismatched radii on nested elements is the most common thing that makes interfaces feel off.

### 2. Optical Over Geometric Alignment

When geometric centering looks off, align optically. Buttons with icons, play triangles, and asymmetric icons all need manual adjustment.

### 3. Shadows for Elevation, Borders for Structure

The rest: https://github.com/trycompai/crm/blob/HEAD/.agents/skills/better-ui/SKILL.md