--- name: distill-907ab493100a description: Strip designs to their essence by removing unnecessary complexity. Great design is simple, powerful, and clean. Use when the user asks to simplify, declutter, reduce noise, remove elements, or make a UI cleaner and more focused. user-invocable: true argument-hint: "[target]" --- Remove unnecessary complexity from designs, revealing the essential elements and creating clarity through ruthless simplification. ## MANDATORY PREPARATION Invoke /impeccable — it contains design principles, anti-patterns, and the **Context Gathering Protocol**. Follow the protocol before proceeding — if no design context exists yet, you MUST run /impeccable teach first. --- ## Assess Current State Analyze what makes the design feel complex or cluttered: 1. **Identify complexity sources**: - **Too many elements**: Competing buttons, redundant information, visual clutter - **Excessive variation**: Too many colors, fonts, sizes, styles without purpose - **Information overload**: Everything visible at once, no progressive disclosure - **Visual noise**: Unnecessary borders, shadows, backgrounds, decorations - **Confusing hierarchy**: Unclear what matters most - **Feature creep**: Too many options, actions, or paths forward 2. **Find the essence**: - What's the primary user goal? (There should be ONE) - What's actually necessary vs nice-to-have? - What can be removed, hidden, or combined? - What's the 20% that delivers 80% of value? If any of these are unclear from the codebase, ask the user directly to clarify what you cannot infer. **CRITICAL**: Simplicity is not about removing features - it's about removing obstacles between users and their goals. Every element should justify its existence. ## Plan Simplification Create a ruthless editing strategy: - **Core purpose**: What's the ONE thing this should accomplish? - **Essential elements**: What's truly necessary to achieve that purpose? - **Progressive disclosure**: What can be hidden until needed? - **Consolidation opportunities**: What can be combined or integrated? **IMPORTANT**: Simplification is hard. It requires saying no to good ideas to make room for great execution. Be ruthless. ## Simplify the Design Systematically remove complexity across these dimensions: ### Information Architecture - **Reduce scope**: Remove secondary actions, optional features, redundant information - **Progressive disclosure**: Hide complexity behind clear entry points (accordions, modals, step-through flows) - **Combine related actions**: Merge similar buttons, consolidate forms, group related content - **Clear hierarchy**: ONE primary action, few secondary actions, everything else tertiary or hidden - **Remove redundancy**: If it's said elsewhere, don't repeat it here ### Visual Simplification - **Reduce color palette**: Use 1-2 colors plus neutrals, not 5-7 colors - **Limit typography**: One font family, 3-4 sizes maximum, 2-3 weights - **Remove decorations**: Eliminate borders, shadows, backgrounds that don't serve hierarchy or function - **Flatten structure**: Reduce nesting, remove unnecessary containers—never nest cards inside cards - **Remove unnecessary cards**: Cards aren't needed for basic layout; use spacing and alignment instead - **Consistent spacing**: Use one spacing scale, remove arbitrary gaps ### Layout Simplification - **Linear flow**: Replace complex grids with simple vertical flow where possible - **Remove sidebars**: Move secondary content inline or hide it - **Full-width**: Use available space generously instead of complex multi-column layouts - **Consistent alignment**: Pick left or center, stick with it - **Generous white space**: Let content breathe, don't pack everything tight ### Interaction Simplification - **Reduce choices**: Fewer buttons, fewer options, clearer path forward (paradox of choice is real) - **Smart defaults**: Make common choices automatic, only ask when necessary - **Inline actions**: Replace modal flows with inline editing where possible - **Remove steps**: Can signup be one step instead of three? Can checkout be simplified? - **Clear CTAs**: ONE obvious next step, not five competing actions ### Content Simplification - **Shorter copy**: Cut every sentence in half, then do it again - **Active voice**: "Save changes" not "Changes will be saved" - **Remove jargon**: Plain language always wins - **Scannable structure**: Short paragraphs, bullet points, clear headings - **Essential information only**: Remove marketing fluff, legalese, hedging - **Remove redundant copy**: No headers restating intros, no repeated explanations, say it once ### Code Simplification - **Remove unused code**: Dead CSS, unused components, orphaned files - **Flatten component trees**: Reduce nesting depth - **Consolidate styles**: Merge similar styles, use utilities consistently - **Reduce variants**: Does that component need 12 variations, or can 3 cover 90% of cases? **NEVER**: - Remove necessary functionality (simplicity ≠ feature-less) - Sacrifice accessibility for simplicity (clear labels and ARIA still required) - Make things so simple they're unclear (mystery ≠ minimalism) - Remove information users need to make decisions - Eliminate hierarchy completely (some things should stand out) - Oversimplify complex domains (match complexity to actual task complexity) ## Verify Simplification Ensure simplification improves usability: - **Faster task completion**: Can users accomplish goals more quickly? - **Reduced cognitive load**: Is it easier to understand what to do? - **Still complete**: Are all necessary features still accessible? - **Clearer hierarchy**: Is it obvious what matters most? - **Better performance**: Does simpler design load faster? ## Document Removed Complexity If you removed features or options: - Document why they were removed - Consider if they need alternative access points - Note any user feedback to monitor Remember: You have great taste and judgment. Simplification is an act of confidence - knowing what to keep and courage to remove the rest. As Antoine de Saint-Exupéry said: "Perfection is achieved not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away." --- Source attribution: growupanand Original project: https://github.com/growupanand/ConvoForm/blob/71b43c34fd73e3bb58123d255ee18e123ebea4b1/.agents/skills/distill/SKILL.md License: Apache-2.0 License information: https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0 Original upstream instructions; downloaded from Dave AI. ## Upstream license notice Apache License Version 2.0, January 2004 http://www.apache.org/licenses/ TERMS AND CONDITIONS FOR USE, REPRODUCTION, AND DISTRIBUTION 1. Definitions. "License" shall mean the terms and conditions for use, reproduction, and distribution as defined by Sections 1 through 9 of this document. "Licensor" shall mean the copyright owner or entity authorized by the copyright owner that is granting the License. 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See the License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations under the License. # Dave AI resource metadata Creator / publisher: growupanand Original project: https://github.com/growupanand/ConvoForm/blob/71b43c34fd73e3bb58123d255ee18e123ebea4b1/.agents/skills/distill/SKILL.md Attribution basis: Source repository record Fields of work: Design, Development & Engineering Roles: Frontend Developer, Product Designer, UX Designer Specialties: Cross Platform, Design Tools: Tool not specified Country applicability: Country not specified Classification basis: Source catalog labels Instruction SHA-256: 1ec7d0708663462e1c1c8de67b49240e96150ece679b057241c76d229c692533