Files
pbakaus_impeccable/site/public/docs/polish.html
T
Paul BakausandClaude Fable 5 90f9eeb99b Split service layer into private impeccable-site repo
The public repo keeps the OSS promise surface: skill, CLI, extension,
tests, and the provider build. The site, labs, concept/composition
catalogs, image pipeline, Cloudflare functions, and authoring guide move
to pbakaus/impeccable-site.

concept-seed tests run against a synthetic fixture catalog; the plugin
icon and skill categories moved in-repo; build validation narrows to
README prose and non-site counts; release notes read from a sibling
impeccable-site checkout.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Fable 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
2026-07-20 22:41:53 -07:00

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<h1 class="skill-detail-title"><span class="skill-detail-title-namespace"><span class="skill-detail-title-slash">/</span>impeccable</span>polish</h1>
<p class="skill-detail-tagline">The meticulous final pass between good and great.</p>
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<span class="skill-meta-chip skill-meta-args">[target]</span>
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<span class="split-label-item" data-point="before">Before</span>
<p class="skill-demo-caption">Rough edges → Refined, pixel-perfect details</p>
<span class="split-label-item" data-point="after">After</span>
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<section class="skill-detail-editorial prose">
<h2 id="when-to-use-it">When to use it</h2>
<p><code>/impeccable polish</code> is the last thing you run before shipping. It hunts down the small details that separate a shipped feature from a polished one: half-pixel misalignments, inconsistent spacing, forgotten focus states, loading transitions that flash, copy that drifts in tone. It also aligns the feature with your design system, replacing hard-coded values with tokens, swapping custom components for shared ones, and fixing any drift from established patterns.</p>
<p>Reach for it when the feature is functionally complete, nothing is broken, and something still feels off. Also reach for it when a feature has drifted from the design system and needs to be pulled back in line.</p>
<h2 id="how-it-works">How it works</h2>
<p>Polish starts by discovering the design system (tokens, spacing scale, shared components), then works methodically across six dimensions:</p>
<ol>
<li><strong>Visual alignment and spacing</strong>: pixel-perfect grid adherence, consistent spacing scale, optical alignment on icons.</li>
<li><strong>Typography</strong>: hierarchy consistency, line length, widows and orphans, kerning on headlines.</li>
<li><strong>Color and contrast</strong>: token usage, theme parity, WCAG ratios, focus indicators.</li>
<li><strong>Interaction states</strong>: hover, focus, active, disabled, loading, error, success. Every state accounted for.</li>
<li><strong>Transitions and motion</strong>: smooth easing, no layout jank, respect for <code>prefers-reduced-motion</code>.</li>
<li><strong>Copy</strong>: consistent voice, correct tense, no placeholder strings, no stray TODOs.</li>
</ol>
<p>The skill is explicit about one thing: polish is the last step, not the first. If the feature is not functionally complete, polishing it is wasted work.</p>
<h2 id="try-it">Try it</h2>
<div class="code-block-wrap"><pre class="code-block"><code>/impeccable polish the pricing page</code></pre><button class="code-block-copy" type="button" data-copy="/impeccable polish the pricing page" aria-label="Copy to clipboard"></button></div>
<p>A healthy run looks like:</p>
<div class="code-block-wrap"><pre class="code-block"><code>Visual alignment: fixed 3 off-grid elements (8px baseline)
Typography: tightened h1 kerning, fixed widow on testimonial
Interaction: added hover state on FAQ items, focus ring on email input
Motion: softened modal entrance, added reduced-motion fallback
Copy: removed one &quot;Lorem ipsum&quot; stray, aligned button voice</code></pre><button class="code-block-copy" type="button" data-copy="Visual alignment: fixed 3 off-grid elements (8px baseline)
Typography: tightened h1 kerning, fixed widow on testimonial
Interaction: added hover state on FAQ items, focus ring on email input
Motion: softened modal entrance, added reduced-motion fallback
Copy: removed one &quot;Lorem ipsum&quot; stray, aligned button voice" aria-label="Copy to clipboard"></button></div>
<p>Five small fixes, no rewrites. That is the shape of a good polish pass.</p>
<h2 id="pitfalls">Pitfalls</h2>
<ul>
<li><strong>Polishing work that is not done.</strong> If there are TODOs in the code, you are not ready. Run <code>/impeccable polish</code> on finished features only.</li>
<li><strong>Treating polish as redesign.</strong> Polish refines what exists. If you find yourself rearchitecting a layout, you needed <code>/impeccable critique</code> or <code>/impeccable layout</code> instead.</li>
<li><strong>Running <code>/impeccable polish</code> without <code>/impeccable audit</code> first.</strong> Polish catches feel-based issues. Audit catches measurable ones. Use both.</li>
</ul>
</section>
<section class="skill-source-card">
<header class="skill-source-card-header">
<span class="skill-source-card-label">reference/polish.md</span>
<span class="skill-source-card-subtitle">Loaded when the impeccable skill routes to this command.</span>
</header>
<div class="skill-source-card-body prose">
<blockquote>
<p><strong>Additional context needed</strong>: quality bar (MVP vs flagship).</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Perform a meticulous final pass to catch all the small details that separate good work from great work. The difference between shipped and polished.</p>
<h2 id="design-system-discovery">Design System Discovery</h2>
<p>Aligning the feature to the design system is <strong>not optional</strong>. Polish without alignment is decoration on top of drift, and it makes the next person&#39;s job harder. Discovery comes before any other polish work.</p>
<ol>
<li><strong>Find the design system</strong>: Search for design system documentation, component libraries, style guides, or token definitions. Study the core patterns: design principles, target audience, color tokens, spacing scale, typography styles, component API, motion conventions.</li>
<li><strong>Note the conventions</strong>: How are shared components imported? What spacing scale is used? Which colors come from tokens vs hard-coded values? What motion and interaction patterns are established? What flow shapes are used for comparable actions (modal vs full-page, inline vs route, save-on-blur vs explicit submit)?</li>
<li><strong>Identify drift, then name the root cause</strong>: For every deviation, classify it as a <strong>missing token</strong> (the value should exist in the system but doesn&#39;t), a <strong>one-off implementation</strong> (a shared component already exists but wasn&#39;t used), or a <strong>conceptual misalignment</strong> (the feature&#39;s flow, IA, or hierarchy doesn&#39;t match neighboring features). The fix differs by category — patch the value, swap to the shared component, or rework the flow. Fixing the symptom without naming the cause is how drift compounds.</li>
</ol>
<p>If a design system exists, polish <strong>must</strong> align the feature with it. If none exists, polish against the conventions visible in the codebase. <strong>If anything about the system is ambiguous, ask — never guess at design system principles.</strong></p>
<h2 id="pre-polish-assessment">Pre-Polish Assessment</h2>
<p>Understand the current state and goals before touching anything:</p>
<ol>
<li><p><strong>Review completeness</strong>:</p>
<ul>
<li>Is it functionally complete?</li>
<li>Are there known issues to preserve (mark with TODOs)?</li>
<li>What&#39;s the quality bar? (MVP vs flagship feature?)</li>
<li>When does it ship? (How much time for polish?)</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><p><strong>Think experience-first</strong>: Who actually uses this, and what&#39;s the best possible experience for them? Effective design beats decorative polish — a feature that looks beautiful but fights the user&#39;s flow is not polished. Walk the path from their perspective before opening DevTools.</p>
</li>
<li><p><strong>Identify polish areas</strong>:</p>
<ul>
<li>Visual inconsistencies</li>
<li>Spacing and alignment issues</li>
<li>Interaction state gaps</li>
<li>Copy inconsistencies</li>
<li>Edge cases and error states</li>
<li>Loading and transition smoothness</li>
<li>Information architecture and flow drift (does this feature reveal complexity the way neighboring features do?)</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><p><strong>Triage cosmetic vs functional</strong>: Classify each issue as <strong>cosmetic</strong> (looks off, doesn&#39;t impede the user) or <strong>functional</strong> (breaks, blocks, or confuses the experience). When polish time is tight, functional issues ship first; cosmetic ones can land in a follow-up. Quality should be consistent — never perfect one corner while leaving another rough.</p>
</li>
</ol>
<p><strong>CRITICAL</strong>: Polish is the last step, not the first. Don&#39;t polish work that&#39;s not functionally complete.</p>
<h2 id="polish-systematically">Polish Systematically</h2>
<p>Work through these dimensions methodically:</p>
<h3 id="visual-alignment-spacing">Visual Alignment &amp; Spacing</h3>
<ul>
<li><strong>Pixel-perfect alignment</strong>: Everything lines up to grid</li>
<li><strong>Consistent spacing</strong>: All gaps use spacing scale (no random 13px gaps)</li>
<li><strong>Optical alignment</strong>: Adjust for visual weight (icons may need offset for optical centering)</li>
<li><strong>Responsive consistency</strong>: Spacing and alignment work at all breakpoints</li>
<li><strong>Grid adherence</strong>: Elements snap to baseline grid</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Check</strong>:</p>
<ul>
<li>Enable grid overlay and verify alignment</li>
<li>Check spacing with browser inspector</li>
<li>Test at multiple viewport sizes</li>
<li>Look for elements that &quot;feel&quot; off</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="information-architecture-flow">Information Architecture &amp; Flow</h3>
<p>Visual polish on a misshapen flow is wasted work. Match the <em>shape</em> of the experience to the system, not just the surface.</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Progressive disclosure</strong>: Match how much is revealed when, compared to neighboring features. A settings page exposing 40 fields when the rest of the app reveals 5 at a time is drift, even if every field is perfectly styled.</li>
<li><strong>Established user flows</strong>: Multi-step actions follow the same shape as comparable flows elsewhere — modal vs full-page, inline edit vs separate route, save-on-blur vs explicit submit, optimistic vs pessimistic updates.</li>
<li><strong>Hierarchy &amp; complexity</strong>: The same conceptual weight gets the same visual weight throughout. Primary actions don&#39;t become tertiary in one corner of the product, and tertiary actions don&#39;t shout.</li>
<li><strong>Empty, loading, and arrival transitions</strong>: How content arrives, updates, and leaves matches how it does in adjacent features.</li>
<li><strong>Naming and mental model</strong>: The feature uses the same nouns and verbs as the rest of the system. A &quot;Workspace&quot; here shouldn&#39;t be a &quot;Project&quot; three screens away.</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="typography-refinement">Typography Refinement</h3>
<ul>
<li><strong>Hierarchy consistency</strong>: Same elements use same sizes/weights throughout</li>
<li><strong>Line length</strong>: 45-75 characters for body text</li>
<li><strong>Line height</strong>: Appropriate for font size and context</li>
<li><strong>Widows &amp; orphans</strong>: No single words on last line</li>
<li><strong>Hyphenation</strong>: Appropriate for language and column width</li>
<li><strong>Kerning</strong>: Adjust letter spacing where needed (especially headlines)</li>
<li><strong>Font loading</strong>: No FOUT/FOIT flashes</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="color-contrast">Color &amp; Contrast</h3>
<ul>
<li><strong>Contrast ratios</strong>: All text meets WCAG standards</li>
<li><strong>Consistent token usage</strong>: No hard-coded colors, all use design tokens</li>
<li><strong>Theme consistency</strong>: Works in all theme variants</li>
<li><strong>Color meaning</strong>: Same colors mean same things throughout</li>
<li><strong>Accessible focus</strong>: Focus indicators visible with sufficient contrast</li>
<li><strong>Tinted neutrals</strong>: No pure gray or pure black—add subtle color tint (0.01 chroma)</li>
<li><strong>Gray on color</strong>: Never put gray text on colored backgrounds—use a shade of that color or transparency</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="interaction-states">Interaction States</h3>
<p>Every interactive element needs all states:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Default</strong>: Resting state</li>
<li><strong>Hover</strong>: Subtle feedback (color, scale, shadow)</li>
<li><strong>Focus</strong>: Keyboard focus indicator (never remove without replacement)</li>
<li><strong>Active</strong>: Click/tap feedback</li>
<li><strong>Disabled</strong>: Clearly non-interactive</li>
<li><strong>Loading</strong>: Async action feedback</li>
<li><strong>Error</strong>: Validation or error state</li>
<li><strong>Success</strong>: Successful completion</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>Missing states create confusion and broken experiences</strong>.</p>
<h3 id="micro-interactions-transitions">Micro-interactions &amp; Transitions</h3>
<ul>
<li><strong>Smooth transitions</strong>: All state changes animated appropriately (150-300ms)</li>
<li><strong>Consistent easing</strong>: Use ease-out-quart/quint/expo for natural deceleration. Never bounce or elastic—they feel dated.</li>
<li><strong>No jank</strong>: Smooth animations; use atmospheric blur/filter/mask/shadow effects when they add polish, but bound expensive paint areas and avoid casual layout-property animation</li>
<li><strong>Appropriate motion</strong>: Motion serves purpose, not decoration</li>
<li><strong>Reduced motion</strong>: Respects <code>prefers-reduced-motion</code></li>
</ul>
<h3 id="content-copy">Content &amp; Copy</h3>
<ul>
<li><strong>Consistent terminology</strong>: Same things called same names throughout</li>
<li><strong>Consistent capitalization</strong>: Title Case vs Sentence case applied consistently</li>
<li><strong>Grammar &amp; spelling</strong>: No typos</li>
<li><strong>Appropriate length</strong>: Not too wordy, not too terse</li>
<li><strong>Punctuation consistency</strong>: Periods on sentences, not on labels (unless all labels have them)</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="icons-images">Icons &amp; Images</h3>
<ul>
<li><strong>Consistent style</strong>: All icons from same family or matching style</li>
<li><strong>Appropriate sizing</strong>: Icons sized consistently for context</li>
<li><strong>Proper alignment</strong>: Icons align with adjacent text optically</li>
<li><strong>Alt text</strong>: All images have descriptive alt text</li>
<li><strong>Loading states</strong>: Images don&#39;t cause layout shift, proper aspect ratios</li>
<li><strong>Retina support</strong>: 2x assets for high-DPI screens</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="forms-inputs">Forms &amp; Inputs</h3>
<ul>
<li><strong>Label consistency</strong>: All inputs properly labeled</li>
<li><strong>Required indicators</strong>: Clear and consistent</li>
<li><strong>Error messages</strong>: Helpful and consistent</li>
<li><strong>Tab order</strong>: Logical keyboard navigation</li>
<li><strong>Auto-focus</strong>: Appropriate (don&#39;t overuse)</li>
<li><strong>Validation timing</strong>: Consistent (on blur vs on submit)</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="edge-cases-error-states">Edge Cases &amp; Error States</h3>
<ul>
<li><strong>Loading states</strong>: All async actions have loading feedback</li>
<li><strong>Empty states</strong>: Helpful empty states, not just blank space</li>
<li><strong>Error states</strong>: Clear error messages with recovery paths</li>
<li><strong>Success states</strong>: Confirmation of successful actions</li>
<li><strong>Long content</strong>: Handles very long names, descriptions, etc.</li>
<li><strong>No content</strong>: Handles missing data gracefully</li>
<li><strong>Offline</strong>: Appropriate offline handling (if applicable)</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="responsiveness">Responsiveness</h3>
<ul>
<li><strong>All breakpoints</strong>: Test mobile, tablet, desktop</li>
<li><strong>Touch targets</strong>: 44x44px minimum on touch devices</li>
<li><strong>Readable text</strong>: No text smaller than 14px on mobile</li>
<li><strong>No horizontal scroll</strong>: Content fits viewport</li>
<li><strong>Appropriate reflow</strong>: Content adapts logically</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="performance">Performance</h3>
<ul>
<li><strong>Fast initial load</strong>: Optimize critical path</li>
<li><strong>No layout shift</strong>: Elements don&#39;t jump after load (CLS)</li>
<li><strong>Smooth interactions</strong>: No lag or jank</li>
<li><strong>Optimized images</strong>: Appropriate formats and sizes</li>
<li><strong>Lazy loading</strong>: Off-screen content loads lazily</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="code-quality">Code Quality</h3>
<ul>
<li><strong>Remove console logs</strong>: No debug logging in production</li>
<li><strong>Remove commented code</strong>: Clean up dead code</li>
<li><strong>Remove unused imports</strong>: Clean up unused dependencies</li>
<li><strong>Consistent naming</strong>: Variables and functions follow conventions</li>
<li><strong>Type safety</strong>: No TypeScript <code>any</code> or ignored errors</li>
<li><strong>Accessibility</strong>: Proper ARIA labels and semantic HTML</li>
</ul>
<h2 id="polish-checklist">Polish Checklist</h2>
<p>Go through systematically:</p>
<ul>
<li><input disabled="" type="checkbox"> Aligned to the design system (drift named and resolved by root cause)</li>
<li><input disabled="" type="checkbox"> Information architecture and flow shape match neighboring features</li>
<li><input disabled="" type="checkbox"> Visual alignment perfect at all breakpoints</li>
<li><input disabled="" type="checkbox"> Spacing uses design tokens consistently</li>
<li><input disabled="" type="checkbox"> Typography hierarchy consistent</li>
<li><input disabled="" type="checkbox"> All interactive states implemented</li>
<li><input disabled="" type="checkbox"> All transitions smooth (60fps)</li>
<li><input disabled="" type="checkbox"> Copy is consistent and polished</li>
<li><input disabled="" type="checkbox"> Icons are consistent and properly sized</li>
<li><input disabled="" type="checkbox"> All forms properly labeled and validated</li>
<li><input disabled="" type="checkbox"> Error states are helpful</li>
<li><input disabled="" type="checkbox"> Loading states are clear</li>
<li><input disabled="" type="checkbox"> Empty states are welcoming</li>
<li><input disabled="" type="checkbox"> Touch targets are 44x44px minimum</li>
<li><input disabled="" type="checkbox"> Contrast ratios meet WCAG AA</li>
<li><input disabled="" type="checkbox"> Keyboard navigation works</li>
<li><input disabled="" type="checkbox"> Focus indicators visible</li>
<li><input disabled="" type="checkbox"> No console errors or warnings</li>
<li><input disabled="" type="checkbox"> No layout shift on load</li>
<li><input disabled="" type="checkbox"> Works in all supported browsers</li>
<li><input disabled="" type="checkbox"> Respects reduced motion preference</li>
<li><input disabled="" type="checkbox"> Code is clean (no TODOs, console.logs, commented code)</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>IMPORTANT</strong>: Polish is about details. Zoom in. Squint at it. Use it yourself. The little things add up.</p>
<p><strong>NEVER</strong>:</p>
<ul>
<li>Polish before it&#39;s functionally complete</li>
<li>Polish without aligning to the design system — that&#39;s decoration on drift</li>
<li>Guess at design system principles instead of asking when something is ambiguous</li>
<li>Spend hours on polish if it ships in 30 minutes (triage)</li>
<li>Introduce bugs while polishing (test thoroughly)</li>
<li>Ignore systematic issues (if spacing is off everywhere, fix the system, not just one screen)</li>
<li>Perfect one thing while leaving others rough (consistent quality level)</li>
<li>Create new one-off components when design system equivalents exist</li>
<li>Hard-code values that should use design tokens</li>
<li>Introduce new patterns or flows that diverge from established ones</li>
</ul>
<h2 id="final-verification">Final Verification</h2>
<p>Before marking as done:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Use it yourself</strong>: Actually interact with the feature</li>
<li><strong>Test on real devices</strong>: Not just browser DevTools</li>
<li><strong>Ask someone else to review</strong>: Fresh eyes catch things</li>
<li><strong>Compare to design</strong>: Match intended design</li>
<li><strong>Check all states</strong>: Don&#39;t just test happy path</li>
</ul>
<h2 id="clean-up">Clean Up</h2>
<p>After polishing, ensure code quality:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Replace custom implementations</strong>: If the design system provides a component you reimplemented, switch to the shared version.</li>
<li><strong>Remove orphaned code</strong>: Delete unused styles, components, or files made obsolete by polish.</li>
<li><strong>Consolidate tokens</strong>: If you introduced new values, check whether they should be tokens.</li>
<li><strong>Verify DRYness</strong>: Look for duplication introduced during polishing and consolidate.</li>
</ul>
<p>Remember: You have impeccable attention to detail and exquisite taste. Polish until it feels effortless, looks intentional, and works flawlessly. Sweat the details - they matter.</p>
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