Design Themes

Pick a world design aesthetic at scaffold time. The theme injects a full guidance block into DESIGN.md § 0 — typography, spacing, motion, component patterns, color philosophy, and a list of anti-patterns for that aesthetic.

Available themes

Slug	Name	Character
minimalist	Minimalist	Clean, maximum white space, single accent
dark-studio	Dark Studio	Dark bg, cinematic, moody
brutalist	Brutalist	Raw, bold, anti-polish
glassmorphism	Glassmorphism	Frosted glass, backdrop blur, layered
retro	Retro / Vintage	Warm, nostalgic, serif-heavy
editorial	Editorial	Magazine grid, large display type
corporate	Corporate	Structured, professional, trustworthy
playful	Playful	Colorful, rounded, energetic
cyberpunk	Cyberpunk	Neon on dark, glitch aesthetic
swiss	Swiss / Bauhaus	Geometric, grid-based, sans-serif only
organic	Organic	Earthy, natural, sustainable
luxury	Luxury	Premium, refined, metallic accents

What gets injected

Each theme writes a block like this into DESIGN.md § 0:

## 0. Design Theme: brutalist

**Typography:** Bold sans-serif only. Oversize display. No serifs.
**Spacing:** Tight, asymmetric. Break the grid intentionally.
**Motion:** Snap (50ms). No easing curves. No transitions except on interaction.
**Components:** No border-radius. Hard shadows (4px 4px 0 black). Raw `<hr>` separators.
**Color:** 2 colors max + black + white. High contrast, no gradients.
**Anti-patterns:** Drop shadows, rounded cards, smooth scroll animations, gradient buttons.

The AI reads DESIGN.md § 0 every session, so every component, copy, and layout decision is filtered through the aesthetic from the start.

Choosing a theme

The design aesthetic prompt appears after UI library selection:

◇  Design aesthetic
│  ○ Minimalist       — clean, max white space, single accent
│  ● Dark Studio      — dark bg, cinematic, moody
│  ○ Brutalist        — raw, bold, anti-polish
│  ○ Glassmorphism    — frosted glass, backdrop blur, layered
│  ...

Changing the theme after scaffold

Edit DESIGN.md § 0 directly. Replace the theme name and guidance block with whichever aesthetic you want. The AI reads the file content, not the original CLI selection.