skills/design-shotgun/SKILL.md
MANUAL TRIGGER ONLY: invoke only when user types /design-shotgun. Design shotgun: generate multiple AI design variants, open a comparison board, collect structured feedback, and iterate. Standalone design exploration you can run anytime. Use when: "explore designs", "show me options", "design variants", "visual brainstorm", or "I don't like how this looks". Proactively suggest when the user describes a UI feature but hasn't seen what it could look like.
npx skillsauth add agwacom/adeel design-shotgunInstall this skill globally with one command. Works with Claude Code, Cursor, and Windsurf.
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Check the SessionStart hook output in this conversation context for ADEEL_AUTO_UPDATE=.
If it says ADEEL_AUTO_UPDATE=false, use AskUserQuestion to ask:
"Auto-updates are off. Run /adeel-update to enable?" If yes, invoke
/adeel-update. If ADEEL_AUTO_UPDATE=true or not found, proceed directly
without mentioning it.
mkdir -p $HOME/.adeel/sessions
touch $HOME/.adeel/sessions/"$PPID"
_SESSIONS=$(find $HOME/.adeel/sessions -mmin -120 -type f 2>/dev/null | wc -l | tr -d ' ')
find $HOME/.adeel/sessions -mmin +120 -type f -delete 2>/dev/null || true
_CONTRIB=$(${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/bin/adeel-config get adeel_contributor 2>/dev/null || true)
_PROACTIVE=$(${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/bin/adeel-config get proactive 2>/dev/null || echo "true")
_BRANCH=$(git branch --show-current 2>/dev/null || echo "unknown")
echo "BRANCH: $_BRANCH"
echo "PROACTIVE: $_PROACTIVE"
source <(${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/bin/adeel-repo-mode 2>/dev/null) || true
REPO_MODE=${REPO_MODE:-unknown}
echo "REPO_MODE: $REPO_MODE"
echo "LAKE_INTRO: $_LAKE_SEEN"
_TEL=$(${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/bin/adeel-config get telemetry 2>/dev/null || true)
_TEL_PROMPTED=$([ -f $HOME/.adeel/.telemetry-prompted ] && echo "yes" || echo "no")
_TEL_START=$(date +%s)
_SESSION_ID="$$-$(date +%s)"
echo "TELEMETRY: ${_TEL:-off}"
echo "TEL_PROMPTED: $_TEL_PROMPTED"
mkdir -p $HOME/.adeel/analytics
echo '{"skill":"design-shotgun","ts":"'$(date -u +%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ)'","repo":"'$(basename "$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel 2>/dev/null)" 2>/dev/null || echo "unknown")'"}' >> $HOME/.adeel/analytics/skill-usage.jsonl 2>/dev/null || true
# zsh-compatible: use find instead of glob to avoid NOMATCH error
If PROACTIVE is "false", do not proactively suggest adeel skills — only invoke
them when the user explicitly asks. The user opted out of proactive suggestions.
If LAKE_INTRO is no: Before continuing, introduce the Completeness Principle.
Tell the user: "adeel follows the Go all the way principle — always do the complete
Then offer to open the essay in their default browser:
Only run open if the user says yes. Always run touch to mark as seen. This only happens once.
If TEL_PROMPTED is no AND LAKE_INTRO is yes: After the lake intro is handled,
ask the user about telemetry. Use AskUserQuestion:
Help adeel get better! Community mode shares usage data (which skills you use, how long they take, crash info) with a stable device ID so we can track trends and fix bugs faster. No code, file paths, or repo names are ever sent. Change anytime with
adeel-config set telemetry off.
Options:
If A: run ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/bin/adeel-config set telemetry community
If B: ask a follow-up AskUserQuestion:
How about anonymous mode? We just learn that someone used adeel — no unique ID, no way to connect sessions. Just a counter that helps us know if anyone's out there.
Options:
If B→A: run ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/bin/adeel-config set telemetry anonymous
If B→B: run ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/bin/adeel-config set telemetry off
Always run:
touch $HOME/.adeel/.telemetry-prompted
This only happens once. If TEL_PROMPTED is yes, skip this entirely.
ALWAYS follow this structure for every AskUserQuestion call:
_BRANCH value printed by the preamble — NOT any branch from conversation history or gitStatus), and the current plan/task. (1-2 sentences)RECOMMENDATION: Choose [X] because [one-line reason] — always prefer the complete option over shortcuts (see Completeness Principle). Include Completeness: X/10 for each option. Calibration: 10 = complete implementation (all edge cases, full coverage), 7 = covers happy path but skips some edges, 3 = shortcut that defers significant work. If both options are 8+, pick the higher; if one is ≤5, flag it.A) ... B) ... C) ... — when an option involves effort, show both scales: (human: ~X / CC: ~Y)Assume the user hasn't looked at this window in 20 minutes and doesn't have the code open. If you'd need to read the source to understand your own explanation, it's too complex.
Per-skill instructions may add additional formatting rules on top of this baseline.
AI makes completeness near-free. Always recommend the complete option over shortcuts — the delta is minutes with CC+adeel. A "lake" (100% coverage, all edge cases) is boilable; an "ocean" (full rewrite, multi-quarter migration) is not. Boil lakes, flag oceans.
Effort reference — always show both scales:
| Task type | Human team | CC+adeel | Compression | |-----------|-----------|-----------|-------------| | Boilerplate | 2 days | 15 min | ~100x | | Tests | 1 day | 15 min | ~50x | | Feature | 1 week | 30 min | ~30x | | Bug fix | 4 hours | 15 min | ~20x |
Include Completeness: X/10 for each option (10=all edge cases, 7=happy path, 3=shortcut).
If _CONTRIB is true: you are in contributor mode. At the end of each major workflow step, rate your adeel experience 0-10. If not a 10 and there's an actionable bug or improvement — file a field report.
File only: adeel tooling bugs where the input was reasonable but adeel failed. Skip: user app bugs, network errors, auth failures on user's site.
To file: write $HOME/.adeel/contributor-logs/{slug}.md:
# {Title}
**What I tried:** {action} | **What happened:** {result} | **Rating:** {0-10}
## Repro
1. {step}
## What would make this a 10
{one sentence}
**Date:** {YYYY-MM-DD} | **Version:** {version} | **Skill:** /{skill}
Slug: lowercase hyphens, max 60 chars. Skip if exists. Max 3/session. File inline, don't stop.
When completing a skill workflow, report status using one of:
It is always OK to stop and say "this is too hard for me" or "I'm not confident in this result."
Bad work is worse than no work. You will not be penalized for escalating.
Escalation format:
STATUS: BLOCKED | NEEDS_CONTEXT
REASON: [1-2 sentences]
ATTEMPTED: [what you tried]
RECOMMENDATION: [what the user should do next]
After the skill workflow completes (success, error, or abort), log the telemetry event.
Determine the skill name from the name: field in this file's YAML frontmatter.
Determine the outcome from the workflow result (success if completed normally, error
if it failed, abort if the user interrupted).
PLAN MODE EXCEPTION — ALWAYS RUN: This command writes telemetry to
$HOME/.adeel/analytics/ (user config directory, not project files). The skill
preamble already writes to the same directory — this is the same pattern.
Skipping this command loses session duration and outcome data.
Run this bash:
_TEL_END=$(date +%s)
_TEL_DUR=$(( _TEL_END - _TEL_START ))
rm -f $HOME/.adeel/analytics/.pending-"$_SESSION_ID" 2>/dev/null || true
--skill "SKILL_NAME" --duration "$_TEL_DUR" --outcome "OUTCOME" \
--used-browse "USED_BROWSE" --session-id "$_SESSION_ID" 2>/dev/null &
Replace SKILL_NAME with the actual skill name from frontmatter, OUTCOME with
success/error/abort, and USED_BROWSE with true/false based on whether $B was used.
If you cannot determine the outcome, use "unknown". This runs in the background and
never blocks the user.
When you are in plan mode and about to call ExitPlanMode:
## ADEEL REVIEW REPORT section.```bash ${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/bin/adeel-review-read ```
Then write a ## ADEEL REVIEW REPORT section to the end of the plan file:
---CONFIG---): format the
standard report table with runs/status/findings per skill, same format as the review
skills use.NO_REVIEWS or empty: write this placeholder table:```markdown
| Review | Trigger | Why | Runs | Status | Findings | |--------|---------|-----|------|--------|----------| | CEO Review | `/adeel:plan-ceo-review` | Scope & strategy | 0 | — | — | | Codex Review | `/adeel:codex review` | Independent 2nd opinion | 0 | — | — | | Eng Review | `/adeel:plan-eng-review` | Architecture & tests (required) | 0 | — | — | | Design Review | `/adeel:plan-design-review` | UI/UX gaps | 0 | — | — |
VERDICT: NO REVIEWS YET — run `/adeel:autoplan` for full review pipeline, or individual reviews above. ```
PLAN MODE EXCEPTION — ALWAYS RUN: This writes to the plan file, which is the one file you are allowed to edit in plan mode. The plan file review report is part of the plan's living status.
You are a design brainstorming partner. Generate multiple AI design variants, open them side-by-side in the user's browser, and iterate until they approve a direction. This is visual brainstorming, not a review process.
_ROOT=$(git rev-parse --show-toplevel 2>/dev/null)
D=""
[ -n "$_ROOT" ] && [ -x "$_ROOT/.claude/skills/adeel/design/dist/design" ] && D="$_ROOT/.claude/skills/adeel/design/dist/design"
[ -z "$D" ] && D=undefined/design
if [ -x "$D" ]; then
echo "DESIGN_READY: $D"
else
echo "DESIGN_NOT_AVAILABLE"
fi
B=""
[ -n "$_ROOT" ] && [ -x "$_ROOT/.claude/skills/adeel/browse/dist/browse" ] && B="$_ROOT/.claude/skills/adeel/browse/dist/browse"
[ -z "$B" ] && B=${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/browse/dist/browse
if [ -x "$B" ]; then
echo "BROWSE_READY: $B"
else
echo "BROWSE_NOT_AVAILABLE (will use 'open' to view comparison boards)"
fi
If DESIGN_NOT_AVAILABLE: skip visual mockup generation and fall back to the
existing HTML wireframe approach (DESIGN_SKETCH). Design mockups are a
progressive enhancement, not a hard requirement.
If BROWSE_NOT_AVAILABLE: use open file://... instead of $B goto to open
comparison boards. The user just needs to see the HTML file in any browser.
If DESIGN_READY: the design binary is available for visual mockup generation.
Commands:
$D generate --brief "..." --output /path.png — generate a single mockup$D variants --brief "..." --count 3 --output-dir /path/ — generate N style variants$D compare --images "a.png,b.png,c.png" --output /path/board.html --serve — comparison board + HTTP server$D serve --html /path/board.html — serve comparison board and collect feedback via HTTP$D check --image /path.png --brief "..." — vision quality gate$D iterate --session /path/session.json --feedback "..." --output /path.png — iterateCRITICAL PATH RULE: All design artifacts (mockups, comparison boards, approved.json)
MUST be saved to $HOME/.adeel/projects/$SLUG/designs/, NEVER to .context/,
docs/designs/, /tmp/, or any project-local directory. Design artifacts are USER
data, not project files. They persist across branches, conversations, and workspaces.
Check for prior design exploration sessions for this project:
eval "$(${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/bin/adeel-slug 2>/dev/null)"
setopt +o nomatch 2>/dev/null || true
_PREV=$(find $HOME/.adeel/projects/$SLUG/designs/ -name "approved.json" -maxdepth 2 2>/dev/null | sort -r | head -5)
[ -n "$_PREV" ] && echo "PREVIOUS_SESSIONS_FOUND" || echo "NO_PREVIOUS_SESSIONS"
echo "$_PREV"
If PREVIOUS_SESSIONS_FOUND: Read each approved.json, display a summary, then
AskUserQuestion:
"Previous design explorations for this project:
- [date]: [screen] — chose variant [X], feedback: '[summary]'
A) Revisit — reopen the comparison board to adjust your choices B) New exploration — start fresh with new or updated instructions C) Something else"
If A: regenerate the board from existing variant PNGs, reopen, and resume the feedback loop. If B: proceed to Step 1.
If NO_PREVIOUS_SESSIONS: Show the first-time message:
"This is /adeel:design-shotgun — your visual brainstorming tool. I'll generate multiple AI design directions, open them side-by-side in your browser, and you pick your favorite. You can run /adeel:design-shotgun anytime during development to explore design directions for any part of your product. Let's start."
When design-shotgun is invoked from plan-design-review, design-consultation, or another
skill, the calling skill has already gathered context. Check for $_DESIGN_BRIEF — if
it's set, skip to Step 2.
When run standalone, gather context to build a proper design brief.
Required context (5 dimensions):
Auto-gather first:
cat DESIGN.md 2>/dev/null | head -80 || echo "NO_DESIGN_MD"
ls src/ app/ pages/ components/ 2>/dev/null | head -30
setopt +o nomatch 2>/dev/null || true
ls $HOME/.adeel/projects/$SLUG/*office-hours* 2>/dev/null | head -5
If DESIGN.md exists, tell the user: "I'll follow your design system in DESIGN.md by default. If you want to go off the reservation on visual direction, just say so — design-shotgun will follow your lead, but won't diverge by default."
Check for a live site to screenshot (for the "I don't like THIS" use case):
curl -s -o /dev/null -w "%{http_code}" http://localhost:3000 2>/dev/null || echo "NO_LOCAL_SITE"
If a local site is running AND the user referenced a URL or said something like "I don't
like how this looks," screenshot the current page and use $D evolve instead of
$D variants to generate improvement variants from the existing design.
AskUserQuestion with pre-filled context: Pre-fill what you inferred from the codebase, DESIGN.md, and office-hours output. Then ask for what's missing. Frame as ONE question covering all gaps:
"Here's what I know: [pre-filled context]. I'm missing [gaps]. Tell me: [specific questions about the gaps]. How many variants? (default 3, up to 8 for important screens)"
Two rounds max of context gathering, then proceed with what you have and note assumptions.
Read prior approved designs to bias generation toward the user's demonstrated taste:
setopt +o nomatch 2>/dev/null || true
_TASTE=$(find $HOME/.adeel/projects/$SLUG/designs/ -name "approved.json" -maxdepth 2 2>/dev/null | sort -r | head -10)
If prior sessions exist, read each approved.json and extract patterns from the
approved variants. Include a taste summary in the design brief:
"The user previously approved designs with these characteristics: [high contrast, generous whitespace, modern sans-serif typography, etc.]. Bias toward this aesthetic unless the user explicitly requests a different direction."
Limit to last 10 sessions. Try/catch JSON parse on each (skip corrupted files).
Set up the output directory:
eval "$(${CLAUDE_PLUGIN_ROOT}/bin/adeel-slug 2>/dev/null)"
_DESIGN_DIR=$HOME/.adeel/projects/$SLUG/designs/<screen-name>-$(date +%Y%m%d)
mkdir -p "$_DESIGN_DIR"
echo "DESIGN_DIR: $_DESIGN_DIR"
Replace <screen-name> with a descriptive kebab-case name from the context gathering.
Before any API calls, generate N text concepts describing each variant's design direction. Each concept should be a distinct creative direction, not a minor variation. Present them as a lettered list:
I'll explore 3 directions:
A) "Name" — one-line visual description of this direction
B) "Name" — one-line visual description of this direction
C) "Name" — one-line visual description of this direction
Draw on DESIGN.md, taste memory, and the user's request to make each concept distinct.
Use AskUserQuestion to confirm before spending API credits:
"These are the {N} directions I'll generate. Each takes ~60s, but I'll run them all in parallel so total time is ~60 seconds regardless of count."
Options:
If B: incorporate feedback, re-present concepts, re-confirm. Max 2 rounds. If C: add concepts, re-present, re-confirm. If D: drop specified concepts, re-present, re-confirm.
If evolving from a screenshot (user said "I don't like THIS"), take ONE screenshot first:
$B screenshot "$_DESIGN_DIR/current.png"
Launch N Agent subagents in a single message (parallel execution). Use the Agent
tool with subagent_type: "general-purpose" for each variant. Each agent is independent
and handles its own generation, quality check, verification, and retry.
Important: $D path propagation. The $D variable from DESIGN SETUP is a shell
variable that agents do NOT inherit. Substitute the resolved absolute path (from the
DESIGN_READY: /path/to/design output in Step 0) into each agent prompt.
Agent prompt template (one per variant, substitute all {...} values):
Generate a design variant and save it.
Design binary: {absolute path to $D binary}
Brief: {the full variant-specific brief for this direction}
Output: /tmp/variant-{letter}.png
Final location: {_DESIGN_DIR absolute path}/variant-{letter}.png
Steps:
1. Run: {$D path} generate --brief "{brief}" --output /tmp/variant-{letter}.png
2. If the command fails with a rate limit error (429 or "rate limit"), wait 5 seconds
and retry. Up to 3 retries.
3. If the output file is missing or empty after the command succeeds, retry once.
4. Copy: cp /tmp/variant-{letter}.png {_DESIGN_DIR}/variant-{letter}.png
5. Quality check: {$D path} check --image {_DESIGN_DIR}/variant-{letter}.png --brief "{brief}"
If quality check fails, retry generation once.
6. Verify: ls -lh {_DESIGN_DIR}/variant-{letter}.png
7. Report exactly one of:
VARIANT_{letter}_DONE: {file size}
VARIANT_{letter}_FAILED: {error description}
VARIANT_{letter}_RATE_LIMITED: exhausted retries
For the evolve path, replace step 1 with:
{$D path} evolve --screenshot {_DESIGN_DIR}/current.png --brief "{brief}" --output /tmp/variant-{letter}.png
Why /tmp/ then cp? In observed sessions, $D generate --output $HOME/.adeel/...
failed with "The operation was aborted" while --output /tmp/... succeeded. This is
a sandbox restriction. Always generate to /tmp/ first, then cp.
After all agents complete:
$D generate, showing each as it lands). Tell the user: "Parallel generation failed
(likely rate limiting). Falling back to sequential..."Dynamic image list for comparison board: When proceeding to Step 4, construct the image list from whatever variant files actually exist, not a hardcoded A/B/C list:
_IMAGES=$(ls "$_DESIGN_DIR"/variant-*.png 2>/dev/null | tr '\n' ',' | sed 's/,$//')
Use $_IMAGES in the $D compare --images command.
Create the comparison board and serve it over HTTP:
$D compare --images "$_DESIGN_DIR/variant-A.png,$_DESIGN_DIR/variant-B.png,$_DESIGN_DIR/variant-C.png" --output "$_DESIGN_DIR/design-board.html" --serve
This command generates the board HTML, starts an HTTP server on a random port,
and opens it in the user's default browser. Run it in the background with &
because the agent needs to keep running while the user interacts with the board.
IMPORTANT: Reading feedback via file polling (not stdout):
The server writes feedback to files next to the board HTML. The agent polls for these:
$_DESIGN_DIR/feedback.json — written when user clicks Submit (final choice)$_DESIGN_DIR/feedback-pending.json — written when user clicks Regenerate/Remix/More Like ThisPolling loop (run after launching $D serve in background):
# Poll for feedback files every 5 seconds (up to 10 minutes)
for i in $(seq 1 120); do
if [ -f "$_DESIGN_DIR/feedback.json" ]; then
echo "SUBMIT_RECEIVED"
cat "$_DESIGN_DIR/feedback.json"
break
elif [ -f "$_DESIGN_DIR/feedback-pending.json" ]; then
echo "REGENERATE_RECEIVED"
cat "$_DESIGN_DIR/feedback-pending.json"
rm "$_DESIGN_DIR/feedback-pending.json"
break
fi
sleep 5
done
The feedback JSON has this shape:
{
"preferred": "A",
"ratings": { "A": 4, "B": 3, "C": 2 },
"comments": { "A": "Love the spacing" },
"overall": "Go with A, bigger CTA",
"regenerated": false
}
If feedback-pending.json found ("regenerated": true):
regenerateAction from the JSON ("different", "match", "more_like_B",
"remix", or custom text)regenerateAction is "remix", read remixSpec (e.g. {"layout":"A","colors":"B"})$D iterate or $D variants using updated brief$D compare --images "..." --output "$_DESIGN_DIR/design-board.html"$D serve stderr output (SERVE_STARTED: port=XXXXX),
then reload the board in the user's browser (same tab):
curl -s -X POST http://127.0.0.1:PORT/api/reload -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -d '{"html":"$_DESIGN_DIR/design-board.html"}'feedback.json appears (user clicked Submit).If feedback.json found ("regenerated": false):
preferred, ratings, comments, overall from the JSONIf $D serve fails or no feedback within 10 minutes: Fall back to AskUserQuestion:
"I've opened the design board. Which variant do you prefer? Any feedback?"
After receiving feedback (any path): Output a clear summary confirming what was understood:
"Here's what I understood from your feedback: PREFERRED: Variant [X] RATINGS: [list] YOUR NOTES: [comments] DIRECTION: [overall]
Is this right?"
Use AskUserQuestion to verify before proceeding.
Save the approved choice:
echo '{"approved_variant":"<V>","feedback":"<FB>","date":"'$(date -u +%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ)'","screen":"<SCREEN>","branch":"'$(git branch --show-current 2>/dev/null)'"}' > "$_DESIGN_DIR/approved.json"
After receiving feedback (via HTTP POST or AskUserQuestion fallback), output a clear summary confirming what was understood:
"Here's what I understood from your feedback:
PREFERRED: Variant [X] RATINGS: A: 4/5, B: 3/5, C: 2/5 YOUR NOTES: [full text of per-variant and overall comments] DIRECTION: [regenerate action if any]
Is this right?"
Use AskUserQuestion to confirm before saving.
Write approved.json to $_DESIGN_DIR/ (handled by the loop above).
If invoked from another skill: return the structured feedback for that skill to consume.
The calling skill reads approved.json and the approved variant PNG.
If standalone, offer next steps via AskUserQuestion:
"Design direction locked in. What's next? A) Iterate more — refine the approved variant with specific feedback B) Implement — start building from this design C) Save to plan — add this as an approved mockup reference in the current plan D) Done — I'll use this later"
.context/, docs/designs/, or /tmp/. All design artifacts go
to $HOME/.adeel/projects/$SLUG/designs/. This is enforced. See DESIGN_SETUP above.data-ai
MANUAL TRIGGER ONLY: invoke only when user types /unfreeze. Clear the freeze boundary set by /adeel:freeze, allowing edits to all directories again. Use when you want to widen edit scope without ending the session. Use when asked to "unfreeze", "unlock edits", "remove freeze", or "allow all edits".
development
MANUAL TRIGGER ONLY: invoke only when user types /ship. Ship workflow: detect + merge base branch, run tests, review diff, bump VERSION, update CHANGELOG, commit, push, create PR. Use when asked to "ship", "deploy", "push to main", "create a PR", or "merge and push". Proactively suggest when the user says code is ready or asks about deploying.
testing
MANUAL TRIGGER ONLY: invoke only when user types /setup-deploy. Configure deployment settings for /adeel:land-and-deploy. Detects your deploy platform (Fly.io, Render, Vercel, Netlify, Heroku, GitHub Actions, custom), production URL, health check endpoints, and deploy status commands. Writes the configuration to CLAUDE.md so all future deploys are automatic. Use when: "setup deploy", "configure deployment", "set up land-and-deploy", "how do I deploy with adeel", "add deploy config".
testing
MANUAL TRIGGER ONLY: invoke only when user types /setup-browser-cookies. Import cookies from your real Chromium browser into the headless browse session. Opens an interactive picker UI where you select which cookie domains to import. Use before QA testing authenticated pages. Use when asked to "import cookies", "login to the site", or "authenticate the browser".