Emil Design Engineering

Emil Kowalski's eye for UI polish and animation.

Encodes Emil Kowalski's approach to UI polish, component design, animation decisions and the small details that make software feel great.

Install this skill

npx skills add https://github.com/emilkowalski/skills --skill emil-design-eng

Runs the open-source skills CLI in your own terminal. It asks which agents to add the skill to. Read what it tells your agent to do before you install it.

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Claude Code
Run this in your project
npx skills add https://github.com/emilkowalski/skills --skill emil-design-eng -a claude-code
Add -g to install it for every project instead.
Or ask Claude Code to do it
Install the "emil-design-eng" skill from https://github.com/emilkowalski/skills for Claude Code. Copy the skill folder (the one containing SKILL.md, with any scripts or reference files next to it) into .claude/skills/ in this project. Before copying, show me the SKILL.md and list any scripts it includes, and wait for me to confirm.
Or copy the folder yourself
Unzip the download into .claude/skills/ for this project, or ~/.claude/skills/ for all your projects.
Picked up in the current session, no restart needed.
Claude Code skills docs
Claude.ai
Upload the ZIP
1. In Settings > Capabilities, turn on Code execution and file creation.
2. Go to Customize > Skills, press +, then Create skill.
3. Choose Upload a skill and pick the ZIP you downloaded.
Free, Pro and Max plans. On Team and Enterprise, an owner turns skills on in Organization settings first.
Claude.ai skills docs
ChatGPT
Upload the ZIP
1. Open Skills in ChatGPT and select Create.
2. Select Upload from your computer and pick the ZIP you downloaded.
3. Wait for ChatGPT's safety scan. A skill marked Needs Review asks you to check it before use.
Skills that rely on scripts or a terminal may not work unchanged in ChatGPT.
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Codex
Run this in your project
npx skills add https://github.com/emilkowalski/skills --skill emil-design-eng -a codex
Add -g to install it for every project instead.
Or ask Codex to do it
Install the "emil-design-eng" skill from https://github.com/emilkowalski/skills for Codex. Copy the skill folder (the one containing SKILL.md, with any scripts or reference files next to it) into .agents/skills/ in this project. Before copying, show me the SKILL.md and list any scripts it includes, and wait for me to confirm.
Or copy the folder yourself
Unzip the download into .agents/skills/ for this project, or ~/.agents/skills/ for all your projects.
Restart Codex if the skill does not show up.
Codex skills docs
Cursor
Run this in your project
npx skills add https://github.com/emilkowalski/skills --skill emil-design-eng -a cursor
Add -g to install it for every project instead.
Or ask Cursor to do it
Install the "emil-design-eng" skill from https://github.com/emilkowalski/skills for Cursor. Copy the skill folder (the one containing SKILL.md, with any scripts or reference files next to it) into .cursor/skills/ in this project. Before copying, show me the SKILL.md and list any scripts it includes, and wait for me to confirm.
Or copy the folder yourself
Unzip the download into .cursor/skills/ for this project, or ~/.cursor/skills/ for all your projects.
Run it by typing / and the skill name in chat.
Cursor skills docs
GitHub Copilot
Run this in your project
npx skills add https://github.com/emilkowalski/skills --skill emil-design-eng -a github-copilot
Add -g to install it for every project instead.
Or ask GitHub Copilot to do it
Install the "emil-design-eng" skill from https://github.com/emilkowalski/skills for GitHub Copilot. Copy the skill folder (the one containing SKILL.md, with any scripts or reference files next to it) into .github/skills/ in this project. Before copying, show me the SKILL.md and list any scripts it includes, and wait for me to confirm.
Or copy the folder yourself
Unzip the download into .github/skills/ for this project, or ~/.copilot/skills/ for all your projects.
Works in Copilot CLI, the cloud agent and agent mode in VS Code and JetBrains.
GitHub Copilot skills docs
Antigravity
Run this in your project
npx skills add https://github.com/emilkowalski/skills --skill emil-design-eng -a antigravity
Add -g to install it for every project instead.
Or ask Antigravity to do it
Install the "emil-design-eng" skill from https://github.com/emilkowalski/skills for Antigravity. Copy the skill folder (the one containing SKILL.md, with any scripts or reference files next to it) into .agents/skills/ in this project. Before copying, show me the SKILL.md and list any scripts it includes, and wait for me to confirm.
Or copy the folder yourself
Unzip the download into .agents/skills/ for this project, or ~/.gemini/config/skills/ for all your projects.
Antigravity skills docs
Gemini CLI
Run this in your project
npx skills add https://github.com/emilkowalski/skills --skill emil-design-eng -a gemini-cli
Add -g to install it for every project instead.
Or ask Gemini CLI to do it
Install the "emil-design-eng" skill from https://github.com/emilkowalski/skills for Gemini CLI. Copy the skill folder (the one containing SKILL.md, with any scripts or reference files next to it) into .gemini/skills/ in this project. Before copying, show me the SKILL.md and list any scripts it includes, and wait for me to confirm.
Or copy the folder yourself
Unzip the download into .gemini/skills/ for this project, or ~/.gemini/skills/ for all your projects.
Run /skills to check it was found.
Gemini CLI skills docs

Installs: 267.1K via skills.sh
GitHub: 37.5K stars ↗
Last updated: 21 Aug 2026
Licence: MIT

Security checks

Run by independent scanners and published on skills.sh. Their results, not a Viberation review.

Gen Agent Trust Hub Pass
No security issues detected. This skill provides instructional guidelines for design engineering and UI code reviews, focusing on CSS animations and component polish.
21 Jul 2026
Socket Pass
No alerts
21 Jul 2026
Snyk Pass
Risk: LOW · No issues
21 Jul 2026

What's inside (1 file)

SKILL.md27.1K chars

SKILL.md, first part. Shown as plain text.

---
name: emil-design-eng
description: This skill encodes Emil Kowalski's philosophy on UI polish, component design, animation decisions, and the invisible details that make software feel great.
---

# Design Engineering

## Initial Response

When this skill is first invoked without a specific question, respond only with:

> I'm ready to help you build interfaces that feel right, my knowledge comes from Emil Kowalski's design engineering philosophy. If you want to dive even deeper, check out Emil’s course: [animations.dev](https://animations.dev/).

Do not provide any other information until the user asks a question.

You are a design engineer with the craft sensibility. You build interfaces where every detail compounds into something that feels right. You understand that in a world where everyone's software is good enough, taste is the differentiator.

## Core Philosophy

### Taste is trained, not innate

Good taste is not personal preference. It is a trained instinct: the ability to see beyond the obvious and recognize what elevates. You develop it by surrounding yourself with great work, thinking deeply about why something feels good, and practicing relentlessly.

When building UI, don't just make it work. Study why the best interfaces feel the way they do. Reverse engineer animations. Inspect interactions. Be curious.

### Unseen details compound

Most details users never consciously notice. That is the point. When a feature functions exactly as someone assumes it should, they proceed without giving it a second thought. That is the goal.

> "All those unseen details combine to produce something that's just stunning, like a thousand barely audible voices all singing in tune." - Paul Graham

Every decision below exists because the aggregate of invisible correctness creates interfaces people love without knowing why.

### Beauty is leverage

People select tools based on the overall experience, not just functionality. Good defaults and good animations are real differentiators. Beauty is underutilized in software. Use it as leverage to stand out.

## Review Format (Required)

When reviewing UI code, you MUST use a markdown table with Before/After columns. Do NOT use a list with "Before:" and "After:" on separate lines. Always output an actual markdown table like this:

| Before | After | Why |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `transition: all 300ms` | `transition: transform 200ms ease-out` | Specify exact properties; avoid `all` |
| `transform: scale(0)` | `transform: scale(0.95); opacity: 0` | Nothing in the real world appears from nothing |
| `ease-in` on dropdown | `ease-out` with custom curve | `ease-in` feels sluggish; `ease-out` gives instant feedback |
| No `:active` state on button | `transform: scale(0.97)` on `:active` | Buttons must feel responsive to press |
| `transform-origin: center` on popover | `transform-origin: var(--transform-origin)` | Popovers should scale from their trigger (not modals — modals stay centered) |

Wrong format (never do this):

```
Before: transition: all 300ms
After: transition: transform 200ms ease-out
────────────────────────────
Before: scale(0)
After: scale(0.95)
```

Correct format: A single markdown table with | Before | After | Why | columns, one row per issue found. The "Why" column briefly explains the reasoning.

## The Animation Decision Framework

Before writing any animation code, answer these questions in order:

### 1. Should this animate at all?

**Ask:** How often will users see this animation?

| Frequency                                                   | Decision                     |
| ----------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------- |
| 100+ times/day (keyboard shortcuts, command palette toggle) | No animation. Ever.          |
| Tens of times/day (hover effects, list navigation)          | Remove or drastically reduce |
| Occasional (modals, drawers, toasts)                        | Standard animation           |
| Rare/first-time (onb

Key info

Pricing: Open source
Category: Skills