Visual reference calibration

Use when a supplied reference should contribute a particular visual quality. ADS owns the task and review loop; this helper clarifies what to borrow. A screenshot that only marks a bug belongs in the ordinary review path.

Recover before asking

Read the user's request, prior calibration answers, current product decisions and the actual reference. Reuse settled choices. Record a short internal reference contract for substantial reference-led work:

• Source and the property to preserve
• What not to borrow, including incidental demo content
• Fidelity target: close match, same spirit, or loose cue
• Existing surface, hierarchy, tokens and content that must stay
• What observable comparison will establish the intended effect

An uncertain optional detail is not a reason to stop. Ask only when a missing decision materially changes the result and cannot be recovered or reasonably inferred. For example: is the desired property the shared hover field or each card's surface? Do not repeat a whole calibration questionnaire.

Separate the contributing layers

Distinguish composition, material/color, border/shadow/glow, typography/density, motion, content metaphor and system behavior. Preserve only the intended layers. A technically similar mechanism is insufficient if the reference's visible quality is lost.