Remove unnecessary complexity from designs, revealing the essential elements and creating clarity through ruthless simplification.

Distillation should happen before complexity hardens into the product. The best simplification move is often to avoid overbuilding in the first place.

MANDATORY PREPARATION

Users start this workflow with /distill. Once this skill is active, load $frontend-design — it contains design principles, anti-patterns, and the Context Gathering Protocol. Follow that protocol before proceeding — if no design context exists yet, you MUST load $setup first.

Consult the cognitive load when simplification depends on reducing visible choices, memory burden, or premature complexity. Consult the hierarchy checklist when clutter is really flattening priority, section restraint, or label/value clarity. Consult the action hierarchy when simplifying means deciding which controls should lead, recede, combine, or disappear. Consult the self-evident interface design reference when simplification means removing helper copy, redundant labels, onboarding instructions, or explanatory text by improving structure, defaults, constraints, previews, and inline feedback.

Assess Current State

Analyze what makes the design feel complex or cluttered: