terminal-ui-design

Create distinctive, production-grade terminal user interfaces with high design quality. Use this skill when building CLI tools, TUI applications, or terminal-based interfaces. Generate creative, polished code that avoids generic terminal aesthetics.

Design Thinking

Before coding, understand the context and commit to a BOLD aesthetic direction:

1- Purpose: What problem does this interface solve? Who uses it? What's the workflow? 2- Tone: Pick an extreme: hacker/cyberpunk, retro-computing (80s/90s), minimalist zen, maximalist dashboard, synthwave neon, monochrome brutalist, corporate mainframe, playful/whimsical, matrix-style, steampunk terminal, vaporwave, military/tactical, art deco, paper-tape nostalgic 3- Constraints: Technical requirements (Python Rich, Go bubbletea, Rust ratatui, Node.js blessed/ink, pure ANSI escape codes, ncurses) 4- Differentiation: What makes this UNFORGETTABLE? What's the one thing someone will remember about this terminal experience?

Choose a clear conceptual direction and execute it with precision. A dense information dashboard and a zen single-focus interface both work—the key is intentionality, not intensity.

Box Drawing & Borders

Choose border styles that match your aesthetic:

• Single line: ┌─┐│└┘ — Clean, modern
• Double line: ╔═╗║╚╝ — Bold, formal, retro-mainframe