Armature

An armature is the fixed frame inside a sculpture that everything else hangs on. A tool, dashboard or workflow needs one: a window that never scrolls, chrome that stays in view, and panes that each manage their own overflow. Without it, headers, filters, toolbars and previews scroll away and the product reads as a long document.

State at the start that you are using the armature skill.

This is layout and finish. Keep the palette, tokens, vocabulary and every behaviour. Add no new visual concept, routes, endpoints or features. When the work needs a new visual direction as well, do the shell first, then hand over to chiaroscuro.

A single document flow is still right when the task is genuinely linear - a sign-up form, an article, a one-screen setting. Choose from the task, not by habit.

1. Find why the window scrolls

Read the root layout and each route. The usual causes:

• the root layout wraps every route in one scroll container, so every page scrolls under the nav;
• routes set min-h-screen or fixed pixel heights and let the body grow;
• a centred max-w-* mx-auto document column holds content that wants the full frame;
• flex and grid children lack min-h-0 or min-w-0, so overflow escapes to the page;
• media boxes use fixed heights or aspect ratios that ignore the viewport.