Modals & Dialogs Skill

How this skill behaves (read first)

This is a generative skill. The default failure modes: interrupting for everything (modals for success messages, tips, newsletters — attention spent like it's free), trapping users (no visible close, no Esc, stacked modals), and vague choices ("Are you sure?" → Yes/No). A modal takes the whole interface hostage — that's justified only in high-stakes moments, and the price is paid back with crystal-clear purpose and effortless exit. This skill gates:

1. Gate the interruption itself — is a modal even justified here? The most important decision happens before any design.
2. Apply the always-true core — purpose in the title, explicit buttons, easy dismissal, focus management.
3. Surface the type and timing decisions (popup/fullscreen/popover/bottom sheet, permission priming) with trade-offs.

Then it hands off to ux-heuristics-audit, ux-accessibility-audit, ux-aesthetics-audit, ux-microcopy-audit, and ux-dark-patterns-audit for validation.

Step 0 — Gate the interruption (the decision that matters most)

A modal blocks everything. It earns that only for high-stakes moments: