name: penpot-uiux-design description: 'Comprehensive guide for creating professional UI/UX designs in Penpot using MCP tools. Use this skill when: (1) Creating new UI/UX designs for web, mobile, or desktop applications, (2) Building design systems with components and tokens, (3) Designing dashboards, forms, navigation, or landing pages, (4) Applying accessibility standards and best practices, (5) Following platform guidelines (iOS, Android, Material Design), (6) Reviewing or improving existing Penpot designs for usability. Triggers: "design a UI", "create interface", "build layout", "design dashboard", "create form", "design landing page", "make it accessible", "design system", "component library".'

Penpot UI/UX Design Guide

Create professional, user-centered designs in Penpot using the penpot/penpot-mcp MCP server and proven UI/UX principles.

Available MCP Tools

| Tool | Purpose | | ---- | ------- | | mcp__penpot__execute_code | Run JavaScript in Penpot plugin context to create/modify designs | | mcp__penpot__export_shape | Export shapes as PNG/SVG for visual inspection | | mcp__penpot__import_image | Import images (icons, photos, logos) into designs | | mcp__penpot__penpot_api_info | Retrieve Penpot API documentation |

MCP Server Setup

The Penpot MCP tools require the penpot/penpot-mcp server running locally. For detailed installation and troubleshooting, see setup-troubleshooting.md.

Before Setup: Check If Already Running

Always check if the MCP server is already available before attempting setup:

Try calling a tool first: Attempt mcp__penpot__penpot_api_info - if it succeeds, the server is running and connected. No setup needed.
If the tool fails, ask the user:

"The Penpot MCP server doesn't appear to be connected. Is the server already installed and running? If so, I can help troubleshoot. If not, I can guide you through the setup."
Only proceed with setup instructions if the user confirms the server is not installed.

Quick Start (Only If Not Installed)

# Clone and install
git clone https://github.com/penpot/penpot-mcp.git
cd penpot-mcp
npm install

# Build and start servers
npm run bootstrap

Then in Penpot:

Open a design file
Go to Plugins → Load plugin from URL
Enter: http://localhost:4400/manifest.json
Click "Connect to MCP server" in the plugin UI

VS Code Configuration

Add to settings.json:

{
  "mcp": {
    "servers": {
      "penpot": {
        "url": "http://localhost:4401/sse"
      }
    }
  }
}

Troubleshooting (If Server Is Installed But Not Working)

| Issue | Solution | | ----- | -------- | | Plugin won't connect | Check servers are running (npm run start:all in penpot-mcp dir) | | Browser blocks localhost | Allow local network access prompt, or disable Brave Shield, or try Firefox | | Tools not appearing in client | Restart VS Code/Claude completely after config changes | | Tool execution fails/times out | Ensure Penpot plugin UI is open and shows "Connected" | | "WebSocket connection failed" | Check firewall allows ports 4400, 4401, 4402 |

Quick Reference

| Task | Reference File | | ---- | -------------- | | MCP server installation & troubleshooting | setup-troubleshooting.md | | Component specs (buttons, forms, nav) | component-patterns.md | | Accessibility (contrast, touch targets) | accessibility.md | | Screen sizes & platform specs | platform-guidelines.md |

Core Design Principles

The Golden Rules

Clarity over cleverness: Every element must have a purpose
Consistency builds trust: Reuse patterns, colors, and components
User goals first: Design for tasks, not features
Accessibility is not optional: Design for everyone
Test with real users: Validate assumptions early

Visual Hierarchy (Priority Order)

Size: Larger = more important
Color/Contrast: High contrast draws attention
Position: Top-left (LTR) gets seen first
Whitespace: Isolation emphasizes importance
Typography weight: Bold stands out

Design Workflow

Check for design system first: Ask user if they have existing tokens/specs, or discover from current Penpot file
Understand the page: Call mcp__penpot__execute_code with penpotUtils.shapeStructure() to see hierarchy
Find elements: Use penpotUtils.findShapes() to locate elements by type or name
Create/modify: Use penpot.createBoard(), penpot.createRectangle(), penpot.createText() etc.
Apply layout: Use addFlexLayout() for responsive containers
Validate: Call mcp__penpot__export_shape to visually check your work

Design System Handling

Before creating designs, determine if the user has an existing design system:

Ask the user: "Do you have a design system or brand guidelines to follow?"
Discover from Penpot: Check for existing components, colors, and patterns

// Discover existing design patterns in current file
const allShapes = penpotUtils.findShapes(() => true, penpot.root);

// Find existing colors in use
const colors = new Set();
allShapes.forEach(s => {
  if (s.fills) s.fills.forEach(f => colors.add(f.fillColor));
});

// Find existing text styles (font sizes, weights)
const textStyles = allShapes
  .filter(s => s.type === 'text')
  .map(s => ({ fontSize: s.fontSize, fontWeight: s.fontWeight }));

// Find existing components
const components = penpot.library.local.components;

return { colors: [...colors], textStyles, componentCount: components.length };

If user HAS a design system:

Use their specified colors, spacing, typography
Match their existing component patterns
Follow their naming conventions

If user has NO design system:

Use the default tokens below as a starting point
Offer to help establish consistent patterns
Reference specs in component-patterns.md

Key Penpot API Gotchas

width/height are READ-ONLY → use shape.resize(w, h)
parentX/parentY are READ-ONLY → use penpotUtils.setParentXY(shape, x, y)
Use insertChild(index, shape) for z-ordering (not appendChild)
Flex children array order is REVERSED for dir="column" or dir="row"
After text.resize(), reset growType to "auto-width" or "auto-height"

Positioning New Boards

Always check existing boards before creating new ones to avoid overlap:

// Find all existing boards and calculate next position
const boards = penpotUtils.findShapes(s => s.type === 'board', penpot.root);
let nextX = 0;
const gap = 100; // Space between boards

if (boards.length > 0) {
  // Find rightmost board edge
  boards.forEach(b => {
    const rightEdge = b.x + b.width;
    if (rightEdge + gap > nextX) {
      nextX = rightEdge + gap;
    }
  });
}

// Create new board at calculated position
const newBoard = penpot.createBoard();
newBoard.x = nextX;
newBoard.y = 0;
newBoard.resize(375, 812);

Board spacing guidelines:

Use 100px gap between related screens (same flow)
Use 200px+ gap between different sections/flows
Align boards vertically (same y) for visual organization
Group related screens horizontally in user flow order

Default Design Tokens

Use these defaults only when user has no design system. Always prefer user's tokens if available.

Spacing Scale (8px base)

| Token | Value | Usage | | ----- | ----- | ----- | | spacing-xs | 4px | Tight inline elements | | spacing-sm | 8px | Related elements | | spacing-md | 16px | Default padding | | spacing-lg | 24px | Section spacing | | spacing-xl | 32px | Major sections | | spacing-2xl | 48px | Page-level spacing |

Typography Scale

| Level | Size | Weight | Usage | | ----- | ---- | ------ | ----- | | Display | 48-64px | Bold | Hero headlines | | H1 | 32-40px | Bold | Page titles | | H2 | 24-28px | Semibold | Section headers | | H3 | 20-22px | Semibold | Subsections | | Body | 16px | Regular | Main content | | Small | 14px | Regular | Secondary text | | Caption | 12px | Regular | Labels, hints |

Color Usage

| Purpose | Recommendation | | ------- | -------------- | | Primary | Main brand color, CTAs | | Secondary | Supporting actions | | Success | #22C55E range (confirmations) | | Warning | #F59E0B range (caution) | | Error | #EF4444 range (errors) | | Neutral | Gray scale for text/borders |

Common Layouts

Mobile Screen (375×812)

┌─────────────────────────────┐
│ Status Bar (44px)           │
├─────────────────────────────┤
│ Header/Nav (56px)           │
├─────────────────────────────┤
│                             │
│ Content Area                │
│ (Scrollable)                │
│ Padding: 16px horizontal    │
│                             │
├─────────────────────────────┤
│ Bottom Nav/CTA (84px)       │
└─────────────────────────────┘

Desktop Dashboard (1440×900)

┌──────┬──────────────────────────────────┐
│      │ Header (64px)                    │
│ Side │──────────────────────────────────│
│ bar  │ Page Title + Actions             │
│      │──────────────────────────────────│
│ 240  │ Content Grid                     │
│ px   │ ┌─────┐ ┌─────┐ ┌─────┐ ┌─────┐ │
│      │ │Card │ │Card │ │Card │ │Card │ │
│      │ └─────┘ └─────┘ └─────┘ └─────┘ │
│      │                                  │
└──────┴──────────────────────────────────┘

Component Checklist

Buttons

[ ] Clear, action-oriented label (2-3 words)
[ ] Minimum touch target: 44×44px
[ ] Visual states: default, hover, active, disabled, loading
[ ] Sufficient contrast (3:1 against background)
[ ] Consistent border radius across app

Forms

[ ] Labels above inputs (not just placeholders)
[ ] Required field indicators
[ ] Error messages adjacent to fields
[ ] Logical tab order
[ ] Input types match content (email, tel, etc.)

Navigation

[ ] Current location clearly indicated
[ ] Consistent position across screens
[ ] Maximum 7±2 top-level items
[ ] Touch-friendly on mobile (48px targets)

Accessibility Quick Checks

Color contrast: Text 4.5:1, Large text 3:1
Touch targets: Minimum 44×44px
Focus states: Visible keyboard focus indicators
Alt text: Meaningful descriptions for images
Hierarchy: Proper heading levels (H1→H2→H3)
Color independence: Never rely solely on color

Design Review Checklist

Before finalizing any design:

[ ] Visual hierarchy is clear
[ ] Consistent spacing and alignment
[ ] Typography is readable (16px+ body text)
[ ] Color contrast meets WCAG AA
[ ] Interactive elements are obvious
[ ] Mobile-friendly touch targets
[ ] Loading/empty/error states considered
[ ] Consistent with design system

Validating Designs

Use these validation approaches with mcp__penpot__execute_code:

| Check | Method | | ----- | ------ | | Elements outside bounds | penpotUtils.analyzeDescendants() with isContainedIn() | | Text too small (<12px) | penpotUtils.findShapes() filtering by fontSize | | Missing contrast | Call mcp__penpot__export_shape and visually inspect | | Hierarchy structure | penpotUtils.shapeStructure() to review nesting |

Export CSS

Use penpot.generateStyle(selection, { type: 'css', includeChildren: true }) via mcp__penpot__execute_code to extract CSS from designs.

Tips for Great Designs

Start with content: Real content reveals layout needs
Design mobile-first: Constraints breed creativity
Use a grid: 8px base grid keeps things aligned
Limit colors: 1 primary + 1 secondary + neutrals
Limit fonts: 1-2 typefaces maximum
Embrace whitespace: Breathing room improves comprehension
Be consistent: Same action = same appearance everywhere
Provide feedback: Every action needs a response

penpot-uiux-design

Before / After 效果对比

description 文档