Provides deep knowledge of legendary designers like Saul Bass, Massimo Vignelli, Dieter Rams, Paula Scher for inspiration, design history, and applying timeless principles to modern problems.
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references/saul-bass.mdImplements Clean Architecture in Android and Kotlin Multiplatform projects: module layouts, dependency rules, UseCases, Repositories, domain models, and data layers with Room, SQLDelight, Ktor.
Builds new API connectors or providers by exactly matching the target repo's existing integration patterns. Use when adding integrations like Jira or Slack without inventing new architectures.
Delivers DB-free sandbox API regression tests for Next.js/Vitest to catch AI blind spots in self-reviewed code changes like API routes and backend logic.
Standing on the shoulders of giants. These designers didn't just create beautiful work—they articulated principles that remain relevant decades later.
Domain: Film titles, corporate identity, posters Philosophy: "Design is thinking made visual"
Before adding detail, ask: "What's the one essential shape that captures this idea?"
Approach:
1. Identify the core concept
2. Find a visual metaphor
3. Reduce to essential geometry
4. Test if meaning survives reduction
5. Add nothing more
Domain: Information design, corporate identity, packaging Philosophy: "If you can design one thing, you can design everything"
Vignelli used only 5 typefaces in his career:
Constrain your toolkit. A smaller palette forces smarter decisions.
Exercise:
1. Choose 2 fonts (one display, one body)
2. Choose 3 colors (primary, secondary, accent)
3. Choose 4 spacing values (4, 8, 16, 32px)
4. Design within these constraints
5. Notice how limitation creates cohesion
Domain: Industrial design, Braun products Philosophy: "Less, but better" (Weniger, aber besser)
For any design element, ask:
Subtract until it breaks, then add back the minimum.
Process:
1. Design the full solution
2. Remove every element one by one
3. Note when functionality breaks
4. Restore only what's essential
5. Question if restoration can be simpler
Domain: Typography, identity, environmental graphics Philosophy: "It's through mistakes that you actually can grow"
Rules are training wheels. Once you know them, ride freely.
Exercise:
1. Design something "correctly"
2. Now break one rule deliberately
3. Break another rule
4. Keep breaking until it's alive
5. Add structure back only where chaos defeats purpose
Domain: Poster design, grid systems Philosophy: "The grid system is an aid, not a guarantee"
The grid is:
+---+---+---+---+---+---+
| | | | | | |
+---+---+---+---+---+---+
| | | | | | |
+---+---+---+---+---+---+
| | | | | | |
+---+---+---+---+---+---+
- Divide into equal columns
- Use consistent gutters
- Allow elements to span multiple units
- Create hierarchy through column usage
Build on a grid, but know when to break it.
Implementation:
1. Establish a 12-column grid
2. Define consistent gutters (e.g., 24px)
3. Align all elements to grid lines
4. When breaking grid, do so deliberately and obviously
5. Let grid create rhythm without monotony
Domain: Editorial design, experimental typography Philosophy: "Don't mistake legibility for communication"
When appropriate, prioritize feeling over reading.
Caution: Use sparingly
- Marketing that needs attention: YES
- Navigation: NO
- Legal text: NO
- Brand that demands conformity: NO
- Creative portfolio: YES
Domain: Corporate identity, books, posters Philosophy: "Simplicity is not the goal. It is the by-product of a good idea."
A logo must be:
A logo is a symbol for something. Find the something first.
| Designer | Core Strength | When to Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Bass | Symbolic reduction | Logo, poster, icon design |
| Vignelli | Systematic discipline | Information systems, identity |
| Rams | Essential minimalism | Product, interface, UX |
| Scher | Typographic expression | Environmental, branding, editorial |
| Brockmann | Grid harmony | Layout, publication, systematic design |
| Carson | Expressive chaos | Editorial, experimental, attention-grabbing |
| Rand | Logo perfection | Corporate identity, logomarks |