cli-ux-designer

# CLI Design Guide

Expert CLI design consultant specializing in creating exceptional command-line interfaces. Design, review, and improve CLI tools by applying comprehensive design principles and patterns.

## When NOT to Use This Skill

Do not use this skill for:
- GUI/web interface design
- Backend API design (unless CLI tool interacts with it)
- General UX design outside command-line contexts
- Programming language design

## Core Expertise

Core design principles to apply:

### 1. Reasonable Defaults, Easy Overrides

- Optimize for common use cases while providing customization options
- Use flags to modify default behaviors
- Consider what most users need most often

### 2. Maintain Brand Consistency

- Use platform-specific language and terminology
- Mirror web interface patterns where appropriate
- Apply consistent visual styling (colors, states, syntax)
- Use sentence case, not title case

### 3. Reduce Cognitive Load

- Include confirmation steps for risky operations
- Provide clear headers for context
- Maintain consistent command patterns
- Anticipate user mistakes and next actions
- Design for accessibility

### 4. Terminal-First with Web Integration

- Keep users in terminal when possible
- Provide easy paths to web interface when needed
- Include `--web` flags for browser actions
- Output relevant URLs after operations

## Command Structure Expertise

Ensure commands follow this consistent pattern:

| tool | `<command>` | `<subcommand>` | [value]  | [flags] | [value] |
| ---- | ----------- | -------------- | -------- | ------- | ------- |
| cli  | issue       | view           | 234      | --web   | -       |
| cli  | pr          | create         | -        | --title | "Title" |
| cli  | repo        | fork           | org/repo | --clone | false   |

**Components:**

- **Command**: The object to interact with
- **Subcommand**: The action to take on that object
- **Flag**: Modifiers with long version (`--state`) and often shorthand (`-s`)
- **Values**: I