mies Skill (deeflect): Design Taste for Interfaces

Makes Claude design, critique and refine screens by removing what they do not need, then perfecting what is left.

Installs: 9.9K; on skills.sh
Stars: 4; on GitHub
Files: 12; besides SKILL.md
Updated: May 2026; last repo commit

mies is a design-taste skill with seven modes: Frame, Set, Compose, Inspect, Refine, Move and Word. It asks "why is this here?" of every element and cuts what cannot answer. For new products and redesigns it runs Frame, then Set, then Compose. For a small fix it states its read of the screen and gets on with it.

It triggers when you create, redesign, critique, reduce, polish or harden a user-facing interface. SKILL.md says it is not for backend-only work. It bundles reference files and four templates, and no scripts. You can pass a mode, a description or a file path after /mies.

Good for

Designers and developers building a product UI or dashboard
Developers who want Claude to critique or tidy an existing screen
Teams that need interface copy and states written with care

Install mies

Claude Code

Copy this prompt.

Install the mies skill in Claude Code. Run this command:

npx skills add deeflect/mies

Then check that it loaded and tell me how to use it.

2
Paste it into Claude Code. It shows the change and asks before running it.

Requires Node.js.

The repo holds this one skill, so the README command installs all of it: 13 files under skills/mies (SKILL.md, 8 reference files and 4 templates, counted from the git tree). The README also says you can drop the repo into your agent's skills directory by hand. The skill reads and edits your project's interface code and may take screenshots, so there is no Claude app upload route.

From the project README. Source.

What's in the skill

When it loads

Use this skill when creating, redesigning, critiquing, reducing, polishing, hardening, or making design decisions for a user-facing interface, brand surface, product UI, component, dashboard, flow, app shell, onboarding, empty state, or visual system. Applies Mies van der Rohe-inspired restraint, the Interface Craft workflow, and anti-generic design discipline. Not for backend-only work.

Sections in SKILL.md

Source order
Modes
First read
Core laws
Hard bans
Output

Key facts

Author: Dee Kargaev (copyright holder in LICENSE, named in README)
License: MIT (LICENSE file and README)
Installs on skills.sh: 9,852 (Nov 2, 2026)
GitHub stars: 4 (Nov 2, 2026)
Last repo commit: May 29, 2026
What it includes: 13 files including SKILL.md: 8 references and 4 templates. No scripts.
Works in: Claude Code (the README badge and usage text); the README also says you can drop the repo into your agent's skills directory

What it includes

Plans the design decision and moves off the category default before building
Details are in references/workflow.md.
Read · Frame
Locks the reusable foundation: tokens, type, color, spacing, states, vibe and voice
It uses the templates in templates/. Lockable decisions go in token files, per SKILL.md.
Write · Set
Builds or redesigns a surface using a register and reusable patterns
Write · Compose
Critiques an existing surface, highest-impact findings first
It starts from a screenshot or rendered view, or the component file.
Read · Inspect
Removes, tunes and proves: polish plus hardening for real data and accessibility
Write · Refine
Motion and tactile feel, with live tuning controls
Write · Move
Writes or audits interface copy to a locked voice, free of AI tells
Rules are in references/copy.md.
Write · Word
Patterns not to ship, such as nested cards and gradient text
Read · Hard bans

From the official docs

Permissions

Low risk

mies has no scripts, but it edits your interface code and may render the result to check it. Our advice: use a branch and read the diff.

What it can do

Read your data
Create and change things
Delete things
Read-only mode

Watch out for

It edits your interface code
Compose, Refine, Move and Word change components, styles and copy in your project. Use a branch and review the diff before merging. github.com
It may suggest new dependencies
design-system.md says that if a new dependency is useful, Claude should check it is installed or give the install step before importing it. motion-and-tuning.md says to check existing dependencies before adding a motion library. github.com
It renders and screenshots your UI
workflow.md has Claude render the surface and screenshot desktop and mobile as a verification gate. Check what Claude runs to do that before you approve it. github.com

Technical details

Turning on read-only	No read-only switch.
Sign-in and keys	SKILL.md names no account, key or token.
Scopes	Claude reads your project's components, tokens and styles Claude edits interface code and may write design foundation and token files May render the interface and take screenshots to verify

Questions

What does the mies skill do?

It makes Claude design, redesign, critique and polish user-facing interfaces with strict reduction. Seven modes cover framing, foundations, building, critique, refinement, motion and copy.

How do I install it?

Use the install box at the top. The README gives npx skills add deeflect/mies, and says you can also drop the repo into your agent's skills directory by hand.

How do I use it?

The README says to type /mies in Claude Code when you make, redesign, critique or cut back a screen. SKILL.md accepts a mode, a description or a file path as an argument.

Is it for backend work?

No. Its description says it is not for backend-only work.

Does it work with my existing design system?

It prefers one. SKILL.md says that when sources disagree, it follows the existing product system first, then platform or category convention, then its own foundation.

Is it connected to Mies van der Rohe's estate?

No. The README calls it an independent, non-commercial homage, not affiliated with or endorsed by the estate of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe or the Fundacio Mies van der Rohe.

Is it safe?

The skill bundles no scripts, but it has Claude edit your interface code and may render it and take screenshots. Our advice: work on a branch and review the diff.

Information

updated Nov 2, 2026

Repository: deeflect/mies
Folder: skills/mies

deeflect/mies skills.sh

Sources

Docs, issue trackers and discussions this page is built from.

Show all 4

mies SKILL.md · github.com
mies README · github.com
LICENSE · github.com
skills.sh listing · skills.sh