Prompt for Styling
Master the art of crafting effective prompts for styling your UI components with different visual approaches, themes, colors, and effects. This comprehensive guide covers everything from basic color theory to advanced styling techniques.
Well-crafted styling prompts are essential for creating visually appealing, accessible designs that align with your brand identity. This guide helps you create effective styling instructions for optimal results.
On this page
Overview
Creating effective prompts for styling your UI components with different visual approaches, themes, colors, and effects:
- 1Visual Hierarchy
How elements are prioritized and organized to guide user attention.
Create a card component with clear visual hierarchy: large title, medium subtitle, small body text, and a prominent call-to-action button using size, color, and spacing to establish importance. - 2Style Type Selection
Choose the overall visual approach that matches your brand and goals.
Design a dashboard with glassmorphism style using backdrop blur, subtle transparency, and soft shadows to create depth while maintaining a modern, premium feel. - 3Color Psychology
Use colors strategically to influence emotions and behavior.
Create a financial app interface using blue as the primary color to convey trust and stability, with green for positive values and red for negative values or warnings. - 4Accessibility & Contrast
Ensure designs work for all users with proper contrast and semantic meaning.
Design a form with WCAG AA compliant contrast ratios (4.5:1 minimum), clear focus states, and semantic color usage that doesn't rely solely on color to convey information.
Key Styling Considerations
When crafting styling prompts, be specific about visual hierarchy, color choices, spacing, and interactive states. Don't just say "make it look good" - describe exactly how elements should appear and behave.
Common Styling Approaches
Clean lines, ample white space, and purposeful use of color.
Create a minimalist login form with clean typography, subtle borders, and a single accent color for the submit button.Bold colors, gradients, and dynamic visual elements.
Design a creative portfolio hero section with vibrant gradients, bold typography, and animated elements that showcase personality.Style Types
Choose a visual style that matches your design goals and brand identity. Each style type has its own characteristics and use cases.
flat
Clean, solid colors without shadows or gradients
outline
Transparent backgrounds with visible borders
minimalist
Simple, clean design with subtle elements
glass
Glassmorphism with backdrop blur effects
ios
iOS-style with rounded corners and depth
material
Material Design with elevation and shadows
💡 Style Type Guidelines
Flat Design: Perfect for modern, clean interfaces. Use when you want minimal distraction and fast loading times.
Material Design: Great for Android apps and Google-style interfaces. Provides clear hierarchy through elevation.
Glassmorphism: Ideal for premium, modern applications. Creates depth while maintaining transparency.
Neumorphism: Best for creative applications where you want a tactile, physical feel.
Themes
Theme selection affects the overall mood and usability of your interface. Consider your users' preferences, usage context, and accessibility needs.
light
Bright backgrounds with dark text
dark
Dark backgrounds with light text
auto
Adapts to system preferences
Theme Considerations
Light Theme
- • Better for reading and detailed work
- • More familiar to most users
- • Better for outdoor/bright environments
- • Can appear more trustworthy and professional
Dark Theme
- • Reduces eye strain in low-light conditions
- • Saves battery on OLED screens
- • Popular with developers and power users
- • Can appear more modern and sophisticated
Color Theory
Understanding color theory is essential for creating effective and emotionally resonant designs. Colors can influence user behavior, convey brand personality, and improve usability.
Color Psychology
Red
Energy, urgency, passion. Use for CTAs, warnings, and important actions.
Blue
Trust, stability, professionalism. Perfect for corporate and financial apps.
Green
Growth, success, nature. Ideal for success states and eco-friendly brands.
Yellow
Optimism, creativity, attention. Great for highlights and creative tools.
Purple
Luxury, creativity, mystery. Perfect for premium and creative applications.
Gray
Neutrality, sophistication, balance. Essential for text and backgrounds.
Color Harmony Rules
60-30-10 Rule
Use 60% dominant color, 30% secondary color, and 10% accent color for balanced designs.
Complementary Colors
Colors opposite on the color wheel create high contrast and visual interest. Use sparingly for maximum impact.
Analogous Colors
Colors next to each other on the color wheel create harmony and are pleasing to the eye. Perfect for gradients and subtle variations.
Interactive Color Wheel
Selected: blue
Colors
Choose colors that align with your brand and create good contrast for accessibility. Consider the emotional impact and cultural associations of your color choices.
Primary Colors
Extended Palette
⚠️ Color Usage Guidelines
Primary Color: Use for main actions, links, and brand elements (5-10% of interface)
Secondary Color: Use for secondary actions and supporting elements (15-20% of interface)
Neutral Colors: Use for text, backgrounds, and borders (70-80% of interface)
Semantic Colors: Reserve red for errors, green for success, yellow for warnings
Shadows & Depth
Shadows add depth and hierarchy to your interface. They help users understand which elements are interactive and how content is layered.
none
No shadow effects
small
Subtle shadow for minimal depth
medium
Standard shadow for good depth
large
Prominent shadow for strong depth
extra large
Dramatic shadow for maximum impact
2xl
Very dramatic shadow for hero elements
inner
Inset shadow for pressed/recessed effect
Shadow Usage Guidelines
Elevation Hierarchy
Best Practices
- • Use consistent shadow directions (usually bottom-right)
- • Increase shadow intensity for higher elevation
- • Consider light source and environment
- • Use colored shadows sparingly for special effects
- • Test shadows in both light and dark themes
Responsive Design
Your styling choices should adapt gracefully across different screen sizes and devices. Consider how colors, shadows, and spacing will work on mobile, tablet, and desktop.
desktop
tablet
mobile
Responsive Design Guidelines
Mobile Considerations
- • Touch targets should be at least 44px
- • Use larger text sizes for readability
- • Simplify navigation and reduce clutter
- • Consider thumb-friendly placement
- • Optimize for single-column layouts
Desktop Enhancements
- • Add detailed hover states and animations
- • Utilize multi-column layouts effectively
- • Include keyboard navigation support
- • Provide contextual tooltips and help
- • Optimize for mouse and trackpad interactions
📱 Breakpoint Strategy
Mobile (0-640px): Single column, large touch targets, simplified navigation
Tablet (641-1024px): Two-column layouts, medium touch targets, adaptive navigation
Desktop (1025px+): Multi-column layouts, hover states, detailed interactions
Accessibility
Accessible design ensures your interface works for users with disabilities. Color contrast, focus states, and semantic meaning are crucial considerations.
Accessibility Checker
Sample text with black on white background
Test Color Combinations
♿ Accessibility Checklist
Color & Contrast
- • Maintain 4.5:1 contrast ratio for normal text
- • Maintain 3:1 contrast ratio for large text
- • Don't rely solely on color to convey information
- • Test with color blindness simulators
Interactive Elements
- • Provide clear focus indicators
- • Ensure touch targets are at least 44px
- • Use semantic HTML elements
- • Provide alternative text for images
Advanced Styling Techniques
Explore sophisticated styling approaches that can elevate your designs and create memorable user experiences.
Gradient Techniques
Linear Gradients
Radial Gradients
Animation & Transitions
Micro-interactions
Loading States
State Changes
CSS Custom Properties (Variables)
Use CSS custom properties to create maintainable and themeable designs.
:root {
--primary-color: #3B82F6;
--secondary-color: #6B7280;
--background-color: #FFFFFF;
--text-color: #1F2937;
--border-radius: 8px;
--shadow-sm: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.05);
--shadow-md: 0 4px 6px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1);
}
[data-theme="dark"] {
--background-color: #111827;
--text-color: #F9FAFB;
--secondary-color: #9CA3AF;
}Color Palettes
Pre-designed color palettes can help you create cohesive designs quickly. Choose a palette that matches your brand personality and target audience.
modern
Clean, professional palette for modern applications
vibrant
Energetic colors for creative and youthful brands
earth
Natural, warm tones inspired by earth elements
monochrome
Sophisticated grayscale palette for elegant designs
ocean
Cool blues and teals reminiscent of ocean depths
sunset
Warm gradient colors inspired by sunset skies
Interactive Prompt Builder
Use this interactive tool to build custom styling prompts for your designs. Make selections below to generate a ready-to-use prompt and see a visual preview.
Style Type
flat
Clean, solid colors without shadows or gradients
outline
Transparent backgrounds with visible borders
minimalist
Simple, clean design with subtle elements
glass
Glassmorphism with backdrop blur effects
ios
iOS-style with rounded corners and depth
material
Material Design with elevation and shadows
Theme
light
Bright backgrounds with dark text
dark
Dark backgrounds with light text
auto
Adapts to system preferences
Primary Color
Shadow Depth
none
No shadow effects
small
Subtle shadow for minimal depth
medium
Standard shadow for good depth
large
Prominent shadow for strong depth
extra large
Dramatic shadow for maximum impact
2xl
Very dramatic shadow for hero elements
Device Optimization
Color Palette
modern
Clean, professional palette for modern applications
vibrant
Energetic colors for creative and youthful brands
earth
Natural, warm tones inspired by earth elements
monochrome
Sophisticated grayscale palette for elegant designs
Visual Preview
Style Preview - Desktop
Sample Component
This is how your styling choices will look in practice on desktop devices.
Card Title
This is a sample card component showing how content would look.
Another Card
Cards help organize content into digestible sections.
Your Styling Selections
Customization Tip
For even better results, you can further customize the generated prompt with specific details about your brand colors, accessibility requirements, or particular visual effects you need. Consider adding context about your target audience and use case.
Best Practices
✅ Do's
- • Maintain consistency across all components and pages
- • Consider accessibility and color contrast in all design decisions
- • Test your designs in both light and dark themes
- • Use shadows purposefully to create clear visual hierarchy
- • Choose colors that align with your brand identity and target audience
- • Implement responsive design principles from the start
- • Use semantic color meanings (red for errors, green for success)
- • Create a design system with reusable components
- • Test with real users and gather feedback
- • Consider cultural color associations for global audiences
❌ Don'ts
- • Don't use too many different colors in one design (stick to 3-5 main colors)
- • Avoid low contrast combinations that hurt readability
- • Don't overuse shadows or visual effects
- • Avoid mixing incompatible style types within the same interface
- • Don't ignore mobile and responsive considerations
- • Don't use color as the only way to convey information
- • Don't follow trends blindly without considering your users
- • Don't neglect performance implications of complex styling
- • Don't make assumptions about user preferences
💡 Pro Tips
- • Use the 60-30-10 rule for color distribution in your designs
- • Create hover and focus states that are 10-20% darker/lighter than base colors
- • Implement a consistent border radius system (e.g., 4px, 8px, 16px)
- • Use CSS custom properties for easy theme switching
- • Consider using a color palette generator for harmonious combinations
- • Test your designs with color blindness simulators
- • Use relative units (rem, em) for better scalability
- • Implement a consistent spacing scale (e.g., 4px, 8px, 16px, 32px)
- • Consider the emotional impact of your color choices
- • Document your design decisions for team consistency
Resources & Tools
Essential tools and resources to help you create better styling prompts and design systems.
Color Tools & Generators
Accessibility & Contrast Tools
Design Systems & References
Typography & Spacing Tools
Example Prompts
Modern SaaS Dashboard
Create a modern SaaS dashboard with glassmorphism design using an adaptive theme that responds to system preferences. Use blue (#3B82F6) as the primary accent color with subtle large shadows for depth. The background should be white in light mode and dark gray (#111827) in dark mode, with light gray borders (#E5E7EB) that adapt to neutral borders (#374151) in dark mode. Design should be optimized for desktop screens with larger elements and detailed hover states. Use the modern color palette for consistency with supporting colors of gray-100, gray-800, and blue-600. Ensure the design is professional, accessible with WCAG AA compliance, and follows current UI/UX best practices with proper contrast ratios and responsive behavior. Include subtle micro-interactions and smooth transitions between states.Mobile-First E-commerce App
Design a mobile-first e-commerce app interface with iOS-style design using rounded corners and medium shadows. Use a light theme with green (#10B981) as the primary accent color for trust and growth associations. Apply medium shadows for depth and hierarchy. The background should be white with gray borders for clean separation. Design should be optimized for mobile devices with large touch targets (44px minimum), single-column layouts, and thumb-friendly navigation. Use the earth color palette for warmth with supporting colors including amber-600, orange-500, and green-700. Ensure the design feels native to iOS users with proper spacing, readable typography, and accessible color contrast ratios above 4.5:1. Include loading states, error handling, and success feedback with appropriate semantic colors.Creative Portfolio Website
Create a creative portfolio website with brutalist design using bold, raw, and geometric elements. Use a dark theme with purple (#8B5CF6) as the primary accent color to convey creativity and luxury. Apply dramatic extra-large shadows for maximum visual impact and artistic flair. The background should be black with high-contrast white borders for bold separation. Design should be optimized for desktop screens with artistic layouts and experimental navigation patterns. Use the vibrant color palette for creative energy with supporting colors including purple-500, pink-400, yellow-400, and green-400. Ensure the design is memorable and artistic while maintaining basic accessibility standards. Include bold typography, asymmetrical layouts, and striking visual elements that showcase creative work effectively.Minimalist Blog Platform
Design a minimalist blog platform with flat design using clean, solid colors and no shadows for maximum readability. Use a light theme with gray (#6B7280) as the primary accent color for sophisticated neutrality. Apply no shadows to maintain the clean, distraction-free aesthetic. The background should be white with subtle gray borders for gentle content separation. Design should be optimized for all devices with responsive typography and flexible layouts. Use the monochrome color palette for elegant simplicity with supporting colors of gray-900, gray-700, gray-500, and gray-300. Ensure the design prioritizes content readability with excellent typography hierarchy, generous white space, and WCAG AAA contrast compliance. Focus on clean lines, ample spacing, and distraction-free reading experience with subtle interactive elements.Financial Technology App
Create a financial technology app with Material Design using elevation and depth principles. Use an adaptive theme with blue (#3B82F6) as the primary accent color to convey trust and stability. Apply medium shadows for clear hierarchy and professional appearance. The background should adapt between white and dark gray based on user preference, with borders that maintain proper contrast in both themes. Design should be optimized for tablet devices with medium-sized touch targets and flexible grid layouts. Use the ocean color palette for trustworthiness with supporting colors including blue-900, blue-700, cyan-500, and teal-400. Ensure the design meets financial industry standards for accessibility and security perception. Include clear data visualization, secure interaction patterns, and professional micro-interactions that build user confidence.Gaming Community Platform
Design a gaming community platform with neumorphic design using soft, extruded plastic-like appearance for a tactile, engaging feel. Use a dark theme with orange (#F97316) as the primary accent color for energy and excitement. Apply subtle small shadows with inner shadows for pressed effects on interactive elements. The background should be dark gray with matching borders for seamless integration. Design should be optimized for desktop screens with gaming-focused layouts and immersive navigation. Use the sunset color palette for dynamic energy with supporting colors including orange-500, red-500, pink-500, purple-500, and yellow-400. Ensure the design appeals to gaming audiences with high contrast for visibility during gameplay, customizable themes, and engaging visual feedback. Include animated elements, achievement displays, and community features that enhance the gaming experience.Next Steps
Now that you've learned about effective styling prompts, explore these related topics: