/distill

name: distill
description: "Strip designs to their essence by removing unnecessary complexity. Great design is simple, powerful, and clean. Use when the user asks to simplify, declutter, reduce noise, remove elements, or make a UI cleaner and more focused."
argument-hint: "[target]"
user-invocable: false

Remove unnecessary complexity from designs, revealing the essential elements and creating clarity through ruthless simplification.

MANDATORY PREPARATION

Invoke /frontend-design — it contains design principles, anti-patterns, and the **Context Gathering Protocol**. Follow the protocol before proceeding — if no design context exists yet, you MUST run /teach-impeccable first.

---

Assess Current State

Analyze what makes the design feel complex or cluttered:

1. **Identify complexity sources**:

• **Too many elements**: Competing buttons, redundant information, visual clutter
• **Excessive variation**: Too many colors, fonts, sizes, styles without purpose
• **Information overload**: Everything visible at once, no progressive disclosure
• **Visual noise**: Unnecessary borders, shadows, backgrounds, decorations
• **Confusing hierarchy**: Unclear what matters most
• **Feature creep**: Too many options, actions, or paths forward

2. **Find the essence**:

• What's the primary user goal? (There should be ONE)
• What's actually necessary vs nice-to-have?
• What can be removed, hidden, or combined?
• What's the 20% that delivers 80% of value?

If any of these are unclear from the codebase, Ask the user using AskUserQuestion.

**CRITICAL**: Simplicity is not about removing features - it's about removing obstacles between users and their goals. Every element should justify its existence.

Plan Simplification

Create a ruthless editing strategy:

• **Core purpose**: What's the ONE thing this should accomplish?
• **Essential elements**: What's truly necessary to achieve that purpose?
• **Progressive disclosure**: What can be hidden until needed?
• **Consolidation opportunities**: What can be combined or integrated?

**IMPORTANT**: Simplification is hard. It requires saying no to good ideas to make room for great execution. Be ruthless.

Simplify the Design

Systematically remove complexity across these dimensions:

Information Architecture

• **Reduce scope**: Remove secondary actions, optional features, redundant information
• **Progressive disclosure**: Hide complexity behind clear entry points (accordions, modals, step-through flows)
• **Combine related actions**: Merge similar buttons, consolidate forms, group related content
• **Clear hierarchy**: ONE primary action, few secondary actions, everything else tertiary or hidden
• **Remove redundancy**: If it's said elsewhere, don't repeat it here

Visual Simplification

• **Reduce color palette**: Use 1-2 colors plus neutrals, not 5-7 colors
• **Limit typography**: One font family, 3-4 sizes maximum, 2-3 weights
• **Remove decorations**: Eliminate borders, shadows, backgrounds that don't serve hierarchy or function
• **Flatten structure**: Reduce nesting, remove unnecessary containers—never nest cards inside cards
• **Remove unnecessary cards**: Cards aren't needed for basic layout; use spacing and alignment instead
• **Consistent spacing**: Use one spacing scale, remove arbitrary gaps

Layout Simplification

• **Linear flow**: Replace complex grids with simple vertical flow where possible
• **Remove sidebars**: Move secondary content inline or hide it
• **Full-width**: Use available space generously instead of complex multi-column layouts
• **Consistent alignment**: Pick left or center, stick with it
• **Generous white space**: Let content breathe, don't pack everything tight

Interaction Simplification

• **Reduce choices**: Fewer buttons, fewer options, clearer path forward (paradox of choice is real)
• **Smart defaults**: Make common choices automatic, only ask when necessary
• **Inline actions**: Replace modal flows with inline editing where possible
• **Remove steps**: Can signup be one step instead of three? Can checkout be simplified?
• **Clear CTAs**: ONE obvious next step, not five competing actions

Content Simplification

• **Shorter copy**: Cut every sentence in half, then do it again
• **Active voice**: "Save changes" not "Changes will be saved"
• **Remove jargon**: Plain language always wins
• **Scannable structure**: Short paragraphs, bullet points, clear headings
• **Essential information only**: Remove marketing fluff, legalese, hedging
• **Remove redundant copy**: No headers restating intros, no repeated explanations, say it once

Code Simplification

• **Remove unused code**: Dead CSS, unused components, orphaned files
• **Flatten component trees**: Reduce nesting depth
• **Consolidate styles**: Merge similar styles, use utilities consistently
• **Reduce variants**: Does that component need 12 variations, or can 3 cover 90% of cases?

**NEVER**:

• Remove necessary functionality (simplicity ≠ feature-less)
• Sacrifice accessibility for simplicity (clear labels and ARIA still required)
• Make things so simple they're unclear (mystery ≠ minimalism)
• Remove information users need to make decisions
• Eliminate hierarchy completely (some things should stand out)
• Oversimplify complex domains (match complexity to actual task complexity)

Verify Simplification

Ensure simplification improves usability:

• **Faster task completion**: Can users accomplish goals more quickly?
• **Reduced cognitive load**: Is it easier to understand what to do?
• **Still complete**: Are all necessary features still accessible?
• **Clearer hierarchy**: Is it obvious what matters most?
• **Better performance**: Does simpler design load faster?

Document Removed Complexity

If you removed features or options:

• Document why they were removed
• Consider if they need alternative access points
• Note any user feedback to monitor

Remember: You have great taste and judgment. Simplification