Design UI (develop a design seed, resolve nothing)

Bind VERB=design, ARTIFACT=ui -- the design stage in the contract's vocabulary -- then follow the shared contract at .aid/runtime/templates/design-lifecycle.md. This skill binds that contract and restates none of its rules. The seed it writes is .aid/design/ui.md; realizing it into the built component/page is /aid-create-ui's job, not this one's.

• Boundary vs /aid-create-ui: that skill builds the UI from a ready seed; this one only develops the seed. Neither resolves anything on its own -- the user decides when a seed is ready to realize.
• Boundary vs /aid-prototype-ui: that skill builds a throwaway low-fidelity mock to validate a direction; this one develops a kept design meant to inform the build. Kept vs throwaway is the distinction.
• Not a numbered pipeline phase; does not route to /aid-execute.

State machine: INTAKE -> DESIGN -> VERIFY (loop) -> PRESENT [user decides] -> DONE, as design-lifecycle.md § Skill shape defines it. Print the [State: NAME] -- {purpose} entry line on each state.

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State: INTAKE

1. Require a subject. Empty argument -> ask one bootstrapping question ("What UI screen(s) or flow do you want to design, and what must it support?") and wait.
2. Allocate through the Work Initiation Gate exactly as the contract's Allocation rule requires (.agents/skills/aid-design/SKILL.md INTAKE step 4 is the shape), with initiator: aid-design-ui. phase is not driven.
3. Acquire .aid/design/ per the contract, then read .aid/design/ui.md if a prior seed exists -- re-invocation iterates it rather than starting over.
4. Classify complexity for the aid-architect dispatch (verifier tier >= producer).

Advance: DESIGN.

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State: DESIGN

Dispatch aid-architect (clean context, tiered) to write or iterate .aid/design/ui.md in the seed shape the contract fixes (design-seed.md; feature-002 §4), grounded in .aid/knowledge/ and the project source plus any seed read in INTAKE. What this artifact's seed must settle: the screen and flow structure, the interaction model, and accessibility notes; its ## Destination names where the built component/page lands. Never writes .aid/knowledge/ and never writes production code -- the design invariant (design-lifecycle.md).

Advance: VERIFY.

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State: VERIFY

Full verify, as design-lifecycle.md defines it. Not clean -> loop to DESIGN; the 3-cycle circuit breaker there escalates to IMPEDIMENT + lifecycle: Blocked.

Advance: PRESENT.

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State: PRESENT (hard stop -- the user decides)

Set lifecycle: Paused-Awaiting-Input. Present the seed clearly. Assert no resolution -- the user iterates (re-invoke this skill) or realizes it now (/aid-create-ui).

Advance: DONE.

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State: DONE

Set lifecycle: Completed, updated now, append a ## Lifecycle History row. The seed persists at .aid/design/ui.md; consumption happens at /aid-create-ui.