---name: ss-dialdescription: Turn one design axis up or down — "denser", "bolder", "flatter", "livelier", "sharper corners". Use for a single-axis change, not a mood word (those go to /ss-restyle); updates the lock and re-runs the gate.argument-hint: <axis> <direction>  — e.g. \"density denser\", \"radius sharper\", \"color more-muted\", \"weight bolder\"allowed-tools: Read, Write, Edit, Grep, Glob, Bash---

Before this workflow, follow the once-per-session update preflight.

Dial an axis

Registry-first artifact boundary

When .styleseed/project.json and .styleseed/artifacts/index.json exist, resolve the requested artifact ID first, then read only .styleseed/bundles/<artifact-id>.md and .styleseed/manifests/<artifact-id>.json. Never fall back to the global legacy bundle for a registry project. Legacy projects may use .styleseed/effective-rules.md only when no registry exists.

"Make it more minimal" is something you can just say — the model already reads plain language. A skill only earns its place where one word must move many tokens at once, in a coordinated way, without breaking a rule — and where doing it by hand gives an inconsistent result (some tokens changed, the grid broken, a second accent introduced). That's what /ss-dial is: not interpretation, but a deterministic ramp + guardrails + re-gate.

If the request is a mood word ("more premium", "more editorial", "more playful"), that's not one axis — it's a combination of positions across several axes. Use **`/ss-restyle

** for those. /ss-dial` moves exactly one axis.

When NOT to use

• A vague vibe the model can just apply from words ("cleaner", "nicer") → don't wrap it in a skill; say it.
• A named aesthetic (Swiss / editorial / brutalist) → /ss-restyle (a preset of dial positions).
• Changing the accent hue itself (rebrand) → edit the lock's Key color directly, then re-derive.
• Neither a valid registry nor a legacy lock exists → establish setup before dialing; do not restart setup on registry errors.

The mechanic (every axis)

1. Resolve the artifact boundary above. If either registry file exists, require a valid complete registry. Read project DNA from .styleseed/project.json and the target artifact config; never create or update STYLESEED.md as a registry fallback. With no registry, read that legacy lock.
2. Identify the axis and its supported current value. Move one supported step for “more/less”; explicit targets must validate. If already at the end, report that without inventing a value.
3. Apply the change only to the requested artifact or component scope. Project-wide token changes are appropriate only when the requested scope is project-wide; resolve every affected artifact.
4. Preserve unrelated axes and approved project tokens. The tables below are contextual examples, not permission to overwrite an approved design system or force unsupported registry values.
5. Persist supported values in the authoritative project/artifact configuration, then recompile. For legacy projects, update the corresponding lock and implementation tokens. If an axis cannot be represented, state that limitation instead of writing an invented enum or silently remapping it.
6. During an authorized change, run the affected code and rendered gates. Report exact scope, before/after values, tradeoffs, and remaining failures; a score is not visual or human acceptance.

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The axes

1. Density and spatial rhythm

The supported density ramp is compact → comfortable → spacious in both the registry and this workflow. Terms like “airy” or “dense” are descriptions, not additional registry values. Density is a starting posture; do not automatically change type size, line-height, or every spacing token.

For “sections farther apart”, “less padding inside cards”, or “more room on mobile”, use the installed resolver's spatial roles guide. It defines six independent roles, project defaults, artifact overrides, and base/wide values. A role adjustment is a single-axis operation even when it does not change the qualitative density enum.

• Recommend by task and grouping, inspecting existing tokens first. The read-only ss-resolve/scripts/recommend-spacing.mjs --project-root . --artifact <id> offers an unapplied starting proposal for registry product UI; its values are not a measured diagnosis. Use the guide to inspect current bindings and attach --measurement for targeted diagnostic advice before changing numbers. Preserve native fallback tokens at nested artifact boundaries.
• Persist only requested roles in artifact.spacing.roles; use project spacing only for an authorized project-wide change. An overridden role replaces both its responsive values.
• Recompile and map the bundle's scoped CSS variables to the implementation. Preserve undeclared roles and remove obsolete copied mappings when a role is removed.
• Keep labels/help/controls related, comparison rows regular, and independent sections distinct. A marketing narrative and an operational table need different rhythms.
• Gutters adapt to the project and viewport; no universal px-6 or mandatory 8px grid. Preserve readable text and applicable accessibility floors. Whitespace reduction must not shrink hit targets.
• Legacy/non-web projects preserve their native tokens; do not invent registry spacing support or trigger a migration to complete a local adjustment.

2. Hierarchy contrast — the size/weight gap between levels

Ramp: subtle → balanced → strong → dramatic. Moves the ratio between the hero and the body, plus display tracking.

Position	Hero : body size ratio	Display weight	Display tracking
subtle	~2:1	600	-0.01em
balanced	~2.5:1	700	-0.02em
strong	~3.2:1	700–800	-0.02em
dramatic	~4:1	800	-0.03em

Guardrails: pick sizes from the Font Size table only (don't invent); body stays at the surface floor regardless; keep the number-to-unit 2:1 pairing intact; one focal element still dominates (dialing contrast up must not create two competing heroes).

3. Radius — the corner personality (categorical swap, not a slider)

Ramp: sharp ↔ soft ↔ pill. Swaps the whole mapping table as one set, never one component.

Position	Controls (btn/input/chip)	Cards	Inner panels
sharp	2–4px	6–8px	4–6px
soft	8–10px	12–16px	10–12px
pill	full (9999px)	20–24px	14–16px

Guardrails: one personality everywhere (sharp cards + pill buttons is the exact mixed-personality tell we ban); nested elements still follow inner = outer − padding.

4. Elevation / depth — how surfaces separate

Ramp: flat → subtle → layered → lifted. Light and dark speak different languages — apply the one that matches the theme.

Position	Light (shadow, ≤8% opacity)	Dark (tonal + hairline)
flat	no shadow; 1px hairline border	page = card tone; hairline only
subtle	0 1px 3px /4%	one surface step + hairline
layered	0 1px 3px /4% + 0 4px 12px /8%	two surface steps + hairline
lifted	add 0 8px 24px /8% on raised	three steps; brightest = highest

Guardrails: never exceed ~8% shadow opacity in light; never a drop shadow in dark (use the tonal surface ramp + hairline borders); one shadow language / one light direction across the whole UI.

5. Color — saturation and temperature (two sub-dials, accent stays single)

saturation: muted ↔ balanced ↔ vivid · temperature: cooler ↔ neutral ↔ warmer. Shifts the one accent in HSL and re-derives its tints; may nudge the neutral greys' chroma. Does NOT add a hue.

Sub-dial	Move	Applies to
more-muted	accent saturation −10–15% (HSL S)	--brand + re-derive bg-*-tint at 10–14% alpha
more-vivid	accent saturation +10–15%	same
warmer	hue toward 20–40° (amber/terracotta)	--brand; optionally greys +2–4% warm chroma
cooler	hue toward 200–220° (blue/teal)	--brand; greys toward cool

Guardrails: still one accent — this shifts the existing hue, never introduces a second; tints follow the 10–14%-alpha-over-card formula (light + dark); accent keeps ≥4.5:1 where it carries text; a warm/cool grey shift must stay near-neutral (chroma ≤ ~6%), not become a tint.

6. Font weight — the weight ramp

Ramp: light → regular → bold. Shifts the whole weight scale up/down by one notch, keeping the spread (so hierarchy survives).

Position	Body	Labels / nav	Headings / metrics
light	400	400–500	600
regular	400	500	700
bold	500	600	700–800

Guardrails: keep contrast between levels (don't make everything one weight — that flattens hierarchy); body ≤ 500 for readability at length; CJK weight does the work tracking can't.

7. Motion energy — seed + durations

Ramp: still → calm → lively → energetic. Swaps the motion seed and scales durations globally.

Position	Seed	Durations	Character
still	none	instant / color-only	no entrance motion
calm	Silk / Snap	100–200ms, ease-out	smooth, restrained
lively	Spring	200–350ms, slight overshoot	responsive, alive
energetic	Spring / Pulse	250–400ms, visible spring	bouncy, playful

Guardrails: numbers, balances, and money never animate at any level; always honor prefers-reduced-motion; scroll-linked/parallax/3D is surface-scoped (§43 — forbidden on app/data surfaces, allowed as the Cinematic tier on marketing/landing pages; scroll-JACKING banned everywhere); motion never delays content or blocks an action.

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Rules

• One axis per call. A mood word ("premium") is a combination → /ss-restyle, not this.
• Scope is explicit. Apply all uses of a changed token within the authorized boundary; do not propagate an artifact adjustment into unrelated screens.
• Clamp at the ends. Bounded ramp, not an infinite "more" — if already at spacious/sharp/ bold, say so and stop.
• Guardrails beat the dial. Preserve task fitness and applicable accessibility requirements; the current artifact bundle and approved project tokens govern contextual visual choices.
• Persist + re-gate. Update the authoritative registry config, or the legacy lock only when no registry exists, then recompile and run affected code and rendered gates. Report axis: old → new, scope, and actual evidence; do not treat a score as visual acceptance.