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Dryui Build

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rob-balfre
dryui-build

Experimental DryUI page-layout skill that builds colored block page prototypes with mobile-first container queries. Use when testing page layout, responsive regions, dashboards, shells, or full-page structure before detailed UI styling.

Overview

Publisherrob-balfre
Repositorydryui
Skill namedryui-build
Stars
9
Forks
0
Bundled files
Instructions only
LicenseMIT
Links
  • Markdown instructions

    A SKILL.md file the model loads on demand, so it only costs tokens when a request actually matches.

  • Works with any LLM

    AI skills are plain Markdown, not provider-specific code, so this works with GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, or a local model.

  • Self-contained

    Everything the model needs lives in the instructions — no extra files to sync.

  • Open source

    Published by rob-balfre on GitHub. Read the source before you install it.

Installation

Install the Dryui Build AI skill in TypingMind to use it with any LLM, or drop it into another agent that reads SKILL.md.

1

Install in TypingMind

TypingMind installs a skill straight from its GitHub folder — it reads SKILL.md, bundles the resource files, and stores the result locally.

  1. Open the app and go to Plugins → Skills.
  2. Choose "Install from GitHub".
  3. Paste the skill folder URL below and confirm.
    https://github.com/rob-balfre/dryui/tree/main/reports/skill-experiments/2026-05-11/batch-5/page-layout-blocks
  4. Enable the skill in any chat where you want it available.
Plugins → Skills → Add skill → From GitHub URL, then paste the folder URL and press Continue.
2

Install in another agent

Any agent that reads the Agent Skills format can use this skill — copy the folder into that agent's skills directory.

Claude Code — .claude/skills
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/rob-balfre/dryui.git /tmp/dryui
mkdir -p .claude/skills
cp -r /tmp/dryui/reports/skill-experiments/2026-05-11/batch-5/page-layout-blocks .claude/skills/dryui-build
Restart Claude Code after copying so it picks up the new skill.

Use it in TypingMind

Enable Dryui Build in any TypingMind chat and the model takes it from there. Its name and description sit in the system prompt, and the moment a request matches, the model loads the full instructions itself — you never invoke it by hand, and it costs no tokens until it is actually used.

The model loads Dryui Build on its own as soon as a request matches it.

Works with any AI model

AI skills are plain Markdown instructions rather than provider-specific code, so Dryui Build is not tied to the model it was written for. Install it once in TypingMind and use it with GPT-5, Claude, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, Mistral, Llama, or a local model you run yourself — all on your own API keys.

  • Loaded only when it is needed

    The system prompt carries just the name and description. The instructions are fetched on the first matching request, so an idle skill costs nothing.

  • Switch models mid-chat

    Because the skill is instructions rather than code, changing model does not break it — the next model reads the same SKILL.md.

Skill instructions

This is the SKILL.md content the model loads. Read it before installing — a skill is instructions your model will follow.

DryUI Page Layout Blocks

This experimental skill only proves page structure. Build labelled colored blocks that represent page regions. Do not build a polished UI, charts, product cards, photos, or final component styling unless the user explicitly asks after the layout passes.

Output

Edit only:

  • src/routes/+page.svelte
  • src/layout.css

The page must communicate structure through block labels such as Header, Navigation, KPI Strip, Primary Workspace, Secondary Panel, Activity List, and Footer.

Do not import anything for this prototype. No @dryui/ui, no Lucide icons, no app icons, no chart/table widgets, and no component libraries. Use only native semantic HTML elements and CSS.

Construction Order

  1. Decide whether the request is a full page or a section.
  2. If a design, screenshot, mockup, or reference image is supplied, decide the section spacing mode before markup: contiguous or guttered.
  3. For a full page, create exactly one page shell: <main data-layout="<name>-shell">.
  4. Put one direct child inside the shell: <div data-layout-area="page">.
  5. Add semantic child regions with data-layout-area, not generic wrappers.
  6. Put all grid/flex/container rules in src/layout.css.
  7. Put only block color, borders, text color, and typography in the route <style> block.

Section Spacing Decision

Before writing layout CSS, inspect the handed design:

  • If adjacent page sections touch edge-to-edge, use spacing=contiguous.
  • If the design shows visible gutters, page padding, or white space between regions, use spacing=guttered.
  • If no design is supplied, default to spacing=guttered for readability.

For spacing=contiguous:

  • Do not add visible white gaps between grid sections.
  • Set the page grid gap: 0.
  • Set page padding to 0 unless the reference shows an outer margin.
  • Do not let the shell/body background show between colored regions.
  • Use borders or internal block color contrast only when the reference shows seams or dividers.

For spacing=guttered:

  • Use tokenized gaps such as gap: var(--dry-space-4).
  • Use tokenized page padding when the reference shows an outer margin.

Preserve the chosen spacing mode across mobile, tablet, and desktop unless the supplied design clearly changes spacing at a breakpoint.

Required Container Pattern

Every full page must use this pattern in src/layout.css:

css
[data-layout='<name>-shell'] {
	container: <name> / inline-size;
}

[data-layout='<name>-shell'] [data-layout-area='page'] {
	display: grid;
	grid-template-areas:
		'header'
		'navigation'
		'summary'
		'primary'
		'secondary'
		'list'
		'footer';
	gap: 0; /* contiguous designs */
	padding: 0; /* use tokenized padding only when the design shows outer gutters */
}

@container <name> (min-width: 48rem) {
	/* tablet changes */
}

@container <name> (min-width: 72rem) {
	/* desktop changes */
}

Use the actual page name instead of <name>. Rename areas when the task needs different regions, but keep the same mobile-first pattern.

If spacing=guttered, replace the example gap and padding with tokenized spacing that matches the reference design. If spacing=contiguous, keep gap: 0 and avoid padding that creates unintended background strips.

Mobile Rules

  • The base layout is mobile.
  • The base grid-template-areas must be one column only.
  • Do not put a sidebar beside content in the base layout.
  • Do not use grid-template-columns with multiple columns in the base page rule.
  • Navigation is a stacked/top region on mobile. It may become a sidebar only inside the desktop @container.
  • Use minmax(0, 1fr) in tablet/desktop grid tracks that hold content.

Tablet Rules

Inside @container <name> (min-width: 48rem):

  • Use the extra width deliberately.
  • Summary/KPI blocks may become two columns.
  • Primary and secondary regions may sit side by side if both remain readable.
  • Do not introduce a permanent sidebar yet unless the page is explicitly navigation-heavy.

Desktop Rules

Inside @container <name> (min-width: 72rem):

  • Use named grid areas to create the desktop composition.
  • A navigation/sidebar column is allowed here, not before.
  • Keep the primary work region visually dominant.
  • Avoid full-width KPI bands that push the primary work surface too low.

Block Styling Rules

In the route <style> block:

  • Use distinct fixed block colors so visual screenshots reveal the layout immediately.
  • Keep labels readable on every block.
  • Use simple native elements only: section, header, nav, aside, footer, p, strong.
  • Do not use icons, SVGs, images, component imports, or decorative UI details.
  • Do not use raw hex values that are too close in lightness for adjacent blocks.
  • Do not rely on dark mode. This prototype may be light-only.

Failure Gates

Before finishing, inspect your own files. Treat any item below as a failure to fix:

  • src/layout.css has container: but no @container.
  • src/layout.css has fewer than two @container blocks for a full page.
  • The base page grid has more than one area name in any row.
  • A sidebar/content two-column layout appears outside a desktop @container.
  • @media is used for layout.
  • The page has horizontal overflow at 390px.
  • Any region label is clipped or unreadable at 390px, 820px, or 1440px.
  • A contiguous reference design produces visible white/body-background gaps between sections.
  • A guttered reference design loses its intended breathing room or outer margin.
  • src/routes/+page.svelte contains an import statement.
  • The prototype uses icons, images, charts, cards, forms, or final UI widgets instead of labelled layout blocks.

Visual Check

For visual work, check screenshots at:

  • 390px mobile
  • 820px tablet
  • 1440px desktop

Pass only if the screenshots show three visibly different, coherent layouts with no horizontal overflow or clipped labels.

Frequently asked questions

What does the Dryui Build AI skill do?

Experimental DryUI page-layout skill that builds colored block page prototypes with mobile-first container queries. Use when testing page layout, responsive regions, dashboards, shells, or full-page structure before detailed UI styling.

Why use Dryui Build on TypingMind?

Because you install it once and use it with any model. Dryui Build is plain Markdown rather than provider-specific code, so the same skill runs on GPT-5, Claude, Gemini, Grok, or a local model — and you can switch model mid-chat without it breaking. TypingMind runs on your own API keys, so you pay providers directly instead of a per-seat subscription, and your skills and chats stay in your own storage.

How do I install Dryui Build in TypingMind?

Open Plugins → Skills → Install from GitHub in TypingMind and paste https://github.com/rob-balfre/dryui/tree/main/reports/skill-experiments/2026-05-11/batch-5/page-layout-blocks. TypingMind reads its SKILL.md and installs it as a skill you can enable per chat.

Which AI models can use Dryui Build?

Any model you connect in TypingMind. AI skills are plain Markdown instructions rather than provider-specific code, so GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, and local models can all load this skill when a request matches it.

How many AI models can I use with Dryui Build?

As many as you like. As long as a model supports skills, you can use Dryui Build with it — GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, Mistral, Llama and more — all on TypingMind with your own API keys.

Is the Dryui Build AI skill free?

Yes. It is published on GitHub by rob-balfre under the MIT license. You only pay your own AI provider for the tokens you use.

What are AI skills?

An AI skill is a reusable instruction bundle that teaches an AI model how to do one specific task. It follows the open Agent Skills format: a SKILL.md file with a name and description, plus any scripts, templates or reference files the model may need. The model reads the instructions only when your request matches the skill, so an installed skill costs nothing until it is used.

How are AI skills different from plugins or MCP servers?

A plugin or MCP server gives a model new tools to call — code that runs somewhere and returns a result. An AI skill gives the model knowledge and process instead: how to approach a task, which steps to follow, what good output looks like. Skills are plain Markdown, so they need no server, no API key and no runtime, and they work with any model.

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