garrytan · garrytan · Mar 23, 2026 · Mar 23, 2026 · Mar 23, 2026 · Mar 23, 2026
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,15 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## [0.11.3.0] - 2026-03-23 — Design Outside Voices
+
+### Added
+
+- **Every design review now gets a second opinion.** `/plan-design-review`, `/design-review`, and `/design-consultation` dispatch both Codex (OpenAI) and a fresh Claude subagent in parallel to independently evaluate your design — then synthesize findings with a litmus scorecard showing where they agree and disagree. Cross-model agreement = high confidence; disagreement = investigate.
+- **OpenAI's design hard rules baked in.** 7 hard rejection criteria, 7 litmus checks, and a landing-page vs app-UI classifier from OpenAI's "Designing Delightful Frontends" framework — merged with gstack's existing 10-item AI slop blacklist. Your design gets evaluated against the same rules OpenAI recommends for their own models.
+- **Codex design voice in every PR.** The lightweight design review that runs in `/ship` and `/review` now includes a Codex design check when frontend files change — automatic, no opt-in needed.
+- **Outside voices in /office-hours brainstorming.** After wireframe sketches, you can now get Codex + Claude subagent design perspectives on your approaches before committing to a direction.
+- **AI slop blacklist extracted as shared constant.** The 10 anti-patterns (purple gradients, 3-column icon grids, centered everything, etc.) are now defined once and shared across all design skills. Easier to maintain, impossible to drift.
+
 ## [0.11.2.0] - 2026-03-22 — Codex Just Works
 
 ### Fixed

diff --git a/TODOS.md b/TODOS.md
@@ -432,6 +432,30 @@ Shipped: Default model changed to Sonnet for structure tests (~30), Opus retaine
 
 Shipped as v0.5.0 on main. Includes `/plan-design-review` (report-only design audit), `/qa-design-review` (audit + fix loop), and `/design-consultation` (interactive DESIGN.md creation). `{{DESIGN_METHODOLOGY}}` resolver provides shared 80-item design audit checklist.
 
+### Design outside voices in /plan-eng-review
+
+**What:** Extend the parallel dual-voice pattern (Codex + Claude subagent) to /plan-eng-review's architecture review section.
+
+**Why:** The design beachhead (v0.11.3.0) proves cross-model consensus works for subjective reviews. Architecture reviews have similar subjectivity in tradeoff decisions.
+
+**Context:** Depends on learnings from the design beachhead. If the litmus scorecard format proves useful, adapt it for architecture dimensions (coupling, scaling, reversibility).
+
+**Effort:** S
+**Priority:** P3
+**Depends on:** Design outside voices shipped (v0.11.3.0)
+
+### Outside voices in /qa visual regression detection
+
+**What:** Add Codex design voice to /qa for detecting visual regressions during bug-fix verification.
+
+**Why:** When fixing bugs, the fix can introduce visual regressions that code-level checks miss. Codex could flag "the fix broke the responsive layout" during re-test.
+
+**Context:** Depends on /qa having design awareness. Currently /qa focuses on functional testing.
+
+**Effort:** M
+**Priority:** P3
+**Depends on:** Design outside voices shipped (v0.11.3.0)
+
 ## Document-Release
 
 ### Auto-invoke /document-release from /ship — SHIPPED

diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-0.11.2.0
+0.11.3.0
diff --git a/design-consultation/SKILL.md b/design-consultation/SKILL.md
@@ -423,6 +423,71 @@ If the user said no research, skip entirely and proceed to Phase 3 using your bu
 
 ---
 
+## Design Outside Voices (parallel)
+
+Use AskUserQuestion:
+> "Want outside design voices? Codex evaluates against OpenAI's design hard rules + litmus checks; Claude subagent does an independent design direction proposal."
+>
+> A) Yes — run outside design voices
+> B) No — proceed without
+
+If user chooses B, skip this step and continue.
+
+**Check Codex availability:**
+```bash
+which codex 2>/dev/null && echo "CODEX_AVAILABLE" || echo "CODEX_NOT_AVAILABLE"
+```
+
+**If Codex is available**, launch both voices simultaneously:
+
+1. **Codex design voice** (via Bash):
+```bash
+TMPERR_DESIGN=$(mktemp /tmp/codex-design-XXXXXXXX)
+codex exec "Given this product context, propose a complete design direction:
+- Visual thesis: one sentence describing mood, material, and energy
+- Typography: specific font names (not defaults — no Inter/Roboto/Arial/system) + hex colors
+- Color system: CSS variables for background, surface, primary text, muted text, accent
+- Layout: composition-first, not component-first. First viewport as poster, not document
+- Differentiation: 2 deliberate departures from category norms
+- Anti-slop: no purple gradients, no 3-column icon grids, no centered everything, no decorative blobs
+
+Be opinionated. Be specific. Do not hedge. This is YOUR design direction — own it." -s read-only -c 'model_reasoning_effort="medium"' --enable web_search_cached 2>"$TMPERR_DESIGN"
+```
+Use a 5-minute timeout (`timeout: 300000`). After the command completes, read stderr:
+```bash
+cat "$TMPERR_DESIGN" && rm -f "$TMPERR_DESIGN"
+```
+
+2. **Claude design subagent** (via Agent tool):
+Dispatch a subagent with this prompt:
+"Given this product context, propose a design direction that would SURPRISE. What would the cool indie studio do that the enterprise UI team wouldn't?
+- Propose an aesthetic direction, typography stack (specific font names), color palette (hex values)
+- 2 deliberate departures from category norms
+- What emotional reaction should the user have in the first 3 seconds?
+
+Be bold. Be specific. No hedging."
+
+**Error handling (all non-blocking):**
+- **Auth failure:** If stderr contains "auth", "login", "unauthorized", or "API key": "Codex authentication failed. Run `codex login` to authenticate."
+- **Timeout:** "Codex timed out after 5 minutes."
+- **Empty response:** "Codex returned no response."
+- On any Codex error: proceed with Claude subagent output only, tagged `[single-model]`.
+- If Claude subagent also fails: "Outside voices unavailable — continuing with primary review."
+
+Present Codex output under a `CODEX SAYS (design direction):` header.
+Present subagent output under a `CLAUDE SUBAGENT (design direction):` header.
+
+**Synthesis:** Claude main references both Codex and subagent proposals in the Phase 3 proposal. Present:
+- Areas of agreement between all three voices (Claude main + Codex + subagent)
+- Genuine divergences as creative alternatives for the user to choose from
+- "Codex and I agree on X. Codex suggested Y where I'm proposing Z — here's why..."
+
+**Log the result:**
+```bash
+~/.claude/skills/gstack/bin/gstack-review-log '{"skill":"design-outside-voices","timestamp":"'"$(date -u +%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ)"'","status":"STATUS","source":"SOURCE","commit":"'"$(git rev-parse --short HEAD)"'"}'
+```
+Replace STATUS with "clean" or "issues_found", SOURCE with "codex+subagent", "codex-only", "subagent-only", or "unavailable".
+
 ## Phase 3: The Complete Proposal
 
 This is the soul of the skill. Propose EVERYTHING as one coherent package.

diff --git a/design-consultation/SKILL.md.tmpl b/design-consultation/SKILL.md.tmpl
@@ -131,6 +131,8 @@ If the user said no research, skip entirely and proceed to Phase 3 using your bu
 
 ---
 
+{{DESIGN_OUTSIDE_VOICES}}
+
 ## Phase 3: The Complete Proposal
 
 This is the soul of the skill. Propose EVERYTHING as one coherent package.

diff --git a/design-review/SKILL.md b/design-review/SKILL.md
@@ -856,6 +856,75 @@ Tie everything to user goals and product objectives. Always suggest specific imp
 10. **Depth over breadth.** 5-10 well-documented findings with screenshots and specific suggestions > 20 vague observations.
 11. **Show screenshots to the user.** After every `$B screenshot`, `$B snapshot -a -o`, or `$B responsive` command, use the Read tool on the output file(s) so the user can see them inline. For `responsive` (3 files), Read all three. This is critical — without it, screenshots are invisible to the user.
 
+### Design Hard Rules
+
+**Classifier — determine rule set before evaluating:**
+- **MARKETING/LANDING PAGE** (hero-driven, brand-forward, conversion-focused) → apply Landing Page Rules
+- **APP UI** (workspace-driven, data-dense, task-focused: dashboards, admin, settings) → apply App UI Rules
+- **HYBRID** (marketing shell with app-like sections) → apply Landing Page Rules to hero/marketing sections, App UI Rules to functional sections
+
+**Hard rejection criteria** (instant-fail patterns — flag if ANY apply):
+1. Generic SaaS card grid as first impression
+2. Beautiful image with weak brand
+3. Strong headline with no clear action
+4. Busy imagery behind text
+5. Sections repeating same mood statement
+6. Carousel with no narrative purpose
+7. App UI made of stacked cards instead of layout
+
+**Litmus checks** (answer YES/NO for each — used for cross-model consensus scoring):
+1. Brand/product unmistakable in first screen?
+2. One strong visual anchor present?
+3. Page understandable by scanning headlines only?
+4. Each section has one job?
+5. Are cards actually necessary?
+6. Does motion improve hierarchy or atmosphere?
+7. Would design feel premium with all decorative shadows removed?
+
+**Landing page rules** (apply when classifier = MARKETING/LANDING):
+- First viewport reads as one composition, not a dashboard
+- Brand-first hierarchy: brand > headline > body > CTA
+- Typography: expressive, purposeful — no default stacks (Inter, Roboto, Arial, system)
+- No flat single-color backgrounds — use gradients, images, subtle patterns
+- Hero: full-bleed, edge-to-edge, no inset/tiled/rounded variants
+- Hero budget: brand, one headline, one supporting sentence, one CTA group, one image
+- No cards in hero. Cards only when card IS the interaction
+- One job per section: one purpose, one headline, one short supporting sentence
+- Motion: 2-3 intentional motions minimum (entrance, scroll-linked, hover/reveal)
+- Color: define CSS variables, avoid purple-on-white defaults, one accent color default
+- Copy: product language not design commentary. "If deleting 30% improves it, keep deleting"
+- Beautiful defaults: composition-first, brand as loudest text, two typefaces max, cardless by default, first viewport as poster not document
+
+**App UI rules** (apply when classifier = APP UI):
+- Calm surface hierarchy, strong typography, few colors
+- Dense but readable, minimal chrome
+- Organize: primary workspace, navigation, secondary context, one accent
+- Avoid: dashboard-card mosaics, thick borders, decorative gradients, ornamental icons
+- Copy: utility language — orientation, status, action. Not mood/brand/aspiration
+- Cards only when card IS the interaction
+- Section headings state what area is or what user can do ("Selected KPIs", "Plan status")
+
+**Universal rules** (apply to ALL types):
+- Define CSS variables for color system
+- No default font stacks (Inter, Roboto, Arial, system)
+- One job per section
+- "If deleting 30% of the copy improves it, keep deleting"
+- Cards earn their existence — no decorative card grids
+
+**AI Slop blacklist** (the 10 patterns that scream "AI-generated"):
+1. Purple/violet/indigo gradient backgrounds or blue-to-purple color schemes
+2. **The 3-column feature grid:** icon-in-colored-circle + bold title + 2-line description, repeated 3x symmetrically. THE most recognizable AI layout.
+3. Icons in colored circles as section decoration (SaaS starter template look)
+4. Centered everything (`text-align: center` on all headings, descriptions, cards)
+5. Uniform bubbly border-radius on every element (same large radius on everything)
+6. Decorative blobs, floating circles, wavy SVG dividers (if a section feels empty, it needs better content, not decoration)
+7. Emoji as design elements (rockets in headings, emoji as bullet points)
+8. Colored left-border on cards (`border-left: 3px solid <accent>`)
+9. Generic hero copy ("Welcome to [X]", "Unlock the power of...", "Your all-in-one solution for...")
+10. Cookie-cutter section rhythm (hero → 3 features → testimonials → pricing → CTA, every section same height)
+
+Source: [OpenAI "Designing Delightful Frontends with GPT-5.4"](https://developers.openai.com/blog/designing-delightful-frontends-with-gpt-5-4) (Mar 2026) + gstack design methodology.
+
 Record baseline design score and AI slop score at end of Phase 6.
 
 ---
@@ -879,6 +948,87 @@ Record baseline design score and AI slop score at end of Phase 6.
 
 ---
 
+## Design Outside Voices (parallel)
+
+**Automatic:** Outside voices run automatically when Codex is available. No opt-in needed.
+
+**Check Codex availability:**
+```bash
+which codex 2>/dev/null && echo "CODEX_AVAILABLE" || echo "CODEX_NOT_AVAILABLE"
+```
+
+**If Codex is available**, launch both voices simultaneously:
+
+1. **Codex design voice** (via Bash):
+```bash
+TMPERR_DESIGN=$(mktemp /tmp/codex-design-XXXXXXXX)
+codex exec "Review the frontend source code in this repo. Evaluate against these design hard rules:
+- Spacing: systematic (design tokens / CSS variables) or magic numbers?
+- Typography: expressive purposeful fonts or default stacks?
+- Color: CSS variables with defined system, or hardcoded hex scattered?
+- Responsive: breakpoints defined? calc(100svh - header) for heroes? Mobile tested?
+- A11y: ARIA landmarks, alt text, contrast ratios, 44px touch targets?
+- Motion: 2-3 intentional animations, or zero / ornamental only?
+- Cards: used only when card IS the interaction? No decorative card grids?
+
+First classify as MARKETING/LANDING PAGE vs APP UI vs HYBRID, then apply matching rules.
+
+LITMUS CHECKS — answer YES/NO:
+1. Brand/product unmistakable in first screen?
+2. One strong visual anchor present?
+3. Page understandable by scanning headlines only?
+4. Each section has one job?
+5. Are cards actually necessary?
+6. Does motion improve hierarchy or atmosphere?
+7. Would design feel premium with all decorative shadows removed?
+
+HARD REJECTION — flag if ANY apply:
+1. Generic SaaS card grid as first impression
+2. Beautiful image with weak brand
+3. Strong headline with no clear action
+4. Busy imagery behind text
+5. Sections repeating same mood statement
+6. Carousel with no narrative purpose
+7. App UI made of stacked cards instead of layout
+
+Be specific. Reference file:line for every finding." -s read-only -c 'model_reasoning_effort="high"' --enable web_search_cached 2>"$TMPERR_DESIGN"
+```
+Use a 5-minute timeout (`timeout: 300000`). After the command completes, read stderr:
+```bash
+cat "$TMPERR_DESIGN" && rm -f "$TMPERR_DESIGN"
+```
+
+2. **Claude design subagent** (via Agent tool):
+Dispatch a subagent with this prompt:
+"Review the frontend source code in this repo. You are an independent senior product designer doing a source-code design audit. Focus on CONSISTENCY PATTERNS across files rather than individual violations:
+- Are spacing values systematic across the codebase?
+- Is there ONE color system or scattered approaches?
+- Do responsive breakpoints follow a consistent set?
+- Is the accessibility approach consistent or spotty?
+
+For each finding: what's wrong, severity (critical/high/medium), and the file:line."
+
+**Error handling (all non-blocking):**
+- **Auth failure:** If stderr contains "auth", "login", "unauthorized", or "API key": "Codex authentication failed. Run `codex login` to authenticate."
+- **Timeout:** "Codex timed out after 5 minutes."
+- **Empty response:** "Codex returned no response."
+- On any Codex error: proceed with Claude subagent output only, tagged `[single-model]`.
+- If Claude subagent also fails: "Outside voices unavailable — continuing with primary review."
+
+Present Codex output under a `CODEX SAYS (design source audit):` header.
+Present subagent output under a `CLAUDE SUBAGENT (design consistency):` header.
+
+**Synthesis — Litmus scorecard:**
+
+Use the same scorecard format as /plan-design-review (shown above). Fill in from both outputs.
+Merge findings into the triage with `[codex]` / `[subagent]` / `[cross-model]` tags.
+
+**Log the result:**
+```bash
+~/.claude/skills/gstack/bin/gstack-review-log '{"skill":"design-outside-voices","timestamp":"'"$(date -u +%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%SZ)"'","status":"STATUS","source":"SOURCE","commit":"'"$(git rev-parse --short HEAD)"'"}'
+```
+Replace STATUS with "clean" or "issues_found", SOURCE with "codex+subagent", "codex-only", "subagent-only", or "unavailable".
+
 ## Phase 7: Triage
 
 Sort all discovered findings by impact, then decide which to fix:

diff --git a/design-review/SKILL.md.tmpl b/design-review/SKILL.md.tmpl
@@ -84,6 +84,8 @@ mkdir -p "$REPORT_DIR/screenshots"
 
 {{DESIGN_METHODOLOGY}}
 
+{{DESIGN_HARD_RULES}}
+
 Record baseline design score and AI slop score at end of Phase 6.
 
 ---
@@ -107,6 +109,8 @@ Record baseline design score and AI slop score at end of Phase 6.
 
 ---
 
+{{DESIGN_OUTSIDE_VOICES}}
+
 ## Phase 7: Triage
 
 Sort all discovered findings by impact, then decide which to fix:

diff --git a/office-hours/SKILL.md b/office-hours/SKILL.md
@@ -731,6 +731,35 @@ Reference the wireframe screenshot in the design doc's "Recommended Approach" se
 The screenshot file at `/tmp/gstack-sketch.png` can be referenced by downstream skills
 (`/plan-design-review`, `/design-review`) to see what was originally envisioned.
 
+**Step 6: Outside design voices** (optional)
+
+After the wireframe is approved, offer outside design perspectives:
+
+```bash
+which codex 2>/dev/null && echo "CODEX_AVAILABLE" || echo "CODEX_NOT_AVAILABLE"
+```
+
+If Codex is available, use AskUserQuestion:
+> "Want outside design perspectives on the chosen approach? Codex proposes a visual thesis, content plan, and interaction ideas. A Claude subagent proposes an alternative aesthetic direction."
+>
+> A) Yes — get outside design voices
+> B) No — proceed without
+
+If user chooses A, launch both voices simultaneously:
+
+1. **Codex** (via Bash, `model_reasoning_effort="medium"`):
+```bash
+TMPERR_SKETCH=$(mktemp /tmp/codex-sketch-XXXXXXXX)
+codex exec "For this product approach, provide: a visual thesis (one sentence — mood, material, energy), a content plan (hero → support → detail → CTA), and 2 interaction ideas that change page feel. Apply beautiful defaults: composition-first, brand-first, cardless, poster not document. Be opinionated." -s read-only -c 'model_reasoning_effort="medium"' --enable web_search_cached 2>"$TMPERR_SKETCH"
+```
+Use a 5-minute timeout (`timeout: 300000`). After completion: `cat "$TMPERR_SKETCH" && rm -f "$TMPERR_SKETCH"`
+
+2. **Claude subagent** (via Agent tool):
+"For this product approach, what design direction would you recommend? What aesthetic, typography, and interaction patterns fit? What would make this approach feel inevitable to the user? Be specific — font names, hex colors, spacing values."
+
+Present Codex output under `CODEX SAYS (design sketch):` and subagent output under `CLAUDE SUBAGENT (design direction):`.
+Error handling: all non-blocking. On failure, skip and continue.
+
 ---
 
 ## Phase 4.5: Founder Signal Synthesis
-Original file line number
+Diff line change
@@ Expand Up @@
     ---
+    {{DESIGN_OUTSIDE_VOICES}}
     ## Phase 3: The Complete Proposal
     This is the soul of the skill. Propose EVERYTHING as one coherent package.
@@ Expand Down @@