# UX Reference: Frontend Style Unification

**Feature Branch**: `[001-unify-frontend-style]`
**Created**: 2026-02-23
**Status**: Draft

## 1. User Persona & Context

* **Who is the user?**: Product user and internal analyst who frequently switches between dashboards, tasks, reports, and settings.
* **What is their goal?**: Complete routine operations quickly in a UI that feels consistent, predictable, and trustworthy.
* **Context**: Browser-based multi-page workflow in the existing web frontend, often under time pressure, with repeated navigation between sections.

## 2. The "Happy Path" Narrative

The user opens the application and immediately recognizes where they are because every page has the same shell rhythm: clear title area, predictable action zone, and familiar content layout. As they move between dashboards, tasks, and reports, controls look and behave the same, so they do not need to relearn interactions. Loading and feedback states appear in the same visual language, which reduces hesitation and prevents mistakes. The overall experience feels coherent, fast to parse, and professionally maintained.

## 3. Interface Mockups

### UI Layout & Flow (if applicable)

**Screen/Component**: Global Page Shell + Section Pages (Dashboards, Tasks, Reports)

* **Layout**:
  * Unified vertical rhythm for all primary pages.
  * Consistent top shell: breadcrumb/context (when present), page title, page subtitle/helper text, actions region.
  * Content area uses standardized containers/cards with the same spacing and header/body semantics.
* **Key Elements**:
  * **Primary Action Button**: Same visual hierarchy and placement rule in each section.
  * **Secondary Actions**: Same grouping and alignment rules near the primary action.
  * **Card Containers**: Same elevation/border/radius language and internal spacing.
  * **State Blocks**: Loading, empty, success, and error states share one visual and textual pattern.
* **States**:
  * **Default**: Structured and clean; key action is easy to locate in <5 seconds.
  * **Loading**: Placeholder/skeleton or loader appears in a consistent zone without layout jumps.
  * **Success**: Confirmation message style is consistent in tone and placement.
  * **Error**: Error state uses consistent emphasis and an immediate recovery action (e.g., retry).
  * **Empty**: Neutral empty message with guidance on next action.

## 4. The "Error" Experience

**Philosophy**: Errors should be consistent, informative, and recovery-oriented—never dead ends.

### Scenario A: Validation / Input Conflict

* **User Action**: User applies an invalid filter or submits an incomplete form.
* **System Response**:
  * The problematic field/area is highlighted consistently across modules.
  * A concise message explains what is wrong and what to do next.
* **Recovery**: User can correct input in-place and retry immediately, without page reload.

### Scenario B: Data Loading Failure

* **User Action**: User opens a page and backend request fails.
* **System Response**:
  * A standardized error block appears in the content area.
  * The message format is consistent with other modules.
  * A clear recovery action is presented (e.g., "Retry").
* **Recovery**: User retries from the same state; on success the page returns to normal layout without disorientation.

## 5. Tone & Voice

* **Style**: Concise, clear, and confidence-building.
* **Terminology**: Use consistent terms across the product (e.g., one canonical term per concept), avoid mixed synonyms in state messages and actions.