Styling, Assets and Accessibility Use CSS Modules and global CSS with clear ownership, then build an accessible application shell with semantic HTML and useful metadata.
Styling, Assets, Metadata and Accessibility TaskFlow needs enough design to feel like an application, but Phase 03 avoids turning into a CSS framework course. We use global CSS for global rules and CSS Modules for component-scoped styles.
Global CSS has a global responsibility Use src/app/globals.css for document-wide rules such as box sizing, base body typography, background, and CSS variables. Avoid placing page-specific selectors there merely because it is convenient.
CSS Modules for local ownership /* project-card.module.css */ .card { border: 1px solid var(--border); border-radius: 12px; padding: 1rem; }
/* project-card.tsx */ import styles from "./project-card.module.css";
export function ProjectCard() {
return <article className={styles.card}>...</article>;
}The filename communicates that the CSS is scoped to the component/module rather than intended as a site-wide API.
A styling ownership rule Question Preferred home
Does every page need it? globals.css or shared design token
Does one component own it? Component CSS Module
Is it an inline state-dependent value? Occasional style prop, used deliberately
Is it a future design-system primitive? Earn a shared component/package when repeated patterns justify it
Public assets Files in public/ are served from the site root. public/logo.svg is addressed as /logo.svg. Keep public for static assets, not application source code.
Images Next.js provides Image for image optimization and layout behavior. In this early shell, learn the API but do not add images unless they communicate product context. Decorative images are not a requirement for good UI.
Metadata export const metadata = { title: "TaskFlow", description: "Project and task management for focused teams", };
Metadata belongs with the route/layout structure because it describes the document the framework is producing. Later phases can refine per-route metadata.
Accessibility is architecture, not polish • Use real buttons for actions so keyboard behavior exists automatically. • Use visible focus states rather than removing outlines. • Provide labels for controls and meaningful alt text for informative images. • Keep heading hierarchy meaningful. • Use aria-live sparingly for important asynchronous status updates. • Test keyboard navigation while the interface is still small.
Responsive shell without a CSS framework Use modern CSS layout primitives directly. The goal is to understand the browser before adding another vocabulary. The TaskFlow shell can use a responsive grid or flex layout, sensible max width, and media queries where necessary.
Design target TaskFlow -------------------------------------------------- Home Projects Settings
Your work Organize projects and keep tasks moving.
[ Active Projects ] [ Tasks Due ] [ Completed ]Recent projects
[ Website refresh ]
[ Inventory rollout ]The interface should feel intentional but remain small enough that routing and rendering concepts are visible.
Checkpoint • Global styles stay global. • Component styles are locally owned through CSS Modules. • Public assets are addressed from /. • Semantic elements are chosen by meaning rather than appearance. • Keyboard and focus behavior are checked before the phase is complete.
Styling Assets and Accessibility matters because it changes a real boundary in TaskFlow. The goal is to understand the inputs, owner, observable output, and failure modes before adding more abstraction.
Restate the goal of “Styling Assets and Accessibility” as one observable behavior. Write the success signal before touching code.
Trace the boundary map: route data → UI state → component tree → interaction → accessible feedback. Mark the one boundary this lesson changes.
Inspect the current repository state and record the exact files, route, table, or runtime involved. Avoid creating an abstraction before you can name the existing owner.
Implement the smallest vertical slice. Add one coherent change, run the narrowest verification command, and read the output before continuing.
Connect the slice to TaskFlow’s phase artifact: A navigable TaskFlow web shell with route groups/layouts, server-first composition, selective client interactivity, and verified environment handling.. Verify behavior from the outside as a user or API client would.
Create one controlled failure that is safe to reproduce. Predict the symptom first, capture evidence, locate the earliest broken boundary, then fix only that cause.
Close the reference and rebuild or explain the core change from memory. Record what you would monitor or test before trusting the same change in production.
if (query.isPending) return <TaskSkeleton />;
if (query.isError) return <TaskError retry={query.refetch} />;
if (!query.data.length) return <EmptyTasks />;
return <TaskTable tasks={query.data} />;Do not copy this as a finished answer. Predict what each boundary does, type the smallest useful slice, run it, then compare the result with your prediction.
Return to the nearest observable boundary: input, network, process log, database, or rendered UI. Compare actual evidence with the predicted path.
Change one variable at a time and reproduce the original failure after the fix; otherwise you have correlation, not diagnosis.
Without copying the final source, create a second small scenario that applies “Styling Assets and Accessibility” to a different TaskFlow resource or input. Write the acceptance criteria first, implement it, and provide the evidence that each criterion is satisfied.
Add server-only and public environment values and prove which can reach the browser bundle.
Use the smallest change that demonstrates this lesson. Stop after it works and capture evidence.Adding 'use client' too high in the tree
Predict the symptom before causing the failure. Then locate the earliest boundary where reality diverges from expectation.Why does this responsibility live here, what input does it trust, what output proves success, and what would go wrong if another layer owned it?
If your explanation is vague, repeat the boundary trace before moving on.Close the reference. Reproduce the core idea from memory or explain the exact request/data flow aloud. Then check your diff or notes for accidental shortcuts that bypass validation, authorization, error handling, or verification earned in earlier phases.