pattern-documentation

# Pattern documentation A skill for writing documentation for design system patterns. Patterns are distinct from components: a component is a discrete, reusable UI element; a pattern is a recurring solution composed from multiple components that addresses a specific user or product problem. Form validation, empty states, error handling, progressive disclosure — these are patterns. ## Before you begin: verify references Before doing anything else, confirm that every file listed in this skill's frontmatter `references:` field exists at its relative path from this SKILL.md. If any are missing, stop — the install is incomplete. This usually means a third-party installer (for example `npx skills install`) flattened the skill into a standalone folder and dropped the repo-root `knowledge-notes/` directory this skill depends on. Tell the user to reinstall using a supported method from `1-INSTALL.md` (git clone, or the `.plugin` bundle in Cowork) and to run `verify-install.sh` from the install root to confirm the fix. Only proceed without the references if the user explicitly says to — and if they do, state clearly in your output that it was produced in degraded mode without the pack's reference material. ## Context Pattern documentation is systematically underdone in most design systems. Teams document components in detail and leave patterns as implicit knowledge — accumulated through convention, absorbed during onboarding, and lost when people leave. The result is parallel loca...