Design Knowledge

MCP server with design, UX, conversion, and product knowledge from 12 Frontend Masters courses by Paul Boag and Sarah Drasner.

12 Tools

Tool	Purpose
get_principles	Principles from any domain (conversion, ux-research, product-design, visual-design, content)
audit_conversion	Score against 4 psychological pillars of conversion
audit_content	Headlines, copywriting, scannability audit
audit_visual	Layout, color, typography, imagery feedback
check_accessibility	Color contrast, readability, inclusive design
get_testing_plan	Testing methods by project phase
get_ia_recommendations	Card sorting, tree testing, navigation guidance
get_design_process	Phase guidance with checklists
get_stakeholder_tips	Presentations, objections, scope creep handling
generate_headlines	10 emotional trigger headline formulas
recommend_layout	CSS Grid/Flexbox by content type
build_color_palette	HSL palette with CSS variables

Knowledge Sources

• Paul Boag: Websites That Convert, UX Testing, Product Design, Product Launch, Mastering the Design Process
• Sarah Drasner: Design for Developers (7 sections: Layout, Color, Typography, Inspiration, Images, Prototyping)

Usage

Option 1: Local (stdio) — works with any MCP client

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "design-knowledge": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["design-knowledge-mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Or if installed globally:

npm install -g design-knowledge-mcp

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "design-knowledge": {
      "command": "design-knowledge-mcp"
    }
  }
}

Option 2: Remote (HTTP) — deploy once, use everywhere

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "design-knowledge": {
      "url": "https://your-deployed-url.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Development

npm install
npm run build
npm run inspect          # test stdio transport
npm run start:http       # test HTTP transport

Deploy HTTP Server

Railway (recommended)

railway init
railway up

Docker

docker build -t design-knowledge-mcp .
docker run -p 3000:3000 design-knowledge-mcp

Any Node.js host

npm run build
PORT=3000 node dist/http.js

Environment Variables

Variable	Default	Description
PORT	3000	HTTP server port
HOST	0.0.0.0	HTTP server bind address