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No.151 · AI & Chat

Prompt Composer

A chat composer where attached files tuck into its top edge like tabs in a folder — they rise from behind it when added and sink back when removed. Send turns into stop while the reply streams.

The prompt

The design brief behind this component — reuse it to regenerate, remix, or explain it.

Design a chat composer (think a calm Claude/ChatGPT-style input) whose attachments are part of the object. The composer body is a 22px-radius surface with a hairline ring and soft shadow; a textarea that grows with its content up to ~8 lines (Enter sends, Shift+Enter breaks); a tools row with a round attach button, a 'Search' toggle chip, a model chip whose label rolls up when it changes, a mic button, and a round ink send button. Attached files are not chips inside the box: they are tabs standing on the composer's top edge, in the same surface colour, with rounded top corners, a hairline on their top and sides, and small inverse-radius corners (radial-gradient pseudo-elements) so each tab grows out of the edge like a folder tab. Each tab has a coloured three-letter type glyph (PDF / CSV / IMG / </>), a truncated file name and a remove ×. A new tab rises from behind the edge (translateY 100% → 0, 520ms expo-out, staggered 50ms); a removed tab sinks back behind it (360ms ease-in) before leaving the DOM. The tabs row animates its height open, and the body's top-left corner tightens when tabs are present. Files come from the picker, drag-and-drop or paste. Sending clears the text and sinks the tabs; the send button's arrow lifts out and a stop square scales in while a thin accent arc turns around the button until the reply finishes (click it to stop). Ship a warm paper theme (ivory, clay accent) and a night theme.

Notes

Interaction
Type and press Enter (Shift+Enter for a new line); attach via +, drag-and-drop or paste; remove a file with its ×; while generating, the send button stops the reply.
Motion
Tabs rise 520ms / sink 360ms from behind the top edge; textarea auto-grows; model label rolls 360ms; send → stop morph with a 1.1s turning arc.
Accessibility
Labelled textarea; tabs are a list with 'Remove file' buttons; icon buttons have labels; model and search chips expose state (aria-pressed / label); 'Generating a reply' is announced. Reduced motion makes every transition instant.
Responsive
Fluid up to 44rem; tabs truncate their names and cap at six.
On touch
Every control is a real button at 34–38px; the file picker works on mobile and pasted images attach.

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