# The Four Verbs in Hallmark CLI: A Complete Guide to default, audit, redesign, and study

> Master Hallmark CLI's four verbs: default, audit, redesign, and study. Explore their unique functions for efficient design workflows and interface analysis. Learn how to leverage each command effectively.

- Repository: [Hassan El Mghari/hallmark](https://github.com/Nutlope/hallmark)
- Tags: how-to-guide
- Published: 2026-08-08

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**Hallmark provides four distinct verbs—**default** (implicit), **audit**, **redesign**, and **study**—each designed for specific design workflows ranging from generating new interfaces to analyzing existing assets.**

The **Hallmark CLI** by Nutlope is an open-source design intelligence tool that structures its command-line interface around four specific action verbs. According to the source code in [`skills/hallmark/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/Nutlope/hallmark/blob/main/skills/hallmark/SKILL.md), Hallmark operates with one default behavior and three explicit verbs, each targeting different stages of the design lifecycle.

## Overview of the Four Verbs in Hallmark

Hallmark’s command architecture distinguishes between an implicit **default** mode and three explicit commands. When you invoke `hallmark` without subcommands, it triggers the default design flow. Appending `audit`, `redesign`, or `study` switches the tool into specialized modes for analysis, restructuring, or research.

## The Default Verb (Design from Scratch)

The **default** verb is implicit; when you run `hallmark` without a suffix, it executes the full Design flow as defined in [`skills/hallmark/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/Nutlope/hallmark/blob/main/skills/hallmark/SKILL.md).

### What the Default Verb Does

This mode generates a new design from scratch using Hallmark’s built-in design flow. It interprets your brief and constructs visual structure, layout, and components without requiring existing assets.

```bash

# Generate a fresh design from a text brief

hallmark "Design a SaaS landing page for a fintech startup"

```

## The Audit Verb (Read-Only Analysis)

The **`audit`** verb performs a read-only evaluation of existing code, scoring it against Hallmark’s anti-pattern list and returning a ranked punch-list of issues.

### Scoring Against Anti-Patterns

As implemented in [`skills/hallmark/references/verbs/audit.md`](https://github.com/Nutlope/hallmark/blob/main/skills/hallmark/references/verbs/audit.md), the audit verb reads a target file, applies severity grading, and verifies stamps without modifying the source. This makes it safe for CI/CD pipelines and pre-deployment checks.

### Usage and Implementation

```bash

# Evaluate an existing page for design anti-patterns

hallmark audit ./src/pages/hero.tsx

```

The audit protocol includes detailed steps for severity classification and stamp verification, ensuring the output is actionable for developers.

## The Redesign Verb (Visual Restructuring)

The **`redesign`** verb takes existing content and intent, then rebuilds the visual structure while preserving the underlying architecture.

### Preserving Intent While Rebuilding

According to [`skills/hallmark/references/verbs/redesign.md`](https://github.com/Nutlope/hallmark/blob/main/skills/hallmark/references/verbs/redesign.md), this verb maintains routes, copy intent, brand identity, and information architecture unless you explicitly authorize a full rebuild. It supports both multi-page and single-page flows with scope detection capabilities.

### Command Syntax

```bash

# Overhaul visual structure while preserving content intent

hallmark redesign ./src/pages/about.tsx --mood luxurious

```

The redesign verb handles stamp management and can adapt to different project scopes, making it ideal for visual refreshes without content migrations.

## The Study Verb (DNA Extraction)

The **`study`** verb extracts design DNA from external sources—either screenshots or live URLs—and produces diagnostic reports.

### Extracting Design DNA from Screenshots and URLs

As specified in [`skills/hallmark/references/study.md`](https://github.com/Nutlope/hallmark/blob/main/skills/hallmark/references/study.md), this verb analyzes macrostructure, type roles, colour anchors, and other visual properties. It operates in two modes: **image mode** for local screenshots and **URL mode** for public websites, with built-in safety checks for both.

### Generating design.md Reports

The study verb can emit a portable [`design.md`](https://github.com/Nutlope/hallmark/blob/main/design.md) file containing the extracted design system, enabling you to port visual languages between projects.

```bash

# Extract DNA from a live site

hallmark study https://example.com/portfolio

# Or analyze a local screenshot

hallmark study ./screenshots/inspiration.png

```

## Quick Reference: When to Use Each Verb

Use this decision matrix to select the appropriate Hallmark verb for your task:

- **Default**: Use when starting fresh with only a brief or concept. No verb suffix required.
- **Audit**: Use when evaluating existing code for design anti-patterns without making changes.
- **Redesign**: Use when refreshing visuals while keeping existing content, routes, and brand intent intact.
- **Study**: Use when researching competitor designs or extracting design systems from screenshots and live sites.

## Summary

- **Default verb**: Implicit mode in [`skills/hallmark/SKILL.md`](https://github.com/Nutlope/hallmark/blob/main/skills/hallmark/SKILL.md) that generates new designs from scratch via the built-in design flow.
- **Audit verb**: Read-only analysis defined in [`skills/hallmark/references/verbs/audit.md`](https://github.com/Nutlope/hallmark/blob/main/skills/hallmark/references/verbs/audit.md) that scores files against anti-patterns with severity grading.
- **Redesign verb**: Visual reconstruction tool specified in [`skills/hallmark/references/verbs/redesign.md`](https://github.com/Nutlope/hallmark/blob/main/skills/hallmark/references/verbs/redesign.md) that preserves information architecture while rebuilding aesthetics.
- **Study verb**: DNA extraction utility detailed in [`skills/hallmark/references/study.md`](https://github.com/Nutlope/hallmark/blob/main/skills/hallmark/references/study.md) that analyzes screenshots and URLs to produce portable [`design.md`](https://github.com/Nutlope/hallmark/blob/main/design.md) reports.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### What is the difference between audit and study in Hallmark?

**Audit** analyzes your existing code files for design anti-patterns and returns a ranked punch-list of issues, while **study** extracts visual DNA (macrostructure, typography, color) from screenshots or external URLs to create research reports. Audit is read-only code analysis; study is visual research and inspiration gathering.

### Can I use Hallmark without specifying a verb?

Yes. Running `hallmark` without a verb suffix invokes the **default** behavior, which initiates the full Design flow to generate new interfaces from a text brief. This is the primary mode for creating designs from scratch.

### Does the redesign verb preserve my existing content?

Yes. According to the source code in [`skills/hallmark/references/verbs/redesign.md`](https://github.com/Nutlope/hallmark/blob/main/skills/hallmark/references/verbs/redesign.md), the redesign verb preserves routes, copy intent, brand elements, and information architecture unless you explicitly authorize a full rebuild. It rebuilds only the visual structure while maintaining the underlying content strategy.

### What file types does the study verb support?

The study verb accepts two input types: **public URLs** (any accessible web page) and **local image files** (screenshots or design mocks). As documented in [`skills/hallmark/references/study.md`](https://github.com/Nutlope/hallmark/blob/main/skills/hallmark/references/study.md), it performs safety checks on both modes before extracting design DNA and optionally emitting a [`design.md`](https://github.com/Nutlope/hallmark/blob/main/design.md) file.