Design Critique

Honest, specific, actionable feedback on interface design.

The Critique Stance

• Be direct. No soft language. No vibes-only feedback.

• Point to specifics, not generalities.

• Explain why, not just what.

• Reference principles, not preferences.

• Offer fixes, not just problems.

Process

• Identify what you're critiquing - Screen, component, flow, or interaction

• Gather context - Platform, users, constraints (if available)

• Apply the lens - Clarity, hierarchy, interaction, accessibility, craft

• Prioritize issues - P0 (blocking) through P3 (polish)

• Propose fixes - Specific, actionable changes

Quick Check (Use CHECKLIST.md for detailed pass)

Clarity

• Can users predict outcomes before acting?

• Is the hierarchy of information obvious?

• Are interactive elements clearly distinguished?

Interaction

• Do all states exist? (hover, focus, active, disabled, loading, error)

• Is feedback immediate?

• Can users recover from errors?

Accessibility

• Focus visible and logical?

• Contrast sufficient?

• Touch targets adequate (44x44pt)?

Output Contract

Structure every critique as:

Verdict

[1 sentence: ship/iterate/rethink]

Issues

P0: [Issue Name]

• What's wrong: [Specific observation]
• Why it matters: [User impact]
• Evidence: [Element, screen, or behavior]
• Fix: [Actionable change]

P1: [Issue Name]

...

Accessibility Pass

• Focus visibility: [Pass / Issue + fix]
• Contrast: [Pass / Issue + fix]
• Touch targets: [Pass / Issue + fix]
• Motion: [Respects reduced-motion? / Issue]

What's Working

[2-3 things done well - critique includes praise]

Next Steps

• [Verification action 1]
• [Verification action 2]

Severity Levels

Level Description Action

P0 Blocks task, causes confusion, or data loss Must fix before ship

P1 Frequent friction, misclicks, unclear recovery Should fix

P2 Polish, efficiency, minor annoyance Fix if time permits

P3 Nice-to-have refinement Consider for later

The Questions Behind Everything

• "What is the user trying to do here?"

• "What's the most important thing on this screen?"

• "What would happen if we removed this?"

• "Would a new user understand this?"

• "Are we proud of this?"

Common Critique Notes

"Too busy": Too many things competing for attention. Remove until important things breathe.

"Not discoverable": Hidden functionality, unlabeled icons, gestures without affordance.

"Inconsistent": Different patterns for similar actions. Pick one and commit.

"Feels off": Usually spacing, alignment, or timing. The eye knows before the mind articulates.

"Overdesigned": Every effect turned up. Decoration overwhelming function. Subtract until inevitable.

Deep Reference

For detailed heuristics, common failures, and platform-specific patterns:

• CHECKLIST.md - Quick pass checklist

• PRINCIPLES.md - Full critique principles and examples