Design Critique

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

1. Identify what you're critiquing - Screen, component, flow, or interaction
2. Gather context - Platform, users, constraints (if available)
3. Apply the lens - Clarity, hierarchy, interaction, accessibility, craft
4. Prioritize issues - P0 (blocking) through P3 (polish)
5. Propose fixes - Specific, actionable changes

Quick Check (Use CHECKLIST.md for detailed pass)

• Can users predict outcomes before acting?
• Is the hierarchy of information obvious?
• Are interactive elements clearly distinguished?

• Do all states exist? (hover, focus, active, disabled, loading, error)
• Is feedback immediate?
• Can users recover from errors?

• Focus visible and logical?
• Contrast sufficient?
• Touch targets adequate (44x44pt)?

Output Contract

## 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

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

Deep Reference

• CHECKLIST.md - Quick pass checklist
• PRINCIPLES.md - Full critique principles and examples