Conduct a holistic design critique, evaluating whether the interface actually works—not just technically, but as a designed experience. Think like a design director giving feedback.
First: Use the frontend-design skill for design principles and anti-patterns.
Design Critique
Evaluate the interface across these dimensions:
1. AI Slop Detection (CRITICAL)
This is the most important check. Does this look like every other AI-generated interface from 2024-2025?
Review the design against ALL the DON'T guidelines in the frontend-design skill—they are the fingerprints of AI-generated work. Check for the AI color palette, gradient text, dark mode with glowing accents, glassmorphism, hero metric layouts, identical card grids, generic fonts, and all other tells.
The test: If you showed this to someone and said "AI made this," would they believe you immediately? If yes, that's the problem.
2. Visual Hierarchy
- Does the eye flow to the most important element first?
- Is there a clear primary action? Can you spot it in 2 seconds?
- Do size, color, and position communicate importance correctly?
- Is there visual competition between elements that should have different weights?
3. Information Architecture
- Is the structure intuitive? Would a new user understand the organization?
- Is related content grouped logically?
- Are there too many choices at once? (cognitive overload)
- Is the navigation clear and predictable?
4. Emotional Resonance
- What emotion does this interface evoke? Is that intentional?
- Does it match the brand personality?
- Does it feel trustworthy, approachable, premium, playful—whatever it should feel?
- Would the target user feel "this is for me"?
5. Discoverability & Affordance
- Are interactive elements obviously interactive?
- Would a user know what to do without instructions?
- Are hover/focus states providing useful feedback?
- Are there hidden features that should be more visible?
6. Composition & Balance
- Does the layout feel balanced or uncomfortably weighted?
- Is whitespace used intentionally or just leftover?
- Is there visual rhythm in spacing and repetition?
- Does asymmetry feel designed or accidental?
7. Typography as Communication
- Does the type hierarchy clearly signal what to read first, second, third?
- Is body text comfortable to read? (line length, spacing, size)
- Do font choices reinforce the brand/tone?
- Is there enough contrast between heading levels?
8. Color with Purpose
- Is color used to communicate, not just decorate?
- Does the palette feel cohesive?
- Are accent colors drawing attention to the right things?
- Does it work for colorblind users? (not just technically—does meaning still come through?)
9. States & Edge Cases
- Empty states: Do they guide users toward action, or just say "nothing here"?
- Loading states: Do they reduce perceived wait time?
- Error states: Are they helpful and non-blaming?
- Success states: Do they confirm and guide next steps?
10. Microcopy & Voice
- Is the writing clear and concise?
- Does it sound like a human (the right human for this brand)?
- Are labels and buttons unambiguous?
- Does error copy help users fix the problem?
Generate Critique Report
Structure your feedback as a design director would:
Anti-Patterns Verdict
Start here. Pass/fail: Does this look AI-generated? List specific tells from the skill's Anti-Patterns section. Be brutally honest.
Overall Impression
A brief gut reaction—what works, what doesn't, and the single biggest opportunity.
What's Working
Highlight 2-3 things done well. Be specific about why they work.
Priority Issues
The 3-5 most impactful design problems, ordered by importance:
For each issue:
- What: Name the problem clearly
- Why it matters: How this hurts users or undermines goals
- Fix: What to do about it (be concrete)
- Command: Which command to use (prefer: /polish, /audit, /critique, /normalize, /colorize, /animate, /bolder, /quieter, /distill, /clarify, /optimize, /harden, /delight, /extract, /adapt, /onboard, /teach-impeccable — or other installed skills you're sure exist)
Minor Observations
Quick notes on smaller issues worth addressing.
Questions to Consider
Provocative questions that might unlock better solutions:
- "What if the primary action were more prominent?"
- "Does this need to feel this complex?"
- "What would a confident version of this look like?"
Remember:
- Be direct—vague feedback wastes everyone's time
- Be specific—"the submit button" not "some elements"
- Say what's wrong AND why it matters to users
- Give concrete suggestions, not just "consider exploring..."
- Prioritize ruthlessly—if everything is important, nothing is
- Don't soften criticism—developers need honest feedback to ship great design