Design Critique

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? Do DaisyUI buttons, links, and form controls look clickable/tappable?
• Would a user know what to do without instructions?
• Are hover/focus states providing useful feedback? (Check DaisyUI component state classes)
• 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? (Check Tailwind spacing scale usage)
• 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? (Check Tailwind type scale: text-sm through text-6xl)
• Is body text comfortable to read? (line length via max-w-prose, spacing via leading-*, size)
• Do font choices reinforce the brand/tone?
• Is there enough contrast between heading levels?

Related skill: /design-typeset — for detailed typography refinement

8. Color with Purpose

• Is color used to communicate, not just decorate? (Check DaisyUI semantic color usage: primary, secondary, accent, info, success, warning, error)
• Does the palette feel cohesive? (Check OKLCH theme consistency)
• Are accent colors drawing attention to the right things?
• Does it work for colorblind users? (not just technically — does meaning still come through?)

Related skill: /design-colorize — for strategic color improvements

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? (Check DaisyUI loading component usage)
• Error states: Are they helpful and non-blaming? (Check DaisyUI alert components)
• 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?

Related skill: /design-clarify — for UX microcopy improvements

11. Accessibility (WCAG 2.2)

• Do contrast ratios meet WCAG 2.2 AAA targets (7:1 for text)?
• Is keyboard navigation logical with visible focus indicators?
• Are ARIA roles and labels complete for interactive elements?
• Does the design work with reduced motion preferences?

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 /design-frontend 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)
• Skill: Which skill to use (prefer: /design-colorize, /design-typeset, /design-arrange, /design-animate, /design-polish, /design-normalize, /design-harden, /design-adapt, /design-clarify, /design-bolder, /design-quieter — 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

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