Design Critique

Critique Framework

1. First Impression (2 seconds)

• What draws the eye first? Is that correct?
• What's the emotional reaction?
• Is the purpose immediately clear?

2. Usability

• Can the user accomplish their goal?
• Is the navigation intuitive?
• Are interactive elements obvious?
• Are there unnecessary steps?

3. Visual Hierarchy

• Is there a clear reading order?
• Are the right elements emphasized?
• Is whitespace used effectively?
• Is typography creating the right hierarchy?

4. Consistency

• Does it follow the design system?
• Are spacing, colors, and typography consistent?
• Do similar elements behave similarly?

5. Accessibility

• Color contrast ratios
• Touch target sizes
• Text readability
• Alternative text for images

How to Give Feedback

• Be specific: "The CTA competes with the navigation" not "the layout is confusing"
• Explain why: Connect feedback to design principles or user needs
• Suggest alternatives: Don't just identify problems, propose solutions
• Acknowledge what works: Good feedback includes positive observations
• Match the stage: Early exploration gets different feedback than final polish

Output

## Design Critique: [Design Name]

### Overall Impression
[1-2 sentence first reaction — what works, what's the biggest opportunity]

### Usability
| Finding | Severity | Recommendation |
|---------|----------|----------------|
| [Issue] | 🔴 Critical / 🟡 Moderate / 🟢 Minor | [Fix] |

### Visual Hierarchy
- **What draws the eye first**: [Element] — [Is this correct?]
- **Reading flow**: [How does the eye move through the layout?]
- **Emphasis**: [Are the right things emphasized?]

### Consistency
| Element | Issue | Recommendation |
|---------|-------|----------------|
| [Typography/spacing/color] | [Inconsistency] | [Fix] |

### Accessibility
- **Color contrast**: [Pass/fail for key text]
- **Touch targets**: [Adequate size?]
- **Text readability**: [Font size, line height]

### What Works Well
- [Positive observation 1]
- [Positive observation 2]

### Priority Recommendations
1. **[Most impactful change]** — [Why and how]
2. **[Second priority]** — [Why and how]
3. **[Third priority]** — [Why and how]

If Connectors Available

If ~~design tool is connected:

• Pull the design directly from Figma and inspect components, tokens, and layers
• Compare against the existing design system for consistency

If ~~user feedback is connected:

• Cross-reference design decisions with recent user feedback and support tickets

Tips

1. Share the context — "This is a checkout flow for a B2B SaaS" helps me give relevant feedback.
2. Specify your stage — Early exploration gets different feedback than final polish.
3. Ask me to focus — "Just look at the navigation" gives you more depth on one area.