Evaluate and improve interface usability using heuristic analysis. Use when the user mentions "usability audit", "UX review", "users are confused", "heuristic evaluation", "form usability", or "navigation problems". Covers Nielsen''s 10 heuristics, severity ratings, and information architecture. For visual design fixes, see refactoring-ui. For conversion-focused audits, see cro-methodology. Trigger with 'ux', 'heuristics'.
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Evaluate and improve interface usability using heuristic analysis. Use when the user mentions "usability audit", "UX review", "users are confused", "heuristic evaluation", "form usability", or "navigation problems". Covers Nielsen''s 10 heuristics, severity ratings, and information architecture. For visual design fixes, see refactoring-ui. For conversion-focused audits, see cro-methodology. Trigger with 'ux', 'heuristics'.
allowed-tools
Read, Glob, Grep
license
MIT
author
Wondelai <hello@wondelai.com>
version
1.0.1
compatible-with
claude-code, codex, openclaw
tags
["design","audit","ux-heuristics"]
UX Heuristics Framework
Practical usability principles for evaluating and improving user interfaces. Based on a fundamental truth: users don't read, they scan.
Core Principle
"Don't Make Me Think" - Every page should be self-evident. If something requires thinking, it's a usability problem.
The foundation: Users have limited patience and cognitive bandwidth. The best interfaces are invisible -- they let users accomplish goals without ever stopping to wonder "What do I click?" or "Where am I?" Every question mark that pops into a user's head adds to cognitive load and increases the chance they'll leave. Design for scanning, satisficing, and muddling through -- because that's what users actually do.
Scoring
Goal: 10/10. When reviewing or creating user interfaces, rate them 0-10 based on adherence to the principles below. A 10/10 means full alignment with all guidelines; lower scores indicate gaps to address. Always provide the current score and specific improvements needed to reach 10/10.
Krug's Three Laws of Usability
1. Don't Make Me Think
Core concept: Every question mark that pops into a user's head adds to their cognitive load and distracts from the task.
Why it works: Users are on a mission. They don't want to puzzle over labels, wonder what a link does, or decode clever marketing language. The less thinking required, the more likely they complete the task.
Key insights:
Clever names lose to clear names every time
Marketing-speak creates friction; plain language removes it
Unfamiliar categories and labels force users to stop and interpret
Links that could go anywhere create uncertainty
Buttons with ambiguous labels cause hesitation
Product applications:
Context
Application
Example
Navigation labels
Use self-evident names
"Get directions" not "Calculate route to destination"
CTAs
Use action verbs users understand
"Sign in" not "Access your account portal"
E-commerce
Match user mental models
"Add to cart" not "Proceed to purchase selection"
Form labels
Describe what's needed plainly
"Email address" not "Electronic correspondence identifier"
Error states
Tell users what to do next
"Check your email format" not "Validation error"
Copy patterns:
Self-evident labels: "Sign in", "Search", "Add to cart"
Core concept: The myth says "users leave after 3 clicks." The reality is users don't mind clicks if each one is painless, obvious, and confidence-building.
Why it works: Cognitive effort per click matters more than click count. Three mindless, confident clicks are far better than one click that requires deliberation. Users abandon when they lose confidence, not when they run out of patience for clicking.
Key insights:
Each click should be painless (fast, easy)
Each click should be obvious (no thinking required)
Each click should build confidence (users know they're on the right path)
Three mindless clicks beat one confusing click every time
Users abandon when confused, not when they've clicked too many times
Product applications:
Context
Application
Example
Information architecture
Prioritize clarity over depth
Shallow nav with clear labels over deep nav with vague ones
Category filters that narrow results progressively
Onboarding
Guide with small, clear steps
Wizard with one clear action per step
Copy patterns:
Progress indicators: "Step 2 of 4: Shipping details"
Breadcrumbs: "Home > Products > Shoes > Running"
Confirmations at each step: "Great, your email is verified. Now let's set up your profile."
Clear link text: "View all running shoes" not "Click here"
Ethical boundary: Don't use extra steps to bury cancellation flows or make opting out harder. Every click should move users toward their goal, not away from it.
Core concept: Get rid of half the words on each page, then get rid of half of what's left. Brevity reduces noise, makes useful content more prominent, and shows respect for the user's time.
Why it works: Users scan -- they don't read. Every unnecessary word competes with the words that matter. Removing fluff makes important content more discoverable and pages shorter.
Key insights:
Happy-talk ("Welcome to our website!") wastes space
Instructions nobody reads should be removed
"Please" and "Kindly" and polite fluff add noise
Redundant explanations dilute the message
Shorter pages mean less scrolling and faster scanning
Product applications:
Context
Application
Example
Landing pages
Cut welcome copy, lead with value
Remove "Welcome to..." paragraphs
Error messages
State problem and fix, nothing more
"Password too short (min 8 chars)" not a paragraph
Tooltips
One sentence max
"Last 4 digits of your card" not a full explanation
Empty states
Action-oriented, minimal
"No results. Try a different search."
Onboarding
One instruction per screen
"Choose your interests" not a wall of explanatory text
Copy patterns:
Before: "Please kindly note that a password is required in order to proceed to the next step."
After: "Enter your password to continue."
Before: "We've received your message and will get back to you as soon as possible."
After: "Message sent. We'll reply within 24 hours."
Ethical boundary: Brevity must not mean omitting critical information. Concise disclosures for pricing, terms, and data usage are a user right.
Core concept: A test for navigation clarity: if users were dropped on any random page (like being locked in a car trunk and released at a random spot), could they instantly answer six key questions?
Why it works: Good navigation gives users constant orientation. If users can't identify where they are and what their options are, they feel lost and leave.
Key insights:
Users must know what site they're on (brand/logo visible)
Users must know what page they're on (clear heading)
Major sections must be visible (navigation)
Options at this level must be clear (links/buttons)
Position in hierarchy must be apparent (breadcrumbs)
Search must be findable
Product applications:
Context
Application
Example
Global nav
Persistent site ID and sections
Logo top-left, main nav always visible
Page headers
Clear, descriptive page titles
"Running Shoes - Men's" not just "Products"
Breadcrumbs
Show hierarchy on all inner pages
"Home > Products > Shoes > Running"
Mobile nav
Maintain orientation in hamburger menus
Highlight current section, show breadcrumbs
Search
Visible search on every page
Search box in header, not buried in footer
Copy patterns:
Page titles that match the link the user clicked
"You are here" indicators (highlighted nav items, bold breadcrumb)
Section headings that orient: "Your Account > Billing" not just "Settings"
Footer navigation for secondary discovery
Ethical boundary: Navigation should honestly represent site structure. Don't use misleading labels to funnel users into marketing pages.
Keep users informed about what's happening through timely feedback. Every action needs acknowledgment — progress bars for uploads, confirmations for submissions, skeleton screens for loading. Silent failures destroy trust. Copy pattern: "Saving..." → "Saved" (immediate state transitions).
2. Match Between System and Real World
Speak users' language, not system language. Use "Sign in" not "Authenticate", "Search" not "Query." Follow real-world metaphors (trash bin, shopping cart) and natural ordering (street → city → state → zip). One term per concept, everywhere.
3. User Control and Freedom
Provide clear "emergency exits." Undo beats "Are you sure?" dialogs every time — users click through confirmations without reading. Every flow needs cancel/exit, back buttons must never break, and soft delete with undo beats permanent deletion.
4. Consistency and Standards
Same words, styles, and behaviors should mean the same thing throughout. Internal consistency (your app) and external consistency (platform conventions: logo top-left, search top-right). Pick one term per concept — "Projects" everywhere, never mixing with "Workspaces."
5. Error Prevention
Prevent problems before they occur. Constrained inputs (date pickers over text fields), autocomplete, sensible defaults, and "unsaved changes" warnings. Two error types need different prevention: slips (accidental wrong action) and mistakes (wrong intention).
6. Recognition Rather Than Recall
Minimize memory load — show options, don't require memorization. Breadcrumbs, recent searches, pre-filled fields, dropdowns with decoded values (country names, not codes). Human working memory holds ~7 items; recognition is far easier than recall.
7. Flexibility and Efficiency of Use
Serve both novices and experts. Keyboard shortcuts, touch gestures, bulk actions, saved searches, and command palettes (Cmd+K) speed up power users. Progressive disclosure keeps it simple for beginners while experts access full power.
8. Aesthetic and Minimalist Design
Every element must earn its place. Signal-to-noise ratio determines usability — when everything screams for attention, nothing stands out. Show what matters now, hide what doesn't. One primary CTA per page, not five competing ones.
9. Help Users Recognize, Diagnose, and Recover from Errors
Error messages need three parts: what happened, why, and how to fix it. Plain language always ("Connection failed" not "ECONNREFUSED"), specific ("Password must be 8+ characters" not "Invalid"), never blame the user, and preserve their input.
10. Help and Documentation
Help should be searchable, task-focused ("How to..." not technical reference), and contextual (tooltips, inline hints). Types: inline help, contextual "?" icons, searchable knowledge base, guided tours, live support.
See: references/nielsen-heuristics.md for detailed examples, product applications, copy patterns, and ethical boundaries for all 10 heuristics.
Severity Rating Scale
When auditing interfaces, rate each issue:
Severity
Rating
Description
Priority
0
Not a problem
Disagreement, not usability issue
Ignore
1
Cosmetic
Minor annoyance, low impact
Fix if time
2
Minor
Causes delay or frustration
Schedule fix
3
Major
Significant task failure
Fix soon
4
Catastrophic
Prevents task completion
Fix immediately
Rating Factors
Consider all three:
Frequency: How often does it occur?
Impact: How severe when it occurs?
Persistence: One-time or ongoing problem?
Common Mistakes
Mistake
Why It Fails
Fix
Mystery meat navigation
Icons without labels force guessing
Add text labels alongside icons
Too many choices
Decision paralysis slows users
Reduce to 7 plus/minus 2 items
No "you are here" indicator
Users feel lost in the hierarchy
Highlight current section in nav and breadcrumbs
No inline validation
Submit, error, scroll cycle frustrates
Validate on blur with specific messages
Unclear required fields
Users confused about what's mandatory
Mark optional fields, not required (most fields should be required)
Wall of text
Nobody reads dense paragraphs
Break up with headings, bullets, whitespace
Jargon in labels
Users don't speak your internal language
User-test all labels, use plain language
No loading indicators
Users think the system is broken
Show spinner, progress bar, or skeleton screen
Tiny tap targets
Mobile users misclick constantly
Minimum 44x44 px touch targets
Hover-only information
Mobile and keyboard users miss it entirely
Don't hide critical info behind hover states
No undo
Users afraid to take any action
Provide undo for all non-destructive actions
Poor error messages
"Invalid input" tells users nothing
Explain what's wrong and how to fix it
Low contrast text
Unreadable for many users
WCAG AA minimum (4.5:1 contrast ratio)
Inconsistent nav location
Users can't find navigation
Fixed position, same location on every page
Broken back button
Fundamental browser contract violated
Never hijack or break browser history
Quick Diagnostic
Audit any interface:
Question
If No
Action
Can I tell what site/page this is immediately?
Users are lost and disoriented
Add clear logo, page title, and breadcrumbs
Is the main action obvious?
Users don't know what to do
Create visual hierarchy, single primary CTA
Is the navigation clear?
Users can't find their way
Apply the Trunk Test, add "you are here" indicators
Steve Krug is a usability consultant who has been helping companies make their products more intuitive since the 1990s. His book "Don't Make Me Think" (first published in 2000, revised 2014) is the most widely read book on web usability and is considered essential reading for anyone involved in designing interfaces. Known for his accessible, humorous writing style and his advocacy for low-cost usability testing, Krug demonstrated that usability doesn't require a lab or a large budget -- just watching a few real users try to accomplish tasks.
Jakob Nielsen, PhD is co-founder of the Nielsen Norman Group (NN/g) and is widely regarded as the "king of usability." His 10 Usability Heuristics for User Interface Design, published in 1994, remain the most-used framework for heuristic evaluation worldwide. Nielsen has been called "the guru of Web page usability" by The New York Times and has authored numerous influential books on usability engineering. His research-driven approach to interface design helped establish usability as a recognized discipline in software development.
Overview
Evaluate and improve interface usability using heuristic analysis.
Prerequisites
Access to the ORM environment or API
Required CLI tools installed and authenticated
Familiarity with ORM concepts and terminology
Instructions
Assess the current state of the ORM configuration
Identify the specific requirements and constraints
Apply the recommended patterns from this skill
Validate the changes against expected behavior
Document the configuration for team reference
Output
Configuration files or code changes applied to the project
