| source | shipped |
| name | frontend-ui-audit |
| description | Use when implemented frontend work needs a visual, accessibility, responsiveness, performance, and interaction audit |
| type | colony |
| domains | ["ui","review","quality","frontend"] |
| agent_roles | ["watcher","auditor","includer","architect"] |
| workflow_triggers | ["continue"] |
| task_keywords | ["ui","frontend","visual","accessibility","responsive","interaction"] |
| priority | normal |
| version | 1.0 |
Frontend UI Audit
Purpose
A 6-pillar visual audit of implemented frontend code. Rather than just checking "does it render," this evaluates the UI across six quality dimensions, producing a structured review with specific, actionable findings. The colony builds UIs that look right, work right, and feel right.
When to Use
- User says "review the UI" or "audit the frontend"
- After a frontend phase completes
- Before shipping visual changes
- User wants to verify design-to-implementation accuracy
Instructions
1. The Six Pillars
PILLAR 1 -- CONSISTENCY
- Visual consistency across components (spacing, colors, typography)
- Pattern consistency (same interaction patterns everywhere)
- Naming consistency (component names, prop names)
- State handling consistency (loading, error, empty, success)
PILLAR 2 -- ACCESSIBILITY
- Semantic HTML structure
- ARIA labels and roles where needed
- Keyboard navigation support
- Color contrast ratios
- Screen reader compatibility
- Focus management
PILLAR 3 -- RESPONSIVENESS
- Mobile layout (320px+)
- Tablet layout (768px+)
- Desktop layout (1024px+)
- Large screen (1440px+)
- Touch target sizes
- Content overflow handling
PILLAR 4 -- PERFORMANCE
- Bundle size impact
- Render performance (unnecessary re-renders)
- Image optimization
- Lazy loading where appropriate
- CSS optimization (unused styles, specificity issues)
PILLAR 5 -- AESTHETICS
- Visual hierarchy (most important things stand out)
- Whitespace usage (breathing room)
- Color palette coherence
- Typography scale and rhythm
- Micro-interactions (hover states, transitions)
PILLAR 6 -- INTERACTION
- Loading states (spinners, skeletons, progress)
- Error states (clear messaging, recovery path)
- Empty states (helpful guidance, not blank space)
- Success states (confirmation, next steps)
- Form validation (inline, clear, timely)
2. Audit Process
For each pillar:
1. Scan component files for the relevant patterns
2. Check against best practice standards
3. Identify specific violations or gaps
4. Score: PASS, WARN, or FAIL per check
5. Provide specific fix recommendations with file:line references
3. Audit Report
UI REVIEW -- Phase {N}: {phase_name}
PILLAR | Score | Issues
Consistency | PASS | 0 issues
Accessibility | WARN | 3 issues
Responsiveness | PASS | 0 issues
Performance | WARN | 2 issues
Aesthetics | PASS | 1 minor
Interaction | FAIL | 4 issues
Overall Score: {score}/100
Critical Issues:
Missing alt text on 3 images (accessibility)
No loading state on data fetch (interaction)
Form submit has no feedback (interaction)
Warnings:
Color contrast low on secondary text (accessibility)
Bundle includes unused icon library (performance)
Details: .aether/phases/phase-{N}/UI-REVIEW.md
4. Fix Recommendations
Every issue includes:
- Severity: critical, warning, minor
- File and location
- What's wrong (in plain English)
- How to fix (specific code suggestion)
- Effort estimate
Key Patterns
- Specific, not vague: "Button color is #999 on #f5f5f5 background (contrast 2.1:1, needs 4.5:1)" not "colors need work."
- Every issue has a fix: Don't flag problems without solutions.
- Score honestly: A project with 0 issues is suspicious, not perfect.
- Pillar balance: A UI that's beautiful but inaccessible gets flagged hard.
Output Format
UI | Phase {N}: {score}/100
{pass} | {warn} | {fail} pillars
Critical: {count} | Warnings: {count}
Report: UI-REVIEW.md
Examples
Clean review:
"UI review: 85/100. 4 PASS, 2 WARN. 0 critical issues. Warnings: low contrast on footer links, missing focus ring on modal close button. Quick fixes."
Failed review:
"UI review: 42/100. Interaction FAILS: no loading states, no error states, no form validation. Accessibility FAILS: 5 missing ARIA labels. Recommend fixing before ship."