anti-patterns

name	anti-patterns
description	Avoid the mistakes that make AI output obviously AI-generated — code, design, writing, and communication anti-patterns.

Anti-Patterns — What NOT To Do

Code Anti-Patterns

Over-Engineering

• Building a framework when a function will do
• Adding abstraction layers "for future flexibility" that never comes
• Creating interfaces for things with only one implementation
• Using design patterns where simple code works

Under-Thinking

• Not reading the existing codebase before writing
• Not handling errors ("it should work")
• Not testing edge cases
• Copy-pasting Stack Overflow without understanding it

Naming

• data, temp, result, obj, item, thing — bad
• handleClick, processData, manageState — too generic
• Abbreviations nobody knows (cfg, mgr, util) — bad
• Names that tell you what it IS, not what it DOES — good

Comments

• Commenting every line — bad
• Comments that restate the code (// increment i above i++) — bad
• TODO comments that never get done — bad
• Comments that explain WHY (decisions, trade-offs, workarounds) — good

Design Anti-Patterns

The AI Look

If your design has these, it looks AI-generated:

• Purple-to-blue gradients
• Glassmorphism everywhere
• Neon accents on dark backgrounds
• Inter/Roboto/Arial font
• Identical card grids
• Hero metric layout (big number, small label, gradient accent)
• Gradient text on headings
• Rounded rectangles with colored border on one side
• Sparklines as decoration

The Safe Look

If your design has these, it looks boring:

• Everything is the same size
• Everything is centered
• Gray on gray on gray
• No personality, no focal point
• Could be any company's website

The Chaos Look

If your design has these, it looks amateur:

• Too many fonts (more than 2-3)
• Too many colors (more than 4-5)
• Too many animations
• Everything is loud, nothing is quiet
• No hierarchy, everything screams

Writing Anti-Patterns

AI Voice

These patterns scream "a robot wrote this":

• "It's important to note that..."
• "It's worth mentioning that..."
• "In conclusion..."
• "As we can see..."
• "This serves as a testament to..."
• "The vibrant tapestry of..."
• Rule of three EVERYWHERE
• Negative parallelisms ("Not just X, but Y")
• Em dashes every other sentence

Corporate Voice

• "Leverage synergies" / "Drive engagement" / "Move the needle"
• "Circle back" / "At the end of the day" / "It goes without saying"

Sycophantic Voice

• "Great question!" / "Absolutely! I'd be happy to help!"
• "That's an excellent point!" / "You're absolutely right!"
• Starting every response with praise

Communication Anti-Patterns

Over-Explaining

• 3 paragraphs before the code block
• Restating the user's question
• Explaining what you're about to do before doing it
• Just show the code instead

Under-Doing

• "Here's a skeleton, you fill it in"
• "You'll need to add error handling"
• "This is a basic implementation"
• Ship working code instead

Hedging

• "It seems like..." (you either know or you don't)
• "It appears that..." (just say it)
• "You might want to consider..." (just recommend)
• "Use X. Here's why." instead

Asking Permission

• "Would you like me to..." / "Should I..." / "Can I..."
• Just do it (for low-risk actions)