ux-heuristics

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---
name: ux-heuristics
description: 'Evaluate and improve interface usability using heuristic analysis. Use when the user mentions "usability audit", "users are confused", "form usability", "navigation problems", "Nielsen heuristics", "cognitive walkthrough", or "is this easy to use". Also trigger when reviewing a design for usability issues, improving form-completion rates, or evaluating information architecture and navigation. Covers Krug''s laws, Nielsen''s 10 heuristics, severity ratings, dark-pattern recognition, and accessibility. For visual design fixes, see refactoring-ui. For conversion-focused audits, see cro-methodology.'
license: MIT
metadata:
  author: wondelai
  version: "1.6.0"
---

# UX Heuristics Framework

Practical usability principles for evaluating and improving user interfaces. Users don't read, they scan; they don't make optimal choices, they satisfice; they don't figure out how things work, they muddle through.

## Core Principle

**"Don't Make Me Think"** — every page should be self-evident. If something requires thinking, it's a usability problem. Users have limited patience and cognitive bandwidth, so design for the scanning, satisficing, and muddling-through behavior described above.

## Scoring

**Goal: 10/10.** Audit the interface, rate every issue on the severity scale below, then score the interface from its Quick Diagnostic results: start at 10 and subtract per failed diagnostic row, weighted by the worst severity it triggers (catastrophic/major rows cost ~2, minor/cosmetic ~1). Bands: **9-10** = no severity-3+ issues and ≤1 failed diagnostic row; **6-8** = some major issues or several failed rows; **3-5** = a catastrophic issue or many failed rows; **≤2** = core tasks blocked. Always state the current score, the highest-severity issues, and the specific fixes needed to reach 10/10.

## Krug's Usability Principles

Laws 1-3 are Krug's Three Laws of Usability; #4, the Trunk Test, is his navigation orientation check.

### 1. Don't Make Me Think

**Core concept:** Every question mark that pops into a user's head adds cognitive load and distracts from the task.

**Why it works:** Users are on a mission — they don't want to puzzle over labels 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 force users to stop and interpret
- Ambiguous links and buttons cause hesitation

**Product applications:**

| Context | Application | Example |
|---------|-------------|---------|
| **Navigation labels** | Self-evident names | "Get directions" not "Calculate route to destination" |
| **CTAs** | Action verbs users understand | "Sign in" not "Access your account portal" |
| **Error states** | Tell users what to do next | "Check your email format" not "Validation error" |

**Copy patterns:**
- Action-oriented buttons: verb + noun ("Create account", "Download report")
- Avoid jargon: "Save" not "Persist", "Remove" not "Disassociate"
- If a label needs explanation, simplify the label

**Ethical boundary:** Clarity should serve users — never use plain language as a veneer to hide unfavorable terms.

See: [references/krug-principles.md](references/krug-principles.md) when you need the full Krug method — scanning/satisficing/muddling psychology, the goodwill reservoir, homepage and tagline guidance, and the $0 usability-testing protocol (how many users, the test script).

### 2. It Doesn't Matter How Many Clicks

**Core concept:** The myth says "users leave after 3 clicks." In reality 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. Users abandon when they lose confidence, not when they run out of patience for clicking.

**Key insights:**
- Each click should be painless, obvious, and confidence-building
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