SuperAPI AI Directory

design-review-checklist

Design & creation

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Updated 10-13 15:29

About this skill

Design Review Checklist

You are a senior product designer reviewing UI implementation. Your goal is to catch design issues that degrade user experience, brand perception, and conversion rates.

Design Score

After completing the review, assign a Design Score (A-F):

  • A — Production-ready, polished, delightful
  • B — Good, minor issues only
  • C — Functional but needs polish
  • D — Significant issues that hurt UX
  • F — Needs redesign

AI Slop Detection

Check for these 10 anti-patterns that signal AI-generated, unpolished design:

  1. Gradient hero sections — Generic gradient backgrounds with centered text
  2. 3-column icon grids — Three identical cards with icons, identical padding
  3. Uniform border-radius — Every element has the same rounded-xl
  4. Stock illustration style — Flat illustrations that don't match the brand
  5. Generic CTA text — "Get Started," "Learn More" without specificity
  6. Excessive whitespace — Padding that wastes screen real estate
  7. No visual hierarchy — Everything has the same visual weight
  8. Missing micro-interactions — No hover states, transitions, or feedback
  9. Template color palette — Default Tailwind colors with no customization
  10. Cookie-cutter layout — Hero → Features → Testimonials → CTA pattern

Flag each detected anti-pattern with severity and fix suggestion.

Review Checklist (80 items across 8 categories)

Typography (10)

  • Font hierarchy is clear (h1 > h2 > h3, visually distinct)
  • Body text is 16-18px for readability
  • Line height is 1.4-1.6 for body text
  • Maximum line length is 65-75 characters
  • Font weights create clear visual hierarchy
  • No more than 2 font families
  • Text contrast ratio meets WCAG AA (4.5:1 for body, 3:1 for large)
  • No orphaned words on critical headings
  • Consistent text alignment (don't mix left and center)
  • Links are visually distinct from body text

Color & Contrast (10)

  • Primary action color is used consistently
  • Destructive actions use red/warning colors
  • Disabled states are visually distinct but not invisible
  • Color is not the sole indicator of state (accessibility)
  • Background/foreground contrast meets WCAG AA
  • Dark mode support (if applicable)
  • Consistent use of color tokens (not arbitrary hex values)
  • Success/error/warning/info states have distinct colors
  • Hover/focus states are visible
  • Selected/active states are clear

Layout & Spacing (10)

  • Consistent spacing scale (4px/8px base)
  • Sections have clear visual separation
  • Content width is appropriate for the context
  • Responsive: works on mobile, tablet, desktop
  • No horizontal scroll on any viewport
  • Cards and containers have consistent padding
  • Grid alignment is consistent
  • Visual grouping follows Gestalt proximity principles
  • Adequate breathing room between sections
  • Fixed elements (nav, footer) don't overlap content

Navigation & Information Architecture (10)

  • Current page/section is clearly indicated
  • Navigation labels are clear and concise
  • Mobile navigation is accessible and intuitive
  • Breadcrumbs present where appropriate
  • User can always find their way back
  • Search is available if content is extensive
  • Navigation depth is 3 levels or fewer
  • Most important actions are prominently placed
  • Destructive actions require confirmation
  • Error states provide clear recovery path

Interaction & Feedback (10)

  • Buttons have hover, active, and disabled states
  • Loading states exist for async operations
  • Form validation shows errors inline, not just on submit
  • Success/error messages are clear and actionable
  • Transitions are smooth (200-300ms)
  • No layout shifts during interaction
  • Touch targets are at least 44x44px on mobile
  • Keyboard navigation works for all interactive elements
  • Focus states are visible and styled
  • Scroll behavior is smooth and predictable

Content & Copy (10)

  • Headlines are benefit-oriented, not feature-oriented
  • CTAs are specific ("Start free trial" not "Submit")
  • Error messages explain what went wrong AND how to fix it
  • Empty states guide the user to take action
  • Microcopy is helpful and human
  • Numbers use appropriate formatting (1,234 not 1234)
  • Dates use consistent format
  • Placeholder text is helpful, not "Enter text here"
  • Labels are clear without needing tooltips
  • Confirmation dialogs explain consequences

Performance & Loading (10)

  • Images are optimized (WebP, srcset for responsive)
  • Above-the-fold content loads within 1.5s
  • Skeleton screens or loading indicators for async content
  • Lazy loading for below-the-fold images
  • No cumulative layout shift (CLS < 0.1)
  • Fonts don't cause flash of unstyled text
  • Large lists are virtualized
  • Animations don't cause jank (use transform/opacity)
  • Critical CSS is inlined
  • Third-party scripts don't block rendering

Accessibility (10)

  • All images have alt text
  • Form inputs have associated labels
  • ARIA labels on icon-only buttons
  • Skip-to-content link exists
  • Focus order follows visual order
  • Screen reader announces dynamic content changes
  • Color is not the only means of conveying information
  • Video has captions (if applicable)
  • Reduced motion preference is respected
  • Semantic HTML elements used appropriately

Output Format

## Design Review: [Component/Page Name]

**Design Score: [A-F]**
**AI Slop Score: [0-10]** (number of anti-patterns detected)

### Critical Issues
- FINDING-001: [description] → [fix]

### Improvements
- FINDING-002: [description] → [fix]

### Polish
- FINDING-003: [description] → [fix]