1---2name: design-heuristics3description: Rams' 10 principles, Nielsen's usability heuristics, Three Lenses evaluation, and senior-vs-junior design thinking frameworks — structured rubrics for design critique, not vibes. Identifies design anti-patterns with fixes before they reach users. Use proactively when evaluating a design before shipping, running a structured design critique or review, applying Rams or Nielsen heuristics, distinguishing senior from junior design thinking, or identifying design anti-patterns.4---56# Design Heuristics78Evaluation frameworks for rigorous design critique. Use these to evaluate work before shipping, not after.910## Purpose1112- Provide structured evaluation rubrics (not vibes)13- Distinguish senior from junior design thinking14- Identify common design anti-patterns with fixes15- Enable self-critique before peer review1617---1819## Rams' 10 Principles — Evaluation Rubric2021| # | Principle | Ask Yourself | Pass | Fail |22|---|-----------|-------------|------|------|23| 1 | **Innovative** | Does this explore new possibilities or just copy patterns? | Introduces at least one novel interaction or visual approach | Pure template reproduction |24| 2 | **Useful** | Does every element serve the user's goal? | All elements traceable to user needs | Decorative elements with no function |25| 3 | **Aesthetic** | Is the visual design intentional and cohesive? | Named aesthetic direction, consistent application | "Clean and modern" without specifics |26| 4 | **Understandable** | Can a new user grasp this without instructions? | Self-evident UI, progressive disclosure | Requires tutorial or manual |27| 5 | **Unobtrusive** | Does the design serve content, not itself? | Content is hero, chrome is invisible | Design competes with content |28| 6 | **Honest** | Does it promise only what it delivers? | Accurate affordances, no dark patterns | Misleading buttons, hidden costs |29| 7 | **Long-lasting** | Will this feel dated in 6 months? | Based on principles, not trends | Relies on current trend (glassmorphism everywhere) |30| 8 | **Thorough** | Is every detail considered? | All states, edge cases, error paths designed | Only happy path designed |31| 9 | **Environmentally friendly** | Is it efficient with resources? | Optimized assets, minimal HTTP requests, lean code | Bloated, wasteful, over-engineered |32| 10 | **Minimal** | Is anything here unnecessary? | Every element justified | Elements that can be removed without loss |3334**Scoring:** Count passes. 8+ = ship it. 6-7 = iterate. Below 6 = rethink approach.3536---3738## Nielsen's 10 Usability Heuristics — Checklist3940| # | Heuristic | Common Violations | How to Detect |41|---|-----------|-------------------|---------------|42| 1 | **Visibility of system status** | No loading indicators, silent failures, no progress feedback | Trigger every action — does the user know what's happening? |43| 2 | **Match between system and real world** | Technical jargon in UI, unfamiliar icons, developer-facing error messages | Read all copy aloud — would a non-technical user understand? |44| 3 | **User control and freedom** | No undo, no cancel, no back button, trapped in modal flows | Try to exit every flow mid-way — can you? |45| 4 | **Consistency and standards** | Same action, different buttons; same icon, different meanings | Catalog all interactive patterns — are they consistent? |46| 5 | **Error prevention** | No validation until submit, easy mis-clicks, no confirmation for destructive actions | Try to make mistakes — does the system prevent them? |47| 6 | **Recognition rather than recall** | Hidden options, empty search, no recent items, no autocomplete | Can you complete tasks without remembering anything? |48| 7 | **Flexibility and efficiency** | No keyboard shortcuts, no bulk actions, no shortcuts for power users | Complete the same task 10 times — is there a faster way? |49| 8 | **Aesthetic and minimalist design** | Cluttered screens, competing CTAs, information overload | Cover each element — if removed, would users miss it? |50| 9 | **Help users recognize and recover from errors** | Generic "Error" messages, no recovery action, unclear next steps | Trigger every error — does the message explain what happened AND what to do? |51| 10 | **Help and documentation** | No tooltips, no onboarding, no contextual help | Can a new user complete key tasks without external help? |5253---5455## Three Lenses Evaluation5657### Desirability (Would users choose this?)5859| Question | Evidence Required |60|----------|-------------------|61| Does this solve a real user pain point? | User research, support tickets, analytics data |62| Would users choose this over alternatives? | Competitive analysis, unique value proposition |63| Does the emotional experience match the brand? | Journey emotional mapping, tone consistency |6465### Feasibility (Can we build this?)6667| Question | Evidence Required |68|----------|-------------------|69| Do we have the technical capability? | Stack assessment, team skills review |70| Can we build this within reasonable complexity? | Architecture review, dependency analysis |71| Does it integrate with existing systems? | API compatibility, data model fit |7273### Viability (Does this make business sense?)7475| Question | Evidence Required |76|----------|-------------------|77| Does this align with business goals? | OKR mapping, strategy alignment |78| Can we sustain this long-term? | Maintenance cost, operational requirements |79| Does the value justify the investment? | ROI estimate, opportunity cost analysis |8081**All three must pass.** A beautiful, feasible design that doesn't make business sense fails. A viable, desirable design that can't be built fails. A feasible, viable design nobody wants fails.8283---8485## Senior vs Junior Thinking8687| Dimension | Junior Approach | Senior Approach |88|-----------|-----------------|-----------------|89| **Scope** | Designs the screen | Designs the system |90| **Principles** | Follows rules | Knows when to break rules (and why) |91| **Feedback** | Takes it personally | Uses it as design fuel |92| **Decisions** | "I like this" | "This works because [principle]" |93| **Collaboration** | Presents finished work | Involves stakeholders in process |94| **Problem framing** | Solves the stated problem | Questions whether it's the right problem |95| **Rationale** | "It looks good" | "It communicates [X] because [Y]" |96| **Systems thinking** | Designs components | Designs relationships between components |97| **Constraints** | Sees limitations | Sees creative opportunities |98| **Output** | One solution | Multiple options with tradeoffs |99100---101102## 10 Design Anti-Patterns103104| # | Anti-Pattern | Symptom | Fix |105|---|-------------|---------|-----|106| 1 | **Assumption-Driven Design** | No user research cited, "users want..." without evidence | Ground every decision in research, data, or analogous cases |107| 2 | **Feature Creep** | Every edge case gets a UI element, cluttered interface | Prioritize ruthlessly, use progressive disclosure |108| 3 | **Inconsistent Patterns** | Same action looks different in different places | Create pattern library, audit for consistency |109| 4 | **Accessibility Afterthought** | WCAG compliance bolted on at the end | Design accessible from the start, test continuously |110| 5 | **Mobile-as-Shrink** | Desktop design squished onto mobile | Design mobile-first, add complexity for larger screens |111| 6 | **Dark Patterns** | Tricks users into unintended actions | Apply the "newspaper test" — would you be embarrassed if reported? |112| 7 | **Information Overload** | Everything visible at once, no hierarchy | Progressive disclosure, clear visual hierarchy |113| 8 | **Generic Copywriting** | "Submit", "Error", "Welcome to our platform" | Name every action specifically, write helpful error messages |114| 9 | **Ignoring Edge Cases** | Only happy path designed, errors crash gracefully | Design empty, error, loading, and partial states first |115| 10 | **Desktop-Only Thinking** | No touch targets, hover-dependent interactions, fixed widths | Test on mobile devices, use responsive patterns |116117---118119## Validation Checklist120121### Before Storing Work Product122- [ ] Scored 8+ on Rams' Principles123- [ ] All 10 Nielsen Heuristics addressed (no violations)124- [ ] All Three Lenses pass (Desirable + Feasible + Viable)125- [ ] No anti-patterns present126- [ ] Rationale given for every major design decision (not "it looks nice")127- [ ] Multiple concepts considered with tradeoffs documented128- [ ] Senior thinking patterns applied (systems, not screens)
Everyone-Needs-A-Copilot