nWave-ai Web UI Patterns
Actionable web interface patterns for requirements gathering and design review. Use when the target platform is web (browser-based applications).
Navigation Patterns
| Pattern | When to Use | When to Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Top navigation bar | 5-7 primary sections, marketing/content sites | Deep hierarchies with 20+ sections |
| Side navigation | Complex apps with many sections, admin dashboards | Simple sites with few pages |
| Breadcrumbs | Deep hierarchies, e-commerce categories | Flat site structures |
| Command palette (Cmd+K) | Power user tools, developer-facing apps | Consumer apps targeting non-technical users |
| Tab bar (mobile) | 3-5 primary destinations | More than 5 destinations |
| Hamburger menu | Secondary navigation, mobile space constraints | Primary navigation users need frequently |
| Mega menu | Large sites with categorized content | Simple sites, mobile interfaces |
Navigation must answer three questions: Where am I? Where can I go? How do I get back?
Key principles: consistent placement across all pages | highlight current location | limit primary nav to 5-7 items (Hick's Law) | provide search as alternative for content-heavy apps
Form Design
Layout
- Labels above input fields (highest completion rates in eye-tracking studies)
- One column layouts outperform multi-column for most forms
- Group related fields with visual proximity and clear section headings
- Primary action buttons left-aligned with form fields
Validation: Reward Early, Punish Late
- Validate on blur (when user leaves field), not while typing
- Remove error messages immediately when user corrects the field
- Show success indicators only when helpful (e.g., password strength)
- Validation summary at top for longer forms, plus inline errors
Error Messages Must Include
- What went wrong (plain language) | 2. Where the error is (highlight field) | 3. How to fix it (specific guidance, not "invalid input")
Progressive Forms
- Split long forms across multiple steps (one-thing-per-page pattern)
- Show progress indicators for multi-step forms
- Allow saving progress and returning later
- Reduce fields through smart defaults and progressive disclosure
Data Display Patterns
| Pattern | Best For | Key Considerations |
|---|---|---|
| Tables | Structured data with multiple attributes, comparison | Sortable columns, fixed headers, responsive collapse |
| Cards | Browsable collections with images/summaries | Consistent sizes, clear click targets, max 3-4 per row |
| Lists | Sequential items, search results, feeds | Clear boundaries, scannable titles, secondary info on right |
| Dashboards | KPI monitoring, status overviews | Important metrics top-left, max 7 widgets, allow customization |
Pagination vs Infinite Scroll
- Pagination: Goal-directed tasks (search, admin panels) -- gives position and control
- Infinite scroll: Discovery browsing (social media, galleries) -- reduces friction
Responsive Design
Mobile-First Approach
Design mobile layout first, then enhance for larger screens. Ensures core content and functionality are prioritized.
Breakpoints (starting points)
360-480px: Mobile | 768px: Tablet | 1024-1280px: Small desktop | 1440px+: Large desktop
Key Techniques
- Fluid typography:
clamp()for smooth scaling;rem/emoverpxfor accessible sizing - Container queries: Components respond to container size (not viewport), enabling reusable components
- Responsive images: Serve appropriate sizes; use
srcsetandpictureelements
Component Patterns
| Component | Use For | Anti-pattern |
|---|---|---|
| Modal dialog | Decisions requiring immediate attention; blocks until resolved | Information not requiring action; stacking modals |
| Toast/snackbar | Non-critical confirmation ("Item saved") | Critical errors or info users must not miss |
| Drawer/sheet | Supplementary content or filters alongside main view | Primary content or complex multi-step forms |
| Popover/tooltip | Contextual help or previews on hover/focus | Critical info or complex interactions |
| Command palette | Quick action access via keyboard | Only navigation method (need visual alternatives) |
Motion and Micro-interactions
When Motion Helps
Showing cause and effect (button press ripple) | Guiding attention to changes (new item slides in) | Providing feedback (spinners, progress bars) | Explaining spatial relationships (drawer slides from side) | Maintaining context during transitions (shared element transitions)
When Motion Distracts
Decorative animations with no function | Animations delaying task completion | Rapid/large-scale motion (respect prefers-reduced-motion) | Looping animations that cannot be paused
Duration guidelines: 100-200ms for simple state changes | 200-500ms for complex transitions | never exceed 500ms for functional animations
Design System Guidance
When to Use Existing vs Custom
| Situation | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Internal tools, admin dashboards | Use existing system (Material UI, Ant Design, Radix) |
| Consumer product with strong brand | Custom system on headless library (Radix, Headless UI) |
| MVP or prototype | Use existing system; customize later |
| Platform with strict brand guidelines | Custom system, adopt token architecture from established systems |
Established systems to evaluate: Material Design (Google) | Fluent Design (Microsoft) | Carbon (IBM) | Polaris (Shopify) | Primer (GitHub) | Lightning (Salesforce)
Design Tokens
Atomic values defining visual design: colors, spacing, typography, shadows.
| Level | Example | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Global | color-blue-500: #3B82F6 |
Raw palette values |
| Semantic | color-primary: {color-blue-500} |
Meaningful names |
| Component | button-bg: {color-primary} |
Component-specific references |
Use 8px spacing grid. Use modular typography scale (1.25 or 1.333 ratio).
Web-Specific Anti-Patterns
| Anti-Pattern | Alternative |
|---|---|
| Autoplay video with sound | Mute by default, user-initiated play |
| Full-page interstitials on mobile | Inline or bottom-sheet prompts |
| Captchas for every action | Risk-based authentication, invisible captchas |
| Horizontal scrolling for content | Responsive layout fitting viewport |
| Form validation only on submit | Inline validation with reward-early-punish-late |
| Mystery meat navigation (icons only) | Label all nav items; icons supplement, not replace |
| Stacking modals | Inline expansion or navigate to new page |
Acceptance Criteria Template (Web)
Feature: [Feature Name]
# Platform: web
# Key heuristics: [applicable Nielsen heuristics]
# Accessibility: WCAG 2.2 AA
Scenario: Happy path
Given [context]
When [user action]
Then [expected visible result]
And system provides feedback within 100ms
And the action can be undone via [mechanism]
Scenario: Error state
Given [context leading to error]
When [user action that triggers error]
Then an error message explains what happened
And the error message suggests what to do next
And the error is shown inline next to the relevant field
Scenario: Empty state
Given no [resources] exist yet
When the user navigates to the [resource] view
Then a helpful message explains what [resources] are
And a clear call to action creates the first one
Scenario: Keyboard accessibility
Given the user navigates with keyboard only
When they tab through the interface
Then all interactive elements are reachable
And focus indicators are visible
Source: nWave-ai/nWave → nWave/skills/nw-ux-web-patterns/SKILL.md
Also appears in: nWave-ai/nWave/plugins/nw/skills/nw-ux-web-patterns/SKILL.md