Aos UX

/aos-ux

Select files, describe the flow, or paste a screenshot path. Then run /aos-ux.

For targeted reviews: /aos-ux forms · /aos-ux navigation · /aos-ux onboarding · /aos-ux mobile · /aos-ux motion

What gets checked

Loading states

• Loading indicator appears within 100ms of a user action
• Skeleton screens used for content areas — not just a spinner
• Long operations (> 3s) show progress indication or estimated time
• Buttons disabled and relabelled ("Saving…") during submission

Error states

• Errors appear inline, near the cause — not only in a toast
• Error messages explain what happened AND what the user should do next
• Recoverable errors have a retry action
• Field-level validation errors appear after blur, not on every keystroke
• Network errors distinguished from validation errors in copy

Empty states

• Empty lists explain why they are empty and offer a next action
• First-time users see onboarding guidance, not a blank page
• Search with no results shows what was searched and suggests an alternative

Forms

• Labels are always visible — no placeholder-as-label pattern
• Required fields are marked, with a legend explaining the mark
• Help text appears below the input; error text replaces it (same position)
• Successful submission confirms what happened and what comes next
• autocomplete attributes set where browser autofill is appropriate
• Tab order follows visual layout — no logical jumps when using keyboard only

Navigation

• Current location is visually indicated in the nav
• Breadcrumbs present on pages more than two levels deep
• Back navigation is available and goes where the user expects
• Destructive actions require explicit confirmation
• Skip-to-content link provided for keyboard users

Visual hierarchy

• One primary CTA per view — no competing equal-weight buttons
• Page title is the first <h1> and matches the nav label
• Visual weight guides the eye to the most important element first
• Whitespace separates sections without needing horizontal rules

Microcopy

• Button labels describe the outcome ("Save changes", not "Submit")
• Destructive actions are explicit ("Delete account", not "Confirm")
• No developer jargon, error codes, or HTTP status numbers in user-facing text
• Tone is consistent across the product
• Success, error, and empty-state messages written from the user's perspective

Responsiveness

• Layout tested at 320px, 768px, and 1280px
• No horizontal scroll at any viewport width
• Touch targets ≥ 44×44px on mobile
• Mobile nav uses a bottom bar or hamburger — not a full desktop nav

Motion and animation

• Animations serve a purpose (orient, feedback, delight) — no decoration-only motion
• prefers-reduced-motion media query respected — disable or tone down animations for users who opt out
• Transitions ≤ 300ms for UI feedback; > 500ms transitions feel sluggish
• No content that flashes more than 3 times per second (seizure risk — WCAG 2.3.1)

Keyboard-only navigation

• Every interactive element reachable and operable by keyboard alone
• Focus trap active inside dialogs and drawers — Tab stays within the overlay
• Focus returned to the trigger element when a dialog closes
• Custom widgets (dropdowns, date pickers, tabs) follow ARIA Authoring Practices keyboard patterns

Dark mode

• If the product supports dark mode: all colours use theme tokens, not hardcoded hex
• Images and icons legible in both modes
• No white text on light background in dark mode (check CSS variables)
• prefers-color-scheme media query used to set the initial theme

Output format

[FAIL] Forms — placeholder used as the only label on the email input
File: src/pages/LoginPage.vue:12
Fix: add a visible <label> above the input; placeholder can remain as a hint
Impact: screen readers and password managers cannot identify the field

[FAIL] Motion — no prefers-reduced-motion check on the page transition animation
File: src/components/PageTransition.tsx:8
Fix:
  @media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
    .page-transition { transition: none; }
  }

[WARN] Empty state — no CTA on the empty orders list
File: src/components/OrderList.tsx:44
Fix: add a "Browse products" button with a short explanatory sentence

[WARN] Keyboard — focus not returned to trigger button after dialog closes
File: src/components/DeleteDialog.tsx:52
Fix: call triggerRef.current?.focus() in the onClose handler

Summary: 2 FAIL · 2 WARN · 10 PASS

Full reference

See REFERENCE.md for annotated examples of every pattern.