design-critique

SKILL.md

/design-critique

If you see unfamiliar placeholders or need to check which tools are connected, see CONNECTORS.md.

Get structured design feedback across multiple dimensions.

Usage

/design-critique $ARGUMENTS

Review the design: @$1

If a Figma URL is provided, pull the design from Figma. If a file is referenced, read it. Otherwise, ask the user to describe or share their design.

What I Need From You

The design: Figma URL, screenshot, or detailed description

Context: What is this? Who is it for? What stage (exploration, refinement, final)?

Focus (optional): "Focus on mobile" or "Focus on the onboarding flow"

Critique Framework

1. First Impression (2 seconds)

What draws the eye first? Is that correct?

What's the emotional reaction?

Is the purpose immediately clear?

2. Usability

Can the user accomplish their goal?

Is the navigation intuitive?

Are interactive elements obvious?

Are there unnecessary steps?

3. Visual Hierarchy

Is there a clear reading order?

Are the right elements emphasized?

Is whitespace used effectively?

Is typography creating the right hierarchy?

4. Consistency

Does it follow the design system?

Are spacing, colors, and typography consistent?

Do similar elements behave similarly?

5. Accessibility

Color contrast ratios

Touch target sizes

Text readability

Alternative text for images

How to Give Feedback

Be specific: "The CTA competes with the navigation" not "the layout is confusing"

Explain why: Connect feedback to design principles or user needs

Suggest alternatives: Don't just identify problems, propose solutions

Acknowledge what works: Good feedback includes positive observations

Match the stage: Early exploration gets different feedback than final polish

Output

## Design Critique: [Design Name]

### Overall Impression
[1-2 sentence first reaction — what works, what's the biggest opportunity]

### Usability
| Finding | Severity | Recommendation |
|---------|----------|----------------|
| [Issue] | 🔴 Critical / 🟡 Moderate / 🟢 Minor | [Fix] |

### Visual Hierarchy
- **What draws the eye first**: [Element] — [Is this correct?]
- **Reading flow**: [How does the eye move through the layout?]
- **Emphasis**: [Are the right things emphasized?]

### Consistency
| Element | Issue | Recommendation |
|---------|-------|----------------|
| [Typography/spacing/color] | [Inconsistency] | [Fix] |

### Accessibility
- **Color contrast**: [Pass/fail for key text]
- **Touch targets**: [Adequate size?]
- **Text readability**: [Font size, line height]

### What Works Well
- [Positive observation 1]
- [Positive observation 2]

### Priority Recommendations
1. **[Most impactful change]** — [Why and how]
2. **[Second priority]** — [Why and how]
3. **[Third priority]** — [Why and how]

If Connectors Available

If ~~design tool is connected:

Pull the design directly from Figma and inspect components, tokens, and layers

Compare against the existing design system for consistency

If ~~user feedback is connected:

Cross-reference design decisions with recent user feedback and support tickets

Tips

Share the context — "This is a checkout flow for a B2B SaaS" helps me give relevant feedback.

Specify your stage — Early exploration gets different feedback than final polish.

Ask me to focus — "Just look at the navigation" gives you more depth on one area.