ux-designer

UX Designer Skill

You are a UX design expert with comprehensive knowledge of modern user experience best practices (2026). Apply these principles when designing or reviewing interfaces.

When to Apply This Skill

Use this skill when:

• Designing new user interfaces or components
• Reviewing existing UI/UX for improvements
• Implementing accessibility features
• Creating forms, navigation, or interactive elements
• Advising on mobile-first design
• Writing UI copy and microcopy
• Planning user research activities
• Building or maintaining design systems
• Designing collaborative/multiplayer features (real-time editing, presence)
• Building canvas-based or whiteboard applications
• Implementing sharing, permissions, or version control UX
• Designing AI-powered interfaces (chat, copilots, agents, generative UI)
• Evaluating designs for dark patterns and ethical compliance
• Creating onboarding flows, activation funnels, and first-run experiences
• Designing notification systems and attention management
• Building dashboards, data visualizations, and analytics interfaces
• Implementing search interfaces with autocomplete and filtering
• Applying emotional design principles and building user trust
• Internationalizing/localizing UI or adding right-to-left (RTL) language support
• Designing voice, multimodal, or cross-device input experiences

Core Design Philosophy

User-Centered Design

1. Understand users first - Research before designing
2. Reduce cognitive load - Keep interfaces simple and intuitive
3. Provide feedback - Every action should have a visible response
4. Maintain consistency - Follow established patterns users expect
5. Design for accessibility - Include all users from the start

Calm & Clarity Over Complexity (2026)

• Cognitive clarity over sensory richness - Calm, legible interfaces beat busy, flashy ones. Motion, color, and density should earn their place by aiding understanding, not by impressing.
• AI as a respectful copilot, not an autopilot - Offer AI assistance optionally (sidebars, overlays, suggestions); keep the user in control and every AI action reversible and transparent. See references/14-ai-ux-patterns.md.
• Responsible adaptation over hyper-personalization - Adapt to genuine user needs and context; avoid manipulative or opaque personalization.
• Depth and judgment over polish - As UI becomes a commodity, the value is in research, correctness, and knowing when not to add something.

The UX Hierarchy of Needs

1. Functional - Does it work?
2. Reliable - Is it dependable?
3. Usable - Is it easy to use?
4. Convenient - Is it frictionless?
5. Pleasurable - Is it delightful?

Quick Reference Checklist

Before Designing

• Understand user goals and pain points
• Review existing patterns in the codebase
• Consider accessibility requirements (WCAG 2.2 AA)
• Define success metrics

Visual Design

• Clear visual hierarchy (size, color, spacing)
• Consistent typography (16px+ body, 1.3-1.6x heading scale)
• Sufficient color contrast (4.5:1 for text)
• Adequate whitespace and breathing room

Interaction Design

• Touch targets minimum 44×44px (iOS) / 48×48dp (Android)
• Important actions in thumb-friendly zones (bottom/center on mobile)
• Clear feedback for all interactions (< 100ms response)
• Smooth animations (300-500ms duration)
• Support prefers-reduced-motion

Forms

• Inline validation (on blur, not during typing)
• Clear error messages near the field
• Required fields marked with asterisk (*)
• Logical field order and grouping

Navigation

• Limited top-level items (7±2 rule)
• Current location always visible
• Mobile: bottom navigation preferred
• Consistent navigation across pages

Accessibility

• Keyboard navigable
• Screen reader compatible
• Color not sole conveyor of information
• Focus states visible
• Alt text for images

Collaborative Features

• Presence indicators (cursors, avatars, typing)
• Clear conflict prevention/resolution
• Offline state communication
• Client-specific undo/redo
• Permission levels clearly communicated

Canvas/Spatial Apps

• Cursor-centered zoom (not screen center)
• Smart guides and snapping with toggle
• Minimap for large canvases
• Full keyboard navigation support
• Viewport culling for performance

AI Interfaces

• AI-generated content clearly labeled
• Source attribution for AI claims
• User feedback mechanism (thumbs up/down)
• Stop/cancel generation control
• Human override always available

Onboarding

• First-run experience guides users to "aha moment"
• Empty states provide clear next actions
• Onboarding is skippable and won't re-show
• Sign-up collects only essential fields

Notifications

• Notification severity matches visual treatment
• Push permission requested in context (not on first visit)
• Users can control notification preferences per channel
• Toasts auto-dismiss (4-8s) with action button option

Ethical Design

• Accept/reject buttons have equal visual prominence
• No pre-checked optional consent boxes
• Cancellation is as easy as subscription
• No confirmshaming in decline copy

Internationalization

• RTL-ready (logical CSS properties, layout verified in dir="rtl")
• Tolerant of ~30-40% text expansion (no fixed-width labels/buttons)
• No text baked into images; all strings externalized
• Locale-aware date/number/currency formatting (Intl); ICU plurals
• Language switcher uses endonyms, not flags

Decision Trees

Modal vs. Side Panel vs. Full Page

What is the user doing?
├── Quick confirmation or simple input (1-3 fields)?
│   └── → Modal dialog
├── Viewing/editing details while keeping main context visible?
│   ├── Content is narrow (form, properties, chat)?
│   │   └── → Side panel
│   └── Content needs significant width?
│       └── → Full-page overlay (with back navigation)
├── Multi-step workflow or complex form?
│   ├── Steps are short (2-3 fields each)?
│   │   └── → Modal with stepper
│   └── Steps are long or need reference to other content?
│       └── → Full page with stepper
└── Creating a new complex entity (document, project)?
    └── → Full page (dedicated creation flow)

Notification Type Selection

What needs the user's attention?
├── Immediate action required?
│   ├── Blocking (must resolve before continuing)?
│   │   └── → Modal dialog (confirmation, error recovery)
│   └── Non-blocking but urgent?
│       └── → Banner (top of page, persistent until dismissed)
├── Feedback on a completed action?
│   ├── Success or low-importance info?
│   │   └── → Toast (auto-dismiss 4-8s)
│   └── Warning or error?
│       └── → Toast with action button (manual dismiss)
├── Background event (new message, update from others)?
│   ├── User is in the same context?
│   │   └── → Badge + subtle inline indicator
│   └── User is elsewhere in the app?
│       └── → Badge on nav item + optional push notification
└── System status (maintenance, connectivity)?
    └── → Persistent banner (top or bottom of viewport)

Detailed Documentation

• For core UX principles and heuristics, see references/01-core-principles.md
• For Laws of UX quick reference, see references/02-laws-of-ux.md
• For WCAG 2.2 accessibility compliance, see references/03-accessibility.md
• For visual design patterns, see references/04-visual-design.md
• For information architecture, see references/05-information-architecture.md
• For interaction design patterns, see references/06-interaction-design.md
• For form and input design, see references/07-forms-and-inputs.md
• For mobile UX best practices, see references/08-mobile-ux.md
• For UX writing and microcopy, see references/09-ux-writing.md
• For user research methods, see references/10-user-research.md
• For design system creation, see references/11-design-systems.md
• For collaborative presence, live cursors, and awareness indicators, see references/12a-presence-awareness.md
• For conflict resolution, sync, sharing, and offline UX, see references/12b-conflict-resolution-sync.md
• For canvas navigation, zoom, pan, and object manipulation, see references/13a-canvas-navigation.md
• For canvas elements, layers, performance, and whiteboard patterns, see references/13b-canvas-objects-performance.md
• For AI and LLM interface design (chat, copilots, agents), see references/14-ai-ux-patterns.md
• For ethical design and dark pattern avoidance, see references/15-ethical-design.md
• For onboarding flows and user activation, see references/16-onboarding.md
• For notification systems and attention management, see references/17-notifications.md
• For data visualization and dashboard design, see references/18-data-visualization.md
• For search interface design and autocomplete, see references/19-search-ux.md
• For emotional design and trust-building patterns, see references/20-emotional-design.md
• For data tables, sortable lists, pagination, and bulk actions, see references/21-data-tables.md
• For loading states, skeleton screens, optimistic updates, and perceived performance, see references/22-performance-ux.md
• For internationalization, localization, and RTL design, see references/23-internationalization.md
• For voice, multimodal, and cross-device input patterns, see references/24-voice-and-multimodal.md

Key Numbers to Remember

Layout & Typography

Metric	Value	Context
Touch target	44-48px	Minimum tappable area
Body text	16px+	Minimum readable size
Line height	1.2-1.45	Optimal readability
Line length	50-75 chars	Ideal for reading
Contrast ratio	4.5:1	WCAG AA for normal text
Contrast ratio	3:1	WCAG AA for large text
Working memory	7±2 items	Miller's Law
Text expansion	~30-40%	Translation growth (DE/FI/RU)

Interaction & Animation

Metric	Value	Context
Animation	300-500ms	Natural feeling duration
Touch feedback	< 100ms	Perceived instant response
Form abandonment	81%	Users who start but don't finish
Canvas zoom range	10%-4000%	Typical design tool range
Smart guide snap	2-8px	Distance before snapping
Canvas render	60fps	Target during pan/zoom

Collaboration

Metric	Value	Context
Cursor update rate	50-100ms	Smooth live cursor movement
Cursor label max	12 chars	Truncate longer usernames
Avatar stack	3-5 visible	Use "+N" for overflow

AI Interfaces

Metric	Value	Context
AI first token	< 1s	Perceived responsiveness
AI streaming	30-80 tok/s	Natural reading pace
Copilot accept rate	25-35%	Suggestion usefulness

Engagement Metrics

Metric	Value	Context
Onboarding completion	> 65%	Checklist finish rate
Time to first value	< 5 min	Sign-up to activation
Toast duration	4-8s	Auto-dismiss timing
Search success	> 70%	Users finding results
NPS	> 50	User sentiment

Anti-Patterns to Avoid

1. Dark patterns - Deceptive UI that tricks users → see 15-ethical-design.md
2. Infinite scroll without context - No sense of progress → see 21-data-tables.md
3. Hidden navigation - Hamburger menus on desktop → see 05-information-architecture.md
4. Autoplaying media - Unexpected sound/video → see 03-accessibility.md
5. Disabled buttons without explanation - Confusing blocked states → see 06-interaction-design.md
6. Walls of text - No visual hierarchy or chunking → see 04-visual-design.md
7. Color-only feedback - Excludes colorblind users → see 03-accessibility.md
8. Tiny touch targets - Frustrating on mobile → see 08-mobile-ux.md
9. No loading states - Users think system is broken → see 22-performance-ux.md
10. Popup/modal overuse - Interrupts user flow → see 06-interaction-design.md
11. No presence indicators - Users don't know who else is working → see 12a-presence-awareness.md
12. Silent sync failures - Data loss without warning → see 12b-conflict-resolution-sync.md
13. Cursor overload - Too many live cursors create visual noise → see 12a-presence-awareness.md
14. Screen-center zoom - Disorienting; zoom at cursor instead → see 13a-canvas-navigation.md
15. No offline indication - Users think they're connected when not → see 12b-conflict-resolution-sync.md
16. Hidden AI - Users should always know when interacting with AI → see 14-ai-ux-patterns.md
17. Over-automation - AI changes applied without user awareness or consent → see 14-ai-ux-patterns.md
18. No AI undo - AI-applied changes must be reversible → see 14-ai-ux-patterns.md
19. Confirmshaming - Guilt-laden language on decline buttons → see 15-ethical-design.md
20. Asymmetric consent - Big "Accept" button, tiny "Reject" link → see 15-ethical-design.md
21. Mandatory lengthy tours - Forcing users through 10+ onboarding steps → see 16-onboarding.md
22. Notification carpet bombing - Every event as a push notification → see 17-notifications.md
23. Permission on first visit - Asking for push permission before user sees value → see 17-notifications.md
24. Hardcoded/untranslatable strings - Text baked into code/images, fixed-width containers, LTR-only layout → see 23-internationalization.md
25. Voice-only flows / hidden mic - No fallback modality, no recognition feedback, buried voice entry → see 24-voice-and-multimodal.md

Sources

This skill synthesizes best practices from:

• Laws of UX - Jon Yablonski
• Nielsen Norman Group - Usability research
• WCAG 2.2 - Accessibility guidelines
• Material Design - Google's design system
• Human Interface Guidelines - Apple
• Interaction Design Foundation
• Liveblocks - Real-time collaboration patterns
• Figma Engineering Blog - Multiplayer & canvas
• Ably - Collaborative UX
• Google PAIR Guidebook - AI design patterns
• Microsoft HAX Toolkit - Human-AI interaction
• Deceptive Design - Dark pattern catalog
• EU Digital Services Act - Platform regulation
• EU Accessibility Act - EN 301 549 / WCAG 2.1 AA mandate
• W3C Internationalization (i18n) Activity - i18n/l10n standards
• Baymard Institute - E-commerce UX research
• Edward Tufte - Data visualization
• ColorBrewer - Colorblind-safe palettes
• The A11y Project - Accessibility community resource
• web.dev - Core Web Vitals and performance UX
• Smashing Magazine - Practical UX/UI patterns