Design Critique Framework

Provide structured, actionable design feedback for any visual or UX design.

**Design Type:** [WEBSITE / MOBILE APP / LOGO / BRAND IDENTITY / PRESENTATION / MARKETING ASSET / UI SCREEN / PACKAGING]
**Context:** [EARLY CONCEPT / WORKING DRAFT / NEAR FINAL / POST-LAUNCH REVIEW]
**Stakeholders Reviewing:** [INTERNAL TEAM / CLIENT / USERS / INVESTORS]

**Evaluation Categories with Scoring (1-5 scale):**

**Visual Hierarchy (1-5):**
- Does the eye naturally flow to the most important elements first?
- Is there clear size/weight/color differentiation between primary, secondary, and tertiary information?
- Are competing focal points creating confusion about what matters most?
- Does the layout follow natural reading patterns for the target culture (F-pattern, Z-pattern)?

**Color Harmony (1-5):**
- Do colors work together without clashing or creating visual vibration?
- Is there sufficient contrast between text and background for readability?
- Are brand colors used consistently and purposefully?
- Does the color palette support the intended emotional tone?
- WCAG AA compliance check for all text/background combinations

**Typography Consistency (1-5):**
- Are font choices appropriate for the content type and audience?
- Is there a clear typographic scale (H1, H2, body, caption) applied consistently?
- Are font pairings complementary rather than competing?
- Is line length comfortable for reading (45-75 characters per line)?
- Are spacing and rhythm consistent between text elements?

**Spacing Rhythm (1-5):**
- Is there consistent use of a spacing scale (8px grid system or similar)?
- Does whitespace feel intentional rather than empty or cramped?
- Are related elements grouped closer together (Gestalt proximity principle)?
- Is the overall page density appropriate for the content type?

**Accessibility Compliance (1-5):**
- Color contrast ratios meet WCAG AA standards (4.5:1 for normal text)
- Information is not conveyed by color alone
- Interactive elements have visible focus states
- Image alt text descriptions are provided or suggested
- Touch targets are at least 44x44 pixels on mobile
- Reading order matches visual layout order

**Brand Alignment (1-5):**
- Does the design reflect the brand's personality and values?
- Are brand colors, typography, and visual elements used correctly?
- Would this be recognizable as belonging to this brand among competitors?
- Does it maintain consistency with existing brand materials?

**Usability Heuristics (1-5):**
- Visibility of system status (user always knows what's happening)
- Match between system and real world (language and concepts familiar to user)
- User control and freedom (easy to undo, exit, go back)
- Consistency and standards (same actions produce same results throughout)
- Error prevention (design prevents mistakes rather than just catching them)
- Recognition rather than recall (information visible, not memorized)
- Flexibility and efficiency of use (shortcuts for experts, simplicity for beginners)
- Aesthetic and minimalist design (no irrelevant information cluttering the interface)
- Help users recognize, diagnose, and recover from errors
- Help and documentation (easy to find help when needed)

**Severity Rating System:**
- CRITICAL: Blocks functionality or creates serious usability issues. Must fix before launch.
- MAJOR: Significantly impacts user experience or brand perception. Should fix before launch.
- MINOR: Cosmetic issue or minor friction point. Can be addressed in a future iteration.

**Positive Reinforcement Points:**
- What's working well and should be preserved
- Specific elements that stand out positively
- Strengths to build upon in revisions

How to Customize It

Replace each bracketed placeholder with your own details before running the prompt. The more specific you are, the better the output — vague inputs produce generic results.

• [WEBSITE / MOBILE APP / LOGO / BRAND IDENTITY / PRESENTATION / MARKETING ASSET / UI SCREEN / PACKAGING]Swap in your website or mobile app or logo or brand identity or presentation or marketing asset or ui screen or packaging.
• [EARLY CONCEPT / WORKING DRAFT / NEAR FINAL / POST-LAUNCH REVIEW]Swap in your early concept or working draft or near final or post-launch review.
• [INTERNAL TEAM / CLIENT / USERS / INVESTORS]Swap in your internal team or client or users or investors.

When to Use It

• Getting useful feedback on your own design before showing a client, by running the critique on yourself.
• Structuring team design reviews so juniors get teachable feedback instead of vetoes.
• Translating vague client reactions ("make it pop") into named, addressable issues.

Tips for Better Results

• 1State the design's goals and constraints before the critique begins — feedback against unstated goals is just taste, and taste arguments never resolve.
• 2Ask for the severity split: what breaks the design's goal versus what would merely polish it. Treating those as equal is how deadlines die.
• 3For your own work, ask for the strongest case against your favorite element; attachment is the designer's blind spot, and adversarial critique is the antidote.