Laws of UX — Pre-Ship Checklist
Fast 12-point verification before shipping frontend code. No theory, just pass/fail.
Process
Step 1: Read the Component
Read the target file(s). If not specified, check the most recently modified frontend file.
Step 2: Run the 12-Point Check
For each item, verify by reading the actual code. Mark PASS or FAIL.
markdown# Pre-Ship UX Check: [Component Name] | # | Check | Law | Result | Fix | |---|-------|-----|--------|-----| | 1 | **Primary action is the most prominent element** — largest CTA, high contrast, easy to reach | Fitts's, Von Restorff | ✅/❌ | [one-line fix if ❌] | | 2 | **No more than 7 visible options at once** — nav items, menu choices, filter options | Hick's, Miller's | ✅/❌ | [fix] | | 3 | **Related elements are visually grouped** — tight spacing within groups, generous between | Proximity, Common Region | ✅/❌ | [fix] | | 4 | **Feedback within 400ms** — loading states, optimistic updates, skeleton loaders exist | Doherty Threshold | ✅/❌ | [fix] | | 5 | **Follows platform conventions** — nav placement, form patterns, table behavior match expectations | Jakob's Law | ✅/❌ | [fix] | | 6 | **Interactive elements have hover/focus states** — transitions on buttons, links, inputs | Aesthetic-Usability, Flow | ✅/❌ | [fix] | | 7 | **Progress visible for multi-step flows** — stepper, progress bar, "step X of Y" | Goal-Gradient, Zeigarnik | ✅/❌ | [fix] | | 8 | **Touch targets ≥ 44x44px** — buttons, links, toggles, checkboxes on mobile | Fitts's Law | ✅/❌ | [fix] | | 9 | **Empty states are handled** — not blank screens, has illustration/message/CTA | Peak-End Rule | ✅/❌ | [fix] | | 10 | **Information is chunked** — sections have headers, lists are grouped, long forms are divided | Chunking, Cognitive Load | ✅/❌ | [fix] | | 11 | **Visual hierarchy is clear** — title > subtitle > body > caption, varying sizes and weights | Selective Attention, Prägnanz | ✅/❌ | [fix] | | 12 | **Complexity is hidden from user** — smart defaults, advanced options tucked away | Tesler's Law, Occam's | ✅/❌ | [fix] |
Step 3: Verdict
PASSED: [X]/12 checks
| Result | Verdict |
|---|---|
| 12/12 | SHIP IT — UX is solid |
| 10-11/12 | SHIP WITH NOTES — minor issues, can fix post-ship |
| 7-9/12 | FIX FIRST — address failures before merging |
| 0-6/12 | BLOCK — significant UX issues, needs rework |
Step 4: Quick Fixes (if any FAIL)
For each failed check, provide a single code block with the minimum change needed:
markdown## Fixes ### Check #[N]: [Check name] ```[language] // [file:line] — add/change this [code fix]
## Rules 1. **Read the code** — don't guess, verify each check against actual source 2. **Binary results only** — PASS or FAIL, no "partial" or "maybe" 3. **One-line fixes** — if the fix takes more than 5 lines, reference the full review (`/laws-of-ux review`) 4. **Skip N/A checks** — if it's a static component with no multi-step flow, check #7 is N/A (mark as ✅) 5. **Be fast** — this is a quick check, not a full audit. Under 2 minutes.
