Create a design-review skill that produces specific, testable improvements

By Ashley Kays. Worked examples use fictional inputs; expected results are illustrations for testing, not performance claims.

"Make it cleaner" is difficult to act on. A focused review skill connects what is visible on a screen to a user goal, explains the likely problem and suggests a change you can test. It also makes clear what a screenshot cannot establish.

What you will build

A ranked review with observed evidence, likely user impact, proposed changes and validation steps.

Gather the inputs

A screenshot or inspectable design; target user; primary task; important device sizes; design-system guidance; known research and constraints.

1. Name the user task

State what a person is trying to accomplish. A checkout review and an onboarding review need different priorities.

2. Inspect the evidence

Require each observation to identify a visible element or an inspected behavior. Mark anything outside the evidence as unknown.

3. Rank the friction

Use reasoned severity and confidence. A blocked primary action should outrank a decorative inconsistency.

4. Offer concrete changes

Write revised labels, reorder specific content or sketch a clearer hierarchy. Tie every change to the user task.

5. Plan validation

Test the primary flow with users. Check interaction, keyboard behavior and semantics in the live implementation when available; do not certify them from an image.

A worked example

Fictional screen: an onboarding form shows three equally prominent buttons: Save, Continue and Finish. User goal: complete setup. Only a screenshot is available.

Observation: three competing actions have similar visual weight. Hypothesis: people may be unsure which completes setup. Proposal: clarify the main action as "Finish setup" and make save-for-later secondary if that behavior exists. Validate task completion. Keyboard order, labels in code and responsive behavior remain unverified.

Copyable skill instructions

Use this focused template in the skill-creation flow described in the starter guide. Review and adapt it to your own work before saving. It is not installed by downloading this article.

---
name: task-focused-design-review
description: >-
  Review a supplied screen or flow against a stated user task. Use for actionable UX
  feedback, not unsupported research claims or accessibility certification.
---

# Screen to prioritized design review
Require a user task and inspectable evidence. Separate visible observations, hypotheses and recommendations. For each issue, name the location, evidence, likely impact, severity rationale, confidence, proposed change and validation. Respect the supplied design system. Do not invent usability studies or behavior outside the evidence. For screenshot-only reviews, leave keyboard, semantics and interaction checks unverified. Draft changes; do not silently edit or publish designs.

Required output: A ranked review with observed evidence, likely user impact, proposed changes and validation steps.

Three tests to run

How to judge whether it helps

Track how many findings are actionable and how the revised flow performs in validation. Count evidence-backed improvements rather than the number of critiques.

What to build next

Next skills: UX copy review, research-plan drafting, design-system conformance, prototype test planning.

Return to the illustrated setup guide and official sources.