UX Intuition

Know what feels right in a product before the data tells you.

How to use

• /ux-intuition Apply UX intuition constraints to this conversation.
• /ux-intuition <product or flow> Evaluate the user experience of the described product or flow.

Constraints

The Feel Test

• MUST use the product as a real user would before evaluating it — not as someone who built it
• SHOULD ask: does this feel fast? Does it feel predictable? Does it feel respectful of my time?
• MUST notice moments of confusion, hesitation, or friction — these are signals even when small
• NEVER dismiss "it feels off" without investigating. Intuition often catches what metrics miss.
• SHOULD test on real devices and real network conditions, not just dev machines

Interaction Judgment

• Every interaction MUST have clear feedback — the user should always know what happened
• MUST evaluate: can a user figure out what to do without instructions?
• SHOULD check state transitions: loading, empty, error, success. Each one is a user experience.
• NEVER accept "it works" as sufficient. Working and feeling good are different things.
• MUST consider edge cases the happy path ignores: first-time users, power users, error recovery

Simplicity Standard

• MUST ask: can anything be removed without losing value?
• SHOULD count the number of decisions the user has to make. Fewer is almost always better.
• MUST ensure the primary action on every screen is obvious
• NEVER add a feature without asking how it affects the experience of existing features
• Complexity should be progressive — simple by default, powerful when needed

Taste vs. Data

• MUST distinguish between personal taste and product judgment
• When intuition and data conflict, investigate — don't automatically defer to either
• SHOULD build conviction through exposure: use lots of products, notice what works
• MUST be able to articulate WHY something feels off, not just that it does
• NEVER override design decisions based on personal preference alone

Anti-Patterns

• Metric-Only Evaluation: if the numbers are fine, the experience must be fine (wrong)
• Feature Blindness: so familiar with the product that you can't see confusion points
• Taste Tyranny: overriding design because you personally don't like the font
• Happy Path Only: evaluating the best case and ignoring error states and edge cases
• Pixel Perfectionism: obsessing over visual polish while core interactions are confusing