PluginBench
Skill
Official
Pass
Audit score 90

design-critique

anthropics/knowledge-work-plugins

Get structured design feedback on usability, hierarchy, and consistency.

What is design-critique?

A design critique skill that provides systematic feedback across multiple dimensions: first impression, usability, visual hierarchy, consistency, and accessibility. Use it at any stage from early exploration to final polish by sharing a Figma URL, screenshot, or design description.

  • Analyzes first impression and emotional reaction to designs
  • Evaluates usability, navigation intuitiveness, and task completion
  • Assesses visual hierarchy, reading order, and whitespace effectiveness
  • Checks consistency with design systems and component behavior
  • Reviews accessibility including color contrast, touch targets, and readability
  • Provides prioritized recommendations with explanations and alternatives

How to install design-critique

npx skills add https://github.com/anthropics/knowledge-work-plugins --skill design-critique
Claude Code
Cursor
Windsurf
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How to use design-critique

  1. 1.Share your design via Figma URL, screenshot, or detailed description
  2. 2.Provide context: what the design is, who it's for, and what stage it's at
  3. 3.Optionally specify a focus area (e.g., 'Focus on mobile' or 'Focus on the onboarding flow')
  4. 4.Review the structured critique across five dimensions: first impression, usability, visual hierarchy, consistency, and accessibility
  5. 5.Prioritize recommendations by severity and impact

Use cases

Good for
  • Get feedback on a Figma mockup before handoff to development
  • Review a mobile app screen for usability issues during refinement
  • Evaluate early exploration sketches for concept validation
  • Check final designs against accessibility standards before launch
  • Assess consistency of a new feature against existing design system
Who it's for
  • Product designers and UX designers
  • Design leads and design system maintainers
  • Product managers reviewing design work
  • Frontend developers implementing designs
  • Anyone iterating on visual interfaces

design-critique FAQ

What if I don't have a Figma URL?

You can share a screenshot or provide a detailed description of your design. The skill will work with any format you provide.

When should I use this skill?

At any stage from early exploration to final polish. The feedback adapts to your stage—early concepts get different feedback than final designs.

Can I focus the critique on specific areas?

Yes. You can ask it to focus on particular elements like mobile experience, a specific flow, or navigation to get deeper feedback on those areas.

Does this check against my design system?

If a design tool connector is available, it can pull designs directly from Figma and compare against your design system. Otherwise, provide context about your system.

What makes the feedback actionable?

The skill explains the 'why' behind each finding, connects feedback to design principles or user needs, and suggests specific alternatives rather than just identifying problems.

Full instructions (SKILL.md)

Source of truth, from anthropics/knowledge-work-plugins.


name: design-critique description: Get structured design feedback on usability, hierarchy, and consistency. Trigger with "review this design", "critique this mockup", "what do you think of this screen?", or when sharing a Figma link or screenshot for feedback at any stage from exploration to final polish. argument-hint: "<Figma URL, screenshot, or description>"

/design-critique

If you see unfamiliar placeholders or need to check which tools are connected, see CONNECTORS.md.

Get structured design feedback across multiple dimensions.

Usage

/design-critique $ARGUMENTS

Review the design: @$1

If a Figma URL is provided, pull the design from Figma. If a file is referenced, read it. Otherwise, ask the user to describe or share their design.

What I Need From You

  • The design: Figma URL, screenshot, or detailed description
  • Context: What is this? Who is it for? What stage (exploration, refinement, final)?
  • Focus (optional): "Focus on mobile" or "Focus on the onboarding flow"

Critique Framework

1. First Impression (2 seconds)

  • What draws the eye first? Is that correct?
  • What's the emotional reaction?
  • Is the purpose immediately clear?

2. Usability

  • Can the user accomplish their goal?
  • Is the navigation intuitive?
  • Are interactive elements obvious?
  • Are there unnecessary steps?

3. Visual Hierarchy

  • Is there a clear reading order?
  • Are the right elements emphasized?
  • Is whitespace used effectively?
  • Is typography creating the right hierarchy?

4. Consistency

  • Does it follow the design system?
  • Are spacing, colors, and typography consistent?
  • Do similar elements behave similarly?

5. Accessibility

  • Color contrast ratios
  • Touch target sizes
  • Text readability
  • Alternative text for images

How to Give Feedback

  • Be specific: "The CTA competes with the navigation" not "the layout is confusing"
  • Explain why: Connect feedback to design principles or user needs
  • Suggest alternatives: Don't just identify problems, propose solutions
  • Acknowledge what works: Good feedback includes positive observations
  • Match the stage: Early exploration gets different feedback than final polish

Output

## Design Critique: [Design Name]

### Overall Impression
[1-2 sentence first reaction — what works, what's the biggest opportunity]

### Usability
| Finding | Severity | Recommendation |
|---------|----------|----------------|
| [Issue] | 🔴 Critical / 🟡 Moderate / 🟢 Minor | [Fix] |

### Visual Hierarchy
- **What draws the eye first**: [Element] — [Is this correct?]
- **Reading flow**: [How does the eye move through the layout?]
- **Emphasis**: [Are the right things emphasized?]

### Consistency
| Element | Issue | Recommendation |
|---------|-------|----------------|
| [Typography/spacing/color] | [Inconsistency] | [Fix] |

### Accessibility
- **Color contrast**: [Pass/fail for key text]
- **Touch targets**: [Adequate size?]
- **Text readability**: [Font size, line height]

### What Works Well
- [Positive observation 1]
- [Positive observation 2]

### Priority Recommendations
1. **[Most impactful change]** — [Why and how]
2. **[Second priority]** — [Why and how]
3. **[Third priority]** — [Why and how]

If Connectors Available

If ~~design tool is connected:

  • Pull the design directly from Figma and inspect components, tokens, and layers
  • Compare against the existing design system for consistency

If ~~user feedback is connected:

  • Cross-reference design decisions with recent user feedback and support tickets

Tips

  1. Share the context — "This is a checkout flow for a B2B SaaS" helps me give relevant feedback.
  2. Specify your stage — Early exploration gets different feedback than final polish.
  3. Ask me to focus — "Just look at the navigation" gives you more depth on one area.