ux-baseline-check

# UX Baseline Check ## Core Pack — Always Active This is a core skill. Apply it on ALL visual and frontend work alongside design-review. Every screen ships with ALL states covered. No exceptions. This is the minimum bar. ## The State Inventory Before any page or component is "done", verify each applicable state exists: ### 1. Data States - [ ] **Empty** — no data yet. Helpful message + clear CTA, not a blank screen - [ ] **Loading** — skeleton, spinner, or shimmer. Never a white flash - [ ] **Loaded** — the happy path, obviously - [ ] **Error** — API failure, network issue. User-friendly message + retry action - [ ] **Partial** — some data loaded, some failed. Don't hide what works - [ ] **Long content** — what happens with 200 items? 2000-character names? Test it ### 2. Interaction States - [ ] **Hover** — every clickable element has a hover state - [ ] **Focus** — keyboard navigation works, focus rings visible - [ ] **Active/pressed** — buttons respond to clicks visually - [ ] **Disabled** — grayed out with clear reason why (tooltip or helper text) - [ ] **Selected** — multi-select, current tab, active filter all visually distinct ### 3. Form States - [ ] **Validation** — inline errors on blur, not just on submit - [ ] **Required fields** — clearly marked - [ ] **Success feedback** — user knows their action worked (toast, inline, redirect) - [ ] **Destructive confirmation** — delete/remove actions require confirmation - [ ] **Autofill** — doesn't break layout when browser autofills ### 4. Responsive - [ ] **Mobile (375px)** — usable, not just visible. Touch targets ≥48px with ≥8px spacing between them - [ ] **Tablet (768px)** — layout adapts, not just shrinks - [ ] **Desktop (1280px)** — the primary target, looks intentional - [ ] **Wide (1800px+)** — content doesn't stretch absurdly. Max-width or centered ### 5. Accessibility - [ ] **Keyboard nav** — can reach all interactive elements with Tab - [ ] **Screen reader** — semantic HTML, aria-labels on icons, alt text on images - [ ] **Color contrast** — 4.5:1 minimum for text (use WebAIM checker) - [ ] **No color-only indicators** — don't rely solely on red/green for status ### 6. Edge Cases - [ ] **First-time user** — onboarding or empty state guides them - [ ] **Permission denied** — user sees why they can't access, not a broken page - [ ] **Stale data** — timestamps or refresh indicators when data might be outdated - [ ] **Concurrent edits** — what happens if two people edit the same thing? ## How to Use Run this checklist AFTER the feature works but BEFORE design review. For each missing state, either: 1. **Implement it** (preferred) 2. **Document it as a known gap** and tell Aaron explicitly Never silently skip a state. If it's intentionally deferred, say so. ## Quick Pass vs Full Pass **Quick pass** (components, small features): States 1-2 only **Full pass** (pages, flows, shipping features): All 6 sections ## The Test Ask yourself: "What happens if the network is slow, the data is weird, the user is on a phone, or they're using a keyboard?" If you don't know, you haven't finished.