Published 19 September 2026 · Source dated 1 January 1994
Jakob Nielsen's ten usability heuristics have been the backbone of UX critique since 1994. They're worth relearning properly, not just skimming the list.
Coach
Pick one screen from your own portfolio and run it against all ten heuristics — write down which one it breaks hardest, and fix that first.
Surf this topic: UCD methods (opens in a new tab)
Source: nngroup.com (opens in a new tab) ·
AI tools can generate screens fast, but they don't validate usability — that's still on you. Classic heuristic evaluation is more relevant, not less, now that production speed has gone up.
nngroup.com (opens in a new tab)
Your move
before you ship your next AI-assisted screen, run a quick 10-point heuristic check against it and write down what fails.
More first drafts are arriving via AI agents, but the fundamentals of a good design critique haven't moved. IxDF's literature on critique still holds regardless of who — or what — made the first version.
interaction-design.org (opens in a new tab)
Your move
next time you review an AI-assisted design, ask 'what user problem does this solve?' before commenting on how it looks.
As AI agents generate more first-draft wireframes and flows, the design skill in demand is shifting toward structured critique and evaluation rather than pure production. Design practitioner writing this month frames this as the real workflow shift for UX, not the AI tools themselves.
smashingmagazine.com (opens in a new tab)
Your move
Next time you use an AI tool to draft a screen, run a 10-minute heuristic pass on it before you touch it — write down every issue before you fix anything.
