UI/UX evaluation based on Nielsen's 10 Heuristics — available for 4 platforms in 11 AI coding tool formats.
| Platform | Folder | Target |
|---|---|---|
| Web | web/ |
Website, web app, dashboard |
| Mobile | mobile/ |
iOS, Android, cross-platform apps |
| Desktop | desktop/ |
macOS, Windows, Linux apps |
| CLI | cli/ |
CLI tools, TUI, terminal apps |
Each platform has a variant for every AI tool:
| Tool | File | Folder |
|---|---|---|
| OpenCode | SKILL.md |
{platform}/SKILL.md |
| Claude Code | CLAUDE.md |
tools/claude-code/{platform}/ |
| Cursor | .cursorrules |
tools/cursor/{platform}/ |
| Windsurf | .windsurfrules |
tools/windsurf/{platform}/ |
| GitHub Copilot | .github/copilot-instructions.md |
tools/github-copilot/{platform}/ |
| Aider | CONVENTIONS.md |
tools/aider/{platform}/ |
| Continue | .continuerc.md |
tools/continue/{platform}/ |
| Codex CLI | CODEX.md |
tools/codex-cli/{platform}/ |
| Augment | AUGMENT.md |
tools/augment/{platform}/ |
| PearAI | .pearai/instructions.md |
tools/pearai/{platform}/ |
| Cody | .cody/instructions.md |
tools/cody/{platform}/ |
Already in skill format — load by name:
# The skill is auto-discovered when placed under .agents/skills/
skill load usability-heuristicsCopy entire skill directory (includes references/ for supplementary modules):
cp -r . /project/.opencode/skills/usability-heuristics/Place CLAUDE.md at your project root, and optionally copy references/ for supplementary module support:
cp tools/claude-code/web/CLAUDE.md /project/CLAUDE.md
cp -r references/ /project/references/ # optional, enables Data Viz + Accessibility modulesClaude Code reads CLAUDE.md automatically — no config needed. Supported locations (highest priority first):
{project}/CLAUDE.md{project}/.claude/CLAUDE.md~/CLAUDE.md(global, all projects)
The references/ folder is optional but recommended — it enables the supplementary Data Visualization and Accessibility modules.
Place .cursorrules at your project root:
cp tools/cursor/web/.cursorrules /project/.cursorrulesFor Cursor 0.45+ with rule scoping, use the .cursor/rules/ directory:
cp tools/cursor/web/.cursorrules /project/.cursor/rules/usability-heuristics.mdcPlace .windsurfrules at your project root:
cp tools/windsurf/web/.windsurfrules /project/.windsurfrulesWindsurf reads it automatically. For scoped rules, see Windsurf's .windsurf/rules/ directory.
Place copilot-instructions.md under .github/:
cp "tools/github-copilot/web/.github/copilot-instructions.md" "/project/.github/copilot-instructions.md"Copilot reads it automatically when editing files matching the scope in the YAML frontmatter. No extension needed.
Place CONVENTIONS.md at your project root:
cp tools/aider/web/CONVENTIONS.md /project/CONVENTIONS.mdAider reads conventions from CONVENTIONS.md automatically when present in the repo. Also supported: .aider.conf.yml.
Place .continuerc.md at your project root:
cp tools/continue/web/.continuerc.md /project/.continuerc.mdContinue reads .continuerc.md automatically. Also supported: .continuerc.json (JSON format).
Place CODEX.md at your project root:
cp tools/codex-cli/web/CODEX.md /project/CODEX.mdCodex CLI reads CODEX.md automatically for project-level instructions.
Place AUGMENT.md at your project root:
cp tools/augment/web/AUGMENT.md /project/AUGMENT.mdAugment reads AUGMENT.md automatically. Also supported: INSTRUCTIONS.md.
Place instructions.md under .pearai/:
cp "tools/pearai/web/.pearai/instructions.md" "/project/.pearai/instructions.md"PearAI reads instructions from .pearai/instructions.md automatically.
Place instructions.md under .cody/:
cp "tools/cody/web/.cody/instructions.md" "/project/.cody/instructions.md"Cody reads .cody/instructions.md automatically. Also supported: .cody/instructions/ directory for multiple files.
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| 4 Platforms | Web, Mobile, Desktop, CLI — platform-specific checklists |
| 11 Tool Formats | OpenCode, Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, GitHub Copilot, Aider, Continue, Codex CLI, Augment, PearAI, Cody |
| Input Detection | Auto-detects screenshot, code, Figma URL, or text description |
| Supplementary Modules | Data Visualization + Accessibility modules, auto-enabled when relevant |
| Evaluation Guidelines | Detailed rules for consistent, evidence-based findings |
| 6-Level Rating Scale | Critical / Major / Minor / Good / Needs Manual Review / N/A |
| Comparative Mode | Side-by-side A/B evaluation |
| Reference Library | Detailed checklists with platform-specific notes in references/ |
Detailed reference files in references/ provide deeper checklists with per-platform guidance. These are automatically referenced by the SKILL.md files during evaluation:
| File | Contents |
|---|---|
references/nielsen-10-heuristics.md |
Detailed per-heuristic checklists with platform notes for Web, Mobile, Desktop, CLI |
references/data-viz-heuristics.md |
Data visualization module (DV-1 through DV-6) for charts, dashboards, KPIs |
references/accessibility-heuristics.md |
Accessibility module (A11Y-1 through A11Y-5) — always active, WCAG AA default |
references/severity-scale.md |
Full 6-level severity scale with assignment guidelines |
| # | Heuristic | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| H1 | Visibility of System Status | Loading, feedback, notifications |
| H2 | Match System & Real World | User language, familiar icons |
| H3 | User Control & Freedom | Undo, cancel, back |
| H4 | Consistency & Standards | Consistent UI, platform conventions |
| H5 | Error Prevention | Validation, confirmation, auto-save |
| H6 | Recognition vs Recall | Visible navigation, search, history |
| H7 | Flexibility & Efficiency | Shortcuts, bulk actions, filters |
| H8 | Aesthetic & Minimalist | No clutter, whitespace, hierarchy |
| H9 | Error Recovery | Clear messages, fix suggestions |
| H10 | Help & Documentation | Empty states, tooltips, onboarding |
| Score | Meaning | Action |
|---|---|---|
| ❌ Critical | Prevents task completion or causes serious data misunderstanding | Must fix before release |
| 🔴 Major | Significant friction or confusion | Should fix — high priority |
| Noticeable annoyance but users can complete task | Fix when possible | |
| ✅ Good | Heuristic is well-handled | No action needed |
| 👁️ Manual Review | Cannot verify from provided input | Verify in live product |
| — N/A | Heuristic does not apply | No action needed |