ux-heuristics Skill (wondelai) for Claude: What It Does and How to Install It

Makes Claude audit an interface for usability with Krug's laws and Nielsen's 10 heuristics, then score it out of 10.

Installs: 9.8K; on skills.sh
Stars: 2.6K; on GitHub
Files: 7; besides SKILL.md
Updated: Sep 2026; last repo commit

This skill gives Claude a usability audit method. Claude checks an interface against Steve Krug's principles and Jakob Nielsen's 10 heuristics, rates each issue from 0 to 4, and scores the interface out of 10. It also checks for dark patterns and points to a WCAG checklist.

It triggers on phrases like "usability audit", "users are confused" and "is this easy to use". It bundles no scripts, only SKILL.md and 7 reference files. For visual fixes, SKILL.md points to the refactoring-ui skill.

Good for

Designers and product managers reviewing a screen or flow for usability
Developers fixing confusing forms and navigation
Anyone checking a design for dark patterns and accessibility basics

Install ux-heuristics

Claude Code

Copy this prompt.

Install the ux-heuristics skill in Claude Code. Run this command:

/plugin marketplace add wondelai/skills
/plugin install ux-design@wondelai-skills

Then check that it loaded and tell me how to use it.

2
Paste it into Claude Code. It shows the change and asks before running it.

Pick one route. The plugin route installs the ux-design plugin: 11 skills (refactoring-ui, ios-hig-design, ux-heuristics, hooked-ux, improve-retention, web-typography, top-design, design-everyday-things, lean-ux, microinteractions, steve-jobs-design-review), counted from its entry in the repo's marketplace.json. The repo tree shows no hooks or MCP config files. The skills CLI and folder routes install only ux-heuristics.

From the project README. Source.

What's in the skill

When it loads

Evaluate and improve interface usability using heuristic analysis. Use when the user mentions "usability audit", "users are confused", "form usability", "navigation problems", "Nielsen heuristics", "cognitive walkthrough", or "is this easy to use". Also trigger when reviewing a design for usability issues, improving form-completion rates, or evaluating information architecture and navigation. Covers Krug's laws, Nielsen's 10 heuristics, severity ratings, dark-pattern recognition, and accessibility. For visual design fixes, see refactoring-ui. For conversion-focused audits, see cro-methodology.

Sections in SKILL.md

Core Principle
Scoring
Krug's Usability Principles
1. Don't Make Me Think
2. It Doesn't Matter How Many Clicks
3. Get Rid of Half the Words
4. The Trunk Test
Nielsen's 10 Usability Heuristics
1. Visibility of System Status
2. Match Between System and Real World
3. User Control and Freedom
4. Consistency and Standards
5. Error Prevention
6. Recognition Rather Than Recall
7. Flexibility and Efficiency of Use
8. Aesthetic and Minimalist Design

Key facts

Author: wondelai (Wondel.ai; SKILL.md metadata author: wondelai)
License: MIT
Installs on skills.sh: 9,841 (Nov 2, 2026)
GitHub stars: 2,552 for the whole wondelai/skills repo (Nov 2, 2026)
Last repo commit: Sep 10, 2026
Audits on skills.sh: Gen Agent Trust Hub: pass, Socket: pass, Snyk: pass
What it includes: 8 files including SKILL.md: 7 reference files in references/ (no scripts)
Part of: The ux-design plugin (11 skills, per marketplace.json) in wondelai/skills
Based on: Steve Krug's usability principles and Jakob Nielsen's 10 heuristics, per SKILL.md

What it includes

Don't Make Me Think, clicks, fewer words, the Trunk Test
Each has key insights, examples and an ethical boundary. The Trunk Test asks six orientation questions about any page.
Read · Krug's four principles
Visibility of status through help and documentation
Short rules for each, expanded in references/nielsen-heuristics.md.
Read · Nielsen's 10 heuristics
0 (not a problem) to 4 (catastrophic)
Weighs frequency, impact and persistence.
Read · Severity rating scale
Starts at 10 and subtracts per failed diagnostic row
Claude states the score, the worst issues and the fixes needed to reach 10/10.
Read · Scoring out of 10
15 frequent usability mistakes with fixes
Examples: mystery meat navigation, no inline validation, tiny tap targets.
Read · Common mistakes table
10 yes/no questions with actions
Checks things like whether the main action and search are obvious.
Read · Quick Diagnostic
Four rules for when heuristics disagree
Example: prefer undo over confirmation dialogs.
Read · Heuristic conflicts
Spots forced continuity, roach motel, confirmshaming, hidden costs
Full taxonomy in references/dark-patterns.md.
Read · Dark pattern recognition
7 files in references/
Audit template, cultural UX, dark patterns, heuristic conflicts, Krug principles, Nielsen heuristics and a WCAG checklist.
Read · Reference files

From the official docs

Questions

What does the ux-heuristics skill do?

It makes Claude audit an interface for usability. Claude rates each issue on a 0 to 4 severity scale, scores the interface out of 10 and lists the fixes needed to reach 10.

What does it trigger on?

Phrases such as "usability audit", "users are confused", "form usability", "navigation problems", "Nielsen heuristics", "cognitive walkthrough" and "is this easy to use".

How do I install it?

Use the install box at the top of this page. The README documents a Claude Code plugin called ux-design that holds this skill with 10 others. It also documents a skills CLI command that installs this skill alone.

Does it work in Codex or the Claude app?

The README says every skill in the repo works in Codex CLI through the skills CLI. The skill is a folder of text files with no scripts, so the install box also includes a Claude app upload route.

How is it different from refactoring-ui or cro-methodology?

SKILL.md says to use refactoring-ui for visual design fixes and cro-methodology for conversion-focused audits. This skill is the usability and heuristics audit. Both are sibling skills in the same repo.

Does it check accessibility?

It includes a WCAG 2.1 AA checklist in references/wcag-checklist.md. SKILL.md points to it for contrast, keyboard, screen reader and focus checks.

Is it safe?

It bundles no scripts. It is a SKILL.md and 7 reference files. Its Further Reading section links to books on Amazon. Share only the screens or flows you are comfortable having Claude read.

Information

updated Nov 2, 2026

Repository: wondelai/skills
Folder: ux-heuristics

wondelai/skills skills.sh

Sources

Docs, issue trackers and discussions this page is built from.

Show all 4

wondelai/skills README · github.com
wondelai marketplace.json · github.com
ux-heuristics SKILL.md · github.com
dark-patterns.md · github.com