FRAMEWORK

The Audit Criteria

Every Interface Audit evaluates a site against the same framework: 167 criteria organized into 12 categories. Each finding in your report maps to a specific criterion, so you always know which standard a recommendation comes from.

167CRITERIA12CATEGORIESWCAGAA BASELINE

EVIDENCE BASIS

Where each category comes from

The criteria are not all the same kind of evidence. Each category below states its basis; the counts come from the framework itself.

Standard10 criteria · 1 categoryA published standard with testable success criteria, such as WCAG 2.1 AA.
Established research36 criteria · 2 categoriesFindings from cognitive psychology and human-computer interaction replicated over decades.
Heuristic37 criteria · 5 categoriesExpert rules of thumb such as Nielsen's usability heuristics: widely used, grounded in practice rather than controlled studies.
Design pattern26 criteria · 3 categoriesConventions that work because users have learned them: platform guidance and common interface patterns.
Emerging guidance58 criteria · 1 categoryRecent human-AI interaction guidelines and patterns: the youngest evidence in the framework, still being validated.

01 / FND

Foundations & Psychology

How people perceive, decide, and behave — the cognitive basis for usable interfaces.

Established researchCognitive psychology and human-computer interaction research: perception, attention, decision making, motivation.

FND-01Chunking
FND-02Cognitive Load
FND-03Mental Model
FND-04Miller's Law
FND-05Recognition Rather Than Recall
FND-06Serial Position Effect
FND-07Von Restorff Effect
FND-08Working Memory
FND-09Common Region
FND-10Proximity
FND-11Prägnanz
FND-12Similarity
FND-13Uniform Connectedness
FND-14Selective Attention
FND-15Figure-Ground Principle
FND-16Law of Continuity
FND-17Law of Closure
FND-18Flow
FND-19Goal-Gradient Effect
FND-20Peak-End Rule
FND-21Zeigarnik Effect
FND-22Choice Overload
FND-23Cognitive Bias
FND-24Hick's Law
FND-25Paradox of the Active User
FND-26Parkinson's Law
FND-27Pareto Principle (80/20 Rule)

02 / STD

Consistency & Standards

Conventions and a coherent system that keep the interface predictable.

HeuristicUsability heuristics (consistency and standards) and platform conventions.

STD-01Consistency and Standards
STD-02Design System Coherence Law
STD-03Behavioral Consistency Law
STD-04Match Between System and Real World
STD-05Platform Convention Law
STD-06Cross-Platform Consistency Law

03 / VIS

Visual & Data Design

Visual hierarchy, layout, and data presentation that guide attention.

Established researchVisual perception research (Gestalt, hierarchy, contrast) and data-visualization practice.

VIS-01Aesthetic and Minimalist Design
VIS-02Visual Hierarchy Law
VIS-03White Space Usage Law
VIS-04Color Psychology Law
VIS-05Typography System Law
VIS-06Typography Hierarchy Law
VIS-07Typography Accessibility Law
VIS-08Dashboard Information Density Law
VIS-09Data Storytelling Law

04 / CONT

Content & Clarity

Clear content, sound information organization, and help where users need it.

HeuristicUsability heuristics (aesthetic and minimalist design, help and documentation) and content-design practice.

CONT-01Aesthetic-Usability Effect
CONT-02Jakob's Law
CONT-03Occam's Razor
CONT-04Postel's Law (Robustness Principle)
CONT-05Tesler's Law (Conservation of Complexity)
CONT-06Help and Documentation
CONT-07Contextual Help Law
CONT-08Self-Service Support Law
CONT-09Progressive Disclosure
CONT-10Information Scent Law
CONT-11Categorization Psychology Law
CONT-12Content Hierarchy Law

05 / NAV

Navigation & Search

Wayfinding, navigation structure, and findable search.

Design patternInformation-architecture practice and navigation conventions users already know.

NAV-01Mental Map Formation Law
NAV-02Landmark Navigation Law
NAV-03Path Optimization Law
NAV-04Navigation Recovery Law
NAV-05Search Query Formation Law
NAV-06Search Result Relevance Law
NAV-07Faceted Search Navigation Law

06 / INT

Interaction Patterns

Interaction patterns and interface elements that respond as users expect.

Design patternEstablished interaction design patterns and interface element conventions.

INT-01Form Flow Optimization Law
INT-02Input Validation Timing Law
INT-03Error Prevention in Forms Law
INT-04Form Completion Motivation Law
INT-05Chart Type Selection Law
INT-06Affordances Law
INT-07Signifier Clarity Law
INT-08Interface Metaphor Law
INT-09Interface State Communication Law

07 / FB

Feedback & System Status

Visible system status and timely feedback for every action.

HeuristicNielsen's visibility-of-system-status heuristic and feedback research.

FB-01Visibility of System Status
FB-02Feedback Loop Completion Law
FB-03Progressive Feedback Law
FB-04Error Communication Clarity Law

08 / ERR

Error Prevention & Recovery

Preventing mistakes and helping users recover quickly when they happen.

HeuristicNielsen's error-prevention and error-recovery heuristics.

ERR-01Error Prevention
ERR-02Constraint-Based Prevention Law
ERR-03Graceful Degradation Law
ERR-04Error Recovery Guidance Law
ERR-05Help Users Recognize, Diagnose, and Recover from Errors
ERR-06Error Prevention Communication Law
ERR-07Contextual Error Guidance Law

09 / CTRL

User Control & Efficiency

User control, freedom, and efficient shortcuts for novices and experts alike.

HeuristicNielsen's user-control and flexibility heuristics.

CTRL-01User Control and Freedom
CTRL-02Navigation Breadcrumb Law
CTRL-03Escape Hatch Law
CTRL-04Navigation Consistency Law
CTRL-05Wayfinding Support Law
CTRL-06Flexibility and Efficiency of Use
CTRL-07Expert Pathway Law
CTRL-08Customization Balance Law

10 / MOB

Mobile & Performance

Mobile ergonomics, responsive behavior, and perceived performance.

Design patternPlatform guidance for touch interfaces (target size, spacing) and performance practice.

MOB-01Touch Target Sizing Law
MOB-02Thumb Zone Optimization Law
MOB-03Gesture Design Consistency Law
MOB-04Mobile Navigation Hierarchy Law
MOB-05Responsive Breakpoint Law
MOB-06Doherty Threshold
MOB-07Fitts's Law
MOB-08Response Time Limits
MOB-09Progressive Enhancement Law
MOB-10Perceived Performance Law

11 / ACC

Accessibility & Ethics

Accessible, inclusive, and ethical experiences for every user.

StandardWCAG 2.1 AA success criteria and inclusive-design practice. The automated checks cover a subset of the standard, not a conformance evaluation.

ACC-01Perceivable Principle (WCAG)
ACC-02Operable Principle (WCAG)
ACC-03Understandable Principle (WCAG)
ACC-04Robust Principle (WCAG)
ACC-05Ethical Design Principles
ACC-06Dark Pattern Recognition
ACC-07Persuasive Design Ethics
ACC-08Empowering Design Principle
ACC-09Finite Design Principle
ACC-10Inclusive Wellbeing Principle

12 / AIX

AI & Emerging Interfaces

Emerging surfaces: AI, conversational, agentic, and spatial experiences.

Emerging guidancePublished human-AI interaction guidelines and emerging patterns for conversational, agentic and spatial interfaces.

AIX-01User Agency Preservation
AIX-02Mixed-Initiative Optimal Balance
AIX-03Hybrid Feedback Systems
AIX-04Negative Feedback Loop Prevention
AIX-05AI-Generated Component Validation
AIX-06Cognitive Load Calibration in AI Interfaces
AIX-07Cognitive Anchoring Preservation
AIX-08Recognition Over Recall in Adaptive Navigation
AIX-09Procedural Memory Protection
AIX-10Automation Bias Prevention
AIX-11Complementary Strengths Framework
AIX-12AI Bias Transparency
AIX-13Ethical AI Disclosure Layering
AIX-14Conversational Turn-Taking
AIX-15Optimal Suggestion Quantity
AIX-16Confidence Indicator Display
AIX-17Progressive AI Assistance Scaling
AIX-18Conversational Flow Principle
AIX-19Spatial Hierarchy Principle
AIX-20AI Transparency Principle
AIX-21Enterprise AI Governance
AIX-22Enterprise AI Workflow Integration
AIX-23Enterprise AI Compliance
AIX-24AI Capability Disclosure
AIX-25AI Accuracy Communication
AIX-26Contextual AI Timing
AIX-27Contextual AI Relevance
AIX-28Cultural AI Norms
AIX-29AI Bias Mitigation
AIX-30Creative Agency Protection
AIX-31Efficient AI Invocation
AIX-32Efficient AI Dismissal
AIX-33Efficient AI Correction
AIX-34Graceful AI Ambiguity
AIX-35AI Explainability
AIX-36AI Conversation Memory
AIX-37AI Personalization
AIX-38Cautious AI Updates
AIX-39Granular AI Feedback
AIX-40AI Action Consequences
AIX-41Global AI Controls
AIX-42AI Change Notifications
AIX-43AI Capability Discovery
AIX-44AI Navigation Patterns
AIX-45Contextual AI Help
AIX-46AI Prompt Design
AIX-47AI Input Flexibility
AIX-48AI Context Capture
AIX-49AI User Control
AIX-50AI Boundary Setting
AIX-51AI Audit Trails
AIX-52AI Source Citations
AIX-53AI Consistency & Reliability
AIX-54AI Transparency Timing
AIX-55AI Privacy Expectations
AIX-56Agent Task Handoff
AIX-57Agent Memory Patterns
AIX-58Agent Collaboration

METHODOLOGY

How the criteria are built

Each criterion is grounded in established UX research, usability heuristics, design patterns or accessibility standards, from cognitive load and Gestalt perception to WCAG 2.1 success criteria. The legend above says which is which. The framework is curated and maintained to keep audits consistent, explainable, and tied to a named basis rather than opinion.

LIMITS

What this framework does not claim

01It does not replace usability testing, behavioral analytics, user interviews or strategic UX research. An automated scan sees the interface, not the people using it.
02Findings describe observable interface conditions and likely sources of friction. They do not establish user behavior or a causal business effect; impact figures are estimates.
03Accessibility checks detect what an automated tool can detect. They are not a WCAG conformance evaluation, which needs manual testing with keyboards, screen readers and real users.
04The Expert Review adds the human layer: context, prioritization and judgment that a scan cannot provide.

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