# UI and UX Principles

Apply these principles across interface work. Use the other UI/UX rules only for the affected screen or interaction.

* Design for clarity and low cognitive load. Give each screen a clear purpose and make important actions easy to discover.
* Prefer familiar, predictable patterns. Keep layouts calm, group related content, and use hierarchy, spacing, typography, and color consistently.
* Minimize steps for common tasks. Remove decorative elements, choices, and interactions that do not help users complete a task.
* Make primary actions distinct from secondary actions. Keep related information and actions close, and keep important information visible without unnecessary scrolling.
* Every interaction adds cognitive cost. Prefer fewer clear choices and predictable behavior over clever or surprising automation.
* Prioritize correctness, clarity, safety, accessibility, user control, task efficiency, consistency, and responsiveness before visual polish.
* Do not let visual polish reduce readability, accessibility, or task completion.
* If multiple UX directions remain and the choice materially changes a user's workflow or safety, ask for the decision. Make minor reversible choices independently.