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.