AI UI Heuristics

Nielsen's 10 heuristics and Don Norman's principles, reinterpreted for AI-native interfaces. Keep this file as the audit entrypoint; depth lives in references/.

Sources: Nielsen Norman Group — Ten Usability Heuristics; Don Norman, The Design of Everyday Things.

Fast pass (ship blockers)

1. Status — User knows AI is working (ambient > spinner-only).
2. Control — Stop, undo/version, inline edit within 2 taps.
3. Hero — Output owns ~80%+ of the canvas; one primary CTA.
4. Recovery — Failures explain what / why / next step; keep partials.
5. Fallback — Core job works when AI is unavailable.

Heuristic snapshot