Product UX term
Affordance: meaning, examples, and AI prompt use.
Describes the visual cue that tells users what action is possible.
What it means
Plain meaning
what looks clickable: Describes the visual cue that tells users what action is possible.
Aliases
what looks clickable, interaction clue
People say / experts say
People usually say
- users do not know
- click
- confusing control
- discoverability
Experts usually say
Affordance, Signifier, Discoverability, Button hierarchy
When to use it
Use it when
Your rough ask sounds like: users do not know, click, confusing control. The term gives your design critique a clearer problem shape.
When not to use it
Do not use this term as generic UX polish. Use it when the product decision, user behavior, or interface risk needs to be named clearly.
Copy-ready handoff phrase
Before and after
Weak ask
Improve this users do not know.
Exact Terms ask
Review the key affordances and make primary actions visually obvious without explanatory text.
Prompt templates by use case
UX critique
Review this product experience using Affordance and related UX concepts: Signifier, Discoverability, Button hierarchy. Name the user confusion and the fix.
Redesign brief
Create a redesign brief centered on Affordance; include the current user expectation, the friction, and the smallest interface change.
AI feedback prompt
Act as a product designer and critique this screen for Affordance, then rank the most important improvements.
Common mistake
What goes wrong
Asking for a prettier UI before naming the user confusion or product mechanic.
Better move
Use Affordance with the related vocabulary trail: Signifier, Discoverability, Button hierarchy.