Cheat sheet
UX terms for AI product critiques.
Use these terms when an AI critique says 'make it cleaner' but fails to name the product mechanic or user confusion.
Critique vocabulary
Activation moment
Ask whether users reach the first concrete value quickly enough.
User mental model
Ask where the product model conflicts with what users expect.
Information architecture
Ask whether objects, screens, and actions are grouped clearly.
Progressive disclosure
Ask whether complexity appears only when it becomes useful.
Affordance
Ask whether users can tell what actions are possible.
Empty state
Ask whether blank states guide users toward the next meaningful action.
Error taxonomy
Ask whether failures are user-fixable, retryable, or support-required.
Copyable critique prompt
Prompt
Critique this product experience using activation moment, user mental model, information architecture, progressive disclosure, affordance, empty state, and error taxonomy. Rank the issues by impact on first value and repeated use.
Related guides
UX critique prompts for SaaS onboarding screens.
Copyable UX critique prompts for SaaS onboarding, activation moment, user mental model, empty states, affordance, and progressive disclosure.
Activation moment vs. aha moment: what should product teams ask AI to find?
A guide to activation moment, aha moment, user mental model, information architecture, progressive disclosure, affordance, and empty state for onboarding prompts.
UX terms for onboarding friction and activation problems.
UX vocabulary for onboarding friction: activation moment, time to value, user mental model, progressive disclosure, empty states, and information architecture.
What do I call it when users drop off during onboarding?
Product UX vocabulary for onboarding drop-off: activation moment, user mental model, information architecture, progressive disclosure, affordance, and empty state.
Common questions
Why use UX terms with AI?
They force the critique to name product mechanics instead of producing generic visual advice.
What should the critique return?
Ask for the user confusion, the vocabulary that names it, the product risk, and the smallest useful fix.