xoai/ux-plan-tasks

UX Plan Tasks

Adds UX-specific tasks to the development plan. Runs AFTER the core plan skill completes. Only activates in ARCHITECT mode — BUILD mode plans are lightweight and don't need separate UX tasks.

Mode: ARCHITECT (full)

Review the plan and add these UX tasks at appropriate points in the task sequence.

Pre-Implementation UX Tasks

Add before the first implementation task:

Usability test the design (before code):

• Task: "Conduct paper prototype / wireframe walkthrough with 3-5 users"
• Inputs: journey map, persona profiles, wireframes (if available)
• Method: Give users the core tasks from the journey map. Watch where they get stuck. Note confusion, hesitation, wrong turns.
• Output: Top 3 usability issues, prioritized by severity
• Time: 2-4 hours (including setup and debrief)
• Dependency: Blocks implementation of user-facing components

If real user testing isn't feasible, substitute:

• Expert walkthrough using the persona + journey map as evaluation lens
• Cognitive walkthrough: step through each task as the primary persona

Mid-Implementation UX Checkpoints

Insert after every user-facing component is implemented:

Heuristic spot-check:

• Task: "Review [component] against the Critical Four heuristics"
• Check: feedback, user control, error prevention, error messages
• Time: 15-30 minutes per major component
• Dependency: Must complete before next component builds on this one

Post-Implementation UX Tasks

Add after the final implementation task, before merge:

Usability test the implementation (after code):

• Task: "Conduct usability test on the implemented feature with 3-5 users"
• Method: Same core tasks as pre-implementation test
• Compare: Did we fix the issues found in the prototype test?
• New issues: Anything the real implementation reveals that the prototype didn't?
• Output: Findings report, prioritized fixes
• Time: 2-4 hours

Accessibility audit:

• Task: "Run automated accessibility checks + manual keyboard navigation test"
• Tools: axe-core, Lighthouse accessibility, manual tab-through
• Check: All interactive elements keyboard-reachable, ARIA labels present, contrast ratios met, screen reader announcements work
• Time: 1-2 hours

Task Ordering

existing plan tasks...
+ [UX] Prototype usability test (before implementation)
  existing implementation tasks...
  + [UX] Heuristic spot-check on [component A]
  + [UX] Heuristic spot-check on [component B]
  existing implementation tasks...
+ [UX] Implementation usability test (after implementation)
+ [UX] Accessibility audit
existing verification tasks...

References

• usability-testing.md — Krug's one-morning test protocol, key metrics
• heuristic-evaluation.md — The 10 heuristics and Critical Four subset