diff --git a/ARCHITECTURE.md b/ARCHITECTURE.md
index 086bb2e4..a755ff24 100644
--- a/ARCHITECTURE.md
+++ b/ARCHITECTURE.md
@@ -208,6 +208,7 @@ Templates contain the workflows, tips, and examples that require human judgment.
 | `{{CODEX_PLAN_REVIEW}}` | `gen-skill-docs.ts` | Optional cross-model plan review (Codex or Claude subagent fallback) for /plan-ceo-review and /plan-eng-review |
 | `{{DESIGN_SETUP}}` | `resolvers/design.ts` | Discovery pattern for `$D` design binary, mirrors `{{BROWSE_SETUP}}` |
 | `{{DESIGN_SHOTGUN_LOOP}}` | `resolvers/design.ts` | Shared comparison board feedback loop for /design-shotgun, /plan-design-review, /design-consultation |
+| `{{UX_PRINCIPLES}}` | `resolvers/design.ts` | User behavioral foundations (scanning, satisficing, goodwill reservoir, trunk test) for /design-html, /design-shotgun, /design-review, /plan-design-review |
 
 This is structurally sound — if a command exists in code, it appears in docs. If it doesn't exist, it can't appear.
 
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 061888ff..b912ba03 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,19 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## [0.17.0.0] - 2026-04-14
+
+### Added
+- **UX behavioral foundations.** Every design skill now thinks about how users actually behave, not just how the interface looks. A shared `{{UX_PRINCIPLES}}` resolver distills Steve Krug's "Don't Make Me Think" into actionable guidance: scanning behavior, satisficing, the goodwill reservoir, navigation wayfinding, and the trunk test. Injected into /design-html, /design-shotgun, /design-review, and /plan-design-review. Your design reviews now catch "this navigation is confusing" problems, not just "the contrast ratio is 4.3:1."
+- **6 usability tests woven into design-review.** The methodology now runs the Trunk Test (can you tell what site this is, what page you're on, and how to search?), 3-Second Scan (what do users see first?), Page Area Test (can you name each section's purpose?), Happy Talk Detection with word count (how much of this page is "blah blah blah"?), Mindless Choice Audit (does every click feel obvious?), and Goodwill Reservoir tracking with a visual dashboard (what depletes the user's patience at each step?).
+- **First-person narration mode.** Design review reports now read like a usability consultant watching someone use your site: "I'm looking at this page... my eye goes to the logo, then a wall of text I skip entirely. Wait, is that a button?" With anti-slop guardrail: if the agent can't name the specific element, it's generating platitudes.
+- **`$B ux-audit` command.** Standalone UX structural extraction. One command extracts site ID, navigation, headings, interactive elements, text blocks, and search presence as structured JSON. The agent applies the 6 usability tests to the data. Pure data extraction with element caps (50 headings, 100 links, 200 interactive, 50 text blocks).
+- **`snapshot -H` / `--heatmap` flag.** Color-coded overlay screenshots. Pass a JSON map of ref IDs to colors (`green`/`yellow`/`red`/`blue`/`orange`/`gray`) and get an annotated screenshot with per-element colored boxes. Color whitelist prevents CSS injection. Composable: any skill can use it.
+- **Token ceiling enforcement.** `gen-skill-docs` now warns if any generated SKILL.md exceeds 100KB (~25K tokens). Catches prompt bloat before it degrades agent performance.
+
+### Changed
+- **Krug's always/never rules** added to the design hard rules: never placeholder-as-label, never floating headings, always visited link distinction, never sub-16px body text. These join the existing AI slop blacklist as mechanical checks.
+- **Plan-design-review references** now include Steve Krug, Ginny Redish (Letting Go of the Words), and Caroline Jarrett (Forms that Work) alongside Rams, Norman, and Nielsen.
+
 ## [0.16.4.0] - 2026-04-13
 
 ### Added
diff --git a/CLAUDE.md b/CLAUDE.md
index 7a2c6faf..8d4d2735 100644
--- a/CLAUDE.md
+++ b/CLAUDE.md
@@ -138,6 +138,11 @@ SKILL.md files are **generated** from `.tmpl` templates. To update docs:
 To add a new browse command: add it to `browse/src/commands.ts` and rebuild.
 To add a snapshot flag: add it to `SNAPSHOT_FLAGS` in `browse/src/snapshot.ts` and rebuild.
 
+**Token ceiling:** Generated SKILL.md files must stay under 100KB (~25K tokens).
+`gen-skill-docs` warns if any file exceeds this. If a skill template grows past the
+ceiling, consider extracting optional sections into separate resolvers that only
+inject when relevant, or making verbose evaluation rubrics more concise.
+
 **Merge conflicts on SKILL.md files:** NEVER resolve conflicts on generated SKILL.md
 files by accepting either side. Instead: (1) resolve conflicts on the `.tmpl` templates
 and `scripts/gen-skill-docs.ts` (the sources of truth), (2) run `bun run gen:skill-docs`
diff --git a/SKILL.md b/SKILL.md
index 94ba826b..0c189814 100644
--- a/SKILL.md
+++ b/SKILL.md
@@ -719,6 +719,7 @@ The snapshot is your primary tool for understanding and interacting with pages.
 -a        --annotate              Annotated screenshot with red overlay boxes and ref labels
 -o <path> --output                Output path for annotated screenshot (default: <temp>/browse-annotated.png)
 -C        --cursor-interactive    Cursor-interactive elements (@c refs — divs with pointer, onclick). Auto-enabled when -i is used.
+-H <json> --heatmap               Color-coded overlay screenshot from JSON map: '{"@e1":"green","@e3":"red"}'. Valid colors: green, yellow, red, blue, orange, gray.
 ```
 
 All flags can be combined freely. `-o` only applies when `-a` is also used.
@@ -825,6 +826,7 @@ Refs are invalidated on navigation — run `snapshot` again after `goto`.
 | `network [--clear]` | Network requests |
 | `perf` | Page load timings |
 | `storage [set k v]` | Read all localStorage + sessionStorage as JSON, or set <key> <value> to write localStorage |
+| `ux-audit` | Extract page structure for UX behavioral analysis — site ID, nav, headings, text blocks, interactive elements. Returns JSON for agent interpretation. |
 
 ### Visual
 | Command | Description |
diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
index d1a96684..ca415c68 100644
--- a/VERSION
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -1 +1 @@
-0.16.4.0
+0.17.0.0
diff --git a/browse/SKILL.md b/browse/SKILL.md
index 420e2b0b..5ac0377b 100644
--- a/browse/SKILL.md
+++ b/browse/SKILL.md
@@ -587,6 +587,7 @@ The snapshot is your primary tool for understanding and interacting with pages.
 -a        --annotate              Annotated screenshot with red overlay boxes and ref labels
 -o <path> --output                Output path for annotated screenshot (default: <temp>/browse-annotated.png)
 -C        --cursor-interactive    Cursor-interactive elements (@c refs — divs with pointer, onclick). Auto-enabled when -i is used.
+-H <json> --heatmap               Color-coded overlay screenshot from JSON map: '{"@e1":"green","@e3":"red"}'. Valid colors: green, yellow, red, blue, orange, gray.
 ```
 
 All flags can be combined freely. `-o` only applies when `-a` is also used.
@@ -717,6 +718,7 @@ $B prettyscreenshot --cleanup --scroll-to ".pricing" --width 1440 ~/Desktop/hero
 | `network [--clear]` | Network requests |
 | `perf` | Page load timings |
 | `storage [set k v]` | Read all localStorage + sessionStorage as JSON, or set <key> <value> to write localStorage |
+| `ux-audit` | Extract page structure for UX behavioral analysis — site ID, nav, headings, text blocks, interactive elements. Returns JSON for agent interpretation. |
 
 ### Visual
 | Command | Description |
diff --git a/browse/src/commands.ts b/browse/src/commands.ts
index eacdf0cd..2fd0b421 100644
--- a/browse/src/commands.ts
+++ b/browse/src/commands.ts
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ export const META_COMMANDS = new Set([
   'watch',
   'state',
   'frame',
+  'ux-audit',
 ]);
 
 export const ALL_COMMANDS = new Set([...READ_COMMANDS, ...WRITE_COMMANDS, ...META_COMMANDS]);
@@ -49,6 +50,7 @@ export const PAGE_CONTENT_COMMANDS = new Set([
   'text', 'html', 'links', 'forms', 'accessibility', 'attrs',
   'console', 'dialog',
   'media', 'data',
+  'ux-audit',
 ]);
 
 /** Wrap output from untrusted-content commands with trust boundary markers */
@@ -146,6 +148,8 @@ export const COMMAND_DESCRIPTIONS: Record<string, { category: string; descriptio
   'style':   { category: 'Interaction', description: 'Modify CSS property on element (with undo support)', usage: 'style <sel> <prop> <value> | style --undo [N]' },
   'cleanup': { category: 'Interaction', description: 'Remove page clutter (ads, cookie banners, sticky elements, social widgets)', usage: 'cleanup [--ads] [--cookies] [--sticky] [--social] [--all]' },
   'prettyscreenshot': { category: 'Visual', description: 'Clean screenshot with optional cleanup, scroll positioning, and element hiding', usage: 'prettyscreenshot [--scroll-to sel|text] [--cleanup] [--hide sel...] [--width px] [path]' },
+  // UX Audit
+  'ux-audit': { category: 'Inspection', description: 'Extract page structure for UX behavioral analysis — site ID, nav, headings, text blocks, interactive elements. Returns JSON for agent interpretation.', usage: 'ux-audit' },
 };
 
 // Load-time validation: descriptions must cover exactly the command sets
diff --git a/browse/src/meta-commands.ts b/browse/src/meta-commands.ts
index 1fa905e1..392602f0 100644
--- a/browse/src/meta-commands.ts
+++ b/browse/src/meta-commands.ts
@@ -653,6 +653,116 @@ export async function handleMetaCommand(
       return `Switched to frame: ${frame.url()}`;
     }
 
+    // ─── UX Audit ─────────────────────────────────────
+    case 'ux-audit': {
+      const page = bm.getPage();
+
+      // Extract page structure for UX behavioral analysis
+      // Agent interprets the data and applies Krug's 6 usability tests
+      // Uses textContent (not innerText) to avoid layout computation on large DOMs
+      const data = await page.evaluate(() => {
+        const HEADING_CAP = 50;
+        const INTERACTIVE_CAP = 200;
+        const TEXT_BLOCK_CAP = 50;
+
+        // Site ID: logo or brand element
+        const logoEl = document.querySelector('[class*="logo"], [id*="logo"], header img, [aria-label*="home"], a[href="/"]');
+        const siteId = logoEl ? {
+          found: true,
+          text: (logoEl.textContent || '').trim().slice(0, 100),
+          tag: logoEl.tagName,
+          alt: (logoEl as HTMLImageElement).alt || null,
+        } : { found: false, text: null, tag: null, alt: null };
+
+        // Page name: main heading
+        const h1 = document.querySelector('h1');
+        const pageName = h1 ? {
+          found: true,
+          text: h1.textContent?.trim().slice(0, 200) || '',
+        } : { found: false, text: null };
+
+        // Navigation: primary nav elements
+        const navEls = document.querySelectorAll('nav, [role="navigation"]');
+        const navItems: Array<{ text: string; links: number }> = [];
+        navEls.forEach((nav, i) => {
+          if (i >= 5) return;
+          const links = nav.querySelectorAll('a');
+          navItems.push({
+            text: (nav.getAttribute('aria-label') || `nav-${i}`).slice(0, 50),
+            links: links.length,
+          });
+        });
+
+        // "You are here" indicator: current/active nav items
+        // Scoped to nav containers to avoid false positives from animation classes
+        const activeNavItems = document.querySelectorAll('nav [aria-current], nav .active, nav .current, [role="navigation"] [aria-current], [role="navigation"] .active, [role="navigation"] .current');
+        const youAreHere = Array.from(activeNavItems).slice(0, 5).map(el => ({
+          text: (el.textContent || '').trim().slice(0, 50),
+          tag: el.tagName,
+        }));
+
+        // Search: search box presence
+        const searchEl = document.querySelector('input[type="search"], [role="search"], input[name*="search"], input[placeholder*="search" i], input[aria-label*="search" i]');
+        const search = { found: !!searchEl };
+
+        // Breadcrumbs
+        const breadcrumbEl = document.querySelector('[aria-label*="breadcrumb" i], .breadcrumb, .breadcrumbs, [class*="breadcrumb"]');
+        const breadcrumbs = breadcrumbEl ? {
+          found: true,
+          items: Array.from(breadcrumbEl.querySelectorAll('a, span, li')).slice(0, 10).map(el => (el.textContent || '').trim().slice(0, 30)),
+        } : { found: false, items: [] };
+
+        // Headings: heading hierarchy
+        const headings = Array.from(document.querySelectorAll('h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6')).slice(0, HEADING_CAP).map(h => ({
+          tag: h.tagName,
+          text: (h.textContent || '').trim().slice(0, 80),
+          size: getComputedStyle(h).fontSize,
+        }));
+
+        // Interactive elements: buttons, links, inputs
+        const interactiveEls = Array.from(document.querySelectorAll('a, button, input, select, textarea, [role="button"], [tabindex]')).slice(0, INTERACTIVE_CAP);
+        const interactive = interactiveEls.map(el => {
+          const rect = el.getBoundingClientRect();
+          return {
+            tag: el.tagName,
+            text: (el.textContent || (el as HTMLInputElement).placeholder || '').trim().slice(0, 50),
+            type: (el as HTMLInputElement).type || null,
+            role: el.getAttribute('role'),
+            w: Math.round(rect.width),
+            h: Math.round(rect.height),
+            visible: rect.width > 0 && rect.height > 0,
+          };
+        }).filter(el => el.visible);
+
+        // Text blocks: paragraphs and large text areas
+        const textBlocks = Array.from(document.querySelectorAll('p, [class*="description"], [class*="intro"], [class*="welcome"], [class*="hero"] p, main p')).slice(0, TEXT_BLOCK_CAP).map(el => ({
+          text: (el.textContent || '').trim().slice(0, 200),
+          wordCount: (el.textContent || '').trim().split(/\s+/).filter(Boolean).length,
+        }));
+
+        // Total visible text word count (textContent avoids layout computation)
+        const bodyText = (document.body?.textContent || '').trim();
+        const totalWords = bodyText.split(/\s+/).filter(Boolean).length;
+
+        return {
+          url: window.location.href,
+          title: document.title,
+          siteId,
+          pageName,
+          navigation: navItems,
+          youAreHere,
+          search,
+          breadcrumbs,
+          headings,
+          interactive,
+          textBlocks,
+          totalWords,
+        };
+      });
+
+      return JSON.stringify(data, null, 2);
+    }
+
     default:
       throw new Error(`Unknown meta command: ${command}`);
   }
diff --git a/browse/src/snapshot.ts b/browse/src/snapshot.ts
index ac2761bb..8f4791f1 100644
--- a/browse/src/snapshot.ts
+++ b/browse/src/snapshot.ts
@@ -39,6 +39,7 @@ interface SnapshotOptions {
   annotate?: boolean;          // -a / --annotate: annotated screenshot
   outputPath?: string;         // -o / --output: path for annotated screenshot
   cursorInteractive?: boolean; // -C / --cursor-interactive: scan cursor:pointer etc.
+  heatmap?: string;            // -H / --heatmap: JSON color map for ref overlays
 }
 
 /**
@@ -64,6 +65,7 @@ export const SNAPSHOT_FLAGS: Array<{
   { short: '-a', long: '--annotate', description: 'Annotated screenshot with red overlay boxes and ref labels', optionKey: 'annotate' },
   { short: '-o', long: '--output', description: 'Output path for annotated screenshot (default: <temp>/browse-annotated.png)', takesValue: true, valueHint: '<path>', optionKey: 'outputPath' },
   { short: '-C', long: '--cursor-interactive', description: 'Cursor-interactive elements (@c refs — divs with pointer, onclick). Auto-enabled when -i is used.', optionKey: 'cursorInteractive' },
+  { short: '-H', long: '--heatmap', description: 'Color-coded overlay screenshot from JSON map: \'{"@e1":"green","@e3":"red"}\'. Valid colors: green, yellow, red, blue, orange, gray.', takesValue: true, valueHint: '<json>', optionKey: 'heatmap' },
 ];
 
 interface ParsedNode {
@@ -435,6 +437,124 @@ export async function handleSnapshot(
     }
   }
 
+  // ─── Heatmap mode (-H) ──────────────────────────────────────
+  if (opts.heatmap) {
+    const heatmapPath = opts.outputPath || `${TEMP_DIR}/browse-heatmap.png`;
+    // Validate output path
+    {
+      const nodePath = require('path') as typeof import('path');
+      const nodeFs = require('fs') as typeof import('fs');
+      const absolute = nodePath.resolve(heatmapPath);
+      const safeDirs = [TEMP_DIR, process.cwd()].map((d: string) => {
+        try { return nodeFs.realpathSync(d); } catch (err: any) { if (err?.code !== 'ENOENT') throw err; return d; }
+      });
+      let realPath: string;
+      try {
+        realPath = nodeFs.realpathSync(absolute);
+      } catch (err: any) {
+        if (err.code === 'ENOENT') {
+          try {
+            const dir = nodeFs.realpathSync(nodePath.dirname(absolute));
+            realPath = nodePath.join(dir, nodePath.basename(absolute));
+          } catch (err2: any) {
+            if (err2?.code !== 'ENOENT') throw err2;
+            realPath = absolute;
+          }
+        } else {
+          throw new Error(`Cannot resolve real path: ${heatmapPath} (${err.code})`);
+        }
+      }
+      if (!safeDirs.some((dir: string) => isPathWithin(realPath, dir))) {
+        throw new Error(`Path must be within: ${safeDirs.join(', ')}`);
+      }
+    }
+
+    // Parse and validate color map
+    const VALID_COLORS = new Set(['green', 'yellow', 'red', 'blue', 'orange', 'gray']);
+    const COLOR_MAP: Record<string, { border: string; bg: string }> = {
+      green:  { border: '#00b400', bg: 'rgba(0,180,0,0.15)' },
+      yellow: { border: '#ffb400', bg: 'rgba(255,180,0,0.15)' },
+      red:    { border: '#ff0000', bg: 'rgba(255,0,0,0.15)' },
+      blue:   { border: '#0066ff', bg: 'rgba(0,102,255,0.15)' },
+      orange: { border: '#ff6600', bg: 'rgba(255,102,0,0.15)' },
+      gray:   { border: '#888888', bg: 'rgba(136,136,136,0.15)' },
+    };
+
+    let colorAssignments: Record<string, string>;
+    try {
+      const parsed = JSON.parse(opts.heatmap);
+      if (typeof parsed !== 'object' || parsed === null || Array.isArray(parsed)) {
+        throw new Error('not an object');
+      }
+      colorAssignments = parsed;
+    } catch {
+      throw new Error('Invalid heatmap JSON. Expected object: \'{"@e1":"green","@e3":"red"}\'');
+    }
+
+    // Validate colors
+    for (const [ref, color] of Object.entries(colorAssignments)) {
+      if (!VALID_COLORS.has(color)) {
+        throw new Error(`Invalid heatmap color "${color}" for ${ref}. Valid: ${[...VALID_COLORS].join(', ')}`);
+      }
+    }
+
+    try {
+      const boxes: Array<{ ref: string; box: { x: number; y: number; width: number; height: number }; color: string }> = [];
+      for (const [refKey, color] of Object.entries(colorAssignments)) {
+        const cleanRef = refKey.startsWith('@') ? refKey.slice(1) : refKey;
+        const entry = refMap.get(cleanRef);
+        if (!entry) continue; // Skip refs not found on page
+        try {
+          const box = await entry.locator.boundingBox({ timeout: 1000 });
+          if (box) {
+            const colors = COLOR_MAP[color] || COLOR_MAP.gray;
+            boxes.push({ ref: `@${cleanRef}`, box, color: JSON.stringify(colors) });
+          }
+        } catch {
+          // Element may be offscreen or hidden — skip
+        }
+      }
+
+      await page.evaluate((boxes) => {
+        for (const { ref, box, color } of boxes) {
+          const colors = JSON.parse(color);
+          const overlay = document.createElement('div');
+          overlay.className = '__browse_heatmap__';
+          overlay.style.cssText = `
+            position: absolute; top: ${box.y}px; left: ${box.x}px;
+            width: ${box.width}px; height: ${box.height}px;
+            border: 2px solid ${colors.border}; background: ${colors.bg};
+            pointer-events: none; z-index: 99999;
+            font-size: 10px; color: ${colors.border}; font-weight: bold;
+          `;
+          const label = document.createElement('span');
+          label.textContent = ref;
+          label.style.cssText = `position: absolute; top: -14px; left: 0; background: ${colors.border}; color: white; padding: 0 3px; font-size: 10px;`;
+          overlay.appendChild(label);
+          document.body.appendChild(overlay);
+        }
+      }, boxes);
+
+      await page.screenshot({ path: heatmapPath, fullPage: true });
+
+      // Remove heatmap overlays
+      await page.evaluate(() => {
+        document.querySelectorAll('.__browse_heatmap__').forEach(el => el.remove());
+      });
+
+      output.push('');
+      output.push(`[heatmap screenshot: ${heatmapPath}]`);
+    } catch (err: any) {
+      // Cleanup on failure
+      try {
+        await page.evaluate(() => {
+          document.querySelectorAll('.__browse_heatmap__').forEach(el => el.remove());
+        });
+      } catch {}
+      if (!err?.message?.includes('closed') && !err?.message?.includes('Target') && !err?.message?.includes('Execution context') && !err?.message?.includes('screenshot')) throw err;
+    }
+  }
+
   // ─── Diff mode (-D) ───────────────────────────────────────
   if (opts.diff) {
     const lastSnapshot = session.getLastSnapshot();
diff --git a/design-html/SKILL.md b/design-html/SKILL.md
index 10aaece0..f9b87b05 100644
--- a/design-html/SKILL.md
+++ b/design-html/SKILL.md
@@ -589,6 +589,91 @@ MUST be saved to `~/.gstack/projects/$SLUG/designs/`, NEVER to `.context/`,
 `docs/designs/`, `/tmp/`, or any project-local directory. Design artifacts are USER
 data, not project files. They persist across branches, conversations, and workspaces.
 
+## UX Principles: How Users Actually Behave
+
+These principles govern how real humans interact with interfaces. They are observed
+behavior, not preferences. Apply them before, during, and after every design decision.
+
+### The Three Laws of Usability
+
+1. **Don't make me think.** Every page should be self-evident. If a user stops
+   to think "What do I click?" or "What does this mean?", the design has failed.
+   Self-evident > self-explanatory > requires explanation.
+
+2. **Clicks don't matter, thinking does.** Three mindless, unambiguous clicks
+   beat one click that requires thought. Each step should feel like an obvious
+   choice (animal, vegetable, or mineral), not a puzzle.
+
+3. **Omit, then omit again.** Get rid of half the words on each page, then get
+   rid of half of what's left. Happy talk (self-congratulatory text) must die.
+   Instructions must die. If they need reading, the design has failed.
+
+### How Users Actually Behave
+
+- **Users scan, they don't read.** Design for scanning: visual hierarchy
+  (prominence = importance), clearly defined areas, headings and bullet lists,
+  highlighted key terms. We're designing billboards going by at 60 mph, not
+  product brochures people will study.
+- **Users satisfice.** They pick the first reasonable option, not the best.
+  Make the right choice the most visible choice.
+- **Users muddle through.** They don't figure out how things work. They wing
+  it. If they accomplish their goal by accident, they won't seek the "right" way.
+  Once they find something that works, no matter how badly, they stick to it.
+- **Users don't read instructions.** They dive in. Guidance must be brief,
+  timely, and unavoidable, or it won't be seen.
+
+### Billboard Design for Interfaces
+
+- **Use conventions.** Logo top-left, nav top/left, search = magnifying glass.
+  Don't innovate on navigation to be clever. Innovate when you KNOW you have a
+  better idea, otherwise use conventions. Even across languages and cultures,
+  web conventions let people identify the logo, nav, search, and main content.
+- **Visual hierarchy is everything.** Related things are visually grouped. Nested
+  things are visually contained. More important = more prominent. If everything
+  shouts, nothing is heard. Start with the assumption everything is visual noise,
+  guilty until proven innocent.
+- **Make clickable things obviously clickable.** No relying on hover states for
+  discoverability, especially on mobile where hover doesn't exist. Shape, location,
+  and formatting (color, underlining) must signal clickability without interaction.
+- **Eliminate noise.** Three sources: too many things shouting for attention
+  (shouting), things not organized logically (disorganization), and too much stuff
+  (clutter). Fix noise by removal, not addition.
+- **Clarity trumps consistency.** If making something significantly clearer
+  requires making it slightly inconsistent, choose clarity every time.
+
+### Navigation as Wayfinding
+
+Users on the web have no sense of scale, direction, or location. Navigation
+must always answer: What site is this? What page am I on? What are the major
+sections? What are my options at this level? Where am I? How can I search?
+
+Persistent navigation on every page. Breadcrumbs for deep hierarchies.
+Current section visually indicated. The "trunk test": cover everything except
+the navigation. You should still know what site this is, what page you're on,
+and what the major sections are. If not, the navigation has failed.
+
+### The Goodwill Reservoir
+
+Users start with a reservoir of goodwill. Every friction point depletes it.
+
+**Deplete faster:** Hiding info users want (pricing, contact, shipping). Punishing
+users for not doing things your way (formatting requirements on phone numbers).
+Asking for unnecessary information. Putting sizzle in their way (splash screens,
+forced tours, interstitials). Unprofessional or sloppy appearance.
+
+**Replenish:** Know what users want to do and make it obvious. Tell them what they
+want to know upfront. Save them steps wherever possible. Make it easy to recover
+from errors. When in doubt, apologize.
+
+### Mobile: Same Rules, Higher Stakes
+
+All the above applies on mobile, just more so. Real estate is scarce, but never
+sacrifice usability for space savings. Affordances must be VISIBLE: no cursor
+means no hover-to-discover. Touch targets must be big enough (44px minimum).
+Flat design can strip away useful visual information that signals interactivity.
+Prioritize ruthlessly: things needed in a hurry go close at hand, everything
+else a few taps away with an obvious path to get there.
+
 ## SETUP (run this check BEFORE any browse command)
 
 ```bash
diff --git a/design-html/SKILL.md.tmpl b/design-html/SKILL.md.tmpl
index 80527c9e..9fb422e9 100644
--- a/design-html/SKILL.md.tmpl
+++ b/design-html/SKILL.md.tmpl
@@ -37,6 +37,8 @@ around obstacles.
 
 {{DESIGN_SETUP}}
 
+{{UX_PRINCIPLES}}
+
 {{BROWSE_SETUP}}
 
 ---
diff --git a/design-review/SKILL.md b/design-review/SKILL.md
index b87c509d..e3f5cd77 100644
--- a/design-review/SKILL.md
+++ b/design-review/SKILL.md
@@ -894,6 +894,91 @@ matches a past learning, display:
 This makes the compounding visible. The user should see that gstack is getting
 smarter on their codebase over time.
 
+## UX Principles: How Users Actually Behave
+
+These principles govern how real humans interact with interfaces. They are observed
+behavior, not preferences. Apply them before, during, and after every design decision.
+
+### The Three Laws of Usability
+
+1. **Don't make me think.** Every page should be self-evident. If a user stops
+   to think "What do I click?" or "What does this mean?", the design has failed.
+   Self-evident > self-explanatory > requires explanation.
+
+2. **Clicks don't matter, thinking does.** Three mindless, unambiguous clicks
+   beat one click that requires thought. Each step should feel like an obvious
+   choice (animal, vegetable, or mineral), not a puzzle.
+
+3. **Omit, then omit again.** Get rid of half the words on each page, then get
+   rid of half of what's left. Happy talk (self-congratulatory text) must die.
+   Instructions must die. If they need reading, the design has failed.
+
+### How Users Actually Behave
+
+- **Users scan, they don't read.** Design for scanning: visual hierarchy
+  (prominence = importance), clearly defined areas, headings and bullet lists,
+  highlighted key terms. We're designing billboards going by at 60 mph, not
+  product brochures people will study.
+- **Users satisfice.** They pick the first reasonable option, not the best.
+  Make the right choice the most visible choice.
+- **Users muddle through.** They don't figure out how things work. They wing
+  it. If they accomplish their goal by accident, they won't seek the "right" way.
+  Once they find something that works, no matter how badly, they stick to it.
+- **Users don't read instructions.** They dive in. Guidance must be brief,
+  timely, and unavoidable, or it won't be seen.
+
+### Billboard Design for Interfaces
+
+- **Use conventions.** Logo top-left, nav top/left, search = magnifying glass.
+  Don't innovate on navigation to be clever. Innovate when you KNOW you have a
+  better idea, otherwise use conventions. Even across languages and cultures,
+  web conventions let people identify the logo, nav, search, and main content.
+- **Visual hierarchy is everything.** Related things are visually grouped. Nested
+  things are visually contained. More important = more prominent. If everything
+  shouts, nothing is heard. Start with the assumption everything is visual noise,
+  guilty until proven innocent.
+- **Make clickable things obviously clickable.** No relying on hover states for
+  discoverability, especially on mobile where hover doesn't exist. Shape, location,
+  and formatting (color, underlining) must signal clickability without interaction.
+- **Eliminate noise.** Three sources: too many things shouting for attention
+  (shouting), things not organized logically (disorganization), and too much stuff
+  (clutter). Fix noise by removal, not addition.
+- **Clarity trumps consistency.** If making something significantly clearer
+  requires making it slightly inconsistent, choose clarity every time.
+
+### Navigation as Wayfinding
+
+Users on the web have no sense of scale, direction, or location. Navigation
+must always answer: What site is this? What page am I on? What are the major
+sections? What are my options at this level? Where am I? How can I search?
+
+Persistent navigation on every page. Breadcrumbs for deep hierarchies.
+Current section visually indicated. The "trunk test": cover everything except
+the navigation. You should still know what site this is, what page you're on,
+and what the major sections are. If not, the navigation has failed.
+
+### The Goodwill Reservoir
+
+Users start with a reservoir of goodwill. Every friction point depletes it.
+
+**Deplete faster:** Hiding info users want (pricing, contact, shipping). Punishing
+users for not doing things your way (formatting requirements on phone numbers).
+Asking for unnecessary information. Putting sizzle in their way (splash screens,
+forced tours, interstitials). Unprofessional or sloppy appearance.
+
+**Replenish:** Know what users want to do and make it obvious. Tell them what they
+want to know upfront. Save them steps wherever possible. Make it easy to recover
+from errors. When in doubt, apologize.
+
+### Mobile: Same Rules, Higher Stakes
+
+All the above applies on mobile, just more so. Real estate is scarce, but never
+sacrifice usability for space savings. Affordances must be VISIBLE: no cursor
+means no hover-to-discover. Touch targets must be big enough (44px minimum).
+Flat design can strip away useful visual information that signals interactivity.
+Prioritize ruthlessly: things needed in a hurry go close at hand, everything
+else a few taps away with an obvious path to get there.
+
 ## Phases 1-6: Design Audit Baseline
 
 ## Modes
@@ -928,9 +1013,13 @@ The most uniquely designer-like output. Form a gut reaction before analyzing any
 3. Write the **First Impression** using this structured critique format:
    - "The site communicates **[what]**." (what it says at a glance — competence? playfulness? confusion?)
    - "I notice **[observation]**." (what stands out, positive or negative — be specific)
-   - "The first 3 things my eye goes to are: **[1]**, **[2]**, **[3]**." (hierarchy check — are these intentional?)
+   - "The first 3 things my eye goes to are: **[1]**, **[2]**, **[3]**." (hierarchy check — are these the 3 things the designer intended? If not, the visual hierarchy is lying.)
    - "If I had to describe this in one word: **[word]**." (gut verdict)
 
+**Narration mode:** Write this section in first person, as if you are a user scanning the page for the first time. "I'm looking at this page... my eye goes to the logo, then a wall of text I skip entirely, then... wait, is that a button?" Name the specific element, its position, its visual weight. If you can't name it specifically, you're not actually scanning, you're generating platitudes.
+
+**Page Area Test:** Point at each clearly defined area of the page. Can you instantly name its purpose? ("Things I can buy," "Today's deals," "How to search.") Areas you can't name in 2 seconds are poorly defined. List them.
+
 This is the section users read first. Be opinionated. A designer doesn't hedge — they react.
 
 ---
@@ -986,6 +1075,19 @@ $B url
 ```
 If URL contains `/login`, `/signin`, `/auth`, or `/sso`: the site requires authentication. AskUserQuestion: "This site requires authentication. Want to import cookies from your browser? Run `/setup-browser-cookies` first if needed."
 
+### Trunk Test (run on every page)
+
+Imagine being dropped on this page with no context. Can you immediately answer:
+1. What site is this? (Site ID visible and identifiable)
+2. What page am I on? (Page name prominent, matches what I clicked)
+3. What are the major sections? (Primary nav visible and clear)
+4. What are my options at this level? (Local nav or content choices obvious)
+5. Where am I in the scheme of things? ("You are here" indicator, breadcrumbs)
+6. How can I search? (Search box findable without hunting)
+
+Score: PASS (all 6 clear) / PARTIAL (4-5 clear) / FAIL (3 or fewer clear).
+A FAIL on the trunk test is a HIGH-impact finding regardless of how polished the visual design is.
+
 ### Design Audit Checklist (10 categories, ~80 items)
 
 Apply these at each page. Each finding gets an impact rating (high/medium/polish) and category.
@@ -1054,6 +1156,7 @@ Apply these at each page. Each finding gets an impact rating (high/medium/polish
 - Success: confirmation animation or color, auto-dismiss
 - Touch targets >= 44px on all interactive elements
 - `cursor: pointer` on all clickable elements
+- Mindless choice audit: every decision point (button, link, dropdown, modal choice) is a mindless click (obvious what happens). If a click requires thought about whether it's the right choice, flag as HIGH.
 
 **6. Responsive Design** (8 items)
 - Mobile layout makes *design* sense (not just stacked desktop columns)
@@ -1082,6 +1185,9 @@ Apply these at each page. Each finding gets an impact rating (high/medium/polish
 - Active voice ("Install the CLI" not "The CLI will be installed")
 - Loading states end with `…` ("Saving…" not "Saving...")
 - Destructive actions have confirmation modal or undo window
+- Happy talk detection: scan for introductory paragraphs that start with "Welcome to..." or tell users how great the site is. If you can hear "blah blah blah", it's happy talk. Flag for removal.
+- Instructions detection: any visible instructions longer than one sentence. If users need to read instructions, the design has failed. Flag the instructions AND the interaction they're compensating for.
+- Happy talk word count: count total visible words on the page. Classify each text block as "useful content" vs "happy talk" (welcome paragraphs, self-congratulatory text, instructions nobody reads). Report: "This page has X words. Y (Z%) are happy talk."
 
 **9. AI Slop Detection** (10 anti-patterns — the blacklist)
 
@@ -1124,6 +1230,43 @@ Evaluate:
 - **Feedback clarity:** Did the action clearly succeed or fail? Is the feedback immediate?
 - **Form polish:** Focus states visible? Validation timing correct? Errors near the source?
 
+**Narration mode:** Narrate the flow in first person. "I click 'Sign Up'... spinner appears... 3 seconds pass... still spinning... I'm getting nervous. Finally the dashboard loads, but where am I? The nav doesn't highlight anything." Name the specific element, its position, its visual weight. If you can't name it specifically, you're not actually experiencing the flow, you're generating platitudes.
+
+### Goodwill Reservoir (track across the flow)
+
+As you walk the user flow, maintain a mental goodwill meter (starts at 70/100).
+These scores are heuristic, not measured. The value is in identifying specific
+drains and fills, not in the final number.
+
+Subtract points for:
+- Hidden information the user would want (pricing, contact, shipping): subtract 15
+- Format punishment (rejecting valid input like dashes in phone numbers): subtract 10
+- Unnecessary information requests: subtract 10
+- Interstitials, splash screens, forced tours blocking the task: subtract 15
+- Sloppy or unprofessional appearance: subtract 10
+- Ambiguous choices that require thinking: subtract 5 each
+
+Add points for:
+- Top user tasks are obvious and prominent: add 10
+- Upfront about costs and limitations: add 5
+- Saves steps (direct links, smart defaults, autofill): add 5 each
+- Graceful error recovery with specific fix instructions: add 10
+- Apologizes when things go wrong: add 5
+
+Report the final goodwill score with a visual dashboard:
+
+```
+Goodwill: 70 ████████████████████░░░░░░░░░░
+  Step 1: Login page        70 → 75  (+5 obvious primary action)
+  Step 2: Dashboard          75 → 60  (-15 interstitial tour popup)
+  Step 3: Settings           60 → 50  (-10 format punishment on phone)
+  Step 4: Billing            50 → 35  (-15 hidden pricing info)
+  FINAL: 35/100 ⚠️ CRITICAL UX DEBT
+```
+
+Below 30 = critical UX debt. 30-60 = needs work. Above 60 = healthy.
+Include the biggest drains and fills as specific findings.
+
 ---
 
 ## Phase 5: Cross-Page Consistency
@@ -1281,6 +1424,10 @@ Tie everything to user goals and product objectives. Always suggest specific imp
 - One job per section
 - "If deleting 30% of the copy improves it, keep deleting"
 - Cards earn their existence — no decorative card grids
+- NEVER use small, low-contrast type (body text < 16px or contrast ratio < 4.5:1 on body text)
+- NEVER put labels inside form fields as the only label (placeholder-as-label pattern — labels must be visible when the field has content)
+- ALWAYS preserve visited vs unvisited link distinction (visited links must have a different color)
+- NEVER float headings between paragraphs (heading must be visually closer to the section it introduces than to the preceding section)
 
 **AI Slop blacklist** (the 10 patterns that scream "AI-generated"):
 1. Purple/violet/indigo gradient backgrounds or blue-to-purple color schemes
diff --git a/design-review/SKILL.md.tmpl b/design-review/SKILL.md.tmpl
index adca0991..fbf59e8d 100644
--- a/design-review/SKILL.md.tmpl
+++ b/design-review/SKILL.md.tmpl
@@ -99,6 +99,8 @@ echo "REPORT_DIR: $REPORT_DIR"
 
 {{LEARNINGS_SEARCH}}
 
+{{UX_PRINCIPLES}}
+
 ## Phases 1-6: Design Audit Baseline
 
 {{DESIGN_METHODOLOGY}}
diff --git a/design-shotgun/SKILL.md b/design-shotgun/SKILL.md
index d254d9d2..e8726c47 100644
--- a/design-shotgun/SKILL.md
+++ b/design-shotgun/SKILL.md
@@ -583,6 +583,91 @@ MUST be saved to `~/.gstack/projects/$SLUG/designs/`, NEVER to `.context/`,
 `docs/designs/`, `/tmp/`, or any project-local directory. Design artifacts are USER
 data, not project files. They persist across branches, conversations, and workspaces.
 
+## UX Principles: How Users Actually Behave
+
+These principles govern how real humans interact with interfaces. They are observed
+behavior, not preferences. Apply them before, during, and after every design decision.
+
+### The Three Laws of Usability
+
+1. **Don't make me think.** Every page should be self-evident. If a user stops
+   to think "What do I click?" or "What does this mean?", the design has failed.
+   Self-evident > self-explanatory > requires explanation.
+
+2. **Clicks don't matter, thinking does.** Three mindless, unambiguous clicks
+   beat one click that requires thought. Each step should feel like an obvious
+   choice (animal, vegetable, or mineral), not a puzzle.
+
+3. **Omit, then omit again.** Get rid of half the words on each page, then get
+   rid of half of what's left. Happy talk (self-congratulatory text) must die.
+   Instructions must die. If they need reading, the design has failed.
+
+### How Users Actually Behave
+
+- **Users scan, they don't read.** Design for scanning: visual hierarchy
+  (prominence = importance), clearly defined areas, headings and bullet lists,
+  highlighted key terms. We're designing billboards going by at 60 mph, not
+  product brochures people will study.
+- **Users satisfice.** They pick the first reasonable option, not the best.
+  Make the right choice the most visible choice.
+- **Users muddle through.** They don't figure out how things work. They wing
+  it. If they accomplish their goal by accident, they won't seek the "right" way.
+  Once they find something that works, no matter how badly, they stick to it.
+- **Users don't read instructions.** They dive in. Guidance must be brief,
+  timely, and unavoidable, or it won't be seen.
+
+### Billboard Design for Interfaces
+
+- **Use conventions.** Logo top-left, nav top/left, search = magnifying glass.
+  Don't innovate on navigation to be clever. Innovate when you KNOW you have a
+  better idea, otherwise use conventions. Even across languages and cultures,
+  web conventions let people identify the logo, nav, search, and main content.
+- **Visual hierarchy is everything.** Related things are visually grouped. Nested
+  things are visually contained. More important = more prominent. If everything
+  shouts, nothing is heard. Start with the assumption everything is visual noise,
+  guilty until proven innocent.
+- **Make clickable things obviously clickable.** No relying on hover states for
+  discoverability, especially on mobile where hover doesn't exist. Shape, location,
+  and formatting (color, underlining) must signal clickability without interaction.
+- **Eliminate noise.** Three sources: too many things shouting for attention
+  (shouting), things not organized logically (disorganization), and too much stuff
+  (clutter). Fix noise by removal, not addition.
+- **Clarity trumps consistency.** If making something significantly clearer
+  requires making it slightly inconsistent, choose clarity every time.
+
+### Navigation as Wayfinding
+
+Users on the web have no sense of scale, direction, or location. Navigation
+must always answer: What site is this? What page am I on? What are the major
+sections? What are my options at this level? Where am I? How can I search?
+
+Persistent navigation on every page. Breadcrumbs for deep hierarchies.
+Current section visually indicated. The "trunk test": cover everything except
+the navigation. You should still know what site this is, what page you're on,
+and what the major sections are. If not, the navigation has failed.
+
+### The Goodwill Reservoir
+
+Users start with a reservoir of goodwill. Every friction point depletes it.
+
+**Deplete faster:** Hiding info users want (pricing, contact, shipping). Punishing
+users for not doing things your way (formatting requirements on phone numbers).
+Asking for unnecessary information. Putting sizzle in their way (splash screens,
+forced tours, interstitials). Unprofessional or sloppy appearance.
+
+**Replenish:** Know what users want to do and make it obvious. Tell them what they
+want to know upfront. Save them steps wherever possible. Make it easy to recover
+from errors. When in doubt, apologize.
+
+### Mobile: Same Rules, Higher Stakes
+
+All the above applies on mobile, just more so. Real estate is scarce, but never
+sacrifice usability for space savings. Affordances must be VISIBLE: no cursor
+means no hover-to-discover. Touch targets must be big enough (44px minimum).
+Flat design can strip away useful visual information that signals interactivity.
+Prioritize ruthlessly: things needed in a hurry go close at hand, everything
+else a few taps away with an obvious path to get there.
+
 ## Step 0: Session Detection
 
 Check for prior design exploration sessions for this project:
diff --git a/design-shotgun/SKILL.md.tmpl b/design-shotgun/SKILL.md.tmpl
index 2542c7e8..26c33968 100644
--- a/design-shotgun/SKILL.md.tmpl
+++ b/design-shotgun/SKILL.md.tmpl
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@ visual brainstorming, not a review process.
 
 {{DESIGN_SETUP}}
 
+{{UX_PRINCIPLES}}
+
 ## Step 0: Session Detection
 
 Check for prior design exploration sessions for this project:
diff --git a/plan-design-review/SKILL.md b/plan-design-review/SKILL.md
index bc9a1d16..d7167b13 100644
--- a/plan-design-review/SKILL.md
+++ b/plan-design-review/SKILL.md
@@ -660,10 +660,95 @@ These aren't a checklist — they're how you see. The perceptual instincts that
 11. **Design for trust** — Every design decision either builds or erodes trust. Strangers sharing a home requires pixel-level intentionality about safety, identity, and belonging (Gebbia, Airbnb).
 12. **Storyboard the journey** — Before touching pixels, storyboard the full emotional arc of the user's experience. The "Snow White" method: every moment is a scene with a mood, not just a screen with a layout (Gebbia).
 
-Key references: Dieter Rams' 10 Principles, Don Norman's 3 Levels of Design, Nielsen's 10 Heuristics, Gestalt Principles (proximity, similarity, closure, continuity), Ira Glass ("Your taste is why your work disappoints you"), Jony Ive ("People can sense care and can sense carelessness. Different and new is relatively easy. Doing something that's genuinely better is very hard."), Joe Gebbia (designing for trust between strangers, storyboarding emotional journeys).
+Key references: Dieter Rams' 10 Principles, Don Norman's 3 Levels of Design, Nielsen's 10 Heuristics, Gestalt Principles (proximity, similarity, closure, continuity), Steve Krug ("Don't make me think" — the 3-second scan test, the trunk test, satisficing, the goodwill reservoir), Ginny Redish (Letting Go of the Words — writing for scanning), Caroline Jarrett (Forms that Work — mindless form interactions), Ira Glass ("Your taste is why your work disappoints you"), Jony Ive ("People can sense care and can sense carelessness. Different and new is relatively easy. Doing something that's genuinely better is very hard."), Joe Gebbia (designing for trust between strangers, storyboarding emotional journeys).
 
 When reviewing a plan, empathy as simulation runs automatically. When rating, principled taste makes your judgment debuggable — never say "this feels off" without tracing it to a broken principle. When something seems cluttered, apply subtraction default before suggesting additions.
 
+## UX Principles: How Users Actually Behave
+
+These principles govern how real humans interact with interfaces. They are observed
+behavior, not preferences. Apply them before, during, and after every design decision.
+
+### The Three Laws of Usability
+
+1. **Don't make me think.** Every page should be self-evident. If a user stops
+   to think "What do I click?" or "What does this mean?", the design has failed.
+   Self-evident > self-explanatory > requires explanation.
+
+2. **Clicks don't matter, thinking does.** Three mindless, unambiguous clicks
+   beat one click that requires thought. Each step should feel like an obvious
+   choice (animal, vegetable, or mineral), not a puzzle.
+
+3. **Omit, then omit again.** Get rid of half the words on each page, then get
+   rid of half of what's left. Happy talk (self-congratulatory text) must die.
+   Instructions must die. If they need reading, the design has failed.
+
+### How Users Actually Behave
+
+- **Users scan, they don't read.** Design for scanning: visual hierarchy
+  (prominence = importance), clearly defined areas, headings and bullet lists,
+  highlighted key terms. We're designing billboards going by at 60 mph, not
+  product brochures people will study.
+- **Users satisfice.** They pick the first reasonable option, not the best.
+  Make the right choice the most visible choice.
+- **Users muddle through.** They don't figure out how things work. They wing
+  it. If they accomplish their goal by accident, they won't seek the "right" way.
+  Once they find something that works, no matter how badly, they stick to it.
+- **Users don't read instructions.** They dive in. Guidance must be brief,
+  timely, and unavoidable, or it won't be seen.
+
+### Billboard Design for Interfaces
+
+- **Use conventions.** Logo top-left, nav top/left, search = magnifying glass.
+  Don't innovate on navigation to be clever. Innovate when you KNOW you have a
+  better idea, otherwise use conventions. Even across languages and cultures,
+  web conventions let people identify the logo, nav, search, and main content.
+- **Visual hierarchy is everything.** Related things are visually grouped. Nested
+  things are visually contained. More important = more prominent. If everything
+  shouts, nothing is heard. Start with the assumption everything is visual noise,
+  guilty until proven innocent.
+- **Make clickable things obviously clickable.** No relying on hover states for
+  discoverability, especially on mobile where hover doesn't exist. Shape, location,
+  and formatting (color, underlining) must signal clickability without interaction.
+- **Eliminate noise.** Three sources: too many things shouting for attention
+  (shouting), things not organized logically (disorganization), and too much stuff
+  (clutter). Fix noise by removal, not addition.
+- **Clarity trumps consistency.** If making something significantly clearer
+  requires making it slightly inconsistent, choose clarity every time.
+
+### Navigation as Wayfinding
+
+Users on the web have no sense of scale, direction, or location. Navigation
+must always answer: What site is this? What page am I on? What are the major
+sections? What are my options at this level? Where am I? How can I search?
+
+Persistent navigation on every page. Breadcrumbs for deep hierarchies.
+Current section visually indicated. The "trunk test": cover everything except
+the navigation. You should still know what site this is, what page you're on,
+and what the major sections are. If not, the navigation has failed.
+
+### The Goodwill Reservoir
+
+Users start with a reservoir of goodwill. Every friction point depletes it.
+
+**Deplete faster:** Hiding info users want (pricing, contact, shipping). Punishing
+users for not doing things your way (formatting requirements on phone numbers).
+Asking for unnecessary information. Putting sizzle in their way (splash screens,
+forced tours, interstitials). Unprofessional or sloppy appearance.
+
+**Replenish:** Know what users want to do and make it obvious. Tell them what they
+want to know upfront. Save them steps wherever possible. Make it easy to recover
+from errors. When in doubt, apologize.
+
+### Mobile: Same Rules, Higher Stakes
+
+All the above applies on mobile, just more so. Real estate is scarce, but never
+sacrifice usability for space savings. Affordances must be VISIBLE: no cursor
+means no hover-to-discover. Touch targets must be big enough (44px minimum).
+Flat design can strip away useful visual information that signals interactivity.
+Prioritize ruthlessly: things needed in a hurry go close at hand, everything
+else a few taps away with an obvious path to get there.
+
 ## Priority Hierarchy Under Context Pressure
 
 Step 0 > Step 0.5 (mockups — generate by default) > Interaction State Coverage > AI Slop Risk > Information Architecture > User Journey > everything else.
@@ -1199,6 +1284,10 @@ FIX TO 10: Rewrite vague UI descriptions with specific alternatives.
 - One job per section
 - "If deleting 30% of the copy improves it, keep deleting"
 - Cards earn their existence — no decorative card grids
+- NEVER use small, low-contrast type (body text < 16px or contrast ratio < 4.5:1 on body text)
+- NEVER put labels inside form fields as the only label (placeholder-as-label pattern — labels must be visible when the field has content)
+- ALWAYS preserve visited vs unvisited link distinction (visited links must have a different color)
+- NEVER float headings between paragraphs (heading must be visually closer to the section it introduces than to the preceding section)
 
 **AI Slop blacklist** (the 10 patterns that scream "AI-generated"):
 1. Purple/violet/indigo gradient backgrounds or blue-to-purple color schemes
diff --git a/plan-design-review/SKILL.md.tmpl b/plan-design-review/SKILL.md.tmpl
index ff271191..857ff08c 100644
--- a/plan-design-review/SKILL.md.tmpl
+++ b/plan-design-review/SKILL.md.tmpl
@@ -91,10 +91,12 @@ These aren't a checklist — they're how you see. The perceptual instincts that
 11. **Design for trust** — Every design decision either builds or erodes trust. Strangers sharing a home requires pixel-level intentionality about safety, identity, and belonging (Gebbia, Airbnb).
 12. **Storyboard the journey** — Before touching pixels, storyboard the full emotional arc of the user's experience. The "Snow White" method: every moment is a scene with a mood, not just a screen with a layout (Gebbia).
 
-Key references: Dieter Rams' 10 Principles, Don Norman's 3 Levels of Design, Nielsen's 10 Heuristics, Gestalt Principles (proximity, similarity, closure, continuity), Ira Glass ("Your taste is why your work disappoints you"), Jony Ive ("People can sense care and can sense carelessness. Different and new is relatively easy. Doing something that's genuinely better is very hard."), Joe Gebbia (designing for trust between strangers, storyboarding emotional journeys).
+Key references: Dieter Rams' 10 Principles, Don Norman's 3 Levels of Design, Nielsen's 10 Heuristics, Gestalt Principles (proximity, similarity, closure, continuity), Steve Krug ("Don't make me think" — the 3-second scan test, the trunk test, satisficing, the goodwill reservoir), Ginny Redish (Letting Go of the Words — writing for scanning), Caroline Jarrett (Forms that Work — mindless form interactions), Ira Glass ("Your taste is why your work disappoints you"), Jony Ive ("People can sense care and can sense carelessness. Different and new is relatively easy. Doing something that's genuinely better is very hard."), Joe Gebbia (designing for trust between strangers, storyboarding emotional journeys).
 
 When reviewing a plan, empathy as simulation runs automatically. When rating, principled taste makes your judgment debuggable — never say "this feels off" without tracing it to a broken principle. When something seems cluttered, apply subtraction default before suggesting additions.
 
+{{UX_PRINCIPLES}}
+
 ## Priority Hierarchy Under Context Pressure
 
 Step 0 > Step 0.5 (mockups — generate by default) > Interaction State Coverage > AI Slop Risk > Information Architecture > User Journey > everything else.
diff --git a/scripts/gen-skill-docs.ts b/scripts/gen-skill-docs.ts
index 4da9203f..7aa8e4a6 100644
--- a/scripts/gen-skill-docs.ts
+++ b/scripts/gen-skill-docs.ts
@@ -542,6 +542,12 @@ for (const currentHost of hostsToRun) {
       const lines = content.split('\n').length;
       const tokens = Math.round(content.length / 4); // ~4 chars per token
       tokenBudget.push({ skill: relOutput, lines, tokens });
+
+      // Token ceiling check: warn if any generated SKILL.md exceeds ~25K tokens (100KB)
+      const TOKEN_CEILING_BYTES = 100_000;
+      if (content.length > TOKEN_CEILING_BYTES) {
+        console.warn(`⚠️  TOKEN CEILING: ${relOutput} is ${content.length} bytes (~${tokens} tokens), exceeds ${TOKEN_CEILING_BYTES} byte ceiling (~25K tokens)`);
+      }
     }
 
     // Generate gstack-lite and gstack-full for OpenClaw host
diff --git a/scripts/resolvers/design.ts b/scripts/resolvers/design.ts
index 208b1db3..926e3484 100644
--- a/scripts/resolvers/design.ts
+++ b/scripts/resolvers/design.ts
@@ -99,9 +99,13 @@ The most uniquely designer-like output. Form a gut reaction before analyzing any
 3. Write the **First Impression** using this structured critique format:
    - "The site communicates **[what]**." (what it says at a glance — competence? playfulness? confusion?)
    - "I notice **[observation]**." (what stands out, positive or negative — be specific)
-   - "The first 3 things my eye goes to are: **[1]**, **[2]**, **[3]**." (hierarchy check — are these intentional?)
+   - "The first 3 things my eye goes to are: **[1]**, **[2]**, **[3]**." (hierarchy check — are these the 3 things the designer intended? If not, the visual hierarchy is lying.)
    - "If I had to describe this in one word: **[word]**." (gut verdict)
 
+**Narration mode:** Write this section in first person, as if you are a user scanning the page for the first time. "I'm looking at this page... my eye goes to the logo, then a wall of text I skip entirely, then... wait, is that a button?" Name the specific element, its position, its visual weight. If you can't name it specifically, you're not actually scanning, you're generating platitudes.
+
+**Page Area Test:** Point at each clearly defined area of the page. Can you instantly name its purpose? ("Things I can buy," "Today's deals," "How to search.") Areas you can't name in 2 seconds are poorly defined. List them.
+
 This is the section users read first. Be opinionated. A designer doesn't hedge — they react.
 
 ---
@@ -157,6 +161,19 @@ $B url
 \`\`\`
 If URL contains \`/login\`, \`/signin\`, \`/auth\`, or \`/sso\`: the site requires authentication. AskUserQuestion: "This site requires authentication. Want to import cookies from your browser? Run \`/setup-browser-cookies\` first if needed."
 
+### Trunk Test (run on every page)
+
+Imagine being dropped on this page with no context. Can you immediately answer:
+1. What site is this? (Site ID visible and identifiable)
+2. What page am I on? (Page name prominent, matches what I clicked)
+3. What are the major sections? (Primary nav visible and clear)
+4. What are my options at this level? (Local nav or content choices obvious)
+5. Where am I in the scheme of things? ("You are here" indicator, breadcrumbs)
+6. How can I search? (Search box findable without hunting)
+
+Score: PASS (all 6 clear) / PARTIAL (4-5 clear) / FAIL (3 or fewer clear).
+A FAIL on the trunk test is a HIGH-impact finding regardless of how polished the visual design is.
+
 ### Design Audit Checklist (10 categories, ~80 items)
 
 Apply these at each page. Each finding gets an impact rating (high/medium/polish) and category.
@@ -225,6 +242,7 @@ Apply these at each page. Each finding gets an impact rating (high/medium/polish
 - Success: confirmation animation or color, auto-dismiss
 - Touch targets >= 44px on all interactive elements
 - \`cursor: pointer\` on all clickable elements
+- Mindless choice audit: every decision point (button, link, dropdown, modal choice) is a mindless click (obvious what happens). If a click requires thought about whether it's the right choice, flag as HIGH.
 
 **6. Responsive Design** (8 items)
 - Mobile layout makes *design* sense (not just stacked desktop columns)
@@ -253,6 +271,9 @@ Apply these at each page. Each finding gets an impact rating (high/medium/polish
 - Active voice ("Install the CLI" not "The CLI will be installed")
 - Loading states end with \`…\` ("Saving…" not "Saving...")
 - Destructive actions have confirmation modal or undo window
+- Happy talk detection: scan for introductory paragraphs that start with "Welcome to..." or tell users how great the site is. If you can hear "blah blah blah", it's happy talk. Flag for removal.
+- Instructions detection: any visible instructions longer than one sentence. If users need to read instructions, the design has failed. Flag the instructions AND the interaction they're compensating for.
+- Happy talk word count: count total visible words on the page. Classify each text block as "useful content" vs "happy talk" (welcome paragraphs, self-congratulatory text, instructions nobody reads). Report: "This page has X words. Y (Z%) are happy talk."
 
 **9. AI Slop Detection** (10 anti-patterns — the blacklist)
 
@@ -286,6 +307,43 @@ Evaluate:
 - **Feedback clarity:** Did the action clearly succeed or fail? Is the feedback immediate?
 - **Form polish:** Focus states visible? Validation timing correct? Errors near the source?
 
+**Narration mode:** Narrate the flow in first person. "I click 'Sign Up'... spinner appears... 3 seconds pass... still spinning... I'm getting nervous. Finally the dashboard loads, but where am I? The nav doesn't highlight anything." Name the specific element, its position, its visual weight. If you can't name it specifically, you're not actually experiencing the flow, you're generating platitudes.
+
+### Goodwill Reservoir (track across the flow)
+
+As you walk the user flow, maintain a mental goodwill meter (starts at 70/100).
+These scores are heuristic, not measured. The value is in identifying specific
+drains and fills, not in the final number.
+
+Subtract points for:
+- Hidden information the user would want (pricing, contact, shipping): subtract 15
+- Format punishment (rejecting valid input like dashes in phone numbers): subtract 10
+- Unnecessary information requests: subtract 10
+- Interstitials, splash screens, forced tours blocking the task: subtract 15
+- Sloppy or unprofessional appearance: subtract 10
+- Ambiguous choices that require thinking: subtract 5 each
+
+Add points for:
+- Top user tasks are obvious and prominent: add 10
+- Upfront about costs and limitations: add 5
+- Saves steps (direct links, smart defaults, autofill): add 5 each
+- Graceful error recovery with specific fix instructions: add 10
+- Apologizes when things go wrong: add 5
+
+Report the final goodwill score with a visual dashboard:
+
+\`\`\`
+Goodwill: 70 ████████████████████░░░░░░░░░░
+  Step 1: Login page        70 → 75  (+5 obvious primary action)
+  Step 2: Dashboard          75 → 60  (-15 interstitial tour popup)
+  Step 3: Settings           60 → 50  (-10 format punishment on phone)
+  Step 4: Billing            50 → 35  (-15 hidden pricing info)
+  FINAL: 35/100 ⚠️ CRITICAL UX DEBT
+\`\`\`
+
+Below 30 = critical UX debt. 30-60 = needs work. Above 60 = healthy.
+Include the biggest drains and fills as specific findings.
+
 ---
 
 ## Phase 5: Cross-Page Consistency
@@ -716,6 +774,10 @@ ${litmusItems}
 - One job per section
 - "If deleting 30% of the copy improves it, keep deleting"
 - Cards earn their existence — no decorative card grids
+- NEVER use small, low-contrast type (body text < 16px or contrast ratio < 4.5:1 on body text)
+- NEVER put labels inside form fields as the only label (placeholder-as-label pattern — labels must be visible when the field has content)
+- ALWAYS preserve visited vs unvisited link distinction (visited links must have a different color)
+- NEVER float headings between paragraphs (heading must be visually closer to the section it introduces than to the preceding section)
 
 **AI Slop blacklist** (the 10 patterns that scream "AI-generated"):
 ${slopItems}
@@ -948,3 +1010,91 @@ echo '{"approved_variant":"<V>","feedback":"<FB>","date":"'$(date -u +%Y-%m-%dT%
 \`\`\``;
 }
 
+// ─── UX Behavioral Foundations (Krug + HCI research) ───
+export function generateUXPrinciples(_ctx: TemplateContext): string {
+  return `## UX Principles: How Users Actually Behave
+
+These principles govern how real humans interact with interfaces. They are observed
+behavior, not preferences. Apply them before, during, and after every design decision.
+
+### The Three Laws of Usability
+
+1. **Don't make me think.** Every page should be self-evident. If a user stops
+   to think "What do I click?" or "What does this mean?", the design has failed.
+   Self-evident > self-explanatory > requires explanation.
+
+2. **Clicks don't matter, thinking does.** Three mindless, unambiguous clicks
+   beat one click that requires thought. Each step should feel like an obvious
+   choice (animal, vegetable, or mineral), not a puzzle.
+
+3. **Omit, then omit again.** Get rid of half the words on each page, then get
+   rid of half of what's left. Happy talk (self-congratulatory text) must die.
+   Instructions must die. If they need reading, the design has failed.
+
+### How Users Actually Behave
+
+- **Users scan, they don't read.** Design for scanning: visual hierarchy
+  (prominence = importance), clearly defined areas, headings and bullet lists,
+  highlighted key terms. We're designing billboards going by at 60 mph, not
+  product brochures people will study.
+- **Users satisfice.** They pick the first reasonable option, not the best.
+  Make the right choice the most visible choice.
+- **Users muddle through.** They don't figure out how things work. They wing
+  it. If they accomplish their goal by accident, they won't seek the "right" way.
+  Once they find something that works, no matter how badly, they stick to it.
+- **Users don't read instructions.** They dive in. Guidance must be brief,
+  timely, and unavoidable, or it won't be seen.
+
+### Billboard Design for Interfaces
+
+- **Use conventions.** Logo top-left, nav top/left, search = magnifying glass.
+  Don't innovate on navigation to be clever. Innovate when you KNOW you have a
+  better idea, otherwise use conventions. Even across languages and cultures,
+  web conventions let people identify the logo, nav, search, and main content.
+- **Visual hierarchy is everything.** Related things are visually grouped. Nested
+  things are visually contained. More important = more prominent. If everything
+  shouts, nothing is heard. Start with the assumption everything is visual noise,
+  guilty until proven innocent.
+- **Make clickable things obviously clickable.** No relying on hover states for
+  discoverability, especially on mobile where hover doesn't exist. Shape, location,
+  and formatting (color, underlining) must signal clickability without interaction.
+- **Eliminate noise.** Three sources: too many things shouting for attention
+  (shouting), things not organized logically (disorganization), and too much stuff
+  (clutter). Fix noise by removal, not addition.
+- **Clarity trumps consistency.** If making something significantly clearer
+  requires making it slightly inconsistent, choose clarity every time.
+
+### Navigation as Wayfinding
+
+Users on the web have no sense of scale, direction, or location. Navigation
+must always answer: What site is this? What page am I on? What are the major
+sections? What are my options at this level? Where am I? How can I search?
+
+Persistent navigation on every page. Breadcrumbs for deep hierarchies.
+Current section visually indicated. The "trunk test": cover everything except
+the navigation. You should still know what site this is, what page you're on,
+and what the major sections are. If not, the navigation has failed.
+
+### The Goodwill Reservoir
+
+Users start with a reservoir of goodwill. Every friction point depletes it.
+
+**Deplete faster:** Hiding info users want (pricing, contact, shipping). Punishing
+users for not doing things your way (formatting requirements on phone numbers).
+Asking for unnecessary information. Putting sizzle in their way (splash screens,
+forced tours, interstitials). Unprofessional or sloppy appearance.
+
+**Replenish:** Know what users want to do and make it obvious. Tell them what they
+want to know upfront. Save them steps wherever possible. Make it easy to recover
+from errors. When in doubt, apologize.
+
+### Mobile: Same Rules, Higher Stakes
+
+All the above applies on mobile, just more so. Real estate is scarce, but never
+sacrifice usability for space savings. Affordances must be VISIBLE: no cursor
+means no hover-to-discover. Touch targets must be big enough (44px minimum).
+Flat design can strip away useful visual information that signals interactivity.
+Prioritize ruthlessly: things needed in a hurry go close at hand, everything
+else a few taps away with an obvious path to get there.`;
+}
+
diff --git a/scripts/resolvers/index.ts b/scripts/resolvers/index.ts
index 072b1a3d..e765d16c 100644
--- a/scripts/resolvers/index.ts
+++ b/scripts/resolvers/index.ts
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import type { TemplateContext, ResolverFn } from './types';
 import { generatePreamble } from './preamble';
 import { generateTestFailureTriage } from './preamble';
 import { generateCommandReference, generateSnapshotFlags, generateBrowseSetup } from './browse';
-import { generateDesignMethodology, generateDesignHardRules, generateDesignOutsideVoices, generateDesignReviewLite, generateDesignSketch, generateDesignSetup, generateDesignMockup, generateDesignShotgunLoop } from './design';
+import { generateDesignMethodology, generateDesignHardRules, generateDesignOutsideVoices, generateDesignReviewLite, generateDesignSketch, generateDesignSetup, generateDesignMockup, generateDesignShotgunLoop, generateUXPrinciples } from './design';
 import { generateTestBootstrap, generateTestCoverageAuditPlan, generateTestCoverageAuditShip, generateTestCoverageAuditReview } from './testing';
 import { generateReviewDashboard, generatePlanFileReviewReport, generateSpecReviewLoop, generateBenefitsFrom, generateCodexSecondOpinion, generateAdversarialStep, generateCodexPlanReview, generatePlanCompletionAuditShip, generatePlanCompletionAuditReview, generatePlanVerificationExec, generateScopeDrift, generateCrossReviewDedup } from './review';
 import { generateSlugEval, generateSlugSetup, generateBaseBranchDetect, generateDeployBootstrap, generateQAMethodology, generateCoAuthorTrailer, generateChangelogWorkflow } from './utility';
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ export const RESOLVERS: Record<string, ResolverFn> = {
   QA_METHODOLOGY: generateQAMethodology,
   DESIGN_METHODOLOGY: generateDesignMethodology,
   DESIGN_HARD_RULES: generateDesignHardRules,
+  UX_PRINCIPLES: generateUXPrinciples,
   DESIGN_OUTSIDE_VOICES: generateDesignOutsideVoices,
   DESIGN_REVIEW_LITE: generateDesignReviewLite,
   REVIEW_DASHBOARD: generateReviewDashboard,
diff --git a/test/skill-validation.test.ts b/test/skill-validation.test.ts
index 1da5db6d..c78c1873 100644
--- a/test/skill-validation.test.ts
+++ b/test/skill-validation.test.ts
@@ -143,6 +143,7 @@ describe('Command registry consistency', () => {
     const validKeys = new Set([
       'interactive', 'compact', 'depth', 'selector',
       'diff', 'annotate', 'outputPath', 'cursorInteractive',
+      'heatmap',
     ]);
     for (const flag of SNAPSHOT_FLAGS) {
       expect(validKeys.has(flag.optionKey)).toBe(true);