# BASIC UX

> BASIC UX (basicux.com) is a set of UX design principles for systems that people and AI agents use. Created by Dan Smith and first published in UX Magazine on June 29, 2016. Five principles, Beauty, Accessibility, Simplicity, Intuitiveness and Consistency, each with questions to ask of people and of agents.

One build serves both users: the accessible page is the agent-ready page. The people questions come first, and people and agents get the same content, prices and labels.

## The five principles

- Beauty. People: Is it aesthetically pleasing? Agents: Is the page code clean? Agent questions: Does the screen order match the code order? Does the layout stay still with nothing covering any button? Is the HTML page code valid with 1 h1 heading and a title? When an agent acts for a person: Can a person check the agent's plan and results fast?
- Accessibility. People: Can everyone use it? Agents: Can an agent read and use it? Agent questions: Does every button have a role and name in the accessibility tree? Is the text in the HTML code before JavaScript runs? Can an agent do public tasks without CAPTCHA or robots.txt blocks? When an agent acts for a person: Can the person stop the agent or take over anytime?
- Simplicity. People: Does it make life easier? Agents: Does it take the fewest steps? Agent questions: Is there a short path like llms.txt, JSON-LD, an API or WebMCP? Does each form or tool do 1 job? How much text must the agent read to finish the task? When an agent acts for a person: Is checking the agent's work easier than doing the work yourself?
- Intuitiveness. People: Is it easy to learn? Agents: Does it say what it does? Agent questions: Does every button, link or tool name its exact action? Does text stay on the page to say what happened? Are actions that cannot be undone clearly marked? When an agent acts for a person: Does the person see the plan first, with a way to undo?
- Consistency. People: Does it match the system? Agents: Does it act the same every time? Agent questions: Do people and agents get the same text, prices and labels? Does the same name always go to the same web address? Does the API or tool do the same thing as the screen? When an agent acts for a person: Does it say it is AI and ask before spending, deleting or sharing data?

## Resources

- [BASIC UX framework](https://basicux.com): every principle and question, with sources
- [principles.json](https://basicux.com/principles.json): the framework as JSON, for agents and tools
- [Skills](https://basicux.com/skills.html): two free agent skills for coding agents. basic-ux-design gives the build rules; basic-ux-audit scores a page for people and for agents with Playwright
- [Both skills (.zip)](https://basicux.com/files/basic-ux-skills.zip)
- [basic-ux-design SKILL.md](https://basicux.com/files/skills/basic-ux-design/SKILL.md)
- [basic-ux-audit SKILL.md](https://basicux.com/files/skills/basic-ux-audit/SKILL.md)

## Optional

- [UX Magazine, 2016](https://uxmag.com/articles/basic-ux-a-framework-for-usable-products): the original article