I'm building a React Native project. I created initial UI mockups and HTML examples with AI, then developed the full system with another AI coding tool and had it reviewed by an automated auditing tool. I also used an AI-assisted skill to help clean up the interface.
The result doesn't feel obviously AI-generated to me, but I may be too close to the project to judge it accurately. Before launching, how can I evaluate whether the UI feels thoughtful and human rather than generic or machine-produced?
I'm considering using an appropriate font, keeping the design clean and consistent, following material design principles, reducing animation, and using little or no shadow. What else should I check?
4 Answers
Test with messy, realistic data rather than only perfect examples. Try very long names, multi-line titles, empty states, validation errors, missing images, and lists with many or zero items. AI-generated mockups often look fine with clean sample data but fall apart in real use. If the layout still feels intentional in those cases, you’re in much better shape.
Create the design system yourself and make the implementation follow it. Define the typography, spacing, colors, components, interaction states, and wording manually instead of letting the generator choose everything. AI tools often repeat the same layouts, color combinations, and copy, so having deliberate rules will make the result feel more specific to your product.
Don’t judge it only by appearance. Ask around five people who have never seen the app to complete three important tasks without help. Watch where they pause, hesitate, or get lost. Their behavior will reveal much more than an automated visual audit, especially when it comes to navigation and how screens flow from one step to the next.
Test the experience as a first-time user yourself too, but outside your developer mindset. Anything that feels confusing or oddly timed is worth investigating.
Learn the fundamentals of UI and UX instead of focusing only on removing visual signs of AI. Review real products, accessibility guidance, hierarchy, contrast, spacing, touch targets, and consistency. Accessibility standards are a useful baseline because they improve usability for everyone. Then give your coding tool detailed, specific instructions based on those principles and review the output yourself.
Also check loading, offline, permission, and failure states. Those situations often reveal whether the interface was designed as a complete product or just generated around the happy path.