/onboarding-ux

name: onboarding-ux
description: "Audit and generate in-app user guidance — onboarding flows, empty states, tooltips, feature tours, contextual help, defaults, and inline hints. Browses the app to find where new users would get stuck, then produces the actual content and code to fix it. Pairs with ux-audit: audit finds problems, this skill builds the solutions. Triggers: 'onboarding', 'help content', 'empty states', 'user guidance', 'first run experience', 'feature tour', 'app is confusing', 'new user experience', 'make the app welcoming'."
compatibility: claude-code-only

Onboarding UX

Audit a web app for onboarding gaps, then generate the in-app guidance to fix them. The goal: a new user should never stare at a blank screen wondering what to do.

The Problem This Solves

You've built the features. They work. But when a new user logs in for the first time, they see:

• Empty tables with column headers and nothing else
• Sidebars full of labels that mean nothing to them yet
• No indication of where to start or what the app is for
• Features they don't know exist because nothing points to them

This skill finds those gaps and produces the content and code to fill them.

Browser Tool Detection

Same as ux-audit — detect Chrome MCP, Playwright MCP, or playwright-cli. See ux-audit's browser-tools.md reference if needed.

URL Resolution

Same as ux-audit — prefer deployed/live URL over localhost. Check wrangler.jsonc, CLAUDE.md, or running dev server.

Workflow

Phase 1: Audit — Find the Gaps

Browse the app as a brand new user. On every page, evaluate:

Empty States

Navigate to every list/table/collection page. For each:

| Check | Good | Bad | |-------|------|-----| | What does a zero-data page show? | "No clients yet. Add your first client to get started." + CTA button | Empty table with column headers, or blank white space | | Is there a clear action? | Button: "Add your first [thing]" | Nothing — user has to find the action in the nav or a menu | | Does it explain the feature? | "Clients are the people and businesses you work with. Add one to start tracking your relationships." | Just an empty container | | Is the empty state designed? | Illustration or icon, helpful copy, prominent CTA | Identical to the populated state minus the data |

First Impression

Log in as a new user (or clear state to simulate). Evaluate:

| Check | What to look for | |-------|-----------------| | **Landing page** | Does the dashboard/home show something useful or is it empty? | | **Orientation** | Within 10 seconds, do I know what this app does and where to start? | | **First action** | Is the #1 thing I should do obvious and prominent? | | **Cognitive load** | How many menu items, buttons, and options compete for attention? | | **Welcome content** | Is there a welcome message, tour, or getting-started guide? Or just the raw app? |

Feature Discoverability

For each feature in the app:

| Check | What to look for | |-------|-----------------| | **Can I find it?** | Is it visible in the nav, or buried in a menu/submenu? | | **Do I know what it does?** | Does the label explain it, or do I need to click to find out? | | **Keyboard shortcuts** | Are there shortcuts? Are they discoverable (tooltip, help panel)? | | **Advanced features** | Filters, bulk actions, search — are these visible or hidden? | | **Settings and configuration** | Can I find the settings? Do I know what each setting does? |

Contextual Help Gaps

On each page:

| Check | What to look for | |-------|-----------------| | **Form fields** | Do complex fields have help text or tooltips? | | **Jargon** | Any labels that a non-expert wouldn't understand? | | **Consequences** | Do destructive or irreversible actions explain what will happen? | | **Validation** | When I make a mistake, does the error message tell me how to fix it? |

Produce an Audit Report

Write to `.jez/artifacts/onboarding/audit.md`:

# Onboarding Audit: [App Name]
**Date**: YYYY-MM-DD
**URL**: [app url]

## First Impression Score
[1-5] — Can a new user figure out what to do within 30 seconds?

## Empty States Found
| Page | Current state | Recommendation |
|------|--------------|----------------|
| /clients | Empty table, no guidance | Add empty state with CTA |

## Missing Guidance
| Location | Gap | Priority |
|----------|-----|----------|
| Dashboard | No welcome or getting started | High |
| Settings | No descriptions on settings | Medium |

## Feature Discovery Issues
| Feature | Problem | Fix |
|---------|---------|-----|
| Keyboard shortcuts | No way to discover them | Add help panel |

## Quick Wins
[Top 5 changes that would have the biggest impact on new user experience]

---

Phase 2: Generate — Build the Solutions

After the audit, generate the actual content and code. Read the project's codebase to match the existing tech stack and component patterns.

1. Empty State Components

For each empty state identified in the audit, generate a component:

// Pattern — adapt to the project's component library
function EmptyState({ icon, title, description, actionLabel, onAction }) {
  return (
    <div className="flex flex-col items-center justify-center py-16 text-center">
      <div className="text-muted-foreground mb-4">{icon}</div>
      <h3 className="text-lg font-medium mb-2">{title}</h3>
      <p className="text-muted-foreground mb-6 max-w-md">{description}</p>
      <Button onClick={onAction}>{actionLabel}</Button>
    </div>
  );
}

For each page, write specific copy:

• **Title**: What the feature is ("Clients")
• **Description**: Why it matters, in one sentence ("Track the people and businesses you work with")
• **Action**: What to do next ("Add your first client")

Write the copy so it feels like a helpful colleague, not a manual.

2. Welcome / First-Run Experience

Generate one of these patterns based on the app's complexity:

**Simple app (3-5 features)**: Welcome banner on the