TASTE CHALLENGES

153 Taste Challenges

Taste isn't a talent — it's trained.

12 dimensions · 30-90 min each · Repeatable · Click cards for details

🏗️

Architecture Intuition

Develop the instinct to tell good architecture from bad at a glance · 0/15 Done

A1

Napkin Test

Sketch an architecture diagram on paper, then have AI draw one too and compare the differences

45 minBeginnerView →
A2

Over-Engineering Hunter

Decide which of two architecture proposals is more appropriate -- simple or complex?

30 minBeginnerView →
A3

Hindsight Analyst

Analyze a real-world system failure case and deduce the root cause

60 minIntermediateView →
A4

Single Point of Failure Hunter

Identify all single points of failure in a given architecture

30 minBeginnerView →
A5

Database Design Challenge

Draw an entity-relationship (ER) diagram for an application

45 minBeginnerView →
A6

Tech Stack Debate

Choose a tech stack for a project and justify your reasoning

45 minIntermediateView →
A7

Scalability Simulation

Simulate how a system evolves from 100 users to 1 million users

45 minIntermediateView →
A8

Cache Strategist

Design caching strategies for different scenarios

45 minIntermediateView →
A9

API Design Review

Review an API design for consistency and usability

45 minIntermediateView →
A10

Performance Audit

Diagnose the performance bottleneck of a slow website

60 minIntermediateView →
A11

Third-Party Dependency Evaluation

Evaluate whether a third-party service is worth depending on

30 minBeginnerView →
A12

Data Flow Tracing

Trace the complete data flow triggered by a user action

45 minIntermediateView →
A13

Microservices vs Monolith

Determine when to break a system into microservices

45 minAdvancedView →
A14

Capacity Planning

Plan capacity for an upcoming traffic spike

60 minAdvancedView →
A15

Architecture Decision Record

Write an ADR (Architecture Decision Record)

45 minAdvancedView →
🎨

UX/Product Taste

Cultivate aesthetic sense and judgment in product design · 0/18 Done

B1

5-Second Test

Open 5 apps, look at each for 5 seconds, then close your eyes and answer key questions

30 minBeginnerView →
B2

Empty State Audit

Check how an app behaves when there is no data

45 minBeginnerView →
B3

Friction Diary

Log friction points you encounter while using software each day

5 min dailyBeginnerView →
B4

Error State Test

Test how an app behaves when errors occur

30 minBeginnerView →
B5

Competitor Teardown

Perform a deep teardown of a competitor product design

60 minIntermediateView →
B6

Accessibility Audit

Check an app for accessibility support

45 minIntermediateView →
B7

Loading State Master

Design elegant loading states and skeleton screens

30 minBeginnerView →
B8

Mobile Responsiveness Test

Test the app experience on a mobile device

30 minBeginnerView →
B9

Signup Flow Optimization

Analyze and optimize the user registration flow

45 minIntermediateView →
B10

Squint Test

Squint at the interface to train your visual hierarchy perception

30 minBeginnerView →
B11

Consistency Patrol

Check design consistency across an app

45 minIntermediateView →
B12

Navigation Intuition Test

Test whether users can intuitively find features

30 minBeginnerView →
B13

Micro-Interaction Design

Design meaningful micro-interaction animations

45 minIntermediateView →
B14

Form UX Review

Review form user experience

30 minBeginnerView →
B15

Color Psychology Decoded

Analyze brand color strategies

30 minBeginnerView →
B16

Font Pairing Tasting

Understand how fonts affect perception

30 minBeginnerView →
B17

Dark Mode Review

Review the design quality of dark mode

30 minIntermediateView →
B18

Design System Review

Review the completeness of a design system

60 minAdvancedView →
🔒

Security Instinct

Develop sensitivity to security vulnerabilities · 0/12 Done

💬

Prompt Engineering

Master the art of communicating with AI · 0/15 Done

💰

Cost & Business

Develop business awareness and cost consciousness · 0/15 Done

🔎

Code Review

Develop judgment for code quality · 0/10 Done

📈

Marketing & Growth

Develop marketing mindset and growth awareness · 0/15 Done

📊

Data & Analytics

Develop the ability to make data-driven decisions · 0/10 Done

🤖

AI/LLM Integration

Master AI/LLM integration in products · 0/15 Done

📝

Communication & Docs

Improve technical communication and documentation skills · 0/10 Done

⚙️

Ops & Reliability

Develop operations and system reliability awareness · 0/10 Done