worklike
Worklike is a neologism used as an adjective to describe activities, interfaces, or processes that resemble work in structure, cadence, or demands, but are not necessarily employment. The term is used in discussions of productivity, human–computer interaction, and labor studies to capture phenomena where routine, effort, or evaluation resemble professional work.
Derived from work + like, the term is relatively new and not standardized in dictionaries. It appears
In user experience design, worklike flows are designed to emulate professional workflows—deadlines, task boards, time estimates—so
Critics warn that worklike design can pressure users, potentially contributing to burnout or the normalization of
See also: gamification, workflow, productivity; labor studies.