Design Principles

Three to five statements of stance — a meaning, a boundary, a source, a picture.

In Insight / Pitch / Decision / Tone · Out Principles · Cost 25 credits

What it does

Turns insight, pitch, a decision and a tone guide into three to five short statements of stance — how the team decides, not what it builds. Each one gets a short name, a “this means” sentence, a “this does not mean” sentence that rules out the closest misreading, a piece of evidence pulled from the connected sources, and a picture that stands for it.

When to reach for it

After synthesis, before the team starts writing wireframes, briefs or stories in parallel. Principles are a shared yardstick — something to hold a proposal against without re-litigating it every time.

Worth knowing

A principle without its “this does not mean” is a platitude, not a stance — “be clear” nobody can disagree with, so nobody can be held to it. The boundary is what makes it usable. The picture per principle is a suggestion you can replace with your own photo; it carries the mood words rarely do.