1. purpose
• what's the one thing people should do or feel? • what should they remember after they leave? • if you had to design this in 1 hour, what would you do?
2. hierarchy
• what's the most important thing? (this gets 50%+ of visual weight) • if you could only show 3 things, what would they be? • what's the natural reading order?
3. vibe
• find 3 designs you love and 3 you hate – why? • what physical space does this feel like? (library, garden, workshop, etc.) • what emotion are you going for? (calm, playful, focused, etc.)
4. constraints
• mobile or desktop or both? • quick visit or long session? • daily use or one-time?
5. interaction
• fast and snappy or slow and contemplative? • subtle or bold animations? • should it feel interactive or like reading?
6. style
• what's the tone? (formal, casual, poetic, technical) • type: warm or cold? organic or geometric? • color: bright or muted? warm or cool?
7. gut check
• what's the simplest version that still works? • what are you adding because it's "supposed to be there"? • does this feel like you, or like what design "should" look like?