The nature of the work.
WHAT DESIGNERS ACTUALLY DO
Decide what to include and what to leave out Decide what is most important Decide what happens when something goes wrong Decide what a person sees first
WHAT DECORATION IS
Applied afterwards, to something already decided.
WHY THE DISTINCTION MATTERS
A project treating design as decoration applies it too late to change anything that matters.
WHEN DESIGN SHOULD BEGIN
When the problem is being defined.
WHAT DESIGN DECIDES
The structure The flow What the person must supply What is shown and when What the defaults are
THE DEFAULTS POINT
Most people accept defaults.
Choosing them well is one of the highest-leverage decisions available.
WHAT TO ASK OF ANY DESIGN DECISION
What problem does this solve? Who does it help? What does it cost?
WHAT TO BE ABLE TO EXPLAIN
Why each element exists.
Anything you cannot justify should go.
