2021-02-09

Design principles are an enforcement tool. How design teams work is driven by a few factors. Company documents are important navigation points for designers making decisions on how to do their work.

How design teams work is driven by a few factors. Company documents are important navigation points for designers making decisions on how to do their work.

Principles and rules are documents based on truths, axioms, facts, and how a company understands the design profession and its impact on the company's output. This should allow designers to say no or to hold-off a project if necessary.

Guidelines and checklists are sets of advice on how to design that is rooted in team members beliefs, previous experiences and direction in how the design craft is executed in the organisation. This should shield designers from making common mistakes, and contract working hours spent on following the guidelines.

Nice-to-haves are other sources of knowledge of tools that are available for designers and others.

The important thing is to keep guidelines and nice-to-haves as a decision for individual contributors. A feedback loop should point to them, but not require them.

Guidelines might be valid for most or typical situation, but it is up to people doing a task to decide whether to diverge from the guidelines.

Principles are always true, no matter the project, team, scope, resources.

Design principles are an enforcement tool, to make design profession impactful, and ensure product quality.