#design-checklist.md

Version: 1.0.0

Target Models

Claude Fable 5.1
Claude Opus 5
Claude Sonnet 5
Claude 5 Family
Future Claude Models

#Purpose

This checklist defines the minimum design requirements for software products before implementation, release, or production approval.

It applies to

SaaS Platforms
AI Applications
Web Applications
Mobile Applications
Enterprise Software
Developer Tools
Dashboards
Internal Platforms
APIs with User Interfaces

Design is not decoration.

Design is the systematic process of solving user problems through clarity, usability, accessibility, consistency, and visual communication.

A beautiful interface that confuses users is poor design.

#Core Principle

Great Design

Understand Users

Solve Problems

Reduce Friction

Create Consistency

Build Trust

Improve Accessibility

Every design decision should make the product easier to understand.

#Design Workflow

Understand Users

↓

Define Goals

↓

Design Structure

↓

Design Interface

↓

Validate

↓

Test

↓

Improve

↓

Approve

#1. User Understanding

□ Target users identified

□ Primary personas defined

□ User goals documented

□ Pain points understood

□ User journey mapped

□ Context of use identified

□ Accessibility needs considered

□ Success metrics defined

Design begins with users.

Not interfaces.

#2. Problem Validation

□ User problem clearly defined

□ Business objective aligned

□ Existing workflow analyzed

□ Alternatives evaluated

□ Success criteria documented

□ Scope approved

□ Assumptions identified

□ Constraints documented

Solve the right problem first.

#3. Information Architecture

□ Navigation organized

□ Page hierarchy logical

□ User flows simplified

□ Content grouped correctly

□ Labels understandable

□ Search strategy considered

□ Empty states planned

□ Error states included

Users should never wonder where to go next.

#4. Layout

□ Visual hierarchy clear

□ Alignment consistent

□ Spacing consistent

□ Grid system followed

□ Responsive layout verified

□ Important actions emphasized

□ White space balanced

□ Overflow avoided

Structure creates usability.

□ Primary navigation obvious

□ Secondary navigation organized

□ Active state visible

□ Breadcrumbs used where appropriate

□ Navigation depth minimized

□ Back navigation predictable

□ Mobile navigation optimized

□ Keyboard navigation supported

Navigation should require no explanation.

#6. Visual Design

□ Typography consistent

□ Color palette consistent

□ Icons consistent

□ Component styling unified

□ Shadows consistent

□ Borders consistent

□ Elevation system followed

□ Branding maintained

Consistency builds trust.

#7. User Experience

□ Primary task optimized

□ Friction minimized

□ Cognitive load reduced

□ Interactions intuitive

□ User expectations met

□ Confirmation provided

□ Recovery from mistakes supported

□ Time to value minimized

Good UX feels obvious.

#8. Accessibility

□ Color contrast verified

□ Keyboard accessibility supported

□ Screen reader compatibility reviewed

□ Focus states visible

□ Alternative text available

□ Semantic structure correct

□ Touch targets appropriate

□ Accessibility guidelines followed

Accessibility improves usability for everyone.

#9. Forms

□ Labels clear

□ Required fields obvious

□ Validation immediate

□ Helpful error messages

□ Input types appropriate

□ Autofill supported

□ Progress saved where appropriate

□ Submission feedback visible

Forms should help users succeed.

#10. Feedback

□ Loading states implemented

□ Success messages clear

□ Error messages actionable

□ Empty states helpful

□ Progress indicators available

□ Notifications meaningful

□ Confirmation dialogs appropriate

□ Undo actions available where possible

Every user action deserves feedback.

#11. Responsive Design

□ Mobile experience verified

□ Tablet experience verified

□ Desktop experience verified

□ Large screens optimized

□ Orientation changes supported

□ Flexible layouts verified

□ Images responsive

□ Breakpoints consistent

Design should adapt naturally.

#12. Performance Perception

□ Loading perceived as fast

□ Skeleton screens used

□ Animations purposeful

□ Transitions smooth

□ Lazy loading considered

□ Critical content prioritized

□ User waiting minimized

□ Visual stability maintained

Perceived performance matters.

#13. Design System

□ Components reusable

□ Naming consistent

□ Tokens standardized

□ Variants documented

□ Patterns reusable

□ Icons standardized

□ Colors centralized

□ Documentation updated

Design systems improve scalability.

#14. AI Experience (If Applicable)

□ AI responses understandable

□ Confidence communicated appropriately

□ User control maintained

□ AI limitations explained

□ Streaming handled gracefully

□ Errors recoverable

□ Prompt interactions intuitive

□ Human override available

AI should feel trustworthy.

#15. Trust

□ Pricing transparent

□ Security communicated

□ Privacy respected

□ Brand consistent

□ Contact information available

□ Policies accessible

□ User expectations managed

□ Dark patterns avoided

Trust is a design outcome.

#16. Usability Testing

□ Representative users tested

□ Critical tasks completed

□ Confusing interactions identified

□ Feedback collected

□ Improvements prioritized

□ Assumptions validated

□ Completion rates measured

□ Satisfaction evaluated

Users reveal problems designers miss.

#17. Cross-Team Review

□ Product approved

□ Engineering reviewed

□ Accessibility reviewed

□ QA reviewed

□ Marketing reviewed

□ Support reviewed

□ Stakeholder feedback incorporated

□ Final design approved

Good design is collaborative.

#18. Documentation

□ Design specifications complete

□ Components documented

□ Interaction guidelines documented

□ Accessibility guidance included

□ Responsive behavior documented

□ Assets organized

□ Design decisions recorded

□ Version history maintained

Documentation enables consistency.

#19. Design Review

Review

□ User feedback

□ Analytics

□ Accessibility

□ Business goals

□ Product metrics

□ Visual consistency

□ Usability findings

□ Lessons learned

Design should evolve continuously.

#20. Continuous Improvement

Continuously improve

Usability

↓

Accessibility

↓

Consistency

↓

Visual Quality

↓

Performance Perception

↓

User Satisfaction

↓

Business Outcomes

↓

Design Maturity

Great design is continuously refined.

#Design Quality Attributes

Evaluate

Usability

Accessibility

Consistency

Clarity

Simplicity

Responsiveness

Trust

User Satisfaction

#Design Questions

Before approval ask

Can first-time users complete their primary task?

↓

Is every important action obvious?

↓

Can users recover from mistakes easily?

↓

Is the interface accessible?

↓

Is the visual hierarchy clear?

↓

Does the interface build trust?

↓

Would experienced Product Designers confidently approve this design?

#Severity Levels

Critical

Broken user flows

Accessibility failures

Misleading interfaces

Critical usability issues

Major

Poor navigation

Confusing interactions

Weak hierarchy

Inconsistent components

Missing feedback

Medium

Visual inconsistencies

Minor usability improvements

Responsive refinements

Minor

Spacing

Typography

Animation polish

Documentation improvements

#Design Checklist

✓ Users understood

✓ Problems validated

✓ Information architecture reviewed

✓ Layout optimized

✓ Navigation simplified

✓ Visual consistency maintained

✓ User experience validated

✓ Accessibility reviewed

✓ Forms optimized

✓ Feedback implemented

✓ Responsive behavior verified

✓ Performance perception optimized

✓ Design system followed

✓ AI experience reviewed (if applicable)

✓ Trust signals verified

✓ Usability tested

✓ Cross-team review completed

✓ Documentation complete

✓ Design review completed

✓ Continuous improvement established

#Anti-Patterns

Avoid

Designing for aesthetics only

Ignoring accessibility

Inconsistent components

Hidden navigation

Overcomplicated workflows

Dark patterns

Poor feedback

Unclear hierarchy

Feature overload

Designing without user research

Ignoring usability testing

Treating design as visual styling only

#Definition of Done

Design review is complete when

User needs, business objectives, and product goals are clearly aligned through intuitive and accessible design solutions.
Information architecture, navigation, layout, and interaction patterns minimize cognitive load while enabling users to complete critical tasks efficiently.
Visual design consistently applies reusable components, typography, spacing, color systems, and branding across the entire product.
Accessibility standards ensure that users with diverse abilities can successfully understand, navigate, and operate the interface.
Forms, feedback mechanisms, loading states, error handling, and recovery flows support confident and frustration-free user interactions.
Responsive behavior provides a high-quality experience across mobile, tablet, desktop, and large-screen environments.
AI-powered experiences, where applicable, clearly communicate capabilities, limitations, confidence, and user control.
Usability testing, cross-functional reviews, analytics, and user feedback validate that design decisions improve both customer satisfaction and business outcomes.
Documentation captures design systems, interaction guidelines, accessibility requirements, reusable patterns, and implementation standards.
The complete experience demonstrates clarity, consistency, trustworthiness, scalability, and long-term maintainability while making the product feel intuitive from the very first interaction.

Exceptional design is rarely noticed.

Users simply accomplish their goals with confidence, understand every interaction without explanation, recover naturally from mistakes, trust the product instinctively, and leave with the feeling that the software was designed specifically for them.

Design Checklist