#design-checklist.md
Version: 1.0.0
Target Models
- GPT-6 Astra
- GPT-5.6
- GPT-5.5
- GPT-5 Family
- Future GPT 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.
#5. Navigation
□ 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.