Skip to main content

Product Design

What design decision are you making right now?

These checklists give you pass/fail thresholds for every decision. No subjective advice. Every check has a number and a method to measure it.

The Audit Sequence

Run these four on everything, in order:

1. RENDERING     → Does it exist in the browser?
2. VISUAL → Can humans read and navigate it?
3. RESPONSIVE → Does it work at every viewport?
4. INTERACTION → Can everyone use it?

Then pick the situation-specific checklist.

Situation Router

You're doing thisUse this
Deployed but something looks wrongRendering Verification
Making it look professionalVisual Design
Testing on phones or checking speedResponsive + Performance
Ensuring everyone can use itInteraction + Accessibility
Building a page that needs to convertLanding Page
Building reusable UI componentsComponent Design
Building admin/data management UIData Interfaces
Reviewing someone's workDesign Review
Setting up Tailwind v4 theme tokensTailwind Theme
Looking for the style guideDesign System

Five Universal Checks

Run these on every page, every time:

#CheckThresholdMethod
1Text readable4.5:1 contrast ratioChrome DevTools color picker
2Touch targets44x44px minimumDevTools element inspector
3Primary action visibleAbove fold, unique colorSquint test at arm's length
4Load speedLCP under 2.5sLighthouse audit
5Keyboard navigableAll actions reachable via TabUnplug mouse, navigate

Context