Guide for Designers

1. Privacy-First Design

Every design decision must prioritize user privacy and control:

• Make privacy controls prominent and accessible
• Use clear language to explain data usage
• Provide granular control over data sharing
• Default to most private settings
• Show encryption status visually

2. Context-Aware Design

Design components that adapt to user context, not fixed screens:

• Think in terms of cards and widgets, not pages
• Design for multiple presentation modes
• Consider time, location, and user state
• Allow components to appear anywhere
• Design for dynamic relevance

3. User Control

Users must always be in control of their experience:

• Every card or widget must be dismissible
• Never auto-hide important information
• Provide clear actions and outcomes
• Allow users to undo actions
• Respect user preferences and settings

4. Examples Over Rules

Show what might happen, do not prescribe what always happens:

• Use language like "might show" or "could appear"
• Design for flexibility and variation
• Avoid rigid, predetermined flows
• Let context determine presentation

Design Handoff

• Annotate designs with spacing values using design tokens
• Specify interactive states (hover, active, disabled)
• Document responsive behavior at different breakpoints
• Include accessibility requirements
• Provide example content and edge cases

Communication

• Use component names from the design system
• Reference design tokens instead of hard values
• Collaborate on complex interactions early
• Review implementations together
• Iterate based on technical constraints

Testing Together

• Test implementations across devices and browsers
• Verify accessibility with screen readers
• Check keyboard navigation flows
• Test with real content and edge cases
• Validate responsive behavior