Intention

Design intention is the purposeful set of decisions and guiding principles that shape a design’s form, function, and how it is experienced; it articulates why specific choices—about materials, layout, interactions, and aesthetics—are made to meet defined goals, solve problems, and communicate meaning. It balances constraints (budget, technology, context) with desired outcomes (usability, accessibility, sustainability, brand identity) and anticipates how people will perceive and use the final product. Clear design intention provides a coherent rationale that aligns stakeholders, informs iterative testing, and preserves fidelity to the original vision as the project evolves.

The intention is the goal and the answer to the problem. How that answer is expressed is the creative work. The clearer the intention, the clearer the solution.