Design Decisions · Q1 2027
Learn to make these calls on your own.
These cards are the first of many. The course teaches the reasoning behind each one, with practice rounds and teardowns of real products.
Get new cards as they’re released, and early-bird pricing at launch.
Coming next
- State & feedback
Toast or Inline
Will people see the result where they acted?
- Navigation
Bottom Bar or Menu
Do people move between these sections every session?
- Flow & continuity
Show or Disclose
Do most people need this to make the decision?
- Hierarchy & focus
Visible or Overflow
How often is this action used?
- Input & affordance
Label or Placeholder
Will people still know what the field is after they type?
- State & feedback
Progress or Indeterminate
Can you tell how much is left?
- Navigation
Same Tab or New Tab
Would leaving this page cost them their work?
- Flow & continuity
Inline Edit or Edit Mode
Is it one value, or a set of changes that belong together?
- Hierarchy & focus
Button or Link
Does it do something, or go somewhere?
- State & feedback
Guide or Sample
Can people picture the filled screen, or do they need to see it?
- Flow & continuity
One Page or Steps
Does the form have topics, or is it just long?
- Navigation
Restore or Reset
Should coming back look exactly like leaving?
- Input & affordance
Free Text or Picker
Is there a fixed set of valid answers?
- Hierarchy & focus
Icon or Label
Would everyone recognize the icon without a label?
- State & feedback
Retry or Explain
Will trying again fix it?
- Flow & continuity
Wizard or Checklist
Must setup happen in order, or can people choose?
- Navigation
Browse or Search
Do people know the name of what they want?
- Input & affordance
Live or On Submit
When should people find out it’s wrong?
- Hierarchy & focus
Narrow or Full Width
Are people reading, or scanning data?
- State & feedback
Partial or Nothing
If one part fails, is the rest still useful?
- Navigation
Group or Search
Can people still scan it, or do they need to type?
- Flow & continuity
Bulk or One by One
How many items do people act on at once?
- Input & affordance
Strict or Forgiving
Can you clean up the input instead of rejecting it?
- Hierarchy & focus
Hover or Always
Will people find it if they can’t see it?
- State & feedback
Live or On Request
Would new content move what people are reading?
- Flow & continuity
Warn or Keep
What happens to unsaved work when people leave?
- Input & affordance
Disable or Hide
Should people know this action exists?