Same questions. Different answers.

Reasons that differ

• business.q1What does the product do for the business?
  Runs daily operationsbecauseThe product runs daily security operations: alerts, incidents and the assets they touch.
  Informs and publishesbecauseThe product publishes articles and guides.
• people.q1Who uses it most?
  Daily expertsbecausebusiness.q1 Runs daily operations
  Occasional visitorsbecausebusiness.q1 Informs and publishes
• content.q1What is the main content?
  Numbers and recordsbecausebusiness.q1 Runs daily operations
  Long-form textbecausebusiness.q1 Informs and publishes
• content.q2How much is on one screen?
  A lotbecausepeople.q1 Daily expertscontent.q1 Numbers and records
  One idea at a timebecausecontent.q1 Long-form text
• tasks.q1What is the main task?
  Scan and comparebecausecontent.q1 Numbers and records
  Read start to endbecausecontent.q1 Long-form text
• tasks.q2How often do people repeat actions?
  Constantlybecausepeople.q1 Daily experts
  Rarelybecausetasks.q1 Read start to end
• human.q1What must the interface protect?
  People keep their placebecausetasks.q1 Scan and compare
  Attention on the contentbecausetasks.q1 Read start to end
• human.q2How do people recall the interface?
  They learn it and recognise itbecausepeople.q1 Daily experts
  They see it fresh each timebecausepeople.q1 Occasional visitors
• outcomes.q1Which outcome matters most?
  Time on taskbecausetasks.q2 Constantly
  Reading comfortbecausetasks.q1 Read start to end
• outcomes.q2What is a costly mistake?
  Acting on the wrong recordbecausetasks.q1 Scan and compare
  Losing your placebecausetasks.q1 Read start to end
• brand.q1What should the brand feel like?
  Precisebecausecontent.q1 Numbers and records
  Warmbecausebusiness.q1 Informs and publishes
• brand.q2How visible is the brand in the interface?
  Quietbecausecontent.q2 A lot
  Presentbecausebrand.q1 Warm
• scenarios.q1Where do people use it?
  At a deskbecausepeople.q1 Daily experts
  Anywhere, on any devicebecausepeople.q1 Occasional visitors
• scenarios.q2How long is one visit?
  All daybecausetasks.q2 Constantly
  One sittingbecausecontent.q1 Long-form text
• team.q2How fast does it change?
  Every monthbecauseFeatures ship every month; the system must keep up.
  RarelybecauseThe design changes rarely.

Design answers that differ

• typography.rolesWhich text roles does it need?
  Core and databecausecontent.q1 Numbers and recordstasks.q1 Scan and compare
  Core and editorial displaybecausecontent.q1 Long-form text
• typography.countHow many steps does the type scale take?
  Only the steps the screens needbecausecontent.q2 A lot
  Fine steps, so pages can set their own rhythmbecausecontent.q1 Long-form text
• typography.definitionHow are sizes and line heights defined?
  A ratio, line heights on the gridbecausetasks.q1 Scan and comparepeople.q2 AA
  A ratio, line heights in proportionbecausetasks.q1 Read start to endpeople.q2 AA
• typography.valuesHow large is body text?
  Smallbecausecontent.q2 A lot
  Largebecauseoutcomes.q1 Reading comfort
• typography.landsWhere does type do the most work?
  Tables and inputsbecausecontent.q1 Numbers and records
  Articles and long textbecausecontent.q1 Long-form text
• color.valuesHow saturated is the palette?
  Mutedbecausebrand.q2 Quiet
  Balancedbecausebrand.q1 Warm
• color.landsWhere does color carry meaning first?
  Status in tablesbecauseoutcomes.q2 Acting on the wrong record
  Links and actionsbecausetasks.q1 Read start to end
• spacing.rolesWhich spacing roles does it need?
  Gaps, insets and row heightsbecausecontent.q1 Numbers and records
  Gaps and insetsbecausecontent.q1 Long-form text
• spacing.countHow many densities exist?
  Twobecausetasks.q1 Scan and compare
  Onebecausecontent.q2 One idea at a time
• spacing.definitionHow are spacing steps defined?
  A fine base unitbecausecontent.q2 A lot
  A coarse base unitbecauseoutcomes.q1 Reading comfort
• spacing.valuesHow dense is the layout?
  Compactbecausecontent.q2 A lot
  Spaciousbecauseoutcomes.q1 Reading comfort
• spacing.landsWhere does spacing matter most?
  Rows and cellsbecausetasks.q1 Scan and compare
  Between paragraphsbecausecontent.q1 Long-form text
• shape.valuesWhat should control corners say?
  Slightly roundedbecausebrand.q1 Precise
  Roundedbecausebrand.q1 Warm
• shape.landsWhere does shape show most?
  Controls in dense rowsbecausecontent.q2 A lot
  Controls and cardsbecausecontent.q1 Long-form text
• elevation.definitionWhat separates groups on the page?
  Linesbecausehuman.q1 People keep their place
  Spacebecauseoutcomes.q1 Reading comfort
• elevation.valuesHow soft are shadows?
  Subtlebecausebrand.q1 Precise
  Softbecausebrand.q1 Warm
• motion.rolesWhat is motion for?
  Feedback onlybecausehuman.q1 People keep their place
  Feedback and guidancebecausepeople.q1 Occasional visitors
• motion.countHow many speeds exist?
  Onebecausemotion.roles Feedback only
  Twobecausemotion.roles Feedback and guidance
• motion.valuesHow fast does feedback feel?
  Fastbecauseoutcomes.q1 Time on task
  Moderatebecausebrand.q1 Warm
• motion.landsWhere does motion show?
  State changes onlybecausemotion.roles Feedback only
  State changes and panelsbecausemotion.roles Feedback and guidance
• iconography.rolesWhat do icons do?
  Actions and statusbecausetasks.q2 Constantly
  Actions, status and navigationbecausepeople.q1 Occasional visitors
• iconography.landsWhere do icons work hardest?
  Toolbars and rowsbecausetasks.q2 Constantly
  Navigationbecausepeople.q1 Occasional visitors
• accessibility.rolesWhich states get their own visible value?
  Hover, focus, disabledbecausepeople.q1 Daily experts
  Those and pressedbecauseaccessibility.values Touch size
• accessibility.countHow many signals carry each meaning?
  Three: color, icon and wordbecausepeople.q2 AAcontent.q1 Numbers and records
  Two: color and wordbecausepeople.q2 AA
• accessibility.valuesWhat is the smallest target?
  Compact, for a pointerbecausescenarios.q1 At a desk
  Touch sizebecausescenarios.q1 Anywhere, on any device
• accessibility.landsWhere are the floors hardest to hold?
  Dense tablesbecausecontent.q2 A lot
  Long textbecausecontent.q1 Long-form text
• voice.rolesWhich kinds of copy does it need?
  Labels and messagesbecausebusiness.q1 Runs daily operations
  Labels, messages and articlesbecausecontent.q1 Long-form text
• voice.countHow many tones does it use?
  Onebecausepeople.q1 Daily experts
  One per momentbecausehuman.q1 Attention on the content
• voice.definitionHow is the voice defined?
  Rules and a word listbecauseteam.q1 A small teamtasks.q2 Constantly
  Principles and examplesbecauseteam.q1 A small teamcontent.q1 Long-form text
• voice.valuesHow does it sound?
  Tersebecausepeople.q1 Daily expertsbrand.q1 Precise
  Conversationalbecausepeople.q1 Occasional visitorsbrand.q1 Warm
• voice.landsWhere do the words matter most?
  Errors and empty statesbecauseoutcomes.q2 Acting on the wrong record
  Articles and guidesbecausecontent.q1 Long-form text
• components.rolesWhich component families does it need?
  Core, plus databecausecontent.q1 Numbers and recordstasks.q1 Scan and compare
  Core, plus content and mediabecausecontent.q1 Long-form texttasks.q1 Read start to end
• components.countHow far does the inventory reach?
  What today's screens use, plus what the next ones will likely needbecausecontent.q2 A lotteam.q1 A small team
  Only what today's screens usebecausetasks.q2 Rarelyteam.q1 A small team
• components.landsWhere do components do the most work?
  Tables and formsbecausecontent.q1 Numbers and recordstasks.q1 Scan and compare
  Articlesbecausecontent.q1 Long-form text