Name it
State the decision in plain language. Give the audience one clear question to answer.
Studio proposal / 2026
Design the next decision, not another layer of information.
A focused direction for a fictional independent design studio.
01 / The situation
A page can contain every answer and still leave people unsure what to do next. In this fictional brief, the team keeps adding explanations while the primary action becomes harder to see. The design opportunity is to reveal a useful hierarchy before adding more information.
02 / Three principles
State the decision in plain language. Give the audience one clear question to answer.
Put the strongest evidence beside the claim. Let scale and alignment establish the reading order.
Keep secondary detail available without letting it compete with the primary action.
03 / An illustrative pilot
Illustrative planning values only; no real user study or performance result is claimed.
24 → 9
A fictional interface audit groups secondary actions behind a clear first step.
12 min
A compact walkthrough checks the decision, the evidence, and the next action.
3
What is this? Why does it matter? What should I do next?
04 / A proposed effort split
Illustrative percentage of a proposed design effort budget. The values sum to 100 and describe a plan, not measured impact.
Narrative structure
40
Visual hierarchy
30
Evidence and labels
20
Decorative polish
10
05 / A three-stage plan
A small scope keeps the first iteration inspectable.
Choose one audience, one decision, and the evidence they need to make it.
Build a simple version with realistic copy and the primary action in view.
Observe where people hesitate. Change the hierarchy before adding detail.
06 / What changes
Every request becomes another visible element.
Every visible element serves a decision.
07 / A working belief
Clarity is the space between a question and the next useful action.
LESS / SIGNAL · fictional studio statement
08 / The next step
Choose a single page or workflow. Agree on its primary question, make a focused prototype, and review it with the people who will use it.