Duration

45-60 minutes

Objective

Transform draft design principles into clear, memorable, and actionable statements that effectively guide design decisions.

Materials Needed

• Draft principles on individual cards or sheets

• Language refinement worksheet

• Examples of well-crafted principles from admired organizations

• Highlighters and pens

• Timer

Setup

1. Display draft principles where everyone can see them

2. Provide refinement worksheets to each participant or small group

3. Share examples of strong principles as reference points

Exercise Steps

01 Introduction (5 minutes)

• Review characteristics of effective principles:

  • Clear and memorable language

  • Actionable guidance (not just abstract values)

  • Distinctive to your organization

  • Balanced (acknowledges trade-offs)

  • Examples that illustrate application

02 Individual Refinement (15 minutes)

For each principle:

1. Evaluate the principle against quality criteria:

   • Is it memorable? Could you recite it from memory?

   • Is it actionable? Does it help make decisions?

   • Is it distinctive? Or could any team claim this?

   • Is it clear? Or is there room for misinterpretation?

2. Rewrite the principle to address any shortcomings

3. Add a brief explanation (1-2 sentences)

4. Create a concrete example of the principle in action

03 Small Group Consensus (20 minutes)

1. Form small groups of 3-4 people

2. Share individual rewrites of each principle

3. Discuss strengths of different versions

4. Create a consolidated version that captures the best elements

5. Test against a sample design scenario

6. Refine language based on how well it guides decisions

04 Full Group Review (15 minutes)

• Each small group presents their refined principles

• Facilitate quick critique focusing on clarity and actionability

• Vote on preferred versions or elements

• Note any principles that still need work

• Identify next steps for finalization

Refinement Worksheet Template

For each principle:

Original Statement: [Draft principle]

Quality Check:

• Memorable: Yes/No - Why?

• Actionable: Yes/No - Why?

• Distinctive: Yes/No - Why?

• Clear: Yes/No - Why?

Refined Statement: [Rewritten principle]

Brief Explanation: [1-2 sentences explaining the principle]

Example in Practice: [Concrete example of how this principle guides a specific decision]

Expected Outcomes

• Significantly improved language for each design principle

• Greater clarity and actionability

• Supporting explanations that enhance understanding

• Practical examples that illustrate application

• Team alignment on the meaning and intent of each principle

This exercise takes promising but rough principles and transforms them into powerful, practical tools that can effectively guide your design decisions and communicate your approach to stakeholders.