working notes / 03
build the whole loop.
The interface is one moment in a system that has to keep its promises after the click.
start before the screen
A person arrives with a reason to act. If that reason is unclear, a cleaner interface will not resolve it. Put the trigger, the action, and the intended result on the same sheet before deciding where the button goes.
give automation a boundary
Define the repeatable job, the input it can accept, and the evidence it must leave. Keep a clear route back to a person when the job falls outside those boundaries. Autonomy needs an operating design as much as it needs a model.
include the return journey
The first use is only part of the product. Ask what brings someone back, what they should remember, and what the system should remember for them. The next visit is where yesterday’s design decisions become visible.