01The standard we mark our own work against

The principles we work by.

Ten disciplines. Forty laws. Each one carries the reasoning behind it, what to do and what to avoid, and a test you can run on your own work this afternoon. Free to use, teach and adapt — attribution is the only condition.

01 / Setting

Typography

4 laws

Make text comfortable to read and easy to navigate. These principles cover line length, type roles, optical alignment and visual hierarchy.

02 / Light

Colour

4 laws

Use colour to support structure, attention and meaning. Build clear roles, check contrast and review the complete palette in light and dark themes.

03 / Structure

Composition

4 laws

Arrange content so its relationships and reading order are clear. Use grids, spacing, alignment and deliberate emphasis to guide the page.

04 / Time

Motion

4 laws

Use movement to make changes understandable. Choose easing and timing for the action, and provide a clear experience with reduced motion.

05 / Volume

3D & Spatial

4 laws

Make 3D work clear in the frame and practical to deliver. Establish lighting, scale and camera choices, then validate performance in the intended viewer.

06 / Sequence

Video & Editing

4 laws

Build a sequence viewers can follow. Connect actions to results, keep speech understandable and check titles in the final viewing conditions.

A pointer activates Save, followed by a checkmark and Saved confirmation: action and feedback.

07 / Interaction

Interface

4 laws

Design the complete task, including waiting, errors and recovery. Make controls easy to operate and protect the work people have already done.

08 / Signature

Brand & Identity

4 laws

Create an identity that stays recognisable across real applications. Define the visual and verbal choices, test demanding formats and give others usable guidance.

A visible focus ring and arrows trace navigation through controls; distinct success and warning symbols communicate without colour.

09 / Inclusion

Access

4 laws

Make the experience usable through different ways of seeing and interacting. Start with meaningful structure, support keyboard use and test with assistive technology.

10 / Originality

Provenance

4 laws

Keep the origin and permitted use of work clear. Record references, distinguish research from reuse and document production decisions and release terms.

01 / Choose a starting point

02 / Explore with an assistant

Make it a team exercise.

We’ve prepared a prompt to help you get started. Choose an assistant to open it in a new tab.

Your starting prompt

Plan a 45-minute design workshop using these principles, with an agenda, a practical exercise and a question for discussion.

Read the full prompt

Read these live pages:

https://originaldesignstudio.com
https://originaldesignstudio.com/principles
https://originaldesignstudio.com/ethics

Create a 45-minute design workshop for a product team using the published principles:

1. Give the workshop a clear learning goal and a timed agenda.
2. Choose two relevant principles and explain each in plain language.
3. Include a practical exercise using a page or interface the team already works on.
4. End with a discussion question about when the principles may need to be adapted.
5. Explain how to credit the source when sharing the workshop materials.

Cite the pages you used. Quote at least one principle by name. If a page does not load, say so — do not invent the studio.

The prompt includes links to our published principles. Answers depend on the assistant’s access to those pages.

Apply it

Want these applied to your product?

An audit scores what you have shipped against all ten disciplines and hands you a prioritised plan. It is deliberately the cheapest thing we sell.

Book an audit Read the charter