Every project – no matter how small – needs a purpose, a goal (or goals), and, ideally, ambition. Without them, we have no context to guide our decisions, to measure success, or to drive motivation. They are critical to remember, easy to forget, and often hard to define.

In order to pin them down, I made myself a little guide. It helps me to prioritise ideas, to focus on what’s important during the process, and to communicate design decisions to colleagues and clients. It also helps with retrospective evaluation.

The first thing I seek to identify in a project is purpose. Not the divine calling type of purpose, but your everyday why-does-this-thing-exist purpose. In other words, why would anyone use it? What does it do? I use this phrase to define it:

This [thing] allows [audience] to [action].

 

For example: this website allows dog owners to find dog sitters.

By phrasing the purpose in this way, we avoid the utterly unhelpful definition that is “making money”, which is much more at home in the goals of a project. Goals are always results focused, usually tied to a business case or the bottom line (which is why marketers often confuse them with the purpose!). I use this phrase to define goals:

A good result would be [measurable outcome] in [time frame].

For example: a good result would be £3m in additional sales in six months; or a good result would be a  significant increase in conversions in less than three months.

To use the analogy of losing weight, the purpose of a diet would be to restrict calorie intake. The goal is to shed kilos. Or, if you’re into cross-country skiing: the purpose of wax is to increase or decrease traction, whereas the goal is to beat your competitors. Or, for my own portfolio site: the purpose is to show people who I am and what I can do. The goal, however, is to generate leads.

Ambition is more subjective and harder to define, but I look at ambition as the wider, long term impact a project will have. I use this simple phrase to define it:

This [thing] will [affect some change].

For example: this app will reduce global poverty. Easy!

When combined, the three phrases give a quick and accurate overview what you’re working on, whether you’re working on a new email client, or working on a single feature of a small site:

This email client allows users to send and receive email without being tracked. A good result would be 20 000 paying customers in the first year. Long term, it will change the way people think about privacy.

Or:

This form will allow users to sign up faster than they currently do. A good result would be a reduced drop off rate in less than a month. Long term, it will increase our membership and reach.

So there you have it. This post allowed me to consolidate my thoughts on purpose, goals, and ambition. A good result would be improved communication and decision making in time for my next project. Long term, it will make me a better designer.

Illustration by Lulú