APIs that must be used | Animation guidelines & limitations |
Background color limitations | Brand colors |
Brand fonts | Brand style guides |
Budget limits | Building codes |
Business processes | Client device limitations |
Color schemes | Compatibility with platforms |
Consistency in visual styles | Consistency with other designs |
Cost limitations | Cultural or societal norms |
Data privacy regulations | Deadlines |
Design for accessibility compliance | Design for manufacturing constraints |
Design for shipping and logistics constraints | Design principles such as form follows function |
Durability guidelines | Energy consumption |
Environmental conditions | Ergonomics guidelines |
File size limitations | Geographic constraints |
Grid layout constraints | Guidelines for icons and symbols |
Image format standards | Image resolution guidelines |
Industry standards | Information hierarchy standards |
Intellectual property rights | Interoperability |
Labeling regulations & industry practices | Legal constraints |
Licensing restrictions for images | Limited computing power |
Material constraints | Mobile-first design principles |
Multilingual support | Navigation layout restrictions |
Noise levels | Physical space limitations |
Platforms that must be used | Printing constraints |
Procurement processes | Quality standards |
Regulatory requirements | Resource availability |
Responsive design practices | Restricted use of patterns or textures |
Safety regulations & standards | Screen resolutions |
Security standards | Sensory constraints related to taste, touch and smell |
Shelf space limitations | Software dependencies |
Sustainability constraints | Sustainability goals |
Target technical environments | Text alignment rules |
Text legibility | Trade-dress guidelines |
Typeface limitations | Unit cost constraints |
Usability considerations | User interface standards |
Vibration levels | Workflows |
Overview
Design constraints are foundational limitations placed upon a design. These can be internal constraints such as principles and guidelines that you adopt as a team or organization. Constraints can also be external things such as regulations or industry standards.
Constraint vs Requirement
A constraint is foundational and nonnegotiable whereas a requirement is flexible and shaped by stakeholders. For example, a business unit may have no choice but to comply to a brand style guide so this would be a constraint and not a requirement.Discussion
In many cases, constraints are imposed by internal and external realities. For example, a software design that must be deployed to your current systems. External constraints are often based on regulations and market realities such as competition and customer expectations.| Summary: Design Constraints | ||
Type | ||
Definition | Limitations on a design. | |
Related Concepts | ||
