Creating Design Goals
Capture the client brief as trackable intents and constraints, then verify each goal is met as the design evolves.
Creating Design GoalsThe Goals section records the design brief as Intent and Constraint items. Set each goal’s Importance, Theme and Review Status, then link relevant drawing objects. Review status is a judgment you record; the app does not automatically prove that a goal has been satisfied. Goals are separate from scheduled tasks and recorded project decisions.
Open the Goals module
Choose Goals from the project sections menu. Use the left view controls to switch between the sticky-note board and list. Add Goal opens a new goal; the empty state also offers starting templates. If loading fails, use Retry rather than treating an empty display as confirmation that no goals exist.
Create a new goal
Click Add Goal in the Goals header. The New Goal dialog opens. Enter a Title — this is the only required field — and optionally add Notes with longer context, success criteria, or brief details from the client conversation. Click Create to add the goal to the list. (When you reopen an existing goal, the same button is labelled Save.)
Write titles as measurable outcomes rather than topic headings. "Create a sheltered seating area for evening use" is far more useful at review time than "Seating".
Set type, theme, and importance
In the goal dialog, set the Type to Intent (a positive outcome to achieve) or Constraint (a condition to respect or avoid). Choose a Theme to categorize the goal — options include Comfort, Privacy, Maintenance, Play & Recreation, Budget, Nature & Wildlife, Lighting, Access & Circulation, and Other. Set Importance to Must Have for non-negotiable requirements or Nice to Have for desirable but deferrable goals. These three fields are best set during brief-taking, before design work begins.
Update review status as the design develops
Open a goal and set Review Status to Not Reviewed, Looks Good or Needs Attention, then Save. These values communicate your review of the current design. Revisit them after changes to linked design objects; the status is not an automatic design-validation result.
Link goals to drawing objects
Under Linked Drawing Objects, use Link Object to choose objects from the current project. The picker stays open so you can choose several objects. Save the goal to commit link changes. While the drawing is loading, wait before adding or removing links; existing links are preserved. A linked chip can navigate to the object; if you have unsaved edits, respond to the save/discard prompt before leaving. A locked object cannot be unlinked until its lock permits that change.
Filter and manage the goal list
Use the filter controls to narrow goals by theme, importance, review status and Type (Intent or Constraint), and the left controls to switch board/list views. Click a goal to edit it, then Save or Cancel. Deletion requires confirmation. Goals has its own Undo and Redo controls; do not assume that a drawing gesture is the last action in the Goals history.
Create goals at the start of a project during brief-taking, not at the end. Goals are most useful when they guide design decisions, not when they record decisions already made.
The Delete button appears inside the goal dialog when editing an existing goal, and you are asked to confirm before the goal is removed. If you delete a goal by mistake, use the Undo button in the Goals header (or Ctrl+Z while the Goals view is focused) to restore it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between an Intent and a Constraint?
An Intent describes a positive outcome the design should achieve — for example, "Create year-round seasonal interest". A Constraint describes something the design must respect or avoid — for example, "Preserve the sightline from the kitchen window". Keeping the two types separate makes it easier to check both ambitions and hard limits during review.
What is the difference between Importance and Review Status?
Importance describes how critical the goal is and is set once during brief-taking — Must Have goals are non-negotiable; Nice to Have goals can give way when scope or budget demands. Review Status is updated throughout the project to reflect whether the current design satisfies the goal: Not Reviewed, Looks Good, or Needs Attention.
Can I have several goals in the same theme?
Yes. There is no limit per theme — a single project might have several Privacy goals and several Maintenance goals. Themes organize and filter goals; they do not cap how many you can add.
How many goals should a project have?
Use clear goals you can review against the design. Record scheduling work as tasks and project choices as decisions rather than treating every planning item as a goal.
How many drawing objects can a goal link to?
A goal can have multiple linked drawing objects. Link the relevant objects, save the goal and use their chips for navigation. An object lock can prevent unlinking through this control.