# Before website design begins, how can a manager's aesthetic preferences become clear assessment criteria?

Source: https://www.jvds.cn/en/share/website-design/translate-website-taste-into-criteria
Language: en
Published: 2026-10-08
Author: JVDS Design Studio

Before website design begins, break aesthetic terms such as ‘premium,’ ‘simple,’ and ‘refined’ into the impression you want to create, information priorities, and specific constraints. Then assess designs using the same real content. This approach suits corporate websites that need approval from several people. It gives feedback a basis for judgment and prevents every review from returning to personal taste.

## Start with the conclusion you want customers to reach

‘Premium’ might mean a restrained palette, or it might mean clear product information and reliable company details. First, ask decision-makers to complete this sentence: after viewing the homepage, visitors should understand what we offer and want to visit which page? Writing this down establishes a shared objective more effectively than collecting ten attractive screenshots first.

Next, distinguish brand requirements from personal preferences. Using the correct version of the existing logo is a constraint; suggesting that every button should be black may simply be an idea to test. Record the reason, applicable pages, and approver for each comment. Whoever makes it, a comment without a reason need not immediately become a rule for the entire site.

![Aesthetic examples are linked to explicit assessment criteria](https://www.jvds.cn/upload/2026/1004/g3/G001-i1.webp)

Aesthetic examples are linked to explicit assessment criteria · Concept illustration

## Use a one-page assessment card to connect abstract terms with visuals

Create a written assessment card. First, identify the audience, such as procurement staff encountering the company for the first time. Second, describe the impression, such as organized information and a clear service scope. Third, list observable features: a headline that directly explains the business, readable continuous body text, and predictable names for primary navigation entries. Fourth, identify content that cannot be sacrificed, such as important limitations that must remain visible despite decorative elements.

Suppose a company wants to appear ‘professional without being cold.’ The card might require specific sentences in business descriptions, photographs that introduce the environment or team, and a contact entry that explains which role receives a submission. Whether these requirements are appropriate also depends on the real materials the company has.

Add an explanation to every reference image. ‘We like the white space because long explanations need clear grouping’ is more actionable than ‘Give it this feeling.’ If the reference website relies on large photographs and the company currently lacks suitable images, begin with a workable combination of text and images. Do not leave the material gap until final acceptance. See [Design and Website Project Acceptance Guide](https://www.jvds.cn/en/share/user-experience/design-website-project-acceptance) for related checks.

![Design preferences are broken down into observable page structures](https://www.jvds.cn/upload/2026/1004/g3/G001-i2.webp)

Design preferences are broken down into observable page structures · Concept illustration

## Compare reasons during reviews and retain decisions

Ask the design team to demonstrate different directions with the same headlines, body text, and images. Review whether the business identity is clear first, whether the information sequence is sensible next, and colors and details last. This avoids comparing one content-rich proposal with another full of placeholders, which would test differences in materials rather than differences in design.

Meeting notes should cover four things: the principles approved, the specific locations requiring changes, unresolved questions, and who will resolve them under what conditions. Replace ‘The page lacks presence’ with ‘The opening headline and explanation compete, making the main business subject difficult to identify.’ This tells the design team what the next round must resolve.

When discussing corporate website design with [JVDS Design Studio](https://www.jvds.cn/en), provide this assessment card and real materials first, and establish who is responsible for brand expression, page content, and development. The specific scope of design deliverables should be documented within the project.

![Different design directions are compared using the same content](https://www.jvds.cn/upload/2026/1004/g3/G001-i3.webp)

Different design directions are compared using the same content · Concept illustration

## How to determine whether the criteria are usable

Choose a page participants have not seen and ask each person to identify issues using the card. If comments locate a problem in content or a component and explain its relationship to the audience's task, the criteria are actionable. If every conclusion is still simply ‘attractive’ or ‘I dislike it,’ the definitions need more detail. Criteria need not fix every detail, but they should make major decisions traceable. See [How to Write a Brand Design Brief: Positioning, Audience, Competition, and Use-Case Template](https://www.jvds.cn/en/share/brand-design/brand-design-brief-template) for related checks.

New business materials may also change the original assessment. Record why a change is needed and which pages it affects; an initial preference need not become an unchangeable rule. Design approval is successful when key participants can explain why a direction was chosen and what circumstances would trigger reassessment.

## Frequently asked questions

### What if the manager will only say ‘Make it simpler’?

If a fuller explanation is unavailable, show the manager a real page and ask which content they most want removed and which must remain, then record the reasons. Establish limited criteria first and state that they apply only to this page assessment; they should not automatically extend to every section.

### Is design exploration still needed once aesthetic criteria are clear?

Yes. The criteria constrain identity, content, and usability requirements, while the design team can still explore composition and visual expression. Different directions can be compared as long as they meet the approved conditions, without fixing every pixel in advance.