The Human Ledger
The Human Ledger is six fixed dimensions on every Study, Case study and Pattern (not required on Essays). Each dimension gets an "ask" — none, low, medium or high — and one honest line on what the work gives back.
It is comparable across works and filterable in search, and it is never used to rank anything by popularity.
| Dimension | Asks | Gives back |
|---|---|---|
| Attention | Low | Reminds you once, then stays quiet |
| Memory | None | Keeps nothing you didn't choose to save |
| Imagination | Medium | Leaves room to sketch your own plan first |
| Emotional load | Low | Says what it can't do, so you're not left guessing |
| Time | Low | Saves about a minute per task |
| Exposure to others | None | Nothing you do here is visible to anyone else |
Attention
How much of someone's focus the design asks for, and how often.
Example — asks low, gives back: Reminds you once, then stays quiet
Memory
What the design asks a person to remember, versus what it remembers for them.
Example — asks none, gives back: Keeps nothing you didn't choose to save
Imagination
Whether the design leaves room for someone's own judgment, or supplies the answer first.
Example — asks medium, gives back: Leaves room to sketch your own plan first
Emotional load
What the design asks someone to feel, tolerate or manage.
Example — asks low, gives back: Says what it can't do, so you're not left guessing
Time
How much of someone's time the design spends, and whether it earns it back.
Example — asks low, gives back: Saves about a minute per task
Exposure to others
What the design makes visible to other people, and who can see it.
Example — asks none, gives back: Nothing you do here is visible to anyone else