# Before design: inventory and argument (public pages)

The strongest pages take their idea from the subject itself, not from styling. Two short lists, written
before any design or code, make that happen.

## 1. Inventory: 8-12 things only this subject has

Write them as plain facts, one per line. Look for:

- the name and what it means; the people behind it
- the place: city, street, building, what it looks like (materials, signs, light)
- the numbers in the brief: price, size, times, counts, years
- the constraint it lives with (one batch a month, by appointment, closed in winter)
- its materials, tools, colours, printed things (labels, tickets, timetables, receipts, diagrams)
- its rituals and rhythms (the 6am bake, the Friday release)

For software: the real interface, the real data it handles, the one task it makes faster, the artefact
it produces (an invoice, a diagram, a report).

If an item could appear on a competitor's list, cross it out.

## 2. Argument: the page as claims with proof

One line per section: **claim → proof → what the reader does next**. The claims decide which sections
exist and their order.

| # | Claim | Proof (real, from the inventory or brief) | Reader action |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Invoices take a minute | live invoice form in the hero | try it |
| 2 | Late payers get chased for you | the reminder email, shown | — |
| 3 | One flat price | 9 euros, no tiers | start the trial |

Rules:

- **Delete any section with no claim.** This is what removes the stock order (hero, logos, three
  features, testimonial, pricing, call to action).
- **No proof, no claim.** No invented logos, quotes, star ratings or user counts; real proof or none.
- **The idea** is one sentence tying an inventory item to the page's composition. Write it down; the
  design follows it.

Hand both lists to whoever designs the page, or to the app's design system, as the brief.