Freya's Specification Quality Guide

When to load: Before creating any page spec, component definition, or scenario documentation

Core Principle

If I can't explain it logically, it's not ready to specify.

Gaps in logic become bugs in code. Clear specifications = confident implementation.

The Logical Explanation Test

Before you write any specification, ask:

"Can I explain WHY this exists and HOW it works without hand-waving?"

✅ "This button triggers the signup flow, serving users who want to feel prepared (driving force)"
❌ "There's a button here... because users need it?"

If you can't explain it clearly, stop and think deeper.

Area Label Structure & Hierarchy

Area Labels follow a consistent hierarchical pattern to identify UI locations across sketch, specification, and code.

Structural Area Labels (Containers)

These define the page architecture and visual grouping:

{page-name}-page - Top-level page wrapper
{page-name}-header - Header section container
{page-name}-main - Main content area
{page-name}-form - Form element wrapper
{page-name}-{section}-section - Section containers
{page-name}-{section}-header-bar - Section header bars

Purpose: Organize page structure, enable Figma layer naming (via aria-label), support testing selectors (via id attribute)

Interactive Area Labels (Components)

These identify specific interactive elements:

{page-name}-{section}-{element} - Standard pattern
{page-name}-input-{field} - Form inputs
{page-name}-button-{action} - Buttons
{page-name}-error-{field} - Error messages

Purpose: Enable user interaction, form validation, accessibility, and location tracking across design and code

Note: Area Labels become both id and aria-label attributes in HTML implementation.

Purpose-Based Naming

Name components by FUNCTION, not CONTENT

Good (Function)

hero-headline - Describes its role on the page
primary-cta - Describes its function in the flow
feature-benefit-section - Describes what it does
form-validation-error - Describes when it appears

Bad (Content)

welcome-message - What if the message changes?
blue-button - What if we change colors?
first-paragraph - Position isn't purpose
email-error-text - Too specific, not reusable

Why this matters:

Content changes, function rarely does
Makes specs maintainable
Helps developers understand intent
Enables component reuse
Supports Figma html.to.design layer naming

Clear Component Purpose

Every component needs a clear job description:

Template

### [Component Name]

**Purpose:** [What job does this do?]
**Triggers:** [What user action/state causes this?]
**Serves:** [Which driving force or goal?]
**Success:** [How do we know it worked?]

Example

### Primary CTA Button

**Purpose:** Initiate account creation flow
**Triggers:** User clicks after reading value proposition
**Serves:** User's desire to "feel prepared" (positive driving force)
**Success:** User enters email and moves to step 2

Section-First Workflow

Understand the WHOLE before detailing the PARTS

Wrong Approach (Bottom-Up)

Design individual components
Try to arrange them into sections
Hope the page makes sense
Realize it doesn't flow logically
Start over

Right Approach (Top-Down)

Define structural containers - Page, header, main, sections
Assign structural Area Labels - {page}-page, {page}-header, etc.
Identify page sections - What major areas exist?
Define section purposes - Why does each section exist?
Confirm flow logic - Does the story make sense?
Detail each section - Now design components
Specify components - With clear purpose and context
Assign interactive Area Labels - {page}-{section}-{element}

Result: Logical flow, no gaps, confident specifications, complete Area Label coverage

Area Label Coverage Checklist

Page container ({page}-page)
Header section ({page}-header)
Main content area ({page}-main)
Form container if applicable ({page}-form)
Section containers ({page}-{section}-section)
Section header bars if visible ({page}-{section}-header-bar)
All interactive elements ({page}-{section}-{element})

Multi-Language from the Start

Never design in one language only

Grouped Translations

#### Hero Headline

**Content:**
- EN: "Stop losing clients to poor proposals"
- SE: "Sluta förlora kunder på dåliga offerter"
- NO: "Slutt å miste kunder på dårlige tilbud"

**Purpose:** Hook Problem Aware users by validating frustration

Why This Matters

Prevents "English-first" bias
Reveals translation issues early
Shows if message works across cultures
Keeps translations coherent (grouped by component)

Specification Quality Checklist

Before marking a spec "complete":

Core Quality

Logical Explanation - Can I explain WHY and HOW?
Purpose-Based Names - Named by function, not content?
Clear Purpose - Every component has a job description?
Section-First - Whole page flows logically?
Multi-Language - All product languages included?
No Hand-Waving - No "probably" or "maybe" or "users will figure it out"?

Area Labels

Structural Area Labels - Page, header, main, sections all have labels?
Interactive Area Labels - All buttons, inputs, links have labels?
Area Label Hierarchy - Labels follow {page}-{section}-{element} pattern?
Figma-Ready - Area Labels support html.to.design layer naming?

Accessibility

ARIA Labels - All interactive elements have aria-label attributes?
Alt Text - All images have descriptive alt attributes?
Form Labels - All inputs have associated labels?
Keyboard Navigation - Tab order and focus management documented?
Screen Reader Support - Semantic HTML and ARIA attributes specified?
Color Contrast - WCAG AA compliance (4.5:1 for text)?
Error Announcements - Error messages accessible to screen readers?
Heading Hierarchy - Logical H1-H6 structure documented?

SEO (Public Pages)

H1 Present - Exactly one H1 on the page, contains primary keyword?
Heading Hierarchy - Logical H1 → H2 → H3, no skipped levels?
URL Slug - Defined, keyword-rich, matches project brief keyword map?
Primary Keyword - Identified and placed in H1, title tag, meta description?
Meta Title - ≤ 60 chars, includes primary keyword + brand?
Meta Description - 150-160 chars, includes keyword + CTA?
Image Alt Text - All images have descriptive alt text in all languages?
Internal Links - At least 2 links to other pages on the site?
Structured Data - Schema type specified per project brief plan?

Content Completeness

All Text Defined - No placeholder content?
Error Messages - All error states have messages in all languages?
Success Messages - Confirmation messages defined?
Empty States - Messages for no-data scenarios?
Loading States - Loading indicators and messages?
Meta Content - Page title and meta description for public pages?
Social Sharing - Social media title, description, and image for public pages?

Implementation Ready

Developer-Ready - Could someone build this confidently?
Component References - All design system components linked?
API Endpoints - Data requirements documented?
Validation Rules - Form validation clearly specified?

Red Flags (Stop and Rethink)

🚩 Vague language: "Something here to help users understand..."
🚩 Content-based names: "blue-box", "top-paragraph"
🚩 Missing purpose: "There's a button... because buttons are good?"
🚩 Illogical flow: "This section comes after that one... because?"
🚩 English-only: "We'll translate later..."
🚩 Gaps in logic: "Users will just know what to do here"
🚩 Missing accessibility: "We'll add ARIA labels during development..."
🚩 No alt text: Images without descriptive alternatives 🚩 Unlabeled inputs: Form fields without associated labels 🚩 No SEO section: Public page without URL slug, keywords, or meta content

When you spot these, pause and dig deeper.

The Developer Trust Test

Imagine handing your spec to a developer who:

Has never seen your sketches
Doesn't know the business context
Speaks a different language
Lives in a different timezone

Could they build this confidently?

✅ Yes → Good spec
❌ No → More work needed

Related Resources

File Naming: ../../workflows/00-system/FILE-NAMING-CONVENTIONS.md
Language Config: ../../workflows/00-system/language-configuration-guide.md
Page Spec Template: ../../workflows/wds-4-ux-design/templates/page-specification.template.md

Quality specifications are the foundation of confident implementation.

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