The Design Hierarchy: What to Prioritize When You Can’t Prioritize Everything

Design can feel like a never-ending to-do list.

You know your visuals could be stronger.

Your proposals could look more polished.

Your onboarding could be smoother.

Your site could use some love.

But trying to fix everything at once?

That’s a recipe for burnout.

Not every business needs a full rebrand right away.

At Brik, we believe in building brik by brik—which means starting where it matters most.

Here’s a simple way to think about it -- The Design Hierarchy (Adapted from Google Ventures): ‍

1. Product/Service Experience Before worrying about aesthetics, make sure your core offering is clear, valuable, and working.

2. Structure + Systems ‍Can people understand what you offer? Is it easy to say yes and get started?

3. Clarity + Communication Your messaging, proposals, emails, and onboarding should be easy to follow and reflect your tone.

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4. Visual Identity Only once the above is working should you level up the visuals—so they reinforce the trust you’ve already built.

So, where should you start?

• If you’re early-stage: Focus on clarity. Make sure your pitch, proposal, and process are simple and clear.
• If you’re scaling: Streamline your systems—onboarding, CRM, internal docs, presentation decks.
• If you’re growing your team or raising capital: Tighten up your brand and collateral to match your momentum.

It’s not about skipping design.

It’s about being intentional—with your time, your energy, and your investment.