Designing Thumbnail Annotations Around Intent, Not Just Editor Controls

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A design proposal argues that thumbnail editors should model text and arrows as annotations that carry a stated purpose rather than only exposing visual controls. Text annotations would record a message and a readability condition, while arrow annotations would require a target and direction. The author suggests a staged review process for text, locking the hook before comparing weights, spacing, and separation effects. For arrows, the proposal recommends blocking export when no target label is given or contrast has not been checked. The approach aims to make design reviews more repeatable and specific, though it does not claim data-backed testing.

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