# Variant Iteration Direction Card

Use with [Iterate Variants Without Losing the Direction](/articles/iterate-variants-keep-direction).

## Freeze first

Thesis (immutable this session):

________________________________________________

Non-goals:

________________________________________________

## Round log (max 3 rounds)

| Round | Axis varied | Keeper | Thesis intact? | Non-goal hit? |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | | | Y/N | Y/N |
| 2 | | | Y/N | Y/N |
| 3 | | | Y/N | Y/N |

## Scorecard for candidates

| Variant | Serves thesis? | Hits non-goal? | Still mine? | Keep? |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| A | | | | |
| B | | | | |
| C | | | | |
| D | | | | |

## Stop rule

After three rounds: decide or revise the brief deliberately - do not prompt for a new concept by stealth.

## What this is not

- Not endless option shopping as productivity
- Not permission to break the brief because a stakeholder "liked the vibe"
- Not a substitute for critique or a taste-preserving edit pass