One of the things I try do is look at the web Dev process to see if the information for parameter assignment is available within the workflow. In other words, the package does not get deployed unless this data is there. This insures that data will be there and will continue be there after I am gone. (Nothing kills a rep faster than a site that discombobulates in 6 months.)

An interesting test I found is determining how a page is named. If it is difficult to impossible to derive a name naturally from what is available, without requiring special development, then I know how hard the job is going to be.

Otherwise, I do pretty much what you describe here especially getting the business Objectives and KPIs nailed down right up front.

Using tabs is a nice touch.