Decks need definition. Without it—both above and at the edges—your deck can leave you feeling exposed and uncomfortable. If your site lacks natural attributes that enhance your privacy and sense of enclosure, you can create these qualities with your plans.
Consider privacy first. Is your deck effectively screened from the street and from the neighbors’ view? If your proposed site is on the least exposed side of the house, at a comer where the main body of the house meets a wing, or tucked behind a retaining wall or hedge, privacy may not be an issue. And if your site is isolated from the house or on a hillside above the surrounding views, you may not need to alter your design at all. But if you need to increase your privacy, add a fence, a wall, or trees and shrubs to your plans.
These same elements will also produce a sense of enclosure, of course. But so will benches, garden beds, and other features. And remember to look up. Overhead space will affect your comfort too. Consider including an outdoor “ceiling”—an overhead, such as an arbor or a pergola, or tree limbs.