In several cases, lighting qualities are the first design intentions expressed by architects to describe the designed spaces. The emergence of parametric design models can aid the designer to shape a building while taking complex lighting constraints into account. By setting up a link between drawings of lighting design intentions in architectural design practice and lighting simulation in computer-aided design, we could allow architects to exploit the potential of parametric design approach. The confrontation of design process studies performed and the needs of parametric models shows a common ground to fill the gap. Using the visual thinking approach we study how the light features that can be used both by the architects and by the parametric models. The blur and contrast features can be used to highlight the lighting intentions. This work leads to a formal description of designer's intentions: the digital intention, which could be used for other physical phenomena.