I keep the trusty phrase, “Let’s take a step back… what is the problem we’re trying to solve here?” in my back pocket at all times. It’s proven helpful for me to understand why the problem needs to be addressed, and why now—preferably supported with data to make things clear.

Then, once there’s a shared understanding and validation of the problem and its priority, I start to work on solutions. That could look like pencil on paper, ideation conversations with colleagues, plotting through user flows to map out potential interactions, a bit of poking around for inspiration, or going heads-down in Figma to iterate. I’ll create designs of just enough fidelity to be efficient, then use them as an artifact to garner reactions and test against with users, stakeholders, and engineers. I’m keen on getting feedback from others, early and often.

The middle can get messy, but by the end, I should be able to walk you through a compelling story that starts with a convincing, pressing problem followed by then a holistic interaction (including the happy path and the edge cases), all the while justifying my design choices with best practices, business needs, and data. It never gets old being surprised by how users actually interacts with a product.

It doesn’t really end there, as there’s always more that can be done on any problem. From MVP through subsequent phases, I collaborate with product owners and engineers to plan for the right implementation of the work and measurements of success for future learning and iteration.