My Process
Everyone’s process varies, but mine is pretty damn good (for me)
Design Process
Every project has its own rhythm. The steps are not always linear. You often circle back, refine, and sometimes start fresh. Some projects need card sorting while others arrive with information architecture already in place. The methods may shift, but the general flow is the same: discover, design, test, refine, deliver.
The point is not to check boxes. The point is to create the best outcome for the problem in front of us.
Design Principles
A few principles guide everything I do. They keep me focused when the details get messy:
Empathy – Understand the people on the other side of the screen. Every decision should connect back to how someone will actually use, read, or interact with what we are building.
Teamwork – Collaboration is not optional. Ideas improve when they are tested against other perspectives, and the best results come from working together. Teamwork makes the dream work.
Clarity – If you cannot explain it to someone with no context, it is too complicated. Good design makes the complex simple to understand.
Simplicity – Keep it simple, stupid. Simple does not mean boring. It means essential. Strip out what does not matter, so what does matter shines through. (Unlike the band, simplicity never goes out of style.)
Process Steps
1. Define – The first step is to define the business needs, project requirements, and expected deliverables. This also includes setting timelines and aligning with the team on expectations. At this point I often jot down my own hypothesis of what I think the problem might be, so I can compare it later with what we uncover.
2. Discover – This phase is all about collecting information. I talk to people, review user reports, and dig into how and why the product has taken its current form. If user research is not part of the budget or timeline, I will run quick guerilla interviews to avoid designing in the dark.
3. Interpret – Here I define the users, their needs, and their pain points. Personas, journey maps, storyboards, and problem statements take shape or are refined. At this stage I also set goals and define the metrics that will tell us whether we are on track. This phase often brings the clearest insights.
4. Ideate – The ideation phase is where the creative energy builds. I like to bring developers, other designers, stakeholders, and even customer support into the mix. Together we explore a wide range of options. I push for quantity over quality here, since even wild ideas can spark better solutions down the line.
5. Prototype – With ideas in hand, I create prototypes that give form to the concepts. These can range from quick sketches and low-fidelity wireframes to higher-fidelity interactive models. The goal is not perfection but clarity. Prototypes allow us to communicate ideas, test assumptions, and invite feedback early.
6. Test – Testing validates whether we are on the right track. This can involve user testing sessions, feedback loops with stakeholders, or analytics data from a live environment. The goal is to learn quickly, refine what works, and remove what does not. Testing closes the loop, and often sends us back to earlier steps with sharper focus.
7. Refine – The final step is refinement. This is where the rough edges are smoothed out and the product becomes production-ready. It is about iterating based on feedback, polishing details, and making sure the final outcome not only meets requirements but also feels cohesive and intentional. Refinement is what turns a good solution into a great one.
Design Philosophies
My developer Hat – With a background in front-end engineering, I speak the language of developers. Empathy is not just for users, it is for your team too. Knowing how to code helps me understand the challenges my teammates face and allows me to explain precisely what we are trying to accomplish. Books like The Phoenix Project have shaped the way I think about collaboration between dev, ops, and design — you cannot ship great products without respecting all sides of the work.
My Marketing Hat – Marketing teams often work under intense pressure, chasing tough goals and strict deadlines. Speaking their language matters. By understanding conversion funnels, campaigns, and brand priorities, I can design with both user needs and business needs in mind. Steve Krug’s Don’t Make Me Think drilled into me that clarity wins every time, which is as true in design as it is in marketing.
Involve Everyone – Designers should never work in silos. Some of the best insights come from unexpected places: a product support agent on the front lines, a stakeholder with a sharp memory, or even a user review on a competing app. I bring people in early and often, because the product always gets stronger when more voices are heard. This idea echoes what I learned from The DevOps Handbook: systems only thrive when everyone has a seat at the table.
Work Style – I like to chase information wherever it hides. That might mean sitting in on support calls, reading reviews of our competitors, or running quick conversations with users to find pain points. My style is collaborative, exploratory, and built on the belief that design is a team sport.
Books I Highly Recommend
CSS Pocket Reference – There is no way anyone remembers every selector. Keep this around and your future self will thank you.
Don’t Make Me Think by Steve Krug – Short, approachable, and packed with reminders that good design is about clarity, not complexity.
The Phoenix Project by Gene Kim, Kevin Behr, and George Spafford – A novel about DevOps that reads like a thriller. It changed how I see teamwork across disciplines.
The DevOps Handbook by Gene Kim, Jez Humble, Patrick Debois, and John Willis – A deeper dive into the principles behind The Phoenix Project. Essential if you want to bridge development, operations, and design.
The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman – A classic on human-centered design. It makes you see the world differently, down to the handles on your doors.
Sprint by Jake Knapp – A practical guide from the Google Ventures team on testing big ideas in five days. A reminder that iteration can be fast, focused, and fun.