Last updated Jan 21, 2026
I'm not a fan of what was sold to me as the design process. In my experience every project i've worked on is different. There are however a few checkpoints I always look for.
-
Why What is traditionally called discovery, it involves aligning everyone on the reason we are approaching this project and the key problems we try to solve. The shape of the problem too, is it a user problem and business problem, is it clearly defined. When it isn't i'll run stakeholder workshops or sessions to guide them through unearthing the underbelly of the project. Without clarity in the fundamentals, you can sometimes see projects fail later on.
-
Scope This is a broad topic but for me it's usually a discussion of cost. How long are we expecting to work on a piece? How many engineers do we want to involve? Is there a deadline? These are difficult questions to answer sometimes,
-
User experience Between the last checkpoint and this one is the messy, confusing environment I love. But there are a few important things that make exceptional experiences for me, usually a large quantity of craft, quality and thought goes into it.
-
Project Plan Somewhere along the way it's important for me to have a clear plan on the project and on the implementation. I usually pick and choose sections how Ben Kuhn runs major projects.