Ask what changes for the user
Features are not goals. Identify the before-and-after behavior the product should create.
PROCESS / 01 / UNDERSTAND
Understand
before UI.
The fastest way to waste design time is to start drawing before the problem is small enough to reason about. Discovery turns a vague request into a user task, constraints, edge cases and a measurable definition of done.
ACTUAL
USER TASK
Business goalUser contextConstraintsEdge casesSuccess signalUSER TASK
THE STANDARD
Reduce ambiguity before adding pixels.
A clear brief should let design and engineering make decisions without repeatedly asking what the product is supposed to do.
INPUTBusiness request
OUTPUTPrioritized task map
RISKHidden edge cases
DONEShared definition of success
WHAT GREAT LOOKS LIKE
Separate must-have from preference
Business rules, legal constraints and technical limits are different from visual preferences.
Find the uncomfortable cases
No data, duplicate actions, invalid input, weak network and interrupted sessions should be considered early.
Write acceptance in plain language
Everyone should be able to state what “working” means before implementation starts.
PRACTICAL METHOD
Collect the request
Capture stakeholders, audience, desired outcome and current pain.
Map the primary task
Write the shortest successful user journey.
List constraints
Identify platform, data, device, timeline and operational limits.
Expose edge cases
Ask what happens when the happy path breaks.
Prioritize
Choose what must be solved now and what can intentionally wait.