Understand the problem before choosing a solution
I start by connecting user needs with the wider product context. Research and problem framing help challenge assumptions before we commit to a direction.
Ways of working
Thoughtful decisions.
Made together.
Good design connects an understanding of people with business priorities and technical possibilities. These are the principles and methods that guide my work.
01Principles
How I approach
the work.
Make constraints and trade-offs visible
Technical dependencies, business priorities and regulatory requirements are part of the design problem. I work through them with Product and Engineering so decisions have a clear basis.
Build shared understanding
I bring Design, Product and Engineering together early. Collaboration, clear direction and mentoring help the team move from discovery to delivery with a shared view of what matters.
Create foundations that support the work
I look for patterns that connect experiences and reduce unnecessary repetition. Design systems and reusable interactions support coherence, while iterative prototyping and feedback keep the work responsive to real needs.
02Foundations
A shared way
to move forward.
Generative AI-Driven Design Synthesis
An approach that combines human design judgment with generative AI to connect information, explore alternatives and develop ideas into coherent design directions. It can support sense-making, concept development, content and visual exploration, prototyping and implementation.
Framing, generation, evaluation and refinement form an iterative cycle. Goals, context and constraints guide the work; evidence, usability, accessibility and technical feasibility inform which outputs are developed further. The approach is useful for exploring possibilities and making ideas tangible enough to compare, test and refine.
- Frame
- Generate
- Evaluate
- Refine
Human judgment and evidence guide each iteration.
Design Thinking
A non-linear, iterative approach to understanding users, challenging assumptions and redefining problems. It is especially useful for problems that are unclear or not yet well understood.
Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype and Test provide a useful structure. They are not a one-way sequence: testing can reveal new user needs, refine the problem or spark another idea, and prototypes can suggest new solutions.
- Empathize
- Define
- Ideate
- Prototype
- Test
Return to the problem, ideas or prototypes as you learn.
Double Diamond
The Double Diamond makes the wider process easier to communicate: explore user needs and define the problem, then explore possible solutions and prototype, test and refine them.
Its value is structure with flexibility, shared understanding and continuous iteration. A framework guides the work without replacing judgment or requiring every team to follow an identical process.
Understand the problem
DiscoverExplore needsDefineFocus the problem
Shape the solution
DevelopExplore optionsDeliverTest and refine
The product trio
Design, technology and Product Management bring different perspectives to discovering problems, establishing direction and delivering solutions. Their shared focus is user needs and balanced decisions.
The trio complements Design Thinking and the Double Diamond by connecting exploration to execution. The emphasis shifts as the work progresses, but collaboration across all three disciplines helps bridge the gap between an idea and a deliverable experience.
Design systems
Reusable components, patterns and guidelines help designers and engineers avoid repeating work, maintain a coherent design language and improve interface quality. A system is a collaborative foundation for products, not just a collection of screens.
Atomic design organizes building blocks into atoms, molecules, organisms, templates and pages. A living style guide brings together design elements, code snippets and usage guidance. Pattern libraries capture repeated interaction solutions, while component libraries provide reusable UI with code and examples.
The appropriate approach depends on the complexity of the product and the team structure. Smaller teams may benefit from a simpler style guide; larger teams or complex products may need a more comprehensive foundation. Choose the scope that serves the work.
Foundations
Color, type & spacingComponents & patterns
Reusable interactionsProduct experiences
Consistent, connected use03Toolkit
The right method
for the moment.
Methods to support discovery, collaboration or decision-making.
Google Design Sprint
A time-boxed, five-day process for rapidly prototyping and validating ideas. Workshops and exercises bring a team together around a specific challenge and help it develop solutions quickly.
Jobs-to-be-Done (JTBD)
An approach centered on the underlying motivations and goals that drive user behavior. Understanding the job someone is trying to do helps frame solutions around their needs.
Co-creation workshops
Interactive sessions where designers collaborate directly with users and internal or external stakeholders. Bringing these perspectives together can create shared ownership and help the work address the needs of the people involved.
Users contribute firsthand insight into their needs, challenges and behaviors. Stakeholders contribute perspectives from Product, Marketing, Sales and other business areas, and can champion ideas within the organization.
Crazy 8s
A rapid sketching exercise: eight minutes to sketch eight different ideas for a design challenge. The time limit encourages exploration of multiple possibilities rather than settling on the first solution.
Guerrilla usability testing
Informal usability testing with readily available participants outside a laboratory setting. It provides quick feedback on prototypes without extensive setup.
User journey mapping
A visual account of someone’s experience with a product or service, from initial awareness through interaction to the final outcome. Mapping the journey helps identify pain points and opportunities for improvement.
Design Thinking for Business
Applying empathy, ideation, prototyping and testing to business challenges and opportunities for innovation beyond product design.