Receiving design briefs for products or features that are already fully envisioned and signed off by all stakeholders from the start—leaving no room for expertise or user insight to influence the direction—makes it impossible to advise the company against moving forward or pivoting.

It all starts with the client and the ask. I usually turn to Figma’s (almost) infinite canvas to collate notes, insights, stats, and visuals. Understanding the problem space from all angles is key—getting into the mindset of the client, the competitor, and the user. Once the research takes shape, I document it properly in Notion or a similar tool.

I typically kick off with quick mock-ups in Figma, while keeping flows, information architecture, and data organised in FigJam. After the usual rounds of sign-off and user testing, I move into high-fidelity design in Figma, all the way through to development handover.

I use ChatGPT to bounce around ideas and explore alternative copy options. For tasks that involve technical validation or need rapid stakeholder feedback, I’ll fire up Xcode to build small prototypes.

For visual inspiration, I often turn to Pinterest and Mobbin—and I try to keep my eyes fresh using X.

All of this is powered by Raycast, my go-to productivity tool.

At times, presentation and listening skills are more important than what you can create by pushing pixels.

No regrets, only wished I started earlier.

I use X and follow a wide range of designers, companies and indie developers. Apple’s annual Design Award finalists list is also a great source of inspiration to keep an eye on.