How My UX Process Evolved—and What I’ve Learned Along the Way

Throughout the years, my UX process has evolved into what it is today. I’ve found that true learning happens at the edge of missteps and mistakes—and there’s nothing wrong with asking questions or seeking help along the way.

In both my UX career and in life, I’ve always gravitated toward mentors, fellow designers, and people who balance humility with confidence in their skills. That mindset continues to shape how I approach design.

Principles That Guide My Process

Here are a few principles I’ve learned and like to stick to throughout my work:

1. Start with Solid Research

One of the first things I do is thoroughly understand the user—their needs, goals, and context.

Early missteps taught me that diving straight into design without background leads to wasted time. Taking time to understand the user and business goals helps me design with clarity and confidence. I like to go by the saying:

“If I need to guess, then I haven’t done enough research.”

2. Define the Problem Clearly

Once research is in place, I shift to analyzing the user’s specific pain points and goals.

I reframe these into “How might we…” questions to explore actionable solutions. This approach helps anchor brainstorming in the user’s real needs and ensures the problem—and purpose—stay central throughout the design process.

3. Stay Open to Feedback

Early in my career, I treated my designs like precious metals—unchanging and heavily protected.

But over time, I learned that being open to constructive criticism from stakeholders and teammates is invaluable. Feedback shines a light on design opportunities I might have missed.

That’s why I see user testing and stakeholder reviews as essential—not just to refine the product, but to strengthen the collaborative process.

Why constructive feedback matters:

• It leads to a better product.

• It shows you care about the user experience.

• It reveals blind spots you might not catch alone.

4. Analyze After Launch

I’ve learned that no product is ever truly “finished.” Even after launch, there's an opportunity to evaluate how it’s performing and where it can improve.

This phase is deeply collaborative. Designing isn’t about working on an island—it’s about leaning on your team’s strengths and perspectives to create something better.

Questions I like to ask post-launch:

• Where can we improve the experience?

• How are users responding?

• Did we solve the key pain points?

• What lessons can we carry into the next project?

Bonus: Books That Shaped My Design Thinking

These books have helped shape my mindset, fuel my growth, and continue to inspire my approach to design:

My Top 5 (and growing) UX Reads:

1. About Face: The Essentials of Interaction Design — Alan Cooper

2. The Elements of User Experience — Jesse James Garrett

3. The Design of Everyday Things — Don Norman

4. Seductive Interaction Design — Stephen Anderson

5. 100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People — Susan Weinschenk

I still refer to these regularly and apply their insights throughout my process.