Let’s be honest. Building digital products can feel slow, expensive, and full of guesswork. You spend months designing and coding, only to launch something that doesn’t quite hit the mark. Sound familiar?
Especially when you’re founding something new or pushing a startup forward, you can’t afford to waste time building the wrong thing. That’s why my approach cuts through the usual fluff. I use a Lean UX mindset – which is basically a fancy term for building products the smart way: fast, focused, and based on real user feedback, not just assumptions.
It’s not about complicated theories; it’s about a practical cycle:
Build -> Test -> Learn -> Repeat
How I Get Stuff Done: The Core Loop
My process isn’t about rigid steps, but a continuous loop focused on momentum:
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Figure Out the Real Problem (Fast): Before drawing a single screen, we need clarity. What user problem are we actually trying to solve? This involves quick, targeted research – talking to potential users, looking at existing data, understanding the competition. No month-long research phases, just enough to get started smart.
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Sketch & Prototype (Quickly): Ideas are cheap, code is expensive. We get potential solutions visual fast. This might mean rough sketches, clickable prototypes (using tools like Figma), or even leveraging AI tools to generate concepts and variations rapidly. The goal isn’t perfection; it’s getting something testable ASAP.
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Test with Real Humans (Learn What Works): This is crucial. We put prototypes in front of actual target users and watch. Do they get it? Where do they struggle? This feedback is gold – it tells us what to fix, what to keep, and what to ditch, before we invest heavily in building it. We treat every design decision as a guess until it’s validated.
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Iterate & Improve (Adapt or Pivot): Based on real feedback, we adjust. Maybe it’s a small tweak, maybe it’s a bigger change. Because we work in quick cycles, we’re not afraid to change course. This isn’t failure; it’s smart adaptation. We also use this feedback to tackle that constant challenge: deciding whether to build that new shiny feature or improve what we already have. Data and user needs drive the priority list, not just wishful thinking.
Why This Works (Especially if You Need Results Now):
- Less Waste, More Speed: We validate ideas before sinking massive resources into building them fully. We focus on the core value first.
- Build What People Actually Want: By constantly testing with users, we dramatically increase the chances of creating something successful.
- No More Guesswork: Decisions are based on evidence and feedback, not just opinions in a boardroom.
- Keeps Everyone Aligned: This isn’t just a designer’s job. I work closely with developers and product managers from day one. We use simple tools like Trello for tracking, but more importantly, we have quick daily check-ins – whether that’s an in-person huddle, a brief video call, or even a shared written update (whatever format fits the team best) – and share progress constantly so everyone knows what’s happening and why. No silos, just teamwork focused on the goal.
- Cuts the “Blablabla”: My favourite part? It avoids endless documentation and meetings about hypothetical scenarios. We focus on delivering working, validated solutions.
It’s a Mindset, Not Just a Checklist
This Lean approach isn’t magic, but it is efficient. It’s about being humble enough to accept your initial ideas might be wrong, curious enough to test them, and agile enough to adapt quickly. It’s how you build better products faster, especially in the fast-moving startup world.
Interested in implementing Lean UX in your project? Book a call to discuss how we can work together.