Before I even think about pushing pixels, I need to get inside the problem, this means deep-diving into user needs, what frustrates them, delights them? business goals, how does this fit into the bigger picture? market trends what’s working, what’s missing?

I tend to hyperfocus at this stage (ADHD perk), absorbing every bit of data like I’m trying to beat the final boss in a research game.

The goal? To ensure that every design decision I make is solving an actual problem, not just making something look nice.