Skipping this phase may seem tempting. After all, starting to code right away can give the impression of moving faster. However, this initial speed is often a mirage. Development that is not supported by a solid design tends to run into problems as it progresses. Changing flows or redesigning features late in the development process is expensive and can frustrate both developers and customers.
For example, imagine you discover that your app's users need a different flow to complete a key task. If you've already written the code, redoing it could mean weeks of work. If you're working on a design, cpa email list however, this change can be made in a couple of days.
Start with a product discovery process: Define project objectives, users, and requirements.
Conduct user research: Get to know your audience to design flows that effectively solve their problems.
Design with prototyping tools: Platforms like Figma allow you to create interactive prototypes that can be tested before development.
Ensure cross-team collaboration: Designers, developers, and stakeholders need to be aligned from the start.
Validate before moving forward: Test designs with users or focus groups to ensure they serve their purpose.
When you see design as an investment
The Design-First approach is not about “spending more time planning.” It is about investing in a process that, in the long term, saves resources and improves product quality. Visualizing the complete design before starting to develop allows you to validate ideas, avoid errors, and reduce implementation costs.
But you have to be careful about starting a design without understanding the problem or the need, the importance of problem-solving in software development is fundamental. To do this, you must adopt a problem-first approach, which not only produces a more robust and maintainable design and code, but also allows you to create more effective solutions aligned with user needs.