Cases where Design-First is essential
Posted: Wed Feb 12, 2025 9:57 am
Think of design as interactive sketching. If you're developing an app for booking tables at restaurants, the Design-First approach doesn't start with a list of features and the code that will make them possible. Instead, you'd ask yourself: Who will use this app? What will their experience be like when searching for a restaurant, choosing a table, confirming a reservation?
Each answer guides the creation of the first sketches and laos telegram data prototypes. These prototypes, created with tools such as Figma, allow you to simulate what the real interaction will be like. And the best thing: you can share them with users, stakeholders or even do quick tests to validate if you are going in the right direction.
MVPs (Minimum Viable Products): The design allows ideas to be tested quickly without committing development resources.
Complex projects: Enterprise software or SaaS with multiple user types and flows requires detailed planning to avoid future problems.
Customer-centric applications: A design focused on user experience is key for products where customer interaction and satisfaction are paramount.
How to implement the Design-First approach in your project
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, 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.
First, understand the problem. Then, write the code.
The Problem-First approach in software development reinforces the importance of problem solving in software development.
ITDO Blog - Web Development Agency, Apps and Marketing in Barcelona
Conclusion
In my view, Design-First is more than just a methodology; it is a philosophy. Prioritizing design not only improves the final product, it also transforms the way teams work together. When everyone sees and understands what the result should look like before building it, communication flows and decisions are made with greater confidence.
Presenting a technical needs brief to solve development needs will only overwhelm stakeholders, so rather than relying on chance, the Design-First approach offers a clear path to more efficient, collaborative, and user-centered development. Just as a good blueprint is essential to building a solid house, a well-thought-out design is the foundation of any successful software.
Each answer guides the creation of the first sketches and laos telegram data prototypes. These prototypes, created with tools such as Figma, allow you to simulate what the real interaction will be like. And the best thing: you can share them with users, stakeholders or even do quick tests to validate if you are going in the right direction.
MVPs (Minimum Viable Products): The design allows ideas to be tested quickly without committing development resources.
Complex projects: Enterprise software or SaaS with multiple user types and flows requires detailed planning to avoid future problems.
Customer-centric applications: A design focused on user experience is key for products where customer interaction and satisfaction are paramount.
How to implement the Design-First approach in your project
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, 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.
First, understand the problem. Then, write the code.
The Problem-First approach in software development reinforces the importance of problem solving in software development.
ITDO Blog - Web Development Agency, Apps and Marketing in Barcelona
Conclusion
In my view, Design-First is more than just a methodology; it is a philosophy. Prioritizing design not only improves the final product, it also transforms the way teams work together. When everyone sees and understands what the result should look like before building it, communication flows and decisions are made with greater confidence.
Presenting a technical needs brief to solve development needs will only overwhelm stakeholders, so rather than relying on chance, the Design-First approach offers a clear path to more efficient, collaborative, and user-centered development. Just as a good blueprint is essential to building a solid house, a well-thought-out design is the foundation of any successful software.