---
title: Don't Rush
teaser: 'The thought of designing a product from nothing can be scary. Here''s how
  we prefer to start.

  '
tags: product design,process,agile,prototyping,user interface,user experience,design
author: Luke Mitchell
published_on: 2017-03-06
---

The thought of designing a product from nothing can be scary. It's very tempting
to start fast and maintain that pace. This usually means building up a series of
pieces linearly. In theory they are then tied together into an app or a website.
While this is a valid approach, there are good and bad times to work this way.
To understand when, it's best to think about what makes a good app or website.

[Dieter Rams] is one of the greatest designers – ever. A minimalist at heart, he
has created a collection of excellent products in his lifetime. In an attempt to
distill his philosophy he proposed [ten principles] to guide others. The
principles don't only apply to industrial design, they transcend the whole
practice of design. A well designed app is:

- **innovative**
- **useful**
- **beautiful**
- **understandable**
- **unobtrusive**
- **honest**
- **long-lasting**
- **consistent**
- **simple**

I think the most important of these principles is consistency. Without
consistency we've found ourselves struggling to meet the other principles
quickly. Without consistency something may not be simple, understandable or
useful. The principles often rely on each other. Thinking about small details
all the time can make consistency harder, isolating the pieces can make it
worse.

> It's easy to build a mess of well considered pieces that are poorer as a
> whole.

Before concentrating on smaller details we design a solid plan, a map. How does
the app flow and feel? We find it important to think big at this stage. It's
easy to build a mess of well considered pieces that are poorer as a whole. We've
also found it can be difficult to consider the effect a tiny element can have on
others when working backwards. We also avoid creating pixel-perfect mockups too.
Too much detail early on can lead to losing sight of function—colour comes after
shape.

Consider the differences between London and New York City. Built up over
hundreds of years, London is an ancient city. Starting as a small settlement,
constant expansion led to a tangled mess of streets. In London each person
focused on their patch of land and left the rest to others. Meanwhile New York
is a modern city, [planned from the beginning]. The city is consistent, you know
what to expect. Both cities are beautiful, but one is easier to use than the
other.

![London Map][london]
![New York City Map][nyc]

> Communication is key

As a team we take a step back, gather our research and work together to build a
map. This usually emerges as a wireframe. Keep it simple, but consider the
journey the user will take. We don't expect it to be [beautiful or final], the
product may look nothing like the first draft. What matters is that we have
thought about it before diving into more detail. This can be slow, inefficient
or seem prescriptive but it often saves us from pain later—communication is key.

When is the best time to think small? It's a great way to maintain momentum and
build with efficiency, once we have a clear plan and direction. We've also found
it's a very good way to approach a design overhaul of an existing product. In
this scenario we've found it makes sense to tackle the problem in smaller, more
manageable pieces.

When we are starting from scratch we start with a clear and defined map of the
product. Later on starting to think smaller and nail those details. Validation
is also key for us, a [product design sprint] is our favourite tool for this.
Followed by a phase of wireframe design backed by a [good set of stories]. We
use tools and methods together, and exploit all their strengths.

[beautiful or final]: https://thoughtbot.com/blog/building-learning-into-our-process-with-prototypes
[Dieter Rams]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dieter_Rams
[good set of stories]: https://thoughtbot.com/blog/converting-to-jobs-stories
[london]: https://images.thoughtbot.com/blog-vellum-image-uploads/9TPw3X1LR9qmi1VTiUvH_dont_rush__London.jpg
[nyc]: https://images.thoughtbot.com/blog-vellum-image-uploads/LNdQjykXT8xAJO7uSZkS_dont_rush__NYC.jpg
[planned from the beginning]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commissioners'_Plan_of_1811
[product design sprint]: https://thoughtbot.com/product-design-sprint
[ten principles]: https://www.vitsoe.com/gb/about/good-design