The temptation in product design is to open Figma as soon as an idea arrives.

But the fastest way to a good design is often the slowest way to start.

Before drawing screens, we need to understand the problem underneath them. Who are we designing for? What are they actually trying to accomplish? Where do they struggle? And, perhaps most importantly, are we solving the right problem?

Research gives us evidence before we make assumptions expensive.

A five-minute conversation with a user can reveal something a week of designing might not. A competitor analysis can expose patterns worth learning from. Watching someone complete a task can show us friction they would never think to mention.

This doesn’t mean every project needs months of research or a mountain of documents. Good research is proportional to the decision we’re trying to make.

Sometimes it’s five interviews. Sometimes it’s analysing support tickets. Sometimes it’s simply asking, “Why does this problem exist in the first place?”

The goal isn’t to collect information.

It’s to reduce uncertainty.

Because pixels are easy to change. Direction is much harder.

Good design doesn’t begin in Figma. It begins with better questions.