Start your UX project the right way.

🟢 FREE RESOURCE · Complete UX Project System

Most UX projects don't fail in the design phase, they fail at the start, when you skip the thinking that's supposed to guide every decision later. This is Phase 1: Discover, the research and problem-definition work that separates designers who guess from designers who know. Work through it in order. Don't touch a wireframe until every box is checked.

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Typical timeline: 5 days. Don't rush it, everything downstream depends on getting this right. Tick each box below as you complete it.

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How to use this: Duplicate this page to your own Notion (top-right → Duplicate), then check off each item as you go. By the end, you'll have a rock-solid foundation for your entire project, and you'll know exactly when you're ready to start designing.

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1 · Understand the landscape

Secondary research, before you talk to a single user, understand what already exists.

• [ ] Identify 3–4 direct or comparable competitors
• [ ] Analyze each one's core features, flows, and gaps
• [ ] Document where they fall short for the user
• [ ] Build a Competitive Matrix showing feature & experience gaps

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Why it matters: You can't design something better until you know what "the same" looks like. The gaps you find here become the openings your design fills.

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2 · Prepare your research

Good interviews come from good preparation. Most beginners wing this and get useless data.

• [ ] Write 3 clear research goals
• [ ] Draft an interview script with open, non-leading questions
• [ ] Validate the scrip, remove anything that hints at the answer
• [ ] Write a short, warm intro script to put participants at ease