Designing by Doing
Why "jumping into UI design" can work too
Have you ever been told in a job interview that “jumping into UI design” is a big red flag? That you should always be able to explain how you gather context before even touching Figma? Have you ever been unsure about how to start a design project? As a designer, once you’re deemed “senior” enough, you’re expected to thrive in ambiguity—at least that’s what people assume. Yet, navigating that ambiguity can still be challenging, depending on the project’s complexity, the team, and the culture.
Most designers know that every project should start by seeking clarity—the why, how, when, what, and so on. What do we know, and what don’t we know? Some call this discovery; others call it “context building.” This approach is not only valid but should be the norm. Without clarity, how can you know what to design or how to approach it? The design process offers a rich array of methods. You might use a design sprint, desk research, generative research, user interviews, stakeholder interviews, or even a comprehensive process combining many of these.
As you gain experience, you’re expected to come equipped with these contexts and data points, even before opening Figma to use that library of components. Jumping straight into Figma without this preparation is often seen as a glaring red flag. It risks unnecessary back-and-forths that frustrate everyone, waste resources, and are simply… unprofessional. Interviewers especially look for evidence of this preparation, often asking how you build context before diving into design.
While I agree that context-building is crucial, I also find this expectation occasionally paralyzing. Designers can feel obligated to follow a specific process simply for the sake of it. If you don’t present some form of prerequisite research or context-building activity, you risk not being taken seriously. Even if others don’t mind, you might carry a heavy guilt: I have to do all this context-building, or they’ll find out I’m not a good designer.
However, here’s the thing: context-building doesn’t always have to precede design activities (such as working in Figma), nor does it need to be completed before UI design begins. Context-building is an ongoing, iterative process—malleable and integrated into every stage of the design journey. Even after thorough upfront research, starting to design in Figma often reveals new limitations, edge cases, or possibilities that make you revisit earlier assumptions. How often does a UI design project proceed smoothly, even after extensive research or a well-rounded product brief?
Design is rarely a linear process. The journey of discovery and clarity doesn’t always start with stakeholder meetings or research. Sometimes, the best way to understand a problem is to dive straight into it. What if I told you that context-building can include sketching directly in Figma or starting with UI design to uncover problems in real-time? At the same time, you can still conduct user research, gather data, and hold stakeholder interviews. It’s also perfectly fine to present stakeholders with work-in-progress explorations on Figma, complete with assumptions and hypotheses, to gather their input and build further context.
This approach, often called “designing by doing,” flips the conventional playbook. Instead of waiting for all the answers, you start creating. The act of designing becomes a process of discovery. For instance, as you lay out screens or map user flows, questions naturally arise: does this screen solve the user’s problem? Is this interaction too complex? How does this fit into the larger system? These questions often lead back to stakeholders or research, but now with a sharper focus. Instead of vague queries like “What are the user needs?”, you might ask, “How do users navigate between these two steps?”
This isn’t about skipping steps or rushing to a solution. It’s about acknowledging that design itself can uncover the clarity you need. When you start sketching or prototyping, you often reveal gaps in understanding that weren’t visible during research. Suddenly, the theoretical becomes tangible, and the issues come to light.
The stigma around jumping straight into UI design is, in my view, misplaced. Sometimes, starting in Figma is the fastest way to surface the right questions. It reduces overthinking, breaks the cycle of analysis paralysis, and provides a starting point for iteration. Even if your initial designs miss the mark, they offer something tangible to react to—both for you and for stakeholders.
In fact, designing by doing often encourages collaboration. A rough prototype or wireframe can spark more meaningful conversations than abstract ideas ever could. Stakeholders can react to something concrete, which accelerates alignment and leads to more actionable feedback. It’s an organic way of building context that integrates discovery with creation.
Let’s not overthink this. Let’s stop shaming designers who prefer to start with UI design, and let’s stop labeling it as a red flag. Design is about problem-solving, and there’s no single “correct” way to get there. The path to clarity is rarely a straight line, and sometimes the fastest way to make progress is to pick up your tools and start exploring. You might find that the clarity you’re looking for was always waiting for you on the canvas.
Thanks for reading! If you like this content, you will like my book too.
Ever feel like an impostor in your design career?
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Here’s a bit of what the book is about…
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