5.2.3 Workflow
Part One: Reflect
What parts of your practice make you feel most engaged and creative?
I felt most engaged during the early exploration stages (researching, moodboarding and generating ideas). That's when I find flow, making unexpected connections and experimenting freely. I'm also energetic when those ideas turn into physical, tangible prototypes or visuals like a test prints. The moment when everything just 'clicks' together and a concept suddenly aligns and the visuals become clear is where I feel most creative and excited.
When do you 'actually' feel like you're designing?
I feel like I'm 'actually' designing when I start making intentional decisions rather than just completing steps. For example, when I am choosing what to emphasise, how something should work/function or what best suits the user. It's the moment I move from gathering information or producing drafts to shaping my work. Weighing the options, refining the concept and commiting to a direction, that's when it feels like real design is happening.
What pain points do you identify in your workflow?
My energy dips when it's unclear what the next steps are or when the goal shifts and becomes bigger than before. I also lose momentum during repetitive tasks that pull me away from the creative problem-solving side of work. These moments tend to pull me out of the flow and design mindset and into task management mode.
What tasks or steps fell like obstacles to designing?
There are some tasks that feel like obstacles to designing and that interrupt momentum like disorganised feedback or unclear project requirements. My energy dips when I have to pause my thinking to find out missing information or wait through long cycles of approval. These steps can pull me out of the flow because they make me have to shift my focus.
Part Two: Research Tools
What tools, techniques or strategies did you find in your research?
From my research, I found some tools and strategies that help ease the design process. Softwares like Figma and Notion support faster exploration and better organisation. I also found that using moodboards and structured workflows like starting with quick sketches, setting timed ideation sessions and tracking progress by keeping old versions of designs have great value. One of my favourite things to do is keep checklists or project boards because they help reduce friction and keep the process focused and efficient.
How could these be integrated into your practice?
One thing I could do is integrate some of these strategies and softwares/tools into the early stage of my workflow. For example, using project boards will help reduce or remove repetitive steps and keep the project flowing from the start. Furthermore, quick sketch sessions and moodbards would increase speed and efficiency of the exploration stage while tools like Notion checklists would help handling the details. These tools and strategies would help generate more mental space for creativity during the ideation stage, creating a more focused design process.
Part Three: Question
How do emerging tools (including AI) challenge or change what it means to be a designer, and how might your workforce need to adapt?
New tools like AI are constantly reshaping the design space/industry. AI can speed up exploration and handle repetitive/low-value tasks, however it puts strain on originality and what it means to be original. Designer's need to, if they want to, integrate tools like AI thoughtfully while holding on to human thought and judgement. As workflows evolve and grow the designers role strengthens meaning us as designers should ensure strategy and desicion-making remains intentional rather than automated.
