When I became the only product designer at a startup, I thought I was ready. I had finished my master, studied several related courses, UX frameworks, memorized the “right” process, and carefully built my portfolio with case studies that ticked every box.

But here’s the thing: real life doesn’t follow the process.

In the past years, I’ve worn every hat — UX designer, researcher, brand designer, design system builder, prototyper, onboarding strategist… you name it. And through that chaos, I learned way more than I expected.

‍Not from a textbook. But from doing the work, day after day.

In school, I learned the “ideal” UX process: research, interviews, competitive analysis, ideation, sketches, wireframes, hi-fi prototypes… you know the drill. But at a startup? That kind of process is a luxury.

In the beginning, I tried to follow every step — creating personas, mapping user journeys, brainstorming eight different solutions per problem. But working that thoroughly quickly clashed with our fast-moving roadmap. We simply didn’t have the time or headcount for it.

What really mattered was whether the team shared a high-level vision and was aligned on priorities. Rather than checking every design box, I learned to move fast, communicate visually, collaborate closely, and iterate constantly.

In the rush to move fast without thinking, it’s really easy to jump straight into solutions. I’ve done it — mocked up “perfect” designs, only to realize the team wasn’t aligned on the actual problem, or worse, after testing, users didn’t understand.

Over time, I’ve iterated my workflow to focus on two key habits that changed everything:

Before designing anything, I write down a short list of key questions and share them with the team. It’s a bit like a “design brief” — only faster and scrappier. In larger companies, a PM might handle this. But at our startup, we don’t have one — so I take ownership.It doesn’t need to be polished.

It just needs to align everyone around the same problem and goal. Here’s what I usually define:

This small pause saves us from misalignment later — and prevents us from solving the wrong problem beautifully.

Words only go so far. I use moodboards, screenshots, and references from real products to bring ideas to life. This helps teammates — especially those without a design background — better understand what we’re actually building.

It’s tempting to go for something flashy and “original,” but in real products, clarity always wins. Users don’t want to re-learn how to use a button.

When we tested one of our early designs, users were confused: “It doesn’t look familiar like normal products.” or “I don’t know where is next step.”

That’s when I remembered what my professor Diamond once told me:

It’s not about being the most creative — it’s about thinking like your users and delivering what they actually need. Now, whenever we start a new feature, I look at how real products solve similar problems. It helps ground our designs in patterns users already understand and reduces unnecessary friction.

At a startup, you often build features side-by-side with engineers. After several tries, we involve them from the beginning.

We don’t have separate frontend and backend teams — usually one developer handles it all. I share early ideas, rough flows, and backend requirements while the design is still evolving. That way, they can start thinking about structure while I fine-tune the UI.

Bonus: engineers are great at spotting edge cases I didn’t think of. Catching those early saves us all a lot of headaches.

Handoff isn’t just exporting files — it’s a continuation of the design process. I’ve learned to:

There was a time when I was obsessed with browsing and collecting every cool UI I saw on Dribbble and Behance. Trendy layouts, shiny gradients, clever micro interactions — I saved them all. But copying trends without context? That’s risky.

Designers need to be intentional. If your product already has a defined visual language, throwing in the latest trend can break consistency — or worse, confuse users.

Now, I still learn from trends — but I apply them with purpose and restraint. Before adding anything new, I ask:

Some recent good examples:

If the answer to “Does this help our users?” isn’t clear, I leave it in the idea drawer for later. Learning is part of the job — but blindly applying what looks cool isn’t. Trends are great inspiration, but your users still come first.

Startups are full of trade-offs. You might not have the budget for usability testing. You might not have enough data to support every design decision. And even when you do, your boss might want other new ideas on the work — because business, technical, or personal preferences thoughts.

I stand by my research, my thinking, and my designs — every time. I show the rationale behind my decisions, bring in real examples, and communicate clearly with the team. I argue, respectfully but firmly, when I believe in a direction. Because that’s part of my job too.

But I’ve also learned when to let go. If the final call isn’t mine, I don’t take it personally. I don’t throw away my ideas either — I save them. I reflect. And I keep them in mind for the future, because sometimes, the right timing is everything. That’s tough — especially when you’ve poured hours into a design. But I’ve learned to zoom out and stay flexible.

Not every idea ships today. But maybe it sparks a better one tomorrow. Or maybe it becomes useful later.

Growth comes not just from shipping good work — but from staying curious, collaborative, and open to what comes next.

If I could do it again, here’s what I’d do remember in mind:

Being a sole designer at a startup taught me that real UX isn’t about perfect process or polished portfolios — it’s about communication, shared understanding, and creative compromise.

‍You won’t always get it right. But if you’re willing to adapt, listen, and stand by your users, you’ll grow faster than you think.