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Start from the smallest size

Most design reviews happen on a 27-inch monitor. Most apps are judged on a six-inch screen, in a pocket, in a hurry. So we start every review on a real phone, at arm’s length, and only then zoom in.

It sounds obvious. It changes everything: type sizes go up, decorative detail goes away, and the one thing the screen is for becomes very clear.

If it doesn’t work at arm’s length, it doesn’t work.

Make the boring states first

Empty, loading, offline, error. We design these in week one, not week nine, because they shape the happy path more than people expect.

• Say what is happening, not just that something is.

• Give people something to do while they wait.

• Never guess with someone’s money, health or time.

Ship it, then look again

A new build lands on the client’s phone every Friday. Nothing teaches you more than watching someone use the app on the tram home.