Great design doesn’t happen all at once. From early inspiration to final handoff, our high-fidelity process keeps things intentional, iterative, and realistic.
Before anyone opens Figma, we want context. The process below is how we find out what matters most to a client and turn their inspiration into designs that look good and are realistic to build and maintain.
1. Gathering what already exists
Every project begins with collecting existing materials from the client. This might include logos, brand guidelines, color palettes, fonts, past design work, or even just examples of products and websites they admire. These inputs show us what’s already working and where there’s room to explore.
2. Expanding the visual range
Next, we gather external references to broaden the visual conversation. This is where inspiration meets practicality. We look closely at what resonates in the examples clients like, and just as importantly, why.
For instance, a client might be drawn to websites with large, immersive imagery, but if they don’t have access to high-resolution photos or video, that exact style may not be sustainable. Instead, we look for the underlying qualities (layout, typography, spacing, hierarchy) that can get to a similar feel without the photo budget.
One of our favorite tools at this stage is Mobbin, which aggregates real screenshots from hundreds of web and mobile apps and helps ground inspiration in real-world UI patterns.
3. Optional design workshops
For larger brand overhauls, or when a client isn’t quite sure what direction they want to take, we often recommend a collaborative workshop phase. These sessions build on the gathered references and let us explore color schemes and type systems together.
We typically work live in Figma and put each combination on the app and the marketing site side by side, so clients can see how a direction holds up beyond a single screen.
4. Initial exploration
Once we’ve aligned on inputs and inspiration, we move into initial design exploration. This usually includes high-fidelity mockups of one to three key screens, designed to test whether the branding and the interaction patterns work together.
This phase is intentionally iterative. We push for honest feedback here. Big changes are far easier to make now than once the designs are close to final.
5. Expanding the system
After the client approves a direction, we build it out. That means the remaining screens and every breakpoint, plus the edge cases nobody drew in the first round, so the system holds up once real people use it.
6. Refinement and planning
As designs mature, we shift into regular progress check-ins. This is where details get sharpened: content hierarchy, micro-interactions, states, and handoff considerations. We also start working closely with the developers so nothing in the design is a surprise to build.
7. Final approval and handoff
Once designs are finalized and approved, we prepare a clean handoff for development, complete with documentation and specs, plus any supporting assets needed to build confidently.