Project workflow blueprint
A repeatable structure for taking an idea from purpose, to proof of concept, to polished product. Use it as a checklist, a presentation, or a day-to-day companion while you ship.
Workflow at a glance
Visual checkpoints make it easier to explain the journey to collaborators and to spot where effort or feedback is missing.
Phase pipeline
Trace how each phase hands momentum to the next.
Use the pipeline during project kick-off to agree on expectations and to communicate where you are in the journey.
Feedback loops
See which rituals close the gap between discovery and delivery.
Discovery loop
Re-validate the purpose and goals against what you are learning.
Prompts
- Do the latest insights change the problem framing or audience?
- Are goals still motivating and measurable?
+1 more to review
Build-measure loop
Ship a thin slice, measure it, and either double down or adjust.
Prompts
- What slice ships next and how will I observe it working?
- What is the fastest way to gather feedback (users, analytics, self-dogfooding)?
+1 more to review
Quality gate
Keep standards consistent even when working solo.
Prompts
- Does the feature have tests or scripts that prove it works?
- Are edge cases and empty states covered in mocks or copy?
+1 more to review
Effort by phase
Adjust the baseline effort split to match the ambition of each project.
Confidence curve
Track how certainty grows as you validate along the pipeline.
Phases & checkpoints
Move through each phase deliberately. Finish the outputs before graduating to the next stage so every project stays aligned and documented.
Purpose & goals
Document the why before thinking about solutions so every decision can ladder back to impact.
Focus
Capture the problem, the audience, and the success signal you want to see.
Questions to answer
- What is the problem or opportunity I want to explore right now?
- How will I know this project created value for me or for users?
- What guardrails do I have around timeline, scope, or effort?
Outputs to produce
- One-paragraph project purpose statement
- High-level goals and success metrics
- Initial risks, constraints, and nice-to-haves backlog
Requirements & user flow
Translate the goal into the smallest coherent experience that proves the idea.
Focus
Map the steps the user (or you) will take and the systems that need to support them.
Questions to answer
- What jobs should the product enable from first touch to completion?
- Which states, data, or third parties are required?
- Where can I cut scope and still validate the goal?
Outputs to produce
- User journeys / flow diagram
- Key features split into must-have vs follow-up
- Validation checklist to confirm the flow works end-to-end
Technical strategy
Choose the stack and architecture that keeps iteration cheap while matching constraints.
Focus
Decide on the core backend/frontend pieces, integrations, and hosting approach.
Questions to answer
- Which tools let me ship fast while staying maintainable?
- What data models or APIs are essential?
- What technical risks need a spike before committing?
Outputs to produce
- Tech stack shortlist with trade-offs noted
- System sketch showing data flow and responsibilities
- List of spikes or prototypes to de-risk unknowns
Proof of concept slice
Build a vertical slice that proves the concept works both in backend logic and UI.
Focus
Wire up minimum backend + frontend to exercise the core loop and capture learnings.
Questions to answer
- What is the simplest thing to build that still touches real data?
- How can I observe success or failure quickly?
- What pieces must be automated vs stubbed for now?
Outputs to produce
- Running prototype or script that validates the concept
- Notes on performance, gaps, or surprises
- Updated scope backlog based on what the slice revealed
Experience design
Invest in UX once the concept is validated so polish lines up with real needs.
Focus
Create mocks, user stories, and states that inform the production build.
Questions to answer
- What should users feel at each step of the flow?
- Which screens, states, and empty experiences need definition?
- How do I translate logic into components, hooks, and data contracts?
Outputs to produce
- Figma file with flows, states, and component references
- Interaction guidelines or motion notes
- UI inventory mapped to future components/hooks
Build & integrate
Implement with a maintainable structure (MVC for UI, modular hooks, clear services).
Focus
Ship production-quality code in layers with testing and documentation baked in.
Questions to answer
- What is the thinnest slice I can ship this cycle?
- How do I keep domain logic out of the UI while exposing it via hooks/services?
- What automated checks or monitoring should run before release?
Outputs to produce
- Frontend composed of container/presentation layers and reusable hooks
- Backend endpoints or workers aligned with the original contract
- Test notes, CLI scripts, or monitoring tasks that prove the build works
Launch & iterate
Release confidently, measure outcomes, and fold learnings back into the backlog.
Focus
Treat launch as the start of validation, not the finish line.
Questions to answer
- What signals confirm the project hit the goal or needs adjustment?
- Which follow-up experiments or enhancements are next?
- How will I capture user or personal feedback in a repeatable way?
Outputs to produce
- Launch checklist (docs, demo, release notes)
- Metrics dashboard or manual scorecard tracking success signals
- Retrospective notes feeding the roadmap/backlog
Loops & cadences
Revisit these loops habitually to keep projects tethered to reality. Each loop is a guardrail that nudges you back to purpose and quality.
Discovery loop
Re-validate the purpose and goals against what you are learning.
Prompts
- Do the latest insights change the problem framing or audience?
- Are goals still motivating and measurable?
- Should any assumptions move into the spike backlog?
Build-measure loop
Ship a thin slice, measure it, and either double down or adjust.
Prompts
- What slice ships next and how will I observe it working?
- What is the fastest way to gather feedback (users, analytics, self-dogfooding)?
- Which learnings get documented for the next cycle?
Quality gate
Keep standards consistent even when working solo.
Prompts
- Does the feature have tests or scripts that prove it works?
- Are edge cases and empty states covered in mocks or copy?
- Did I update docs, changelog, and backlog status?
Rituals to cement learning
Keep these living documents linked from each project so you can switch contexts without losing the plot.
Kickoff note
Capture purpose, goals, and success metrics in a single document to reference during execution.
Working Figma file
Organise the user flow, UI states, and component references; link back to tickets/tasks.
Prototype log
List proof-of-concept experiments, what they validated, and next actions.
Release checklist
Stop shipping anxiety by codifying pre-release checks (tests, docs, demo, metrics).
Retro & backlog update
After each milestone, capture lessons and reshuffle priorities in the roadmap.
Bring it into your projects
Clone this checklist into each new project entry. Keep purpose, proof of concept, design, and build activities transparent by logging updates inside the relevant phase card.