Week 1 Blog

Finding My Rhythm in the Project

This week was mainly about getting familiar with the Orderlay product and understanding how the workflow moves from planning to design. I spent time going through existing processes, catching up on backlog tasks, and getting a clearer sense of how product decisions are made before they reach the design stage.

A significant part of the week involved discussions around user flows with the Product Manager. Instead of working only with finalized instructions, I was included in early-stage conversations where we explored user actions, approval steps, and possible edge cases. This helped me understand how much planning and reasoning happens before any actual UI design begins.

Working alongside multiple designers also made me more aware of the importance of consistency. Even small variations in spacing, components, or layout can affect the overall product experience, so I focused more on aligning my work with existing patterns and maintaining uniformity.

During parts of the week where I was waiting for approvals, I used the time productively by revisiting older designs and organizing my Figma files. This helped me improve my workflow structure and also gave me a clearer view of my progress over time.

Key Learnings & Insights

  • Product decisions are shaped heavily during early workflow and user flow discussions
  • Clear requirements are essential to avoid delays in design execution
  • Consistency across components is critical when multiple designers are involved
  • Design work includes a lot of collaboration, not just screen creation
  • Downtime can be used productively for review and organization

    • Reflection

    One challenge I noticed this week was dealing with delays caused by approval processes. At times, it slowed down my momentum. I also realized that I tend to overthink even after designs are already finalized.

    To handle this, I shifted my focus toward improving my organization system in Figma and reviewing past work instead of staying idle. I’m also learning to trust finalized decisions more and move forward without unnecessary revisions.

    Next Week Goals

    • Complete pending Orderlay screens
    • Improve design handoff documentation
    • Maintain stronger consistency across components
    • Build more confidence in finalized design decisions

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