There are many “right” ways to design an application, so I want to be clear that this is my workflow (and the one I recommend), but it’s not mandatory. I know other designers who just jump right into Photoshop (or code) and produce great work. But if you find yourself having trouble visualizing a design or workflow in your head, give this method a try.

The mental model

The hardest part of designing any application is picturing the entire thing in your head. When you are in the dreaming stage you can plan through an interaction a bunch of different ways, think through all the possible screens, and have fun doing it… except that if you’re like me, you forget things. Often I find myself unable to think through additional interactions since I can’t think that far ahead. For me it’s like trying to think through chess moves three or four moves out. It just makes my head hurt.