When I look back at projects that felt messy or dragged on, there’s a common thread: we didn’t start with clear goals. The team was eager to design, code, and ship, but we hadn’t paused to ask the most important question-what are we trying to achieve? Without that anchor, every discussion turned into guesswork, and every decision felt debatable.

I learned that the first step in solving any UX challenge is defining the project goals. Not just vague aspirations, but specific outcomes everyone can align around. When goals are set early, they act like a compass. They give clarity to research, shape design decisions, and keep scope creep in check. Most importantly, they give the team a shared purpose.

For example, instead of saying, “We want a better onboarding experience,” a stronger goal is, “We want new users to complete onboarding in under three minutes with a 90% success rate.” That shift turns intention into direction. It changes how research is scoped, how flows are designed, and how success is measured.

Outline what the project is trying to achieveMake goals measurable, not just aspirationalEnsure everyone on the team agreesUse goals to filter ideas and features

Clear goals also make collaboration easier. Stakeholders see where the project is headed, designers understand what to prioritize, and developers know why certain decisions are being made. Instead of endless debates, the team can point back to the goals and ask, “Does this help us achieve what we set out to do?” That simple check keeps effort aligned and energy focused.

Over time, I’ve found that starting with project goals doesn’t slow things down-it speeds them up. It gives every step that follows a clear context. Good UX work isn’t just about creating elegant flows or polished interfaces. It’s about solving the right problem. And to solve the right problem, you need to know exactly what you’re aiming for. That’s why every UX project should begin with goals, not guesses.