Design is at its most powerful when it’s personal.
Product people talk endlessly about understanding the user – but how often do we truly become them? Walking in their shoes isn’t just an exercise in empathy; it’s a strategy for uncovering insights that no focus group can deliver.
When you BE the user, you design from the inside out. Every frustration, every moment of delight, becomes part of your process. You feel the pain points firsthand, making it impossible to ignore the gaps that need fixing. You notice things that don’t work.
And when you BUILD for yourself, the work takes on a new level of authenticity. You’re no longer chasing abstract personas or theoretical use cases – you’re solving real problems that resonate deeply with you. And chances are, if a solution works for you, it will work for others too.
Empathy doesn’t stop at understanding. It’s about stepping into the user’s world, becoming part of it, and then building something so intuitive, so impactful, that it feels like it was always meant to be there. The answer will be obvious.
So, how do you become the user? You create an account, you use the app in your day to day life. You ask questions, you embed yourself. You use some process. And some art. If you are building for someone else, their job needs to become your job.
BE the user. BUILD for yourself.
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