What Are the Best Steps to Prepare for a New Project?

I like to brainstorm with an AI like Claude to flesh out ideas. I usually start by explaining my project concept and have it suggest the database schema. For the UI, I prefer sketching on paper first, as it helps clarify my thoughts better than jumping straight into coding. After that, I create some simple wireframes in Figma before I touch any frontend code. One trick that has really helped me is writing down user stories first—like 'the user can log in' or 'the user can create a post.' It keeps everything focused on what truly matters and prevents me from getting lost in unnecessary features.

You might be getting ahead of yourself. I recommend starting by writing down what your project is supposed to do and what features it should include. This is known as a Functional Design Specification (FDS) document. It acts as your project guideline and helps set up everything else that follows.

If this is for your resume, focus on the one screen a recruiter will likely notice first. Build everything around that specific UI. By determining what data that view needs, you can define your database schema and API routes accordingly. This way, you’ll avoid wasting time on backend logic that no one will need. Just focus on creating that one view that showcases your coding abilities, and build only what’s necessary to make it work.

I like to start messy on purpose—dumping ideas, mood boards, random notes, and even rough sketches. After that, I step back to understand what the project needs before getting technical. Skipping this phase usually means I end up redesigning everything later, which I've learned the hard way.