the art of information gathering ??

Welcome back. I can't get the new Rosé + Bruno Mars song out of my head - and it really makes me wonder: how are some creative people able to produce banger after banger?

Next year, I'm going to explore this concept of "taste" in a mini-docuseries on YouTube. Stay tuned for that.

—Tommy (@DesignerTom)

The Wireframe:

• Why designers need to be better scouts
• My 3-step framework for gathering real intel
• The chain of command for weighing information

How to Actually Gather Information That Mattrs

When used effectively, Product Design is a scouting function that helps your org see through the fog of war.

But most designers are terrible scouts—we're too busy debating the "right way" to do research instead of actually gathering intelligence that moves the needle.

Today, I'm breaking down how to actually gather and use information in the real world →

The Truth About Information Gathering

After 14 years of designing products in Silicon Valley, I've learned that effective information gathering isn't about following a perfect process—it's about knowing where to look and how to weigh what you find.

Here's the reality:

Your job isn't to create perfect documentation. It's to help your company make money. And that means gathering information that directly impacts business decisions.

Let's break down how to do this effectively →

1. Where to Actually Find Information

Stop obsessing over user personas and start looking in places that matter:

Market Analysis:

• Google News for recent industry shifts
• SimilarWeb for understanding traffic patterns
• Statista for market data
• Annual reports for public companies
• Crunchbase for competitor financials

Competitor Intelligence:

• Pageflows for product teardowns
• BuiltWith for tech stack analysis
• Wayback Machine for evolution tracking
• Justia for legal movements

Customer Intel:

Pro tip: Spend an afternoon building this context before you waste time on another "proper" research plan that'll get deprioritized anyway.

2. The Chain of Command for Information

Here's my simple framework for weighing information in time-sensitive scenarios:

Level 1: Institutional Knowledge

• Modern psychology principles
• Established design systems
• Usability best practices
• Accessibility guidelines

Level 2: Customer Familiarity

• What patterns do users already know?
• What are competitors doing?
• What OS/tools do users rely on?

Level 3: Direct Research

• User interviews
• Analytics data
• A/B testing results
• Customer feedback

How to use it: Start with Level 1 and work your way up. In the absence of Level 3, fall back to Level 2. No Level 2? Rely on Level 1.

3. Making Fast Decisions with Limited Info

When you need to move at warp-speed, ask these three questions in order:

1. What bet is the company making?

• Velocity: Winning through speed
• Efficiency: Winning through optimization
• Accuracy: Winning through precision
• Innovation: Winning through discovery
• Distribution: Winning through channels

2. What design bets support that company bet?

For Velocity:

• Reuse existing components
• Borrow proven patterns
• Minimize customization

For Efficiency:

• Leverage design systems
• Reduce work-in-progress
• Standardize workflows

For Accuracy:

• Invest in testing
• Measure everything
• Run discovery sprints

For Innovation:

• Explore new patterns
• Study adjacent markets
• Test bold hypotheses

For Distribution:

• Optimize for channel discovery
• Support white-labeling options
• Design shareable components

3. What's the weight of available information?

Listen up: You'll rarely have perfect information. That's why knowing how to weigh what you have is crucial.

The bottom line: Information gathering isn't about following a perfect process—it's about being a good scout. Your job is to help your team see through the fog of war, not write the perfect research plan.

Together with Framer

Designing a Website ???? Building a Website

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The next best no-code website builder for designers, Framer:

• feels and works like Figma and other design tools you know
• lets you publish your design as a real website in seconds
• supports breakpoints, animations, and even a whole CMS

Plus, you can even import designs from Figma using our Figma-to-Framer plugin so you don’t have to start from scratch.

Are you ready to learn how Framer can streamline your web development process? Learn more now.

The "Making UX Decisions' Video Course

In 2022, I wrote a book called "Making Design Decisions" to capture my 14 years of experience making good design decisions when time and resources were extremely limited.

I sold over 2,400 copies to designers at companies like Microsoft, Netflix, IBM, and Spotify.

I was encouraged to turn this into a robust video course with additional content:

• 60+ videos with hours of content
• 7+ mini-assessments
• 20+ UI checklists and patterns
• 7+ video lessons from product and design leaders
• A Notion cheatsheet

My goal is to help designers understand that even the best design decisions can be undermined by the time it takes to arrive at them.

So I want to provide you with a short and sweet framework for accomplishing what I've been able to over my career.

The course launches next week. Join the waitlist and you'll get a discount during the first 4 days.

See you next week,

Tommy

Thanks for reading! What's your favorite tool for organizing info? Hit reply and let me know.

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