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Project Process

We are an engineering agency specializing in AI, delivering design and discovery-driven product development.

This document covers the project-level engagement process. For how individual features flow through our pipeline, see Feature Lifecycle.

Project Phases Overview​

Every project flows through three major phases:

Discovery → Design → Engineering
PhasePurposeDeliverables
DiscoveryFind business value, scope features, budgetProposal, feature breakdown, timeline, estimates
DesignTranslate requirements into buildable specsWireframes, UI designs, prototypes, design system
EngineeringBuild, test, shipWorking software, documentation, deployed product

Phase 1: Discovery​

Goal: Find the business value and create the artifacts needed to recommend the best possible approach given the client's timeline, deadlines, and budget.

Discovery is where projects succeed or fail. Skip it, and you build the wrong thing. Rush it, and you miss critical requirements. Do it well, and everything downstream flows smoothly.

What Discovery Answers​

  • What problem are we solving? — The core business value
  • Who are we solving it for? — Users, stakeholders, customers
  • What does success look like? — Measurable outcomes
  • What constraints exist? — Budget, timeline, technical, regulatory
  • What's the scope? — Features in, features out

Discovery Activities​

ActivityOwnerOutput
Stakeholder interviewsPMProblem statement, success criteria
User researchPM / DesignUser personas, pain points
Technical assessmentEngineeringFeasibility notes, risk areas
Competitive analysisPMMarket positioning, differentiators
Feature mappingPMFeature list with priorities
Budget alignmentPMScope recommendations

Discovery Deliverables​

1. Problem Statement Clear articulation of what we're solving and why it matters.

2. Feature Breakdown Every feature identified, prioritized, and sized. This becomes the input to our Feature Lifecycle.

3. Proposal & Recommendations Based on the client's:

  • Budget — What can we build with the resources available?
  • Timeline — What's realistic given deadlines?
  • Value — What delivers the most impact first?

We recommend an approach:

ConstraintOur Response
Fixed budget, flexible scopePrioritize highest-value features, cut low-value ones
Fixed deadline, flexible scopeTime-box phases, ship MVP first
Fixed scope, flexible timelinePlan for full delivery, phase releases
Fixed everythingIdentify risks, recommend tradeoffs

4. Timeline & Milestones Clear phases with dates:

  • Discovery complete: [date]
  • Design complete: [date]
  • Engineering sprints: [dates]
  • Release milestones: [dates]

5. Budget Breakdown Transparent costing:

  • Discovery & Design hours
  • Engineering hours by feature
  • QA and deployment
  • Contingency buffer

Feature Breakdown Process​

This is the critical bridge between Discovery and our Feature Lifecycle. Every feature we identify must:

1. Be Independently Deliverable​

A feature should be shippable on its own. If it can't stand alone, it's not a feature—it's a task within a feature.

2. Have Clear Business Value​

Every feature answers: "What does the client/user get when this ships?"

3. Be Estimable​

If we can't estimate it, we don't understand it well enough. Go deeper.

4. Map to the Feature Lifecycle​

Each feature will flow through:

Backlog → Todo → Discovery → Design → Engineering → QA → Done

See Feature Lifecycle for stage details.

Feature Template​

For each feature, document:

## Feature: [Name]

**Business Value:** What problem does this solve?
**Users:** Who benefits?
**Priority:** Must-have / Should-have / Nice-to-have
**Size:** S / M / L / XL
**Dependencies:** What must exist first?
**Risks:** What could go wrong?
**Acceptance Criteria:** How do we know it's done?

Prioritization Framework​

We use a value-vs-effort matrix:

Low EffortHigh Effort
High ValueDo FirstPlan Carefully
Low ValueQuick WinsDon't Do

Priority order:

  1. High value, low effort (quick wins with impact)
  2. High value, high effort (core features, plan well)
  3. Low value, low effort (nice-to-haves if time allows)
  4. Low value, high effort (cut these)

Phase 2: Design​

Goal: Translate discovered requirements into buildable, approved designs.

Design doesn't start until Discovery deliverables are complete. No exceptions.

Design Activities​

StageWorkExit Criteria
Information ArchitectureSite maps, user flowsFlows approved by client
WireframesLow-fidelity layoutsStructure approved
UI DesignHigh-fidelity mockupsVisual direction approved
PrototypesInteractive demosInteractions approved
Design SystemComponents, patternsDocumented and organized

Design Deliverables​

  • Approved designs for all features in scope
  • Design system / component library
  • Interaction specifications
  • Asset exports ready for engineering

Design ↔ Feature Lifecycle​

During Design phase, individual features are flowing through:

  • Ready for Design
  • Design In Progress
  • Design In Review
  • Ready for Engineering

A feature isn't "designed" until it reaches Ready for Engineering with designs attached and approved.

Phase 3: Engineering​

Goal: Build what was designed, test it, ship it.

Engineering doesn't start on a feature until it's in Ready for Engineering state with:

  • Designs attached
  • Acceptance criteria defined
  • Edge cases documented
  • Dependencies identified

Engineering Activities​

StageWorkExit Criteria
ImplementationBuild per designsCode complete
Code ReviewPR review, feedbackPR approved
TestingUnit, integration, E2ETests passing
StagingDeploy to test environmentDeployed and verified
QAFunctional testingNo critical bugs
ProductionDeploy to liveReleased

Engineering ↔ Feature Lifecycle​

During Engineering phase, individual features are flowing through:

  • Ready for Engineering
  • Engineering In Progress
  • Engineering In Review
  • Ready for QA
  • Done

Engagement Models​

Based on Discovery findings, we recommend one of these engagement structures:

Plan A: Standard​

For mid-size products (1 main feature, 2 sub-features)

PhaseDuration
Design & Discovery2 months
Engineering2 months
Total4 months

Plan B: Accelerated​

For focused MVPs or tight deadlines

PhaseDuration
Design & Discovery1 month
Engineering1 month
Total2 months

Plan C: Large-Scale​

For complex products (1+ main features, 2+ sub-features)

PhaseDuration
Design & Discovery2 months
Engineering4 months
Total6 months

Client Collaboration​

During Discovery​

  • Kick-off meeting
  • Stakeholder interviews
  • Weekly check-ins
  • Discovery review & sign-off

During Design​

  • Design reviews (per feature)
  • Feedback cycles
  • Design approval gates

During Engineering​

  • Sprint demos (bi-weekly)
  • Staging access for testing
  • Release sign-offs

Project Success Criteria​

A project is successful when:

  1. Business value delivered — The problem is solved
  2. On budget — Costs aligned with estimates
  3. On timeline — Deadlines met
  4. Quality shipped — No critical bugs, good UX
  5. Client satisfied — Would work with us again

Quick Reference​

Discovery Checklist​

  • Stakeholder interviews complete
  • Problem statement documented
  • Features identified and prioritized
  • Budget aligned with scope
  • Timeline realistic for deadline
  • Proposal delivered and approved
  • Features broken down for lifecycle

Phase Gates​

FromToRequirements
DiscoveryDesignProposal approved, features documented
DesignEngineeringDesigns approved, acceptance criteria defined
EngineeringReleaseQA passed, client sign-off received