Getting started with new projects

Three free things every project needs.

A product map.
Everyone overlooks information architecture, once I found Up's product tree, an open-source presentation of their IA being doubled as a Product Roadmap, my life changed forever. It acts as a helpful outlook of a products feature set when starting new client projects.

A todo list.
A client project started to get out of hand, new requirements, scope creep, little prioritisation... If there's a bunch to get done, Monday.com transforms chaos into order with their workflow management system. It helps you create a healthy backlog, and easily prioritise tickets for better team organisation and collaboration.
Design and development collaborating too? No problem, separate tasks into compartments - design, development, post-production (bug fixes, continuous improvement, etc.)

An identity.
For when a client needs a brand guideline but hasn't the time, budget, or resource to plan for one. Material03 theme builder is a tool that helps you build out a custom theme. Creating a custom color scheme based on your brand or style that supports light and dark modes. Theme builder also allows for exporting to code for your development library, now integrated with Figma. It's not perfect, but it's a brilliant start.
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One last thing, if you're operating in Figma, remain up-to-date and relevant by checking Figma release notes daily with your morning coffee. Find everything you need to know about the latest software features.