Every project, whether it’s a small tweak or a large-scale overhaul, begins with a certain level of ambiguity. As designers, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed when confronted with uncertainty. But I’ve learned that the key isn’t to have all the answers upfront—it’s about trusting the design process.

This is precisely when collaboration is crucial. Engaging with stakeholders, team members, and truly understanding the project’s goals early on can make all the difference. From my experience, when you’re faced with ambiguity, it’s essential to uncover and unmask it with your team. If you don’t address uncertainty head-on, it can snowball, lingering throughout the project and potentially leading to conflict or additional costs down the line.

I remember working on a project where I wasn’t sure if the solution we were working towards would be more user-centered or goal-driven. This was a fundamental question that hadn’t been addressed from the start, so I brought the team together to step back and align. We revisited the initial question to ensure we were all on the same page about the project’s objectives. This shift not only clarified our goals but also changed the direction of our research, leading us to a more effective solution.

However, even if ambiguity still lingers after initial discussions, it’s often better to commit to a decision as a team. Move forward with a clear direction, measure the success or impact of that decision, and be ready to adjust as you go. This way, you’re continuously learning and iterating, refining your approach with each step.

Whether it’s conducting user research, sketching early wireframes, or testing prototypes, each step clarifies the path forward. Embracing the unknown is part of what makes the design process so rewarding, even if it feels challenging at times.

In the end, ambiguity isn’t a road block; it’s an opportunity to learn, adapt, and innovate—provided you tackle it collaboratively from the start and remain flexible throughout the journey.

How do you handle ambiguity at the beginning of a project? Do you dive in headfirst, or do you take a step back?