What I mean about the design process is how we go from having some kind of basic idea for our app to getting at some concrete screens and getting done some real design into running code. In 37signals we are never happy unless the thing we designed are actually running in a live application.

— Ryan Singer (2010) Video “The Design Process of 37 Signals” at FOWA

Interesting approach, very pragmatic and focused (incremental sequence):

  1. Model
  2. Screens
  3. Design
  4. HTML/CSS
  5. Live code

Seeing their specific model is interesting for me because I think that there isn’t such a thing as an “universal design process”. Ryan shows a process that fits perfectly what’s know about 37signals skills and clients.

The best process is the simplest one that keeps adapting to the people skills, without constraining them. And that’s exactly what they do.

(thanks to Creonomy for the link)