A short discovery conversation can prevent a project from beginning with the wrong assumptions. You do not need a polished specification to start, but you do need a shared understanding of the problem.

1. Who is trying to do the work?

Describe the person and the situation. “A studio manager reviewing incoming inquiries between meetings” is more useful than “business users.”

Ask what information they already have, which device they usually use, and what interrupts the task. These details influence the interface and the amount of effort a workflow can reasonably ask of them.

2. How does it happen today?

Look at the existing spreadsheet, email thread, or manual checklist. Ask someone to walk through a recent example.

A workaround may contain an important rule that nobody thought to include in the brief. For instance, a booking may need approval from a specific person before it is confirmed.

3. Where does the current process become difficult?

Separate observed problems from requested features. “We copy the same address into three places” describes a problem. “We need a dashboard” describes one possible response.

List the repeated steps, missing information, and unclear handovers. Rank them together rather than treating every item as equally urgent.

4. What would a better outcome look like?

Describe something observable: a visitor can complete an inquiry without calling, or an operator can find all unresolved requests in one view.

Avoid invented targets. If the current workflow has not been measured, first agree how you will observe it. A prototype review may be enough to answer an early usability question.

5. What limits the solution?

Discuss available content, existing integrations, budget, review availability, and maintenance responsibilities. A plan that ignores these constraints is difficult to execute.

Finish discovery with a short working brief: the primary user, the task, the expected outcome, the initial scope, and the assumptions still to test. That document should help the next decision, not become a substitute for building and learning.