[mceachen]

I first try to explain the problem, and then potential solutions, to either a beta user or someone non-technical. I'm lucky to have a very patient wife regularly fill this role.

If the solution is trivial and can be completed in an hour, I'll just code it from there.

If I think it'll take a day or more, I'll write down both the problem, and potential solutions, along with pros and cons for each approach, with the focus on trying to justify my actions to Future Me.

If I think multiple people are going to want to know how it ticks, I'll write a design doc and share it with some beta users.

I've found it to be frustratingly common that when I skip this process I will code the first solution that comes to me. This frequently is neither the simplest to implement nor the most efficient approach.