Hello, and happy 2025! This will be my first writing in a while. The topic for this writing will be about IDA or Independent Design Action.

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What is it?

Sometimes you might feel stuck on something at work. Whether you are waiting for some team member to provide feedback, review, or even requirements. What do you do during that time? how do you make the best of it. There are many traps to fall into of waiting, disctraction, or even being too demanding of the people you need to talk to. Make sure that you can find ways to keep working and stay focused with independent design actions.

Independent design action (IDA) refers to design work that can be proactively completed without requiring immediate input, approval, or dependencies from other teams or stakeholders. These are tasks that designers can autonomously drive forward to maintain momentum on projects.

Key Characteristics of IDA

1. Self-contained work that doesn't require cross-team decisions
2. Can be completed using existing information and requirements
3. Produces useful documentation or progress even if other team workstreams are blocked
4. Reduces future bottlenecks by preparing ahead and keeping the projects moving

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How to IDA - Running in the dark:

Information Completeness - Enough to start

Basically you don't need to have perfect information as long as you get started and acknowledge that you don't have all the details. This gives people a chance later to see how you got to where you are.

• User flows and/or Customer journeys to better understand and create consensus with the team
• If you have asumptions about the basic requirements or constraints document what you do know and you don't know
• Look for existing patterns or similar features exist as reference

What else can be researched or improved on the project itself?

• Review current projects for gaps or inconsistencies
• Identify repeated patterns that need systematizing
• Look for features that need dark mode/responsive design
• Check for accessibility compliance

Create Work Chunks - don't get stuck on a step!

• Break larger problems into smaller, independent pieces
• Identify which pieces can move forward with current information
• Separate "must have input" vs "can refine later" decisions
• Document assumptions and constraints clearly

Prioritization Framework - Questions to ask yourself:

• "Can I complete this piece without waiting for others?"
• "Will this work be valuable even if requirements change?"
• "Does this reduce future design debt?"
• "What information will I need later when I can get help"
• "Can this be validated independently?"

Documentation Process - Always have a paper trail

• Track assumptions made
• Note areas needing future validation
• Document decisions and rationale
• Keep a list of questions for later clarification

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IDA Benefits - It's a win for everyone!

1. Maintains project momentum during blockers
2. Reduces dependency bottlenecks
3. Allows for deeper exploration and understanding of solutions
4. Creates proactive rather than reactive design culture for your team
5. Ambiguity is part of the job sometimes, you have to learn and get better at dealing with it. Everyone does.

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Helpful links!

r/career questions - What do I do when I get blocked at work and can't get help?

Evan Wondrasek's 16 strategies for getting unblocked at work

How to Manage Workplace Blockers by Jordan Cutler