Before there is an interface, there is already a way people get things done.
Some of that work happens in conversations. Some happens on paper, on a phone, or through a person who knows who to call. Designing a digital service starts with understanding this existing system.
Ask about the last time.
“Would you use this?” invites a prediction. “Tell me about the last time you did this” invites a story. That story can reveal interruptions, missing information, costs, and decisions that a list of requested features will miss.
Make the idea easy to question.
A sketch or prototype gives people something concrete to respond to. It is useful because it can change. The aim is to discover what is confusing or unnecessary while those changes are still inexpensive.
A documented example: DortiBox.
The ODI case study on Freetown Waste Transformers describes workshops before development, user testing, and piloting with waste collection enterprises. It credits MeDomot with developing the app in partnership with FWT. That account shows how several groups contributed to shaping the service.
It also describes a payment adjustment following feedback: adding cash on pickup when some customers struggled with the initial payment option. The lesson is practical. A working service has to accommodate the circumstances in which people will use it.