I rarely get the chance to work with complete user requirements.  As a contract designer, my involvement in a given project is on the basis of my ability to save them time and staffing cost and do some creative problem-solving quickly, filling in many, many blanks along the way.

I usually work with software engineers and/or the  CEO of a smaller software firm, and we essentially prototype the requirements into existence.  It might be backwards, but again these are the working parameters and within those parameters we work.  We try to get a look at what the best of the best (and the rest) are doing, analyzing contemporary design trends and products from vendors in the same space, and use that research to solve the challenges of designing user interfaces.  I’ve also noticed that unconventional sources can yield inspiration, so I try to be receptive to input from people and experiences that might inform the user interface and user experience design in a meaningful way.  This is how I’ve made my contributions to different user interface design projects, and while it remains incredibly challenging it every bit as rewarding.  I embrace the fact that I have a lot yet to learn.