A Complete, Step‑by‑Step Standard Process for Internet Product Design

Stage 1: Project Initiation & Research – Is the Idea Worth Pursuing?

Before writing a line or drawing a mock‑up, assess market size, competitors, and internal capabilities to avoid costly dead‑ends. The author likens this to checking foot traffic and existing tea shops before opening a new one.

Core tasks

Market sizing: quantify potential users, daily dining habits, pain points (long queues, limited choices, high prices), and willingness to pay.

Competitor analysis: study 3‑5 similar products, note strengths, weaknesses, user complaints, and revenue models.

Feasibility study: estimate budget, team effort, timeline, technical resources, merchant partnerships, and break‑even point.

Deliverables : market research report, competitive analysis, project charter.

Typical pitfalls : launching on a gut feeling without user validation; copying surface features without understanding underlying business logic.

Stage 2: User Research & Requirement Analysis – Who, What, and Why?

The author stresses interviewing real users instead of guessing. True needs are distinguished from superficial wishes (e.g., “free delivery” vs. “quick, affordable meals”).

Core tasks

Interview 10‑20 target users (employees, merchants, property managers) to uncover real pain points.

Create user personas that embody typical users, such as a 95‑post‑millennial employee who values speed and is willing to pay a premium.

Collect and categorize requirements into Must‑have (core), Nice‑to‑have (later), and Not‑needed (pseudo‑needs).

Prioritize by importance and urgency, focusing the first release on core functionality.

Deliverables : user research report, personas, requirement pool with priority list.

Typical pitfalls : assuming personal preferences are universal; implementing every user request without filtering.

Stage 3: Product Positioning & Feature Architecture – Defining the Solution

With the problem clarified, the team defines a concise positioning statement and builds a modular feature skeleton, similar to drawing a house floor plan before choosing paint colors.

Core tasks

One‑sentence positioning: target audience, problem solved, value delivered.

Construct a feature hierarchy diagram, grouping functions into user‑side, merchant‑side, and admin modules.

Validate the main user flow (e.g., select restaurant → choose dishes → place order → merchant accepts → food prepared → user picks up).

Deliverables : draft PRD, feature structure diagram, core workflow diagram.

Typical pitfalls : over‑loading the first version with too many features; adding peripheral functions before the core flow is solid.

Stage 4: Prototype & Interaction Design – Building the “Shell”

Low‑fidelity wireframes convey logic without visual polish. Interaction design covers both normal and error scenarios, ensuring robustness.

Core tasks

Create low‑fidelity prototypes in tools like Axure, Figma, or Mockplus, focusing on layout and navigation.

Define interaction rules for every action, including edge cases such as network failure, payment errors, or out‑of‑stock items.

Conduct prototype reviews with developers, testers, operations, and business stakeholders to catch logical gaps and technical infeasibility early.

Deliverables : interactive prototype files, interaction specification document.

Typical pitfalls : spending excessive time on visual details; ignoring error handling, leading to a confusing user experience.

Stage 5: Visual Design & Final Review – The Finished Look

High‑fidelity designs translate the wireframe into the final UI, establishing a style guide and locking requirements.

Core tasks

UI designers produce high‑fidelity mockups, defining colors, typography, icons, and spacing.

Publish a unified design system to ensure consistency across screens and future features.

Hold a final requirement review where all parties sign off on scope; any later changes must follow a formal change‑control process.

Deliverables : high‑fidelity design assets, UI design guidelines, final PRD.

Typical pitfalls : allowing scope creep during design; prioritizing aesthetics over usability.

Stage 6: Development & Testing Follow‑up – Keeping the Build on Track

The product team stays engaged throughout implementation, clarifying logic, answering questions, and ensuring quality.

Core tasks

Requirement hand‑over: walk developers and testers through the logic.

Continuous development support: resolve technical questions promptly, adjust solutions when implementation is infeasible.

Testing & acceptance: verify functional correctness, UI consistency, and handling of edge cases; no release until critical bugs are fixed.

Formal change‑control for any mid‑project requirement modifications.

Deliverables : test cases, bug list, change‑request log.

Typical pitfalls : abandoning the product after handing off requirements; uncontrolled scope changes causing rework and delays.

Stage 7: Launch, Operations & Iterative Optimization – The Ongoing Cycle

Release is the beginning, not the end. The team monitors usage, gathers data, listens to feedback, and iterates in small, rapid cycles.

Core tasks

Gradual rollout: pilot in a single building before full‑scale launch.

Data tracking: instrument key metrics such as DAU, order conversion, repeat rate, and payment success.

User feedback collection via support channels, surveys, and community groups.

Iterative improvements: prioritize discovered issues and feature requests for the next release.

Deliverables : launch plan, operational dashboards, iteration roadmap.

Typical pitfalls : treating launch as a finish line and neglecting post‑launch monitoring; relying solely on metrics without user feedback, leading to misguided product direction.

Overall workflow summary : First validate the need, then define the solution, design and build it, launch, and continuously refine—mistakes early in the pipeline amplify costs later.