Learning a new domain quickly

I’ve worked in gaming, automotive, e-commerce and finance. Early on I’d just cram with no plan, assuming that if I heard enough I’d eventually get it. It worked, but I forgot a lot.

Now I do three things on purpose.

Learn the business constraints

Business processes create most of the constraints that shape design, so I start there.

At Daimler there’s a system called OWL, Online Warranty Links, that comes up constantly. It holds all the warranty and claims data for parts. It’s slow and outdated, and we depend on it completely.

Knowing exactly what OWL can and can’t do lets me design with it in mind instead of working around it later.

Take a listening tour

I talk to people early to pick up what isn’t written down anywhere. In my first three months at Daimler I had nine or ten conversations across business, technical and sales.

Then I run those notes through Claude and ask how each comment affects me as a designer. I keep doing it, and it builds on itself.

Say it back in plain words

I repeat new information in my own words so I can use it elsewhere. Metaphors are my best friend.

Instead of “we need a customer account connected to a dealer account with their DTNA ID,” I’ll say, in the meeting and in my head, “we need to link two accounts.”

That way I can use what I already know from a completely different industry.