Early in my career, I often walked out of design reviews with a vague sense of what happened. A few weeks later, when the same topic resurfaced, I realized I couldn’t explain why a decision was made or what assumptions we had agreed on. I kept making the same mistakes-foggy choices, lost insights, and weak handoffs. The issue wasn’t my skill, it was memory. Ideas evaporated too quickly.

To fix this, I started keeping a simple UX journal. Nothing fancy-just short, honest notes after research sessions, flow explorations, and design reviews. At first it felt like extra work, but the shift was immediate. Patterns began to surface. Experiments stayed traceable. And when it came time to explain my process to stakeholders, I finally had a crisp narrative instead of vague recollections.

Here’s what I focused on capturing in the journal:

• Capture assumptions – so they can be tested.
• Log decisions – so they can be defended.
• Store learnings – so they can be reused.

The journal turned chaos into something structured. Instead of relying on scattered files or half-remembered conversations, I had a repeatable system that accelerated both my craft and my credibility. I could connect dots across projects, defend choices with clarity, and avoid circling back on the same mistakes. Over time, it became less of a chore and more of a quiet practice I look forward to.

Now, whenever I feel a project slipping into uncertainty, I turn to the journal. It’s not about writing essays-it’s about capturing enough to improve the next decision. And that’s the real payoff: what gets written gets improved. If you’ve ever felt your design work slipping through the cracks, consider keeping a journal. You’ll be surprised at how much it sharpens both your thinking and your storytelling.