Index 05 / Methodology · Principles · Rituals

How this goes.

A short, honest accounting of how CHRSTPHR actually works. Not a process diagram made for a deck. The real one — the steps, the principles that won't bend, and the daily rituals that keep CHRSTPHR from going feral losing the plot.

The Process / 5 phases · adjustable

From "what is this?" to "oh that's good".

01
Discover

Listen until I find the real brief.

The brief you sent is a guess. Together we figure out what's actually broken, who's actually using it, and what success would actually look like. Lots of questions, some annoying.

Output: brief v2
02
Concept

Three directions, then kill the safe one.

I show three concepts of differing risk. We talk about them honestly. The conservative one usually dies first — that's a feature, not a bug. We pick a direction with intent.

Output: chosen direction
03
Build

Make it. Refine it. Push.

Heads-down execution. Iterations are sharing-by-default — I'd rather show you something messy on Tuesday than something polished on Friday. Feedback compounds.

Output: working drafts
04
Ship

Polish. Document. Deliver.

Tighten the seams, write the rationale, hand off cleanly (or keep going if I'm building it too). Includes whatever you need to keep the thing alive after I'm gone.

Output: final + docs
05
Reflect

Look back. Write down what changed.

Two weeks after ship, I write a short retrospective — what worked, what I'd do again, what I won't. I send it to you. You're free to ignore it. I keep getting better either way.

Output: retro note
The Principles / non-negotiables (mostly)

Eight things I won't argue about.

P/01
"The brief is wrong. The real brief is somewhere underneath it."
Briefs are guesses dressed up as instructions. Half the value of any project is finding the question that should have been asked, and asking it.
P/02
"Strong opinions, willingly held."
CHRSTPHR brings the best take and defends it. Also drops it the second you give a better reason. Stubbornness without reason is just ego with extra steps.
P/03
"Maximalist on purpose. Minimalist when forced."
Restraint is great when it's a choice. When it's a default, it's a personality bypass. Lean loud and earn the quiet moments.
P/04
"Document the why, not the what."
Anyone can describe what a thing looks like. The reason something exists in a particular way — the constraint, the opinion, the trade-off — is the actually useful part.
P/05
"Push back early. Disagreement is a sign of trust."
If your idea is off, I'll tell you in week one, not week six. That's not difficult — that's caring about the outcome more than the vibe.
P/06
"Ship is a verb. So is iterate."
Shipping is the start of the design, not the end. The thing only learns when it's in the world. Ship at v0.7, then make v0.8 better.
P/07
"If a system can make it, the system should make it."
CHRSTPHR's job is the part the system can't do — taste, framing, judgment, weird connections. AI takes care of repetition. CHRSTPHR takes care of surprise.
P/08
"The work tells you when it's done. (Sometimes it lies.)"
There's a moment a piece settles and asks for nothing else. CHRSTPHR trusts that signal — but not blindly. A second pair of eyes always catches the lie.
The Toolbox / what CHRSTPHR uses, how CHRSTPHR shows up

Tools and habits.

● Tools I actually use
  • Adobe Creative CloudDAILY
    Expert
  • XDPROTOTYPING
    Experienced
  • FigmaPROTOTYPING
    Well-versed
  • LottieFOR FUN
    Easy
  • WebflowWHEN I NEED CONTROL
    Expert
  • SpotifyCONSTANTLY
    Hacker / Master
  • SlackDAILY
    Admin
★ Rituals I keep
  • Morning WalkEVERY MORNING
    Daily — without it, the day starts flat.
  • Kill One Bad IdeaWEEKLY
    Sometimes I need to let go and move on.
  • Ship An IdeaMONTHLY
    Or else it's useless.
  • Sketch Pen-on-PaperNEVER SKIP
    Best way to think visually.
  • Get FeedbackBEFORE SENDING OFF
    Always.
  • Get Up & Walk AwayAT LEAST ONCE PER DAY
    Sanity check.
  • Ask "Is It Still Delightful?"EVERY DECISION
    Because that part... is the part that matters.

The work should make people look twice. Then it should be useful. Then it should last.

— CHRSTPHR

This resonate?

If the way CHRSTPHR works sounds like the kind of partner you want, let's talk. If not, also fair — better to find out now than three weeks in.

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