The Overnight Test

← HomeThe Overnight Test<br>January 29th, 2026<br>I have a personal design verification technique I use to check whether a mockup or solution is good enough to move forward.<br>After designing something, I don't show it to my team or client right away. Instead, I pause. One night, to be precise. I literally sleep on it.<br>The next morning reaction is the test.<br>My first feeling decides the direction: either I scrap it and start over, or I keep refining.<br>Why it works<br>It's a simple, early-stage check. Not data-driven. Not validated with users. Not demoed to anyone. Entirely gut feeling.<br>But there's something about that fresh-eyes moment — before Slack pings, before coffee, before the day pulls you in — where you just *know*.<br>If I open the file and feel "yes, this is it" — I move forward. If I feel even a hint of "eh..." — I know I'm not done.<br>When I use it<br>Not for every iteration. But definitely before:<br>• Sharing with a client for the first time<br>• Presenting a new direction<br>• Finalizing something that will get built<br>It's not a replacement for feedback or testing. It's a filter — a way to avoid wasting other people's time reviewing work I'm not confident in yet.<br>Sleep on it. Trust the morning gut.