# Design for the stop, not the desk

> Most apps are designed at a desk and used somewhere much worse. A few habits that close the gap.

[Writing](https://portfolio.vagejs.com/blog/)

21 October 2026 · Mira Halden

Most apps are designed on a big screen in a quiet room and used on a small screen somewhere loud. The gap between those two places explains a lot of bad software.

## Go where it's used

Before I draw anything, I spend an afternoon where the product is used. For a tram app, that meant standing at stops at rush hour. You learn things no interview tells you, like how often people hold their phone in one hand and a coffee in the other.

## Test with one hand

I test every key screen one-handed, with the phone held low. If the main action is out of reach of a thumb, it moves.

## Assume a bad signal

People open apps in lifts, tunnels and basements. Anything they need in that moment, like a ticket, should work without a connection.