Design is a slow, iterative, empathic process
Then, and only after that, it becomes (also) a creative effort

Product managers seem to expect a designer to walk up to a product, say something brilliant, and drop the mic. Experienced designers deeply understand a simple fact: design isn’t a deliverable, it’s a process. A process paved with dozens of small empathic observations that lead you, slowly, iteratively to a better product.
The Paradox of Empathy – Scott Jenson