I have found the planning phase can be one of the most daunting/difficult phases of a project depending on the levels of ambiguity present within the project being executed. If the project has not been done before most of this phase can be full of research.

Research

Research entails a lot concepts such as:

• Defining a project
• Confirming the project is actually solving a problem
• Determining if the feasibility of a project

Starting with defining a project, we draw out an initial sketch that forms the foundation of our idea. This stage isn't about perfection; it's about capturing the essence of what we aim to achieve, ensuring it not only a cool but truly solves a problem. Following this, assessing the project's feasibility becomes crucial. An exciting, problem-solving idea loses its usefulness if the resources or capabilities to bring it to fruition are lacking. This evaluation a requires a surface-level confidence in the project's viability. The necessity for research, is largely contingent on the maturity of a project. Collaboration with key stakeholders is important in this research phase, enriching the process with diverse insights.

Ideas

The next exciting part of the planning phase is to actually create a list of ideas of what you want to add to your project. This can include creating a list of features or unique functions for your product that really originate from your team. In this phase creativity is fostered by creating an environment where no idea is too crazy, and by not placing limitations on the project. The result of this phase is a long list of ideas that you want to consider either currently or in the future when it comes to your product development.

Establishing a North Star

Finally  the northstar is the last part of the planning phase. The north star is what the overarching goal or objective that guides the execution cycle and potentially, the entire lifecycle of the project. This  is deliberately defined at the phase's end for two pivotal reasons

1. This will serve as your filter for the idea list that you have
2. Doing this last prevents any limitations on creativity during the idea section

Overall the planning phase is very important towards materializing a project. Approaching this phase with an open mind is necessary to foster an environment where impactful, innovative solutions can be envisioned and eventually realized.