My approach to user-centric design is simple:
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We start with stakeholder interviews to get an understanding of the client's challenges, defining things like target customers, core business objectives, current challenges, etc.
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Next, I begin the research phase, specifically focusing on industry, best-practice, and user research. Here's where we can ask questions like "who are the industry leaders?", "how are top brands delivering content that supports their business objectives?", and "who are the target users, and what are their needs, behaviors, and preferences?”.
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With our research data in hand, we can begin conducting a competitive audit based around the business type, branding, content, and overall user experience. We can define the competitors, establishing what they do well/don't do well, opportunities in the industry, and most importantly, can we derive any learnings from our findings?

Defining the structural hierarchy for the content of a digital experience in the form of a site map allows us to stay organized from 30,000 feet, and keeps my development team, very, very happy. Once this has been accomplished, we can begin creating process flows for things such as registration, sign in, or completing a specific task, like purchasing a product.
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For wireframes and prototypes, my vast experience with tools such as Adobe XD and Figma allows me to rapidly create interactive, animated demos for clients. Showcasing the experiences I build in this way allows me to translate my vision to clients, stakeholders, and developers much more efficiently.
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I also incorporate other design products, such as Photoshop, Illustrator and After Effects, into my workflow when needed.