This project reinforced the importance of validating the premise behind a product—not just designing the experience around it. The sponsor assumed customers would trust repair shop recommendations from their insurance provider, but our proxy research revealed a more complicated reality: people valued trusted guidance, yet some worried that using an insurer-recommended shop could affect their rates or compromise their privacy. That insight shifted the concept from a straightforward provider directory toward an experience that needed to actively earn trust through transparency, consent, and clear communication. It also demonstrated how lightweight research and early design documentation can reduce uncertainty when ideal conditions are unavailable. The proxy focus group could not replace direct customer research, but it exposed assumptions that required further validation, while the responsive wireframes and workflow diagrams gave the Agile team enough clarity to estimate the effort and begin planning.