1) The starting point is always the observation of
anomalies/defects in an existing system
or pattern.
2) You reason on those anomalies/defects in your head,
alone.
3) You come up with a possible response, alone.
4) You visualize in your head how this response would
actually works. This should be practiced until you see it working smoothly from
beginning to end. You do this alone.
5) Finally you set to work in order to bring this response
into practice. Either alone or in a group-work.
6) Working alone: It forces you to know what you're doing,
and every part of this. So you can have a deeper understanding. Plus, there's
nobody to tell you what to do (For ex. "maybe if you did xx that would be
better!"). So you find your own solution.
7) So when working on
your own, you gain more experience. It doesn't mean you shouldn't share it
back. But you need to get some stuff done from A to Z if you want to be able to
think by yourself.