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What is the Double Diamond?

Posted: 24 May, 2022

Calling all budding designers – have you heard of the double diamond technique?  In short, the double diamond is a method for defining the design process. All design processes are essentially a series of techniques used to achieve a successful finish. In 2005, the British Design Council wanted to unify these techniques by studying the processes of eleven different companies.  From there, they refined and merged these systems and created the double diamond approach!

Right, let’s get into how this all works! The double diamond converts the design process into four key stages; discover, define, develop, and deliver. The idea being that design is not a linear process, and you will likely venture back and forth between these stages.  This can mean that the shape of the diamonds can stretch to accommodate the needs and scope of the project. The double diamond emphasises the discovery stage as the most important.  This is where you can explore your knowledge and skills and discover your spark!

The second stage (define) is where ideas are filtered and refined into a design brief. This part can be tricky as so far you have worked at widening your scope as much as possible. Define is where you can start to figure out the logistics. Does it need funding? Where are the resources going? Maybe your ideas were a bit crazy? Don’t bin them; just reel them in.

So, you’ve got that idea down and you’ve figured out the kinks. It’s now time to bring that prototype to life at the develop stage! Explore your creativity, test, and figure out what works. As you go back and forth with the new ideas and information you will find that often the stages ‘define’ and ‘develop’ intertwine with one another.  Eventually all your hard work starts to pay off, as you notice the finish line on the horizon.

Wrapping up leads us to the deliver stage which includes final tests and signoffs, launching your design, and user testing it. Of course, creating or designing something is never quite finished. You can improve and refine the project for as long as you need. But for now, this is the launch of your project and whatever that may be, this is the time we work out everything that needs to happen. This is your time to celebrate!

The great thing is you don’t need to be a designer to benefit from the double diamond method.  You can apply it to almost any project! After all, the process is just a series of events designed to create an outcome.  Want to give the design process a go but don’t know where to start?  Why not head over to our previous article to support you through the discover stage! Click here>> 3 ways to unleash your creative genius.