Double Diamond: improve your design process

What is Double Diamond all about?

The Double Diamond method is a comprehensive and visual creative process commonly used by UX designers for innovative projects. The Double Diamond model, derived from design thinking, was created in 2004 by the UK DesignCouncil.
 
This unique visual chart was designed to organize all the key project design stages. The aim is to discover, define, develop and deliver the deliverable within the set deadline. To guarantee the best results and a top level organization, each one of these sequences is important and must be carefully carried out.
 
With this method, it is important not to focus only on the solution to the problem, represented by the second diamond. The team must first of all be able to accurately define the problem using the first diamond.
 
Initially, the idea is to push forward a large number of more or less relevant and shared ideas, based on the principle of divergent thinking. The objective is to agree on the best ideas and fine tune them throughout the process. This leads to convergent thinking and the consensus allows for solid and coherent foundations for the project’s upcoming stages.
 
Nothing is left to chance: all the ideas put forward for the design challenge are carefully developed and tested according to an iterative cycle, and they are discarded if the results are not up to standard.

What are the 4 D's in Double Diamond Design?

Step 1: Discover

The first quarter is devoted to a phase of observation, creativity and reporting on the state of play. It indicates the launch of the project and is characterized by the search for a large number of ideas.

Step 2: Define

The aim is to summarize the information collected during the discover phase and to clearly formulate the design challenge. The objective is to develop a firm understanding of the challenge and not to analyze assumptions.

Step 3: Develop

The third quarter covers the deployment of the solutions considered. The ideas must be tested and iterated to determine their viability, using models, sketches and other iterative loops. These tests determine whether ideas are discarded or fine-tuned. 

Step 4: Deliver

This is the project’s delivery stage. The product or service is modeled, finalized and launched. That’s when improvements can be made and when designers conduct analyses.

What are the benefits of the Double Diamond?

The Double Diamond method is recognized for its advantages when designing an innovative project, especially during an agile workshop. It promotes the emergence and development of new ideas, in particular better ideas, which is no mean feat.

With the Double Diamond process, you clearly identify the problem at hand and leave assumptions to one side. This way, you can address the design challenge more efficiently by subsequently suggesting concrete solutions, before rapidly shifting into action.

How is the Double Diamond design process used?

The process has two phases, symbolized by the two diamonds. The first one defines the problem: the team starts working from a large number of ideas to reach a consensus. The second diamond makes the solution tangible. First comes divergent thinking, then an agreement is found.
 
Building on its four complementary sections, the Double Diamond model guides the creative process stepwise and encourages iterative loops. It is actually a cycle, where each idea is developed, tested and fine-tuned. This reasoning helps to pick out the ideas with the greatest impact, to achieve a satisfactory design.
 
All the project stakeholders are involved and follow each step closely, sharing ideas, thoughts, concerns and skills.

Is design thinking and Double Diamond the same?

The Double Diamond framework is one of many different design thinking models. Like other design thinking processes, the Double Diamond model applies design characteristics to reach creative solutions and innovative ideas.

How do you use the Double Diamond method with Klaxoon?

Leading a design thinking process with the Double Diamond method means completing each of the 4 complementary stages. Each diamond includes two parts: divergent thinking on the left and convergent thinking on the right. With Board, boost this workshop and make it more visual for each phase. First, get your team on Board, in class or remotely, using Live, the built-in video conferencing tool.

Diamond 1: The problem

• Discover: all team members take part in the iteration process, directly posting all their ideas about the problem to solve on the whiteboard.
• Define: use the “Like” feature to vote and immediately highlight the most popular ideas with the team. The color key is a valuable help to qualify an idea’s level of priority in just one click.

Diamond 2: The solution

• Development and Deliverable: use Board as a landmark, monitor your project in real time and populate this workspace whenever necessary. That, unlike diamonds, is priceless!

You too can adopt Klaxoon!