Doubling Down on the Double Diamond
2024.06.27
Brian Lee
When designing products that rely heavily on user interaction, such as mobile apps or websites, designers (and even non-designers) often reference one of the most well-known and simple design processes today: the Double Diamond. The Double Diamond process is an approach that integrates feedback into future cycles.
At Grassland Ventures, the Double Diamond approach enables us to transform the way we navigate the complex road of building technology products. This approach consists of four distinct phases:
Discover,
Define,
Develop,
and Deliver
While we use the Double Diamond approach combined with the general principles of design thinking, we have tweaked and adjusted how we incorporate the framework to fit our needs best to work as effectively as possible within our organization. We’ll show you how we use the steps of the Double Diamond design process and the benefits of adopting this approach when creating a user-focused product.
But, let’s back up a moment and clarify: What exactly is the Double Diamond?
The Double Diamond is a depiction of the design process represented by two “diamonds”. It is a visual representation of the design and development journey, offering a straightforward depiction of the steps involved in any design and innovation undertaking, regardless of the methods and tools employed.
Discover
In the discovery phase, we focus on exploring any possible challenges or issues – essentially understanding the problem. This is often done by getting feedback from users early on in an attempt to get ahead of the problem. Systems such as online reviews and conducting interviews are commonly used during this phase to discover any problems. We are trying to cast as wide of a net as possible during this phase.
Define
The second stage provides the foundation for product development. It’s in this phase that we analyze insights gathered in the discovery phase. With the overload of data generated during the discovery phase, defining reinstates the need to sort through and discard unnecessary data. This allows us to identify and state our main problems, and come up with specific plans for how the problem is going to be solved. Participants are involved in brainstorming new and unique approaches to the problem, converging back towards a singular focus.
Develop
Now that the issues have been identified and action plans have been established, it’s time to solve the problem. This is where the development phase comes into play. In the development phase, we create solutions and put them into motion, often iterating quickly exploring multiple variations of each solution. In this phase, our team, alongside participants, assembles to tackle the problem and develop a solution. This phase also involves participant testing of the newly updated product, before it gets released to the public.
Deliver
The delivery phase is where the solutions created and developed are finally ready to be implemented. It’s essential that during this phase, information is gathered and you’re constantly reviewing feedback from users and participants to determine whether the solution meets their needs. Solutions that don’t quite hit the mark are removed from the product in favour of solutions that tested better. Our team will make any necessary adjustments based on the feedback received to improve the solution.
It’s important to note, that although we have discussed the four phases individually, the design process is not linear – we are constantly pursuing feedback from users and iterating to constantly improve. We often repeat the process multiple times as we learn more and are armed with new information from stakeholders like clients, users, and ourselves. We are constantly iterating and improving – knowing that in the digital world, no idea is ever fully ‘finished’.
Through the Double Diamond approach, we engage with participants throughout the entire design process and ensure that all challenges and issues are thoroughly explored and resolved, prioritizing the user’s needs and perspective, and enabling us to create truly effective and user-friendly products. This method of troubleshooting allows us to brainstorm and explore all possible solutions, develop and implement the most effective ones, and continually refine our products based on user feedback.
By incorporating the Double Diamond approach into our process, we can create products that not only meet but exceed user expectations and deliver a superior experience.