Embracing Complexity Beyond the Double Diamond.

The design process is a complex beast, often defying attempts to tame it into a predictable, sequential series of steps. Traditional models like the Double Diamond framework, introduced by the British Design Council, have shaped our understanding of design for over two decades. This model beautifully simplifies design into a four-step process: Discover, Define, Develop, and Deliver. These stages are then subdivided into six steps: empathize, define, ideate, prototype, test, and implement. Despite its elegance, the Double Diamond model, like other similar frameworks, may oversimplify the intricate reality of the design journey.

Today, I propose a fresh perspective on design as an Odyssey – a complex journey of unexpected twists, enriching insights, and transformative innovation.

The Double Diamond: A Simplified Picture of Design

The Double Diamond model has been instrumental in shaping our understanding of design. It elegantly splits the design process into four distinct stages:

1. Discover: Understand the market, the users, and the problem.
2. Define: Use insights from the Discover phase to clarify the design challenge.
3. Develop: Generate, evaluate, and refine solutions.
4. Deliver: Bring the solution to market.

This approach further subdivides the stages into six steps:

1. Empathise: Understand the users’ needs, emotions, and motivations.
2. Define: Clearly articulate the problem to be solved.
3. Ideate: Brainstorm a wide range of possible solutions.
4. Prototype: Create a tangible representation of the solutions.
5. Test: Validate the solutions with end-users.
6. Implement: Put the solution into practice.

While appealing in its simplicity, the Double Diamond model often creates an illusion of design as a linear and predictable process. It can unintentionally curtail the dynamism, ambiguity, and iterative nature inherent to design.

Design as an Odyssey: A New Framework

In response to the limitations of the Double Diamond and other frameworks, I propose the Design Odyssey model. This fresh framework better mirrors the chaotic, unpredictable, and exhilarating journey that design truly is, encompassing five overlapping and recursive stages: Beginning, Exploration, The Bridge, Construction, and Conclusion.

1. The Beginning: This phase identifies a problem or goal, and sets the scene for the odyssey. It involves empathy, understanding customer and business needs, and initial research – akin to the empathize and define steps in the Double Diamond, but further encourages a broader, philosophy-driven approach.

2. Exploration: This stage, comparable to the ideation and prototyping steps in the Double Diamond, takes a deeper dive into playful experimentation and creativity. Here, we not only brainstorm and prototype but also encourage contemplation and subconscious processing.

3. The Bridge: This phase represents critical moments where designers must face feedback, negotiate expectations, and rethink assumptions. Here, designers test their ideas, mirroring the test step in the Double Diamond. However, the Bridge also emphasizes the need for negotiation and adaptability in the face of unforeseen challenges.

4. Construction: This stage transforms ideas into tangible form, necessitating collaboration with developers, production staff, and other stakeholders. Similar to the implementation step in the Double Diamond, the Construction phase nonetheless retains an element of playfulness and creative exploration.

5. Conclusion: The Odyssey framework concludes by acknowledging that there might be no definitive end to a design journey. The conclusion may lead to further iteration, a project put on hold, or even a project not launched. Regardless, each conclusion represents a gateway to a new journey.

The Odyssey Approach: Embracing the Design Journey

Reframing design as an Odyssey opens a realm of possibilities. The Odyssey framework nurtures adaptability, embraces uncertainty, and fosters creativity. It encourages ongoing learning and collaboration, promoting an environment ripe for innovation. Moreover, it offers stakeholders a more authentic depiction of the design journey, emphasizing its exploratory and iterative nature.

By seeing design as an adventure, we align more closely with its dynamic and intricate reality. While the Odyssey framework may challenge traditional business expectations, its value lies in its truthful depiction of design – a fascinating voyage full of twists, turns, highs, and lows. After all, like Odysseus’s epic journey, design isn’t a series of predetermined steps, but a thrilling, unpredictable odyssey.