Consistency and Results in Design: Our Approach
With over 15 years of design experience, I think we are qualified to say that our process works, no matter the project. It’s a system we’ve tested, tweaked, and used with all our clients – successfully.
In this article, we’ll break down how our team goes from “What are we even doing here?” to “Here’s a product you’re going to love,” using the Double Diamond model.
We’re talking problem space, solution space, and everything in between. It’s straightforward, it’s efficient, and yes, it even lets us have a little fun along the way.
The Double Diamond Model
The Double Diamond, despite the fancy name, is actually a simple framework that guides us through our design projects. The model was developed by the Design Council, and it’s a go-to source for many designers and product developers everywhere. Here it is in a nutshell:
What’s up with the two diamonds, you ask? Simple. They represent the two big phases in any solid design process: Problem Space and Solution Space.
First, we go headfirst into the problem. We figure out what’s going on, what’s not working, and the client’s actual needs. Then, we shift gears and start exploring solutions.
Each “diamond” has two stages, so we’re always going from expanding (finding all the possibilities) to narrowing down (choosing the best ones).
The Problem Space: Setting the Foundation
Let’s talk about why it’s so important to get the problem right. In the Double Diamond, this is what we call the Problem Space—and it’s no exaggeration to say this is the stage that can make or break the entire project. If you don’t know what you’re solving, how can you create anything that’s genuinely useful? No brainer.
In our view, the founder owns the Problem Space. They bring the vision, the pain points, and the “I need this to work” urgency. Our job is to ask the right questions, challenge any assumptions, and make sure we’re all crystal clear on what needs to be done before we touch a single design tool.
So, what does the Problem Space look like in action? It’s split into two main stages: Discover and Define.
Step 1: Discover
We start by reviewing what’s already out there: the existing product (if there is one), any available data, customer feedback—anything that gives us a glimpse into what’s working and what’s not. Here’s how it goes down:
- Audit the Existing Product: If there’s already a product, we look under the hood to see what’s happening.
- Analyze Customer Data and Feedback: We go through data to understand how customers are interacting with the product. What’s frustrating them? What’s making them happy? And if there’s no data to work with, no problem, we conduct interviews ourselves to gather the information we need.
- Map the Core Building Blocks: We work with the client to map out every critical aspect of their product, audience, and goals. We want to understand the business, its challenges, and opportunities so we can move forward with a solid foundation
- the business, its challenges, and opportunities so we can move forward with confidence.
- Pinpoint Critical Assumptions: We find out what’s being assumed but not actually tested. Anything based on guesswork? We flag it so it doesn’t sneak into the final product as a random decision.
- Review Competitors: No one wants to reinvent the wheel, so we look at what the competition is doing right (and wrong). We want to make sure our product stands out.
- Define User Persona and Customer Journey: Finally, we flesh out who we’re designing for and map out their journey with the product. This helps us understand not just who the end user is but how they’ll use what we create.
Step 2: Define
This is where we go from researching to focusing. We take everything we learned in the Discover phase and define the exact challenge we’re solving.
The goal here is to come away with a clear, agreed-upon problem statement and a solid understanding of the business and the product landscape. No ambiguities, no “we’ll figure it out later”—just a solid foundation we can build on.
We’ve got a clear challenge, user persona, customer journey, and enough insights to ensure we’re solving a real problem, not just making something look pretty.
The Solution Space: Building the Path
Welcome to the fun part (though that depends on who you’re asking). This is where we get to start prototyping, testing, designing, and at some point, deploying the product.
The Solution Space has two main stages: Develop and Deliver.
Step 1: Develop
In the first part of the Solution Space, we’re moving from “Here’s the problem” to “Here’s what might solve it.” Here’s how:
- Align the Team: There’s no point in everyone working in different directions, so we start by making sure everyone’s speaking the same language.
- Revisit the Customer Journey: We go over the customer journey one more time—this time as a team—to make sure we’re not missing any important details.
- Research Possible Solutions: We take a close look at other products and solutions out there. The goal is to see what the market has to offer and how can we stand apart.
- Draft Concepts: We sketch out a few concepts, turning rough ideas into something we can actually look at and talk about.
Step 2: Deliver
Once we have a promising prototype, we test, tweak, and fine-tune it.
- Create a Prototype: This isn’t the final product—it’s just a test version, but it gives us a chance to get real feedback from real users.
- Test with Customers: We put the prototype in front of users and get their honest feedback.
- Incorporate Feedback: Now, we go back and make adjustments based on that feedback (it doesn’t get any more straightforward than this).
- Define a Design System: We create a design system to make sure everything looks and feels cohesive—colors, fonts, buttons, layouts, you name it.
- Design All Missing Assets: If there are screens, flows, or assets still missing, we create them. By the end, everything is designed, organized, and ready to go.
- Prepare Assets for Development: Finally, we package everything up neatly for the developers. This means organizing files, documenting interactions, and making sure there’s no guesswork when they start building.
By the end of the Solution Space, we’ve got a refined, tested solution that’s ready to be built. It’s efficient, it’s effective, and—most importantly—it’s something the client can use.
But the process doesn’t always stop there. Once the solution is live, a new cycle might kick off. Maybe we’ll need to improve the product further or we need to deliver a brand-new feature. That’s the beauty of this approach: it’s flexible enough to grow and evolve alongside the product.
Consistency and Results, Every Time
So, there you have it—our design process from start to finish. It’s not about reinventing the wheel with every project or getting lost in endless brainstorming sessions. It’s about having a clear, dependable method that keeps us focused on what matters: solving real problems for our clients.
With each project, we hit some major checkpoints—setting the context, creating and testing solutions, implementing the feedback, finalizing the design—that keep us moving forward.
No mystery, no “creative chaos,” just a process that works. Simple as that.
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