Rethinking the Classic Double Diamond Design Process in 2024

The approach designers take to complete a project can vary widely. Figuring out how to keep everyone on the team united, delegate tasks to the appropriate person, and meet deadlines is challenging. The classic double diamond design process was created by the British Design Council in 2004. 

Technology changed dramatically in the past two decades. While the process is still viable, it has to be redefined for modern designers. To adapt Double Diamond for your team, you first need to understand the classic process. 

What Is the Double Diamond Design Process?

The double diamond stands for a clear design process involving four steps.  The first diamond represents the thought and exploration portion of creation, and the second taking action. The two diamonds have two phases each for a total of four elements.

1. Discover

The first step is to define a problem that needs solving. The developers should talk to people who will use the site or have a pain point the creator wants to solve. Until you fully understand what problem you’re solving, it’s hard to find the right solution. 

2. Define

The next phase involves defining the focus of the project. What is the ultimate goal? Pre-planning often speeds up the second diamond portion, or the development.

3. Develop

Now that you’ve defined the problem, it’s time to brainstorm solutions. Get input from everyone on the team, the client and anyone else you can think of who might have excellent ideas for the design.

4. Delivery

The fourth phase involves testing different solutions and seeing which ones work in real life. Conduct A/B tests, throw out what doesn’t work and keep what does. 

A double diamond process can be used for anything from web and app development to product design. Although the steps are laid out as 1, 2, 3 and 4, the process may not be linear. When a team member identifies a weakness, it may send you back to any point in the process to regroup and rethink your strategy.

Limitations of Double Diamond in 2024

The illustration above was created in 2019 to add some elements, such as the importance of leadership in creating a safe environment for everyone to share ideas and the idea of a methods bank. 

Prior to 2019, the two sections of planning and production seemed more separated. The Council feared people didn’t fully understand that they needed to be fluid between the steps and potentially repeat some phases throughout the process. 

Some Underlying Principles as Defined by the British Design Council (BDC)

On their website, the BDC lays out some things to keep in mind as you go through any new design.

• People come first and how they’ll use the service. 
• Be inclusive with words and visuals. 
• Collaborate with others for better inspiration. 
• Repeat steps until the project shines.

The council also stresses the importance of leaders to define how well the project goes. 

Ways to Adapt Classic Double Diamond Design Process for the 2020s

Some changes were suggested by the BDC, but others will make the process flow even better for your organization. Here are some things to consider as you work through any design project:

1. Think Inside the Box

Designers are problem solvers. They tend to hate assignments such as “design a bi-fold wallet” because the concept is extremely limiting. However, there are times when a client just wants a new design for a bi-fold wallet.

The double diamond process can encourage out-of-the-box thinking and the person might come up with a money and card storage solution that isn’t a wallet at all. While innovation is fine, a client who wants a bi-fold wallet design is going to be extremely displeased with the result.

It’s better to train your team to think inside the box of the stated assignment rather than displease clients, which can hurt your revenue.

2. Empower Your Team

It costs around $5,000 to hire a new employee, depending on the role within your organization and local job markets. You’ll also lose time, knowledge and company culture as people leave for your competitors. Make the effort to empower your team so they feel they are a valued part of the company.

They should feel free to share ideas and be given credit for the best ones. You want your workers to take ownership of their thoughts so they implement them. There is a fine line between collaboration and taking credit for other people’s ideas. While the guidelines for double diamond only state collaboration, common sense demands people be free to bloom in their roles and take on new challenges as they work their way up in the company.

3. Train Your Leaders

Management needs to understand what their roles are. Start implementing the double diamond in all your do to get a feel for how to utilize it with your team. Use it in daily living, for projects and during executive meetings. 

Leaders should have soft skills in empathy. They need to also utilize open communication methods so their teams feel confident sharing ideas that might seem silly at first but could turn into something usable with collaboration. 

4. Use the Reverse Double Diamond

Some people have reversed the double diamond model to better align with how corporations function. So, the boss asks for the bi-fold wallet. You have to deliver a bi-fold wallet. It is your solution to the problem. Now, you reverse the process and fill in the blanks, coming up with the best bi-fold wallet anyone has ever seen. 

The focus turns to adding value once the idea is set. The boss is happy because you’ve delivered what they requested. The customer is happy because you’ve added several high-value features that solve problems they have with the wallets they already own. 

5. Strive for Diverse Collaboration

The double diamond design process works best when you have a diverse team on board. The 2020s have seen more focus on diversifying your workforce to ensure you have multiple viewpoints. 

You should make up your team based on adding people from different backgrounds, generations and experience levels. The fresh college graduate may have ideas they grabbed based on the latest technology they learned in school. The experienced worker with twenty years of experience understands what likely will go wrong in the implementation of a launch. Someone with a visual impairment may think of ways to improve the design someone with regular eyesight would not.

Add a mix of people with different abilities to your team and you’ll see a benefit in the idea phase of your process. 

6. Incorporate AI and Other Tools

The available tools in 2024 are quite different from what designers had in 2005. Artificial intelligence has grown by leaps and bounds. You can utilize AI in the idea phase to brainstorm lists and get the team started in thinking through solutions. 

While teams should never fully rely on AI to generate their ideas, it can be a good way to get started in the beginning. Computers are also useful for testing phases and analytics as you refine your ideas to come up with a working solution to the problem you’re solving. 

Double Diamond for the Win

The double diamond design process continues to rack up wins for teams. It offers a simple solution to working through the phases of a project and keeping everyone on the same page. With time and by refining elements to best suit the needs of your company and clients, you’ll find the double diamond is one of the most adaptable methods you can embrace.