Synthesise findings
Based on the research and analysis conducted, students synthesise their findings using convergent thinking strategies to begin defining a design problem. For example, the design problem may be to develop a new product that makes it easier for people with disabilities to access public transport. The product should be reliable, convenient and affordable, and address the key challenges faced by people with disabilities when using public transport.
The ‘Define’ stage is the second step in the Double Diamond design process. This is where designers group, categorise, select, and refine their research to make decisions leading toward the writing of the brief.
Here’s what happens during this stage:
At this stage designers refine their understanding of the problem, defining the specific challenge/s they need to address.
Key Activities:
Problem Framing: Designers reflect on ideas and insights gathered during the ‘Discover’ phase, they use this to clarify the design problem statement - 'communication need'.
An example of a problem statement - The Art Department at Newcastle High School requires a new visual identity to apply to promotional materials for events and activities hosted by the art department throughout the school year. This may include print materials such as posters, flyers, subject information packs, and digital designs such as a logo, social media posts and banners.
Identify the core issues and prioritize what needs attention:
User Needs Analysis: Designers deepen their understanding of user needs and expectations - surveys, interviews, focus groups, data reviews can all develop stronger pictures of user needs.
Synthesise research findings to create a user-centered focus.
Identify Constraints and Criteria:
Designers consider real-world constraints (such as budget, time, and resources).
They establish evaluation criteria for potential solutions.
Outcome:
A well-defined problem statement that guides subsequent design decisions.
Clarity on the boundaries and context within which creative solutions will emerge.
Definition: Convergent thinking involves logically analyzing options to arrive at the single best solution to a problem.
Characteristics:
Logical: It follows defined steps to isolate the optimal solution.
Focused: Decisions are either right or wrong, with no ambiguity.
Refinement: It narrows down possibilities by comparing them against constraints and criteria.
Principles:
Positive Mindset: Focus on the positives of an idea before assessing limitations.
Creativity: Don’t dismiss unique or wild ideas; analyze all possibilities.
Persistence: Refine and test options until the best fit is achieved.
Brief Development:
Convergent thinking guides the development of the brief:
Designers use the refined problem statement to create a clear brief.
The brief outlines the communication needs to be addressed.
It aligns with the client’s requirements and user-centered focus.
Convergent thinking ensures that the brief is focused, feasible, and aligned with real-world constraints.
SWOT Analysis: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.
Select 4 potential directions or ideas.
Identify internal strengths and weaknesses.
Evaluate external opportunities and threats.
Use the insights to refine and prioritise your ideas.
PMI (Plus, Minus, Interesting):
Assess the potential impact of an idea.
Highlight both benefits and drawbacks.
Identify interesting pathways forward with the concept.
Forced Ranking:
Rank ideas based on their importance or effectiveness. This is a fast way to compare ideas side by side.
Assign a numerical rank (e.g., 1 to 5) to each idea.
Focus on the top-ranked concepts moving forward.
Concept Scoring:
Similar to ranking, but with the identification of specific criteria - you might look at Dieter Rams' 10 principles of good design and select criteria such as sustainability or longevity of design.
Assign scores to ideas based on selected & specific criteria.
This allows you to objectively compare ideas & identify the most promising ones.
Total the scores to identify high-scoring concepts to move forward with.
The criteria you choose to score your ideas may also be helpful in describing the values or tastes of your client or target audience in the brief.
Decision Matrix:
Create a matrix to compare ideas across multiple criteria.
This provides a method to systematically evaluate ideas against a number of criteria, rather than just one, while also visualising your ideas.
List 2 key criteria (e.g., cost, user experience, scalability & place on a table with list of design concepts. Score each concept against the criteria and total to find the highest scoring concepts to move forward with.
Mind Mapping:
Use mind mapping not to generate new ideas but to connect and visualize relationships between ideas and concepts.
Explore connections & Organize thoughts by starting with a central idea. Branch out to related concepts.
