The Design Process (Double Diamond)
Part of the UI/UX Design Roadmap
In short
Beginners jump straight to screens. The Double Diamond is a simple picture that reminds you to go wide, then narrow, twice: once for the problem, once for the solution.
A framework describing 4 stages — Discover (diverge, research broadly), Define (converge, frame the problem), Develop (diverge, explore solutions), Deliver (converge, refine and ship) — moving between broad exploration and focused narrowing.
Think of it like this
Planning the college fest
First you collect every idea from every club. Then you pick one theme. Then you brainstorm loads of events for that theme. Finally you lock the schedule. Open, close, open, close. That's both diamonds.
Watch it happen
The four stages
1/4Go wide. Interview users, read reviews, check data. You don't know the real problem yet, so you collect a lot.
The big ideas
What you need to know
Diverge, then converge
Wide stages create options. Narrow stages make decisions. Mixing them up leads to endless debate or early tunnel vision.
Diamond one is the problem
Most bad products solve the wrong problem very well. The first diamond protects you from that.
It loops in real life
Teams often jump back a stage when a test surprises them. That's normal, not failure.
Save yourself the pain
Common mistakes
Oops
Starting in Develop with screens on day one.
Do this instead
Spend at least a little time discovering and defining. A one-line problem statement saves weeks of redesign.
Oops
Treating the diamond as a strict one-way checklist.
Do this instead
Use it as a map of where you are. If testing shows a new problem, go back to Define.
Your mission
Run a mini Double Diamond
Quick check
Your team has 40 interview notes and everyone is arguing about what to build. Which stage are you skipping?
Go deeper
- 1Sketch a real or hypothetical project through all 4 Double Diamond stages.
- 2Identify which stage teams most commonly skip (usually Discover or Define).
- 3Learn why jumping straight to 'Develop' (solutions) without Discover/Define often produces the wrong solution well.
More topics at this stop
What UI/UX Designers Actually Do
UI vs UX vs Product Design
Types of Design Roles (UX Researcher, UI Designer, Product Designer)
Design Thinking Fundamentals
Common Industries for Designers
A Day in the Life of a UI/UX Designer
The Design Career Ladder
Key Tools Overview (Figma, Research, Prototyping)
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