Chapter 5. Gaining Understanding: The Discovery Stage

Through observation, analysis, and documentation, you gain perspective into your client’s situation. The Discovery stage of The Design Method prepares you to plan, then ideate, and finally produce appropriate design.

Discovery is About Knowledge

Discovery is the knowledge building stage in The Design Method, and it is critical in your role as a designer. If you don’t properly understand the situation you’re designing for, how can you make anything good, not to mention appropriate? Nevertheless, many pay Discovery lip service or skip this step altogether because they believe they are too smart and talented to bother with such seemingly tedious steps. Surprisingly, I once saw a design studio’s ...

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