The Discover design stage represents the first quarter of the Double Diamond design process model (see diagram above). The purpose of this stage is to collect relevant information about the service, the service users, its touchpoints and the interaction and communication between all parts. Methods will help you collect more detailed information about the users’ experiences, the various service stakeholders engaged and the identified stages in the user journey and its relationships. Collected information will help you to identify starting points for the new service.

Suggested design activities at Discover stage:

The User Diary, Day in the Life, User Shadowing, User Forum, Video Ethnography and Bodymapping design activities will help you to gather relevant insights into users’ experiences, behaviours and needs.

The Communication Mapping activity will help you to investigate how different groups interact and communicate.

The User Journey activity should be used to consolidate understanding of the different service stages and service touchpoints.

The System Map and Process Analysis activity will help you to gather information about the system.

The Service Safari design activity will give you insight into how different types of services work.

The Needs Map activity will help you to progress to the Define stage of the design process by identifying users’ needs.