Research template · 6–10 weeks
Double Diamond
A whole project, from understanding a problem to a tested answer.
Takes 6–10 weeks. The part only real people can do: interviews and usability sessions.
Phases
Discover
Learn what is really going on, before jumping to answers.
Done when: Have you heard from the people affected, in their own words?
Methods that fit: Write a project brief, Frame research questions, Write an interview script, Run an interview, Import research data, Scan the web, Compare competitors
Define
Agree the one problem worth solving, and for whom.
Done when: Can you state the problem, for whom, backed by quotes?
Methods that fit: Affinity mapping, Synthesize insights, Build a persona, Map a journey, Write jobs to be done, Map empathy, Map opportunities, Find contradictions, Code the data
Develop
Explore many answers, then pick the strongest.
Done when: Have you compared several concepts and named the riskiest assumptions?
Methods that fit: Write how-might-we statements, Ideate concepts, Vary the concept, Score concepts, Map assumptions, Run a pre-mortem, Write a scenario
Deliver
Test the chosen answer with real people and hand it over.
Done when: Has a test with real people backed the concept, and is the spec agreed?
Methods that fit: Build a prototype, Write a usability test script, Run usability tests, Write a handoff spec, Write a readout, Review as stakeholders
The usual steps
- Write a project brief (Discover)
- Frame research questions (Discover)
- Write an interview script (Discover)
- Run an interview (Discover)
- Run an interview (Discover)
- Synthesize insights (Define)
- Build a persona (Define)
- Write how-might-we statements (Develop)
- Ideate concepts (Develop)
- Build a prototype (Deliver)
- Write a usability test script (Deliver)
- Run usability tests (Deliver)
- Write a readout (Deliver)