Every design requires a strategy, before it can get a head start. One has to lay down certain basic rules, objectives and strategies before starting a stepwise process of design thinking. Professional designing demands a structured process of designing, to overcome problems in designing and produce better output. This article sheds light on one of the designing methods for professionals, namely Deep Dive designing method.
Deep Dive designing method is an approach originally developed by a learning design company, the IDEO group, for rapid product development. Having been in use since the late 90’s, this designing method for professionals is now owned by Deloitte Consulting (since 2006). This is a step wise process of design thinking. Deep Dive designing method consists of five steps:
1. Understand
In the first step of this designing method for professionals, you need to understand the relations between market, clients and technology. As the name suggests, the Deep Dive designing method requires us to have a deep understanding of trends. Check on the latest trends. Start by looking at the world from different perspectives.
With those trends, keep an eye on the audience, which you need to target. It is important to know what you’re designing and for whom. If possible, try to look at the trends and designs as a user. It will help you in better understanding the contexts. In this stepwise process of design thinking, it is impossible to start designing without a clear understanding of the objectives.
2. Observe
In the second step of this designing method for professionals, you need to observe real people and how they behave in real situations. You will need to study their mindset, their needs and their aspirations to establish the scope for your design ideas.
As a practitioner of the Deep Dive designing method, always look out for new encounters. Use a camera to photograph your observations, you can even use a recorder to capture them. Photographs, drawings, diagrams and videos, all of them will provide a great insight source and prompting discussions. These materials will also be your first step in the stepwise process of design thinking.
3. Visualize
Now that we have our observations in place, the third step of Deep Dive designing method, emphasises on brainstorming new concepts and ideas. Intensive brainstorming sessions are conducted to transform research insights into design ideas.
This step in the stepwise process of design thinking makes everyone question everyone else’s ideas, so that the design team can arrive at a good consensus. Any unanswered question in this design method for professionals prompts further discussion into that area of debate. Therefore, the designer evaluates the discussion and a vote is taken to choose the best of them.
4. Evaluate
In the fourth step of this designing method for professionals, the evaluated and voted ideas are put into the reality. Shape out prototypes from your ideas. The thing to note down here is that it is not necessary that prototyping your design and ideas will create a perfect output. There is always a room to find for fallacies. It is an iterative process, which requires patience and focus to make the final outcome perfect. Evaluate and refine your prototypes till you get what you visualized in the last step of this step wise process of design thinking.
5. Implement
The fifth and the last step in this designing method for professionals, the iteration process continues for a much longer timephase. Probably, this stepwise process of design thinking may be the longest. The Deep Dive designing method will require anywhere between a week to several months of studying, designing and testing. Experiment with real people and record their reactions and emotions before your design’s prototype. It will help you in further improvements, while developing your marketing model for the design.
The Deep Dive designing method requires the designer to work through experiential learning. The steps given in this stepwise process of design thinking enable the designer to make his understanding better. If you want to know about more of the design thinking processes, read our blog on ’10 Designing Methodologies for Creative Conceptualisation of Ideas’.
