Our Best Practise Process

​How do these four phases actually work?

Discover – Going Wide

This is where we put your detective hats on. We’re not jumping to conclusions here, we’re digging deep, asking awkward questions, and finding out what’s really going on. User interviews, market research, stakeholder chats – the lot. It’s about understanding the landscape before we start building.

Define – Getting Focused

Now we take all that lovely research and make sense of it. What’s the real problem here? What do people actually need? This is where you get crystal clear about what you’re trying to achieve. No woolly thinking allowed.

Design – Opening Up Again

Here’s where your creative juices start flowing. We’ve got a clear brief, now you can explore loads of different ways to tackle it. Brainstorming, sketching, prototyping – whatever gets those ideas flowing. The key is not falling in love with the first idea.

Deliver – Making It Happen

Time to get real. We test your ideas, refine them, and then actually make them happen. This isn’t just about launching something – it’s about making sure it works in the real world.

​What’s so brilliant about doing it this way?

We won’t waste your time – By understanding the problem properly first, we avoid those expensive U-turns later on. Trust us, we’ve seen plenty of projects go wrong because someone thought they knew what was needed without actually checking.

People will actually take notice because we’ve done the groundwork, we’ll create something that genuinely solves real problems for real people. Revolutionary concept, we know.

We’ll come up with better ideas – The structured approach means we explore everything properly with you and this leads to much more interesting solutions.

Everyone stays on the same page – Clear phases mean everyone knows what’s happening when. No more confusion about what stage the project is at or what comes next.

Why does this approach deliver such good results?

The beauty of the Double Diamond is that it balances exploration with focus. This makes for a properly creative project, managed within a framework that keeps it grounded. It’s like having a really good map when you’re exploring new territory.

Plus, everything’s based on evidence rather than hunches. We’re not guessing what you want – you’re finding out what your clients want. This makes for much more confident decision-making and better results.

So why do we use this best practice approach?

Simple really – because it works. We’ve seen too many projects go sideways because someone skipped the thinking bit and jumped straight to the doing bit. The Double Diamond stops that happening.

It also fits perfectly with how we like to work with our clients. We believe in proper collaboration, not just taking a brief and disappearing for six months. The clear phases mean you’re involved at every stage, and you can see exactly what’s happening and why.

And let’s be honest – we like delivering brilliant work. The Double Diamond gives us the best chance of creating something that doesn’t just look good, but actually makes a difference to your business.

​How long does each bit take?

How long is a piece of string? It depends on what you’re trying to achieve. Sometimes you need ages to properly understand a complex problem. Other times, you might have a tight deadline that means you need to move faster.

The key thing is not to rush the early phases just because you’re itching to get started on the fun stuff. A bit of patience at the beginning saves you loads of grief later on.

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Can you use this for different types of projects?

Absolutely. Whether you’re creating a website, developing a brand, or figuring out a content strategy, the Double Diamond works. It’s flexible enough to adapt to pretty much anything.

We’ve used it for everything from small logo projects to major digital transformations. The principles stay the same – understand before you create, explore before you commit.

What kind of tools do you use in each phase?

Discover: We might do interviews, surveys, competitive analysis, or just have a good old-fashioned chat with your customers. Whatever it takes to understand what’s really going on.

Define: This is where we get our thinking caps on. Workshops, personas, problem statements – anything that helps us nail down exactly what we’re trying to achieve.

Design: The fun bit! Brainstorming sessions, sketching, prototyping, wireframing. We try loads of different approaches before settling on the best one.

Deliver: Testing, refining, launching, and keeping an eye on how it’s performing. Because launching something is just the beginning, not the end.

How do you know you’ll get a good result?

The built-in checkpoints mean you’re constantly validating your thinking. You’re not just hoping for the best – you’re testing and refining as you go.

Plus, the collaborative nature means you get input from different perspectives. Usually leads to much stronger solutions than if you just work in isolation.

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What makes the Double Diamond different from other approaches?

Most people want to jump straight from problem to solution. The Double Diamond deliberately slows you down and makes you think properly about both ends of the equation.

The visual representation helps too – it’s easy to explain to clients and stakeholders, so everyone understands what’s happening and why.

Is it worth the extra effort?

Put it this way – have you ever had a project that seemed to go brilliantly at first, but then fell apart when you tried to implement it? Or spent ages creating something that nobody actually wanted?

The Double Diamond helps you avoid those situations. Yes, it takes a bit more time upfront, but it saves you masses of time and heartache later on. Plus, you end up with something that actually works.

We’ve been using this approach for years now, and we can honestly say it’s made our work better and our clients happier. Can’t argue with that, can you?