What is the Double Diamond design process?
The Double Diamond is a Design Council framework that structures design work as two phases of divergent and convergent thinking: Discover and Define (finding the right problem), then Develop and Deliver (finding the right solution).
In the first diamond, you open up to research and insight before narrowing down to a clearly defined problem worth solving. In the second diamond, you generate multiple solution directions before converging on the best one to develop and deliver. The framework emphasises that jumping straight to solutions before fully understanding the problem is one of the most common failure modes in product development.
Design Compass maps naturally onto this process. The Learn and Generate tools support the divergent phases, helping you expand your thinking across all 19 criteria. Benchmark supports the convergent phases, giving you a scored basis for choosing between directions and tracking progress as you refine.
