Other meanings of Double Diamond
Design methodology
The Double Diamond is a visual model of the design process developed by the UK Design Council in 2005, depicting two consecutive diamonds that map the divergent and convergent phases of problem-finding and problem-solving. It has become a widely adopted framework in design thinking and service design, emphasizing the importance of exploring problems broadly before narrowing to a solution.1
The Double Diamond model was formalized by the UK Design Council in 2005 as part of a study of design processes across 11 companies, including LEGO, Sony, and Philips. The model was derived from a visual analysis of how designers actually work, revealing a common pattern of divergent and convergent thinking. The first diamond represents the problem space: discovering insights and defining the core challenge. The second diamond represents the solution space: developing potential ideas and delivering a final solution. The Design Council later expanded the model to include principles such as 'people-centred' and 'iterative', and in 2019 introduced the 'Systemic Design Framework' as an extension for complex challenges.
The four phases—Discover, Define, Develop, Deliver—are each marked by a shift between divergent and convergent thinking. In Discover, designers research and empathize with users, gathering broad insights. Define synthesizes these insights into a clear problem statement. Develop encourages ideation and prototyping, while Deliver focuses on testing and final implementation. The model emphasizes that the process is not strictly linear; iterations and feedback loops are common. Key principles include 'people-centred', 'collaborative', and 'iterative', which guide practitioners to keep users at the core and embrace continuous refinement.1
The Double Diamond has been applied beyond product design to service design, policy-making, and business strategy. For instance, the UK government's Policy Lab uses a variant of the model to structure policy innovation. In education, it is taught as a core framework in design thinking courses. The model has also been adapted for specific contexts, such as the 'Triple Diamond' for complex systems, and the 'Double Diamond' with a 'fuzzy front end' to emphasize early exploration. Critics note that the model oversimplifies the messy reality of design, but its clarity and communicative power have made it a staple in design practice.2
Beyond its mainstream use, the Double Diamond has a lesser-known history: it was partly inspired by the 'diamond' diagrams of the 1960s and 1970s, such as those by Horst Rittel and others, who depicted design as a series of diverging and converging steps.3 The model's name was coined by the Design Council's then-chief executive, David Kester, and it was initially presented as a 'simple' visual to communicate design value to non-designers. A 2015 update added 'engagement' and 'leadership' as core principles, reflecting a shift toward co-design. The model has also been used in healthcare innovation, such as in the design of patient-centered care pathways, and in agile software development, where it aligns with sprint-based iteration.
The Double Diamond model is a registered trademark of the Design Council.
Help improve the encyclopedia. Reports go straight to the site manager.