VCD Discover.
Venturing into
the unknown.
A journey of discovery is a journey into the unknown. If you think about the early explorers in sailing ships, they were sent across the horizon to discover unknown lands. Taking virtually nothing, risking their very lives, they encountered all kinds of challenges, difficulties and danger. All in the name of expanding empires and learning about the world.
In the VCD Discover phase, students identify a situation known as a design problem or an opportunity, guiding and inspiring them to design. They must suspend their judgment and use their imaginations to search widely for information and insights using human-centred research methods to open up new possibilities and see their problem from different perspectives.
Takeaways
Good to go
Discover
The Discover phase is the first stage of the VCD Design Process where students identify design problems or opportunities and conduct comprehensive research to understand the challenge from multiple perspectives. Discover requires divergent thinking to suspend judgment, challenge assumptions, and gather insights about stakeholders, audiences, users, and existing solutions through human-centered research methods including interviews, surveys, field observations, and both primary and secondary research.
- Frame Problems as Opportunities, Not Solutions. Students identify and describe design problems without suggesting solutions. A well-framed problem includes what needs to be done (as a question or statement), for whom it benefits, the context where it exists, specific goals to be achieved, and the crux of what needs to be investigated.
- Research Must Be Ethical and Human-Centered. When conducting research through interviews, surveys, focus groups, and observations, students must use ethical research methods that protect participants' privacy and obtain proper consent. This means collecting data honestly and transparently, removing personal identifying information during analysis, and using information only for stated purposes.
- Stakeholder Identification Requires Multiple Perspectives. Students identify both primary stakeholders (directly affected by the design problem) and secondary stakeholders (indirectly interested), then map their interests and influence. Perspective-shifting techniques help challenge assumptions and biases by having students adopt different roles (citizen, environmentalist, business owner, elderly person) to explore problems from various viewpoints.
- Research Should Combine Multiple Sources and Methods: Effective discovery requires both primary (field research; going out to collect original data through photos, sketches, observations, site visits) and secondary (desk research; gathering existing information from internet, books, magazines, social media).
Introduction
The VCD Discover phase of the Design Process includes invites students to find out as much as they can about a problem by exploring it from every angle, to find out who might be affected during and after the design of a new communication, product or service and to learn about what has already been designed and made in that space before their journey begins. The Discovery phase is a crash course in knowing everything there is to know about a certain kind of design idea.
Steps in the Discover phase include;
- Identify a problem or opportunity
- Enlarging, elaborating and gathering insights about the problem or opportunity
- Suspending judgement, challenging assumptions and keeping an open mind
- Identifying stakeholders and identifying and describing their needs, perspectives and experiences
- Using Human-Centered Design and ‘Ethical Research Methods’ to gather insights about potential audiences and users by conducting interviews, making field observations, convening focus groups
- Conducting primary field and secondary desk research
The Discover phase requires students to use Divergent Thinking.
Jump to
Identify and describe
a design problem
Problem or opportunity?
Students are encouraged to frame the spark that ignites their design process as a problem. When they identify the problem as a problem, and by not eluding to a possible solution in any way, then the possibilities for innovation are limitless. By contrast, identifying and describing ‘what a client needs', prevents a student designer from undertaking a free and uninhibited discovery.
A problem can also be referred to as an opportunity. They are really two sides of one coin. What is deficient in the world, creates an opportunity for someone to design a better way.
When framing a design problem, it can be framed as a question or a statement. The choice depends on the context, the problem at hand or the preferences of the designer or team. Both question-based and statement-based problem framing have their own advantages.
Question-based framing
Framing a design problem as a question can help stimulate brainstorming and exploration of various solutions. Questions often prompt divergent thinking and encourage designers to consider multiple perspectives. For example, ‘How might we improve the user experience of our website?’ or ‘What are the potential ways to make driving safer?
Statement-based framing
Framing the design problem as a statement can provide a clear focus. It defines the problem more explicitly and can be useful when the problem is already well understood. For example, ‘Design a mobile app for managing personal finances’ or ‘Create an ergonomic chair for office use.’
The most important aspect is to ensure that the problem framing is clear, concise, and meaningful. It should provide enough context and understanding of the problem while allowing for creative exploration and generating potential solutions. students can experiment with both question-based and statement-based framing.
Describing a design problem
In framing a design problem, we describe;
- What needs to be done: Framed as a statement or a question. (Remember not to describe the form of the solution) but describe the action or experience that needs to be designed
- For whom: Who will benefit from a successful design solution? Wider stakeholders can be considered, as well as audience members and users
- The context: The location and situation where the problem exists
- Goals: What is intended to be gained by creating a successful design solution? This should be as specific as possible to focus attention on improving an actual experience or activity
- The Crux: What needs to be investigated, understood or figured out to solve the problem. Where or what might be the real issue behind the problem?
An example design problem framed by using this model may look like:
1 What needs to be done
How might we improve pedestrian safety near tram stops to encourage people to take the tram
2 For Whom
Pedestrians moving to and from tram stops. Drivers and relatives or pedestrians are also affected by accidents.
3 Context
The context of urban planning; pedestrians in city areas, tram stops in the centre of roads
4 Goals
A noticeable reduction in accidents happening to pedestrians moving to and from tram stops
5 Crux
We need to understand how and when pedestrians move to and from tram stops
(This framework is informed by the ‘Design Project Scoping Guide’. Hasso Plattner, Institute of Design at Stanford. P10)
Let’s embark on a range of tasks that will help us understand how to identify and describe a problem or opportunity.
Try it yourself
task
Show I know ...
1.1 define Problems and Opportunities
Consider the following two quotes:
‘Every problem is an opportunity in disguise.’ John Adams
‘Don’t wait for the right opportunity, create it!’ George Bernard Shaw
Suggest what might be meant by the term ‘problem’. Give an example of a problem you may face in achieving your best at school to support your answer.
Discuss: In what ways could a problem be considered an opportunity for a designer?
1.2 Describe a design problem for an existing design
Select a product, piece of communication design or interactive experience that you feel is class-leading innovation in design.
If you are stuck, my top four are;
- The AIGA international communication symbol signs 1974 (https://www.aiga.org/resources/symbol-signs)
- The Sony Walkman 1979 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walkman)
- The iPhone 2007 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPhone)
- Snapchat 2011 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snapchat).
Using the context, specific issue, impact, design problem and explanation model shown above, write a detailed description of a design problem that may have been identified and described before yours or my design example was designed.
1.3 Identify and describe a design problem collaborative task
Your teacher should divide the class into groups based on themes. The themes could be structured by;
- Design fields
- Design disciplines
- Areas that design can improve such as society, the environment, aesthetics, function, etc.
- Interest areas such as sports, health and wellbeing, education, music, etc.
For each group:
- Write three to five problems or opportunities that exist in their field on separate Post-it notes
- Share and sort the problems they have identified in their groups. They could then choose one problem for each group or take one problem each to write up.
- Write up the design problem individually, using the model shown above.
A range of design problems, for example, one per group, are then shared with the group in a collaborative document.
Students evaluate the short list of design problems as presented to the class on the collaborative document. The evaluation criteria include; how well the student identified the context, the specific issue, the impact, and the potential for the design problem to encourage divergent thinking.
1.4 Describe a design problem
Jump to
Enlarging, elaborating
and gathering insights
Horizon-Scan
Once students have settled on a design problem or opportunity they can pack their bags and leave port on their journey of discovery. In this step, they will enlarge, elaborate and gather insights about the problem or opportunity. This can be done using an adaptation of a technique known as a Horizon-Scan. Using this strategy, we examine a range of aspects to help us identify the margins of a problem and possible problems and trends. Students should use an enquiry base process and investigate questions such as;
- where does the problem usually occur?
- how big is the problem? (geographically, population, etc.)
- how long has the problem existed?
- what might be possible causes?
- what kinds of people or groups might be affected?
- is it a new problem?
- how have people tried to solve the problem or similar in the past?
- what might be the issues or threats that might hinder finding a solution?
- what opportunities might there be to solve additional problems by solving the one identified?
Caution: There may be a tendency for students to try to solve the problem at this stage. They should be discouraged from doing that. The Horizon-Scan is simply intended to help them elaborate on their problem in order to make their research from a more informed starting point.
Suspend judgement, challenge assumptions
In this step, students will practice suspending judgement, challenging assumptions and keeping an open mind. They will be encouraged to identify any biases they might have that might stand in the way of an open-minded exploration of their design problem.
One effective technique that students can use to challenge assumptions and identify biases in the beginning stages of a design process is called ‘Perspective-Shifting’. This technique involves intentionally adopting different perspectives or roles to gain a broader understanding of a problem. Here's an example to illustrate how it can be applied:
Imagine a group of students working on designing a new transportation system for their city. To identify potential biases, they could assign each team member a specific role or perspective related to the project. For instance:
A Citizen
This person assumes the role of an average citizen who uses public transportation regularly and relies on it for daily commuting. They will focus on the needs and concerns of the general public, such as accessibility, affordability, and convenience.
An Environmentalist
This team member takes on the perspective of an environmental activist, emphasizing the importance of minimizing carbon emissions, promoting sustainable modes of transportation, and preserving natural resources.
A Business Owner
This role represents a local business owner who values efficient transportation systems that can facilitate the movement of goods and customers, while also considering factors like traffic flow, parking, and economic impact.
An Elderly or Disabled Person
In this role, the student represents someone with mobility challenges, aiming to highlight the importance of inclusive design and accessibility features, such as ramps, elevators, or special accommodations for those with disabilities or limited mobility.
By adopting these different perspectives, students can consciously explore potential biases that might arise due to their personal experiences, preferences, or backgrounds. Each team member can contribute insights and ideas based on their assigned role, helping to identify and eliminate biases that may have otherwise gone unnoticed.
Understand perspectives
Stakeholder Workshops
Participating in collaborative workshops with stakeholders can help identify project goals, expectations, and priorities. Creative brainstorming sessions may be part of the workshop to generate innovative ideas. It's an opportunity to gather diverse perspectives and define project objectives from others’ points of view.
Identifying stakeholders at the beginning of a design process is crucial for understanding and addressing their needs, goals, and concerns. Below are some steps to help students identify stakeholders in a design problem.
Identify primary stakeholders
Students should think about and list the individuals or groups who are directly affected by or have a significant interest in the design problem. These may include end-users, customers, clients, employees, and any other key individuals or groups impacted by the design.
Consider secondary stakeholders
Students then look beyond the primary stakeholders to identify other individuals or groups who may have an indirect or secondary interest in the design problem. These could include regulators, industry experts, community members, or even competitors.
Map stakeholder interests and influence
Students can create a stakeholder map or matrix to visualise the relationships between stakeholders, their interests, and their level of influence. This will help them understand their relative importance and prioritise their efforts accordingly. A stakeholder map is a Four Quadrant Matrix where the two axes are: (The vertical axis), the level of interest they have in the proposed design, and (the horizontal axis), the level of influence they may be able to exert on the shape of the design solution.
Analyse needs and motivations
(Although analysis is strictly for the Define stage of the Design Process, it is relevant to mention here). Students analyse the needs, motivations, and expectations of each stakeholder group. Consider their goals, pain points, and desired outcomes. This analysis will help students to align their design ideas with the stakeholders' interests.
Stakeholder identification is an iterative process, and it's essential for students to revisit and update their stakeholder analysis as they gain more information and insights throughout the design process.
Examples illustrated:
Stakeholder Analysis
task
Show I know ...
2.1 Horizon-Scan
Use primary or secondary research methods to conduct a Horizon-Scan relating to your identified problem.
Use any manual or digital (such as Miro) mind mapping tool to present the findings of the ‘Horizon-Scan’ elaborating the design problem you have identified and described.
2.2 Perspective Shifting
2.2.1 Collaborative Activity
If you have identified a broad or societal design problem that is similar to the example shown above, identify a range of stakeholders and assign other students to roles. Explore the problem from each different perspective.
2.2.2 Individual activity
If you have a simple problem such as an object design that will be used by one person, try perspective shifting by simply flipping your own demographic data and considering the problem from that point of view. If you are male, think from a female point of view. If you are young, think from an old person’s point of view, and so on. Better on, why don’t you find someone whose demographic data is most different from yours? Ask them what they think about the problem you have identified.
Annotate your findings. Be open to the information and insights that emerge. Reflect on your findings and describe your learnings.
2.3 Identify and understand stakeholders’ interests and needs
2.3.1 Identify stakeholders
Identify and describe primary and secondary stakeholders that are relevant to a design problem.
2.3.2 Describe stakeholders’ interests
Create a table or mind map and describe the point of view of each primary and secondary stakeholder, in relation to a design problem
2.3.3 Map stakeholders’ interests and influence
Using a Four Quadrant Matrix map your primary and secondary stakeholders. You will need this data in the next phase of the Design process.
Jump to
Research
The next step in the Discover stage of the Design Process is for students to conduct broad and deep research related to the design problem they have identified. The two distinct subjects of student research are;
- The people involved in the design of a new product or design solution. These are primarily audience members or users but may include stakeholders identified in the previous step where their perspectives may influence the development of design concepts.
- Environments, objects, visual communications or interactive experiences that have been made prior to, or relate in the way that they may have solved a similar problem to the problem the student has identified.
Human-Centered Design and Ethical Research Methods
Students use Human-Centered Design and Ethical Research Methods to learn about the needs and preferences of potential audiences and users. Strategies they can use include conducting interviews and surveys, making field observations and convening focus groups.
Ethical Research Methods
What is meant by the term ‘Ethical Research Methods’? In the course of learning what potential audiences think about aesthetics, function and other issues related to a student’s design problem, they will invariably need to collect (and analyse) real data from real people. As you would be aware, collecting, accessing, analysing, sharing and storing data raises privacy concerns and requires students to use careful and trustworthy methods. Ethical Research Methods refer to the collection of data in an honest, transparent way, collecting information from participants who have agreed to take part by giving their consent and using information only for the purposes they have informed participants. In addition, and perhaps the most important aspect of our research, is to ensure that respondents’ private personal information such as their name, age, email address, phone number, religion, etc. are separated from their answers during the processing and analysis stage. In fact, Target Learning recommends that students remove and delete any personal identifying information from data to ensure that the research is conducted in an ethical manner.
Finding out about audiences and users
The first strand is knowing about the specific target audience for whom the design will be made, how to engage them and appeal to their preferences. Techniques of trend and market research are employed to develop this understanding. Qualitative (opinions) and quantitative (numerical data) surveys create a picture of the exact characteristics, opinions and values of the potential customer or user.
Please note: Students must use Ethical Research Methods for target audience surveys. Some methods for engaging with audiences and users are shown below.
Getting qualitative and quantitative data
Target audiences can be surveyed to determine their habits, likes and preferences. Surveys can use interviews to gather extended responses. When opinions are recorded it is known as qualitative research. Online or paper surveys can also be used to gather numerical data in response to questions or images shown to members of an audience. This is referred to as quantitative research. Data can be interpreted to build a useful picture of their preferences. Researchers also compare the way different characteristics such as gender or age in members of different sub-groups belonging to the same target audience, respond to examples of text, art, nature and design. Mood-board tools can be used with written descriptions to build a visual picture of an audience profile. Students learn to know their audience. They learn about what they think and value to inform how their designs will meet their expectations.
Click the images at the right to visit four fantastic sites and learn how to conduct surveys that will give the results students want.
Surveys and User Interviews
Designers conduct interviews and surveys with potential audiences and users to gather insights into their needs, pain points, and preferences. The collection of qualitative and quantitative data helps in building user personas and identifying the specific needs and preferences of users.
Researchers can compare the way different characteristics such as gender or age in members of different sub-groups belonging to the same target audience, respond to examples of text, art, nature and design. Mood-board tools can be used with written descriptions to build a visual picture of an audience profile. Students get to know their audience. They learn about what they think and value to inform how their designs will meet their expectations.
Examples illustrated:
User Interviews
Market Research
Keeping an eye on industry trends, market data, and emerging technologies is crucial to ensure that design solutions remain relevant to audiences and user groups. Examining broader societal and cultural trends, often seen in digital and social media, can help designers anticipate future user needs and preferences.
Example illustrated:
Trend Analysis
task
Show I know ...
3.1 Mood-board
Collect images including colours and textures that represent and illustrate your target audiences life style, purchase and entertainment preferences. Don't forget the design (messy or ordered) can also be used to express the personality of a person.
3.2 target audience or user experiences survey
Design a survey to obtain quantitive and qualitative data about the ways members of your target audience use or experience products or visual communications that solve similar problems to the one you have identified. Remember, as we are using Human-Centered Design methodology, we need to elicit data about the ways audience members experience or use visual communications. Depending on the field of design in which your problem is located questions in a survey could be based on aspects such as;
- visual stimulus, including colours, type, shapes, images, etc
- emotional responses to environmental spaces
- ergonomics of controls on objects
- concepts including ethical production, sustainability, renewable energy
- the relationships between visual communications and social and cultural considerations
- accessibility and equitability
- ease of understanding and use
3.3 Focus group
Convene a group of people that could represent the members of your target audience or users. Create visual or tactile stimuli and a range of questions for discussion. Manage the group and record the audience and user's experiences with visual communications similar to those that have solved problems similar to the one you have identified.
You may also wish to ask the group, what features they would like to see in a product of the future.
Jump to
designs research
Modes of research
Field or primary research
Field or primary research involves the designer going out to where designs are found and recording information. Documents are collected, photos taken, sketches and observational drawings made and notes are written. Researchers identify and describe trends relating to designs, products and the ways target audiences use them. Locations such as shopping centres, parks, trade shows, site visits, exhibitions, documentaries, films, book shops, cafes, and festivals all make excellent places for collecting field and primary research.
Desk or secondary research
Designers also conduct desk or secondary research. This refers to the process of collecting information from the desk or office. Trawling relevant internet design sites and social media feeds keeps designers in touch with current trends and styles to do with consumers and influencers. Books and magazines are also read and notes are made. Designers may share information with other designers on dedicated sharing websites.
Both primary field and secondary desk research are intended to place the designer at the centre of a changing and evolving world relating to the product or design they have been asked to design. Collect everything now, and process it next.
Students must also be mindful to record the sources where they find images, make field trips or take photos. The sources, including URLs for each image, must be placed beside each one as they are collected.
CAUTION
Good to know
ReSOURCES used FOR RESEARCH
Effective and higher-scoring research is when students visit a variety of primary sources. Using the internet alone is not sufficient to demonstrate a creative and divergent approach to collecting inspiration to inform design work.
Sources students should use include research from sources such as;
- their own photos
- scrapbooking
- surveys
- dedicated internet sites
- design books
- libraries
- field trips
- social media posts
- magazines
- pop culture, TV, Youtube
Research existing designs
Past and existing designs
The intention of researching past designs is for students to find out as much as they can about past and existing environments, objects, messages or interactive experiences that have solved problems that are similar to the problem the student has identified.
Benchmarking and competitive analysis
Researching and analysing competitors and similar products or services that are available in the market, helps designers understand existing solutions, identify gaps, and pinpoint areas for differentiation in potential design concepts.
Benchmarking means finding a range of similar products that are made to appeal to slightly different audience segments and creating a 'standard' in terms of legibility, quality, features and function. Students should benchmark designs by researching past and present examples from a variety of different cultural or historical contexts.
Example illustrated:
Competitor Analysis
Conceptual connections
Other sources of inspiration that may be linked in more abstract ways should also be considered. These may include dissimilar designs that may have particular features, characteristics, aesthetic qualities or purposes that students find inspiring.
Good to know
Thanks for that
Collecting research images
Just a tip. When you collect your research images, try to resist the temptation to sort them and paste them into layouts. Certainly, feel free to make notes with them on rough pages and don't forget to record the sources of all resources.
However, in the 2024 VCD Study Design, processing, sorting and analysing research findings is part of the Define phase of the Design Process - not this one.
Mind-map
Similar designs
Know the back-story
Bench marking and competitor analysis
Styles that influence design
DIY it
Factors influence design
task