Design research
The first step in any good design project is to research the problem or opportunity. Research will enable evidence-based decision making by showing what works and what doesn't, what protocols or other context will affect decisions, and what approach was taken by best practice examples.
No good design project would begin without a period of in-depth research to generate incisive and actionable findings. Since good design projects will always have the user at the center, ethnographic and qualitative research techniques, that put learning more about people, how they behave and why they behave the way they do, are an important part of design research.