How designers work

This section explains some design methods and how they are used by designers. We talk you through everything from brainstorming to physical prototyping.

Different designers manage the process of design in different ways. But when we studied the design process in eleven leading companies, we found striking similarities and shared approaches among the designers we talked to. In this section we show one way of mapping the design process, and give more detail on the key activities in each of the process's four stages.

Listen to a podcast of Tim Brown, CEO of IDEO, giving his definition of the concept of design thinking. It's a term given to the introduction of design methods and culture into fields beyond traditional design, such as business innovation. Though Tim sees design thinking as a catalyst for IDEO’s work he questions whether it can help us be more optimistic about the future of design.