Project development

Having defined the problem in the Discover stage, the Define stage covers the initial development of project ideas and components needed to solve the problem at hand

Here, it becomes important for the whole team working on the project, and not least the designers, to have an awareness of a number of factors that influence the possible solutions to the problem.

Firstly, designers must understand the context within which the project is being undertaken. The Discover stage establishes that a problem or opportunity exists, and that a product or service development or iteration is necessary as a result.

During the Define stage a designer must engage with and understand the wider context in which this problem or opportunity sits, both within and beyond the company. This might include considering the company’s own financial situation and the extent to which it is able to invest in a project, the recent launch of a competitive product with similar features, or social and economic contexts which require a certain approach or sensitivity, such as an awareness of sustainability issues.

At Virgin Atlantic Airways, the role of design in the innovation process is valued, but is subject to the careful development of a robust business case before a project commences, and must – in many cases – also be compliant with airline regulations. Once a large monetary commitment has been made there is little tolerance of failure, requiring the need for the in-house design team to innovate in-line with very strict business guidelines.

Secondly, the designer must equally keep in mind what is feasible within the company’s technological or production capabilities. A clear understanding of details such as materials, logistics, time-to-market and other influencers is a key part of understanding the wider corporate ability to develop a design solution.

This enquiry is not as detailed during the Define stage as during the Develop stage, but rather serves as a filter that allows designers to identify which idea has legs and should be pursued and developed.

Communication with other experts and departments internally is important at this stage. In most cases the design process oversees clear lines of communication between designers and other area experts, such as engineers, developers, materials experts, Research & Development teams, and product or service managers who are able to input the right information that will guide the designers’ initial ideas.

Air safety regulations, weight and dimensions naturally affect design of products at Virgin Atlantic, and the design team runs regular milestone meetings where designers and manufacturers meet to make sure that they have the same interpretation of the design and that production is feasible.

Similarly, BSkyB must take manufacturing capabilities into account at this stage in the design process, as its set top boxes are manufactured by three different companies. 

Thirdly, initial ideas generation must consider the corporate brand. The design process involves constantly checking to ensure that ideas generated are in line with the corporate brand vision, mission, values and guidelines. Starbucks checks each graphical execution of campaign materials against five core values. Any executions which are deemed not to fulfil each of these values go back to the drawing board for development or amendment.

Another example of brand awareness at this stage of the design process is within Whirlpool, where its Platform Studio, consisting of an inter-disciplinary group of designers, advanced manufacturers and engineers, think about new areas for innovation.

They act on the basis of market research and data that is interpreted and analysed for product solutions, and use design thinking and prototyping as ways of interpreting user needs. The outputs from the Platform Studio are then passed on to the brand studios for consideration and implementation. The brand studios consider the fit between the latest design features and functions and the brands themselves.

This exchange is a key part of the design process in Whirlpool and allows the brands to retain their own integrity while still capitalising on the design guidelines of the central design and innovation function. 

In sum, the project development and initial ideas generation phase of the Define stage reviews the context for the product or service development, the realism of what can be done, and the corporate brand. Taking these considerations into account, designers work through the project development and initial idea generation stage to define a project which will address the initial problem identified.

Designers work in a variety of ways to do this, to refine the scope of the project, and to home in on which solutions can have impact, which product or service has scope or potential, which product or service would push the business and design in the right direction. Some of the methods used include reviewing further research, role-playing, paper prototyping, day-in-the-life scenarios, sketching, reviewing ideas, considering colours, styles and trends, project team scrums, selections, and brainstorms, among others.