{"version":"https://jsonfeed.org/version/1.1","title":"Design-Research Framework","home_page_url":"https://designresearchframework.com","feed_url":"https://designresearchframework.com/feed.json","authors":[{"name":"Chris Pallé","url":"https://wisdomandcraft.com"}],"items":[{"id":"https://designresearchframework.com/framework/problem-space","url":"https://designresearchframework.com/framework/problem-space","title":"The problem space","summary":"Five domains that pull against each other. The tension between them is where product problems come from.","content_text":"The problem space is the actual people, the actual business and the actual technology a product lives between, plus two lenses most designers never get taught: economics and governance. Each domain pulls on the others. That tension is what causes the problems a product team has to solve, and it is where design opportunities are found.\n\n## The five domains\n\n| Domain | What it pulls for | Typical owner |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| People | Their wants and needs, pulled onto the technology | Content and design |\n| Business | An inflow of money: the customer has to pay as a buyer | Product |\n| Technology | Resources to build and run it | Engineering |\n| Economics | How value and money move through the whole system | Product and finance |\n| Governance | Who or what may decide and act, and how you'd know | Leadership, security, policy |\n\nThe first three are the \"three-legged stool\" product managers talk about: institutional rules and objectives, technical feasibility, and human wants and needs. Each leg is under tension, and the seat they hold up is strategy. Economics and governance came in with the 2018 *Trust Architects* article, which argued for balancing five disciplines \"into a lens through which we view the problem space and then frame design opportunities.\"\n\n## Why it matters with agents in the work\n\nMost design harnesses today encode two domains: people (the users) and technology (the design system). The other three are left to whoever happens to be in the room.\n\n**In the harness** (working proposal): a problem-space file holds a model of each domain, with its demands, constraints and owners. Proposals get checked against all five. Who pays? What does it cost to build and run? Who is allowed to decide?\n\n## Open questions\n\n- The 2024 wording defines the business leg as \"institutional rules and objectives\", which overlaps governance. Each domain needs a crisper definition.\n- How the five domains map to roles changes from context to context. A design sprint for a nonprofit website weights them differently from a long-running SaaS product.","date_published":"2026-10-25","date_modified":"2026-10-25","tags":["concept","people","business","technology","economics","governance"],"_drf":{"collection":"framework","source":"https://designresearchframework.com/md/framework/problem-space","title":"The problem space","summary":"Five domains that pull against each other. The tension between them is where product problems come from.","type":"concept","order":1,"loop_stage":"all","domains":["people","business","technology","economics","governance"],"status":"working","version":0.1,"updated":"2026-10-25","sources":["The Problem Space (2014)","Trust Architects article (2018)","Where it Began (2024-02-17)","World Vision Mural boards (2024)"],"confidence":"stated","related":["the-loops","well-informed-space"]}},{"id":"https://designresearchframework.com/framework/the-loops","url":"https://designresearchframework.com/framework/the-loops","title":"The three loops","summary":"Discovery and design, develop and deploy, direct and define. Three loops that feed each other, with the 6Ds as their phases.","content_text":"The DRF is three loops, not a line of phases. The main loop is discovery and design. It hooks into develop and deploy, which ties back to direct and define, where product lives. Each loop runs on its own cadence and hands its output to the next.\n\n## The loops and their phases (the 6Ds)\n\n| Loop | Phases | Zone | Advocates for |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| Strategy | Direct ↔ Define | Strategic | Business rules and objectives |\n| Envisioning | Discover ↔ Detail | Envisioning | Human wants and needs |\n| Making | Develop ↔ Deploy | Making | Technical feasibility |\n\nWhat moves between them is specific. KPIs become business requirements. Discovery produces jobs to be done and designs. Making ships code, and the product's monitoring data flows back as metrics against the KPIs. That data lands in the [well-informed space](/framework/well-informed-space), which informs the next Direct.\n\n## Inside discovery\n\nDiscovery has three activities, drawn the same way since 2011: listen and observe, interpret, model. Each one produces a defined artifact (see [Artifacts](/artifacts)). Design takes those models and works through proposing and prioritizing, ideation and prototyping, and specifying and detailing.\n\n## Not either-or\n\nThe DRF was built to sit inside whatever process a team already runs, Agile or Waterfall. It is a model to keep in the back of your mind, not a replacement method. Design thinking is the process for a sprint zero; scaled over a whole development lifecycle, it falls apart after a couple of sprints. The loops are what keep going after that.\n\n**In the harness** (working proposal): each loop is a set of skills that produce that loop's artifacts, and each handoff is a file the next loop's skills can read.\n\n## Open questions\n\n- Deliver or Deploy? Design or Detail? Both pairs have been used. The 2024 pages switched to Deploy and Detail.\n- The [Triton](/framework/triton) runs the loops in a different order when development leads. Is it a mode of the DRF or a separate method?","date_published":"2026-10-25","date_modified":"2026-10-25","tags":["concept","people","business","technology"],"_drf":{"collection":"framework","source":"https://designresearchframework.com/md/framework/the-loops","title":"The three loops","summary":"Discovery and design, develop and deploy, direct and define. Three loops that feed each other, with the 6Ds as their phases.","type":"concept","order":2,"loop_stage":"all","domains":["people","business","technology"],"status":"working","version":0.1,"updated":"2026-10-25","sources":["DRF v1.0 deck (2011)","Discovery/Design loop (2014)","6Ds Collaboration Framework (2023-05-07)","World Vision Mural boards (2024)","decision 2026-10-15"],"confidence":"stated","related":["problem-space","well-informed-space","cost-of-contact"]}},{"id":"https://designresearchframework.com/framework/well-informed-space","url":"https://designresearchframework.com/framework/well-informed-space","title":"The well-informed space","summary":"The store every cycle adds to. Observations, articulations, models and reports, structured so people and agents can find and build on them.","content_text":"The well-informed space is the knowledge base that every cycle of the loops adds to. In the 2011 deck it was called the Knowledge Base/Portal. Its job was always the same: give a team a place to be curious, so the creative process can thrive on what is already known instead of guesswork.\n\n## What goes in it\n\nFrom the 2011 and 2013 decks:\n\n- Observations\n- Problem articulations\n- Narratives, scenarios and user journeys\n- Multi-sensory artifacts (sketches, prototypes, recordings)\n- Recommendations and proposals\n- Reporting, including KPI reporting against ROI, quantitative and qualitative\n\n## What changed\n\nFor years the missing piece was retrieval. The space could hold everything, but nobody could find it again when it mattered. Large language models changed that. The February 2024 introduction put it this way: \"With the advent of generative AI and large language models, the repository of potential has become an active, accessible wellspring of inspiration.\"\n\nThe next step is a space agents can browse and keep current, not just one people can search.\n\n## How to keep it from becoming a dump\n\nThe documented failure is dumping everything in raw and asking a model to find the themes afterwards. The shape that works:\n\n- Synthesize per source first, then across sources.\n- Add metadata when a record is written, not later.\n- Give every record a date, a source, a confidence level and a review date.\n\n**This site works that way.** Every page here is a Markdown file with the same front matter: type, loop stage, domains, status, version, sources and confidence. You can read the pages, or point an agent at [llms.txt](/llms.txt) and the [JSON feed](/feed.json) and it reads the same records.\n\n## Open questions\n\n- Is the well-informed space part of the DRF, or the substrate underneath it? The harness framing leans toward underneath.","date_published":"2026-10-25","date_modified":"2026-10-25","tags":["concept","people","business","technology","economics","governance"],"_drf":{"collection":"framework","source":"https://designresearchframework.com/md/framework/well-informed-space","title":"The well-informed space","summary":"The store every cycle adds to. Observations, articulations, models and reports, structured so people and agents can find and build on them.","type":"concept","order":3,"loop_stage":"all","domains":["people","business","technology","economics","governance"],"status":"working","version":0.1,"updated":"2026-10-25","sources":["DRF v1.0 deck (2011)","W+C process deck (2013)","Where it Began (2024-02-17)","ChatGPT record (2025-10-25)"],"confidence":"stated","related":["the-loops","cost-of-contact"]}},{"id":"https://designresearchframework.com/framework/cost-of-contact","url":"https://designresearchframework.com/framework/cost-of-contact","title":"Cost of contact","summary":"No-touch, low-touch, high-touch. The rule for which research an agent can run and which needs a person in the room.","content_text":"Research methods sort by how much contact they need with real people. The 2011 deck called these tiers no-touch, low-touch and high-touch. The point was to make research cheap enough to actually happen. With agents doing part of the work, the same tiers decide who does what.\n\n## The tiers\n\n| Tier | Methods (2011 list) | With agents |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| No-touch | Web and video analytics, social sharing, heat-mapping, mouse-tracking, heuristic reviews | Agents run it, unattended, on a schedule |\n| Low-touch | Remote usability, online card sorting, A/B and multivariate tests, surveys, engagement analytics, social listening | Agents draft and run; a person reviews in one pass |\n| High-touch | Participatory design, contextual inquiry, focus groups, moderated usability, stakeholder interviews, hallway testing | A person does it. This is where judgment and discernment live |\n\n## A field note: what the sensors missed\n\nIn September 2026, a pet parent trying out PayPaw needed more than 40 minutes, with the founder helping, to almost pay a $100 invoice. The invite link broke inside Yahoo Mail's in-app browser, the wrong email went out, and there was no way to copy the link. None of the automated audits caught it. A real person on a real mail client did.\n\nThe fix became a nightly check that walks a cold start through a real inbox. High-touch contact found the problem; a no-touch sensor now guards it. That is the whole idea in one incident.\n\n**In the harness** (working proposal): a routing rule. Cost of contact decides what an agent runs on its own, what it drafts for review, and what it hands to a person.\n\n## Open questions\n\n- Checks can prove a finding is grounded in evidence. They can't prove it matters. Where does that judgment get recorded?","date_published":"2026-10-25","date_modified":"2026-10-25","tags":["concept","people","economics"],"_drf":{"collection":"framework","source":"https://designresearchframework.com/md/framework/cost-of-contact","title":"Cost of contact","summary":"No-touch, low-touch, high-touch. The rule for which research an agent can run and which needs a person in the room.","type":"concept","order":4,"loop_stage":"discovery/listening","domains":["people","economics"],"status":"working","version":0.1,"updated":"2026-10-25","sources":["DRF v1.0 deck (2011)","PayPaw Stranger Gate (2026-09-19)"],"confidence":"stated","related":["the-loops","well-informed-space","triton"]}},{"id":"https://designresearchframework.com/framework/triton","url":"https://designresearchframework.com/framework/triton","title":"The Triton method","summary":"Dev-led, triple-track. Development ships first, UI design iterates on what's built, and research evaluates what shipped.","content_text":"The Triton is the AI-era turn of the same idea. It extends Desirée Sy's dual-track agile from Autodesk (2007), which put design a sprint ahead of development. It keeps design research and design as two separate tracks, called tines, and adds development as the third. Drawn out, it looks like a trident.\n\n## The three tines\n\n1. **Development leads.** It ships first and produces the artifact.\n2. **UI design** iterates on what was built.\n3. **Research** evaluates what was designed and built, and feeds findings back.\n\n## What's different\n\n- **The flow is reversed.** Most triple-track models run research, then design, then development. Here development starts each cycle, because with AI the build is often the cheapest way to make something to react to.\n- **Research is evaluative.** It works on a shipped product, not only before building.\n- **Design and research are separate tines.**\n- **It fits startup reality.** One person can fill several roles.\n\nThe 2012 DRF diagram already had three tracks, with a discovery track that validated the previous sprint's release. What changed in 2026 is which track goes first.\n\n## In practice\n\nThe Triton was the working method on PayPaw from March 2026. It changed shape three times: first three rails split between a person and two AI agents, then six generator-and-evaluator loops, and by June one person and one agent, with research folded into the build loop as an evaluator.\n\n## Open questions\n\n- Is the Triton a replacement for the discovery-led loops, or one mode of the DRF? Generative research still matters when there's nothing to ship yet. PayPaw's history leans toward \"one mode\".\n- Name: \"Triton\" collides with NVIDIA's inference server. Say \"the Triton method\".","date_published":"2026-10-25","date_modified":"2026-10-25","tags":["concept","people","technology"],"_drf":{"collection":"framework","source":"https://designresearchframework.com/md/framework/triton","title":"The Triton method","summary":"Dev-led, triple-track. Development ships first, UI design iterates on what's built, and research evaluates what shipped.","type":"concept","order":5,"loop_stage":"all","domains":["people","technology"],"status":"draft","version":0.1,"updated":"2026-10-25","sources":["Agile+UX flow (2009","adapted from D. Sy & L. Miller","Autodesk)","three-track diagram (2012)","Triton notes (2026-03-16)","PayPaw repo (2026)"],"confidence":"stated","related":["the-loops","cost-of-contact"]}},{"id":"https://designresearchframework.com/artifacts/raw-data","url":"https://designresearchframework.com/artifacts/raw-data","title":"Raw data","summary":"Everything gathered while listening, before anyone interprets it.","content_text":"Everything gathered while listening, before anyone interprets it.\n\n## Where it comes from\n\n**Activity:** Listening. From the 2010 list: Customer service inquiries and feedback, ethnographic studies, analytics (primary). Business plan audits, third-party research, landscape analysis, relevant and potential technology (secondary). Expert heuristic reviews (tertiary).\n\n## The spec (to be worked)\n\n| Part | What goes here |\n| --- | --- |\n| Inputs | What this artifact is made from |\n| The skill that makes it | The steps an agent or a person follows |\n| Shape | A fixed template the next skill can read |\n| How it's checked | What has to be true before it counts as done |\n| Next | [Matrices](/artifacts/matrices) |\n\nThis artifact is a skeleton. Fully worked specs come one at a time, and the [changelog](/changelog) records each one.","date_published":"2026-10-25","date_modified":"2026-10-25","tags":["artifact","people","business","technology"],"_drf":{"collection":"artifacts","source":"https://designresearchframework.com/md/artifacts/raw-data","title":"Raw data","summary":"Everything gathered while listening, before anyone interprets it.","type":"artifact","order":1,"activity":"Listening","loop_stage":"discovery/listening","domains":["people","business","technology"],"status":"draft","version":0.1,"updated":"2026-10-25","sources":["Traditional UX Practice v1.2 (2010)"],"confidence":"stated","next":"matrices"}},{"id":"https://designresearchframework.com/artifacts/matrices","url":"https://designresearchframework.com/artifacts/matrices","title":"Matrices","summary":"Patterns pulled out of the raw data and laid side by side.","content_text":"Patterns pulled out of the raw data and laid side by side.\n\n## Where it comes from\n\n**Activity:** Interpreting. From the 2010 list: Customers' behaviors, attitudes, aptitudes, motivations and pain points. A SWOT for the business. Patterns in users' attributes, goals and environments.\n\n## The spec (to be worked)\n\n| Part | What goes here |\n| --- | --- |\n| Inputs | What this artifact is made from |\n| The skill that makes it | The steps an agent or a person follows |\n| Shape | A fixed template the next skill can read |\n| How it's checked | What has to be true before it counts as done |\n| Next | [Personae and models](/artifacts/personae-and-models) |\n\nThis artifact is a skeleton. Fully worked specs come one at a time, and the [changelog](/changelog) records each one.","date_published":"2026-10-25","date_modified":"2026-10-25","tags":["artifact","people","business"],"_drf":{"collection":"artifacts","source":"https://designresearchframework.com/md/artifacts/matrices","title":"Matrices","summary":"Patterns pulled out of the raw data and laid side by side.","type":"artifact","order":2,"activity":"Interpreting","loop_stage":"discovery/interpreting","domains":["people","business"],"status":"draft","version":0.1,"updated":"2026-10-25","sources":["Traditional UX Practice v1.2 (2010)"],"confidence":"stated","next":"personae-and-models"}},{"id":"https://designresearchframework.com/artifacts/personae-and-models","url":"https://designresearchframework.com/artifacts/personae-and-models","title":"Personae and models","summary":"Models and illustrations that turn the patterns into characters, goals and contexts a team can reason with.","content_text":"Models and illustrations that turn the patterns into characters, goals and contexts a team can reason with.\n\n## Where it comes from\n\n**Activity:** Modeling. From the 2010 list: Models and illustrations from the data. Characters humanized for scenarios and narratives. Goals understood. Objects, actions and contexts defined. Content strategy.\n\n## The spec (to be worked)\n\n| Part | What goes here |\n| --- | --- |\n| Inputs | What this artifact is made from |\n| The skill that makes it | The steps an agent or a person follows |\n| Shape | A fixed template the next skill can read |\n| How it's checked | What has to be true before it counts as done |\n| Next | [Requirements](/artifacts/requirements) |\n\nThis artifact is a skeleton. Fully worked specs come one at a time, and the [changelog](/changelog) records each one.","date_published":"2026-10-25","date_modified":"2026-10-25","tags":["artifact","people","technology"],"_drf":{"collection":"artifacts","source":"https://designresearchframework.com/md/artifacts/personae-and-models","title":"Personae and models","summary":"Models and illustrations that turn the patterns into characters, goals and contexts a team can reason with.","type":"artifact","order":3,"activity":"Modeling","loop_stage":"discovery/modeling","domains":["people","technology"],"status":"draft","version":0.1,"updated":"2026-10-25","sources":["Traditional UX Practice v1.2 (2010)"],"confidence":"stated","next":"requirements"}},{"id":"https://designresearchframework.com/artifacts/requirements","url":"https://designresearchframework.com/artifacts/requirements","title":"Requirements","summary":"What the product has to do, worked out by narrating scenarios and testing rough prototypes.","content_text":"What the product has to do, worked out by narrating scenarios and testing rough prototypes.\n\n## Where it comes from\n\n**Activity:** Ideation and prototyping. From the 2010 list: Rapid iteration where the vision can change a lot. Workshops with all business teams. Narrating through user scenarios. Sketching and testing functional prototypes.\n\n## The spec (to be worked)\n\n| Part | What goes here |\n| --- | --- |\n| Inputs | What this artifact is made from |\n| The skill that makes it | The steps an agent or a person follows |\n| Shape | A fixed template the next skill can read |\n| How it's checked | What has to be true before it counts as done |\n| Next | [Approved design proposal](/artifacts/approved-design-proposal) |\n\nThis artifact is a skeleton. Fully worked specs come one at a time, and the [changelog](/changelog) records each one.","date_published":"2026-10-25","date_modified":"2026-10-25","tags":["artifact","people","business","technology"],"_drf":{"collection":"artifacts","source":"https://designresearchframework.com/md/artifacts/requirements","title":"Requirements","summary":"What the product has to do, worked out by narrating scenarios and testing rough prototypes.","type":"artifact","order":4,"activity":"Ideation and prototyping","loop_stage":"design/ideation","domains":["people","business","technology"],"status":"draft","version":0.1,"updated":"2026-10-25","sources":["Traditional UX Practice v1.2 (2010)"],"confidence":"stated","next":"approved-design-proposal"}},{"id":"https://designresearchframework.com/artifacts/approved-design-proposal","url":"https://designresearchframework.com/artifacts/approved-design-proposal","title":"Approved design proposal","summary":"The overall structure of the experience, agreed with the people who will build and fund it.","content_text":"The overall structure of the experience, agreed with the people who will build and fund it.\n\n## Where it comes from\n\n**Activity:** Present vision. From the 2010 list: Framework and overall structure. Flow diagrams. Initial sketches and wireframes. Design walkthroughs. Collaboration with development.\n\n## The spec (to be worked)\n\n| Part | What goes here |\n| --- | --- |\n| Inputs | What this artifact is made from |\n| The skill that makes it | The steps an agent or a person follows |\n| Shape | A fixed template the next skill can read |\n| How it's checked | What has to be true before it counts as done |\n| Next | [Form and behavior spec](/artifacts/form-and-behavior-spec) |\n\nThis artifact is a skeleton. Fully worked specs come one at a time, and the [changelog](/changelog) records each one.","date_published":"2026-10-25","date_modified":"2026-10-25","tags":["artifact","people","business","technology","governance"],"_drf":{"collection":"artifacts","source":"https://designresearchframework.com/md/artifacts/approved-design-proposal","title":"Approved design proposal","summary":"The overall structure of the experience, agreed with the people who will build and fund it.","type":"artifact","order":5,"activity":"Present vision","loop_stage":"design/proposing","domains":["people","business","technology","governance"],"status":"draft","version":0.1,"updated":"2026-10-25","sources":["Traditional UX Practice v1.2 (2010)"],"confidence":"stated","next":"form-and-behavior-spec"}},{"id":"https://designresearchframework.com/artifacts/form-and-behavior-spec","url":"https://designresearchframework.com/artifacts/form-and-behavior-spec","title":"Form and behavior spec","summary":"How every part looks and behaves, refined against what validation found.","content_text":"How every part looks and behaves, refined against what validation found.\n\n## Where it comes from\n\n**Activity:** Detailed design. From the 2010 list: Refinement on validation findings. Presentation layer, look and feel. Final UI: components, brand, language.\n\n## The spec (to be worked)\n\n| Part | What goes here |\n| --- | --- |\n| Inputs | What this artifact is made from |\n| The skill that makes it | The steps an agent or a person follows |\n| Shape | A fixed template the next skill can read |\n| How it's checked | What has to be true before it counts as done |\n| Next | [Reports](/artifacts/reports) |\n\nThis artifact is a skeleton. Fully worked specs come one at a time, and the [changelog](/changelog) records each one.","date_published":"2026-10-25","date_modified":"2026-10-25","tags":["artifact","people","technology"],"_drf":{"collection":"artifacts","source":"https://designresearchframework.com/md/artifacts/form-and-behavior-spec","title":"Form and behavior spec","summary":"How every part looks and behaves, refined against what validation found.","type":"artifact","order":6,"activity":"Detailed design","loop_stage":"design/detailing","domains":["people","technology"],"status":"draft","version":0.1,"updated":"2026-10-25","sources":["Traditional UX Practice v1.2 (2010)"],"confidence":"stated","next":"reports"}},{"id":"https://designresearchframework.com/artifacts/reports","url":"https://designresearchframework.com/artifacts/reports","title":"Reports","summary":"What happened when real people used what shipped. Then discovery begins again.","content_text":"What happened when real people used what shipped. Then discovery begins again.\n\n## Where it comes from\n\n**Activity:** Validation. From the 2010 list: Analytics. User acceptance testing. Usability testing. KPI reporting against ROI, quantitative and qualitative.\n\n## The spec (to be worked)\n\n| Part | What goes here |\n| --- | --- |\n| Inputs | What this artifact is made from |\n| The skill that makes it | The steps an agent or a person follows |\n| Shape | A fixed template the next skill can read |\n| How it's checked | What has to be true before it counts as done |\n| Next | [Raw data](/artifacts/raw-data) |\n\nThis artifact is a skeleton. Fully worked specs come one at a time, and the [changelog](/changelog) records each one.","date_published":"2026-10-25","date_modified":"2026-10-25","tags":["artifact","people","business","economics"],"_drf":{"collection":"artifacts","source":"https://designresearchframework.com/md/artifacts/reports","title":"Reports","summary":"What happened when real people used what shipped. Then discovery begins again.","type":"artifact","order":7,"activity":"Validation","loop_stage":"validation","domains":["people","business","economics"],"status":"draft","version":0.1,"updated":"2026-10-25","sources":["Traditional UX Practice v1.2 (2010)"],"confidence":"stated","next":"raw-data"}},{"id":"https://designresearchframework.com/about","url":"https://designresearchframework.com/about","title":"About","summary":"Who keeps this framework, and how to use it.","content_text":"The Design-Research Framework is the model I've kept in the back of my mind on every product I've led for the last fifteen-plus years. I practiced it in New York in the late 2000s, first wrote it down in 2011, and gave it this domain in 2013. It has worked, and this site is where I'm pulling it together so others can use it.\n\nThe goal isn't a book. It's a working framework you can read, copy and build from, including your own agent harness for the whole of product and UX work: research, ideation, inspiration, design, and measuring against what the business needs.\n\n## How to read this site\n\n- **[The framework](/framework)** is a working draft, versioned. When it changes, the [changelog](/changelog) says what and why.\n- **[Artifacts](/artifacts)** are the defined outputs of each activity. Each one becomes a spec, and each spec becomes a skill.\n- **[Origins](/origins)** keeps the dated record, including the pages first published here in 2024.\n\nEvery page is a Markdown file with structured front matter. Agents can read the whole site through [llms.txt](/llms.txt) and [feed.json](/feed.json).\n\n## Credit\n\nThis builds on people whose work shaped mine, including Desirée Sy and L. Miller at Autodesk, whose dual-track agile is the starting point for the Triton. More names will follow as each page is worked through.\n\n## Who I am\n\nI'm Chris Pallé. I lead product and UX as one job. My consultancy is [Wisdom & Craft](https://wisdomandcraft.com), which is where to go if you want help setting this up for your team.","date_published":"2026-10-25","date_modified":"2026-10-25","tags":["page"],"_drf":{"collection":"pages","source":"https://designresearchframework.com/md/pages/about","title":"About","summary":"Who keeps this framework, and how to use it.","type":"page","status":"working","version":0.1,"updated":"2026-10-25"}},{"id":"https://designresearchframework.com/changelog","url":"https://designresearchframework.com/changelog","title":"Changelog","summary":"What changed in the framework, and when.","content_text":"## v0.1 — 2026-10-25\n\n- Rebuilt the site from scratch as Markdown files with structured front matter, readable by people and agents.\n- Published five framework pages as a working draft: the problem space, the three loops, the well-informed space, cost of contact and the Triton method.\n- Settled on three loops (discovery and design, develop and deploy, direct and define), with the 6Ds as their phases. Decided 2026-10-15.\n- Added seven artifact skeletons from the 2010 activity spine.\n- Moved the February–March 2024 pages to [Origins](/origins), unchanged, with their original dates.\n- Still open: Deliver or Deploy, Design or Detail, and whether the well-informed space sits inside the DRF or underneath it.","date_published":"2026-10-25","date_modified":"2026-10-25","tags":["page"],"_drf":{"collection":"pages","source":"https://designresearchframework.com/md/pages/changelog","title":"Changelog","summary":"What changed in the framework, and when.","type":"page","status":"working","version":0.1,"updated":"2026-10-25"}},{"id":"https://designresearchframework.com/origins","url":"https://designresearchframework.com/origins","title":"Origins","summary":"One dated timeline, 2010 to now. Dates are shown as they are; no claims beyond them.","content_text":"| When | What |\n| --- | --- |\n| 2009–2010 | Traditional UX flow and Agile+UX flow diagrams; the agile version adapted from D. Sy and L. Miller, Autodesk |\n| 2011 | DRF v1.0 deck: two principles (user-centricity, metrics-driven), the discovery loop, the knowledge base, research methods by cost of contact |\n| 2012 | Three-track diagram: developer, UX design and UX discovery tracks; e-book draft started |\n| 2013 | designresearchframework.com registered; W+C process deck |\n| 2014 | Discovery/Design loop one-pager; \"The Problem Space\" (people, business, technology) |\n| 2018 | *Trust Architects* article adds economics and governance to the problem space |\n| 2023 | The 6Ds Collaboration Framework worked out |\n| Feb–Mar 2024 | First public pages on this site (below) |\n| 2026 | The Triton method run on PayPaw; the framework rebuilt here as v0.1 |\n\n## The 2024 pages\n\nThese went up on this site in February and March 2024. They are kept here unchanged, with their original dates, as the public record. Several were drafted with AI help at the time, and the framework pages have since moved on.","date_published":"2026-10-25","date_modified":"2026-10-25","tags":["page"],"_drf":{"collection":"pages","source":"https://designresearchframework.com/md/pages/origins","title":"Origins","summary":"One dated timeline, 2010 to now. Dates are shown as they are; no claims beyond them.","type":"page","status":"working","version":0.1,"updated":"2026-10-25"}},{"id":"https://designresearchframework.com/origins/2024/where-it-began-discovering-the-design-research-framework","url":"https://designresearchframework.com/origins/2024/where-it-began-discovering-the-design-research-framework","title":"Where it Began: Discovering the Design-Research Framework","content_text":"Reflecting on my journey over the past 15 years, I have been driven by a quest to simplify and make the deeply complex process of understanding and meeting user needs more accessible. This narrative doesn't belong to me alone; it mirrors the evolution of a discipline that has grappled with integrating human-centered research into modern software development. Thus, the Design-Research Framework (DRF) was born, synthesizing theory, practice, and technological advancement to empower designers, developers, and product managers alike.\n\n## The Problem Space: The Three-Legged Stool\n\nThe heart of the DRF lies in the concept of the problem space, a dynamic interplay between institutional rules and objectives, technical feasibility, and human wants and needs. This triad forms a \"three-legged stool,\" where the seat of strategy is supported by the legs of constraints and desires, each exerting tension on the others. Through this lens, we identify, articulate, and frame design opportunities, transforming challenges into gateways for innovation (Chapter 3: **Navigating the Problem Space**).\n\n## The Infinite Loop: Discovery and Design\n\nThe essence of the Design-Research Framework (DRF) lies in the infinite loop of discovery and design, a cyclical process that champions continuous learning and adaptation. This loop is not a linear path but a fluid journey of exploration, ideation, and refinement, seamlessly integrating insights into every stage of product development. It embodies the iterative spirit of agile methodologies, ensuring that human insights never take a back seat (Chapter 4: **The Infinite Loop of Discovery and Design**).\n\n## The Well-Informed Space: Harnessing Generative AI\n\nThe most transformative component of the Design-Research Framework (DRF) is the well-informed space, a concept that emerged as a solution to the historical challenge of storing and retrieving vast amounts of unstructured information and data accumulated throughout the design process. With the advent of generative AI and large language models, the repository of potential has become an active, accessible wellspring of inspiration. Designers can now draw on past insights to inform future creations (Chapter 5: **The Power of the Well-Informed Space**).\n\n## Bridging Theory and Practice\n\nAs we delve deeper into the DRF through the pages of this book, we not only explore foundational concepts but also connect them to practical applications, real-world case studies, and the latest technological advancements. This journey is not just about understanding a framework; it's about embracing a new way of thinking and doing in the realm of digital product design.\n\nBy sharing this journey, my aim is to offer not just a set of tools but a new perspective on the role of design research in creating products that resonate on a deeply human level. The DRF is more than a methodology; it is a testament to the power of integrating empathy, strategy, and technology in the service of innovation.\n\nWelcome to the journey of the Design-Research Framework—where every challenge becomes an opportunity, every insight is treasured, and the path to innovation is infinite.","date_published":"2024-02-17","date_modified":"2024-02-23","tags":["origin"],"_drf":{"collection":"archive","source":"https://designresearchframework.com/md/archive/where-it-began-discovering-the-design-research-framework","title":"Where it Began: Discovering the Design-Research Framework","type":"origin","published":"2024-02-17","modified":"2024-02-23","original_url":"https://designresearchframework.com/where-it-began-discovering-the-design-research-framework/","order":1}},{"id":"https://designresearchframework.com/origins/2024/user-research-framework-vs-design-research-framework","url":"https://designresearchframework.com/origins/2024/user-research-framework-vs-design-research-framework","title":"\"User Research\" vs. \"Design-Research\"","content_text":"The \"design research framework\" and user research framework are the first two keywords that have appeared in Google's Search Console for this project. It is important to understand the differences between these two concepts. I'll take that as a signal to clarify, it may even spur me to edit so the existing work.\n\nWhen discussing terms such as \"UX research,\" \"User Experience Research,\" and \"user research,\" it is evident that they are often used interchangeably. However, I personally believe that the term \"UX\" suffers from the same reasons why I avoid using it as something tangible, like the term \"UX design.\"\n\n## \"User Research\" is Misguided\n\nIn my opinion, there is no such thing as \"UX design\" because it is not objective. We can create, build, show, and say things, but the experience is subjective and owned by the audience. They have the ability to change, interact, and shape their own experience. As creators, we cannot take that away from them.\n\nTherefore, I don't believe in the concept of \"user experience research.\" Similarly, in the field of psychology, we cannot objectively observe what goes on inside someone's mind. We can only observe their behaviors, make assessments, judgments, and interact with them. Defining their experience objectively is not possible.\n\nExperience is subjective and held by the individual who has it. It is a nuanced and philosophical difference, but a critical one. Only the person themselves can have authority over their own experience.\n\n## Observing Behaviors and Understanding People\n\nWhen comparing design research and UX research, it is important to note that we cannot \"do\" UX research or user experience research. We can only observe behaviors. The term \"user research framework\" came up, which may suggest a more objective approach by focusing on observing the user. However, I believe this dehumanizes them. Our goal is not to manipulate humans into any identity; rather, we seek to understand people so that we can create things that they will appreciate and improve their lives.\n\n## Creating Useful and Delightful Designs\n\nObserving behaviors can lead to important insights that influence design work, but our ultimate goal is to solve problems and create meaningful designs. We should use terminologies that reflect the humanity of individuals, rather than dehumanizing them by referring to them as \"users.\"\n\nIn conclusion, the objective is to create something useful, delightful, and memorable. This is a result of our creativity, design, and ingenuity. Hence, I prefer the term \"design research\" over terms like \"user experience research\" or \"UX research\" because it focuses on the tangible and objective nature of our work. We examine data and information to arrive at evidential findings. Attempting to objectively observe someone's mind is fruitless, but we can analyze their behaviors, interactions, and words to make inferences. Our focus should be on what we can make and build, which is the essence of design.\n\nI am open to discussing and debating the nuanced philosophical differences in this matter and definitely down for hearing how others think or feel about what I'm getting at here.","date_published":"2024-02-21","date_modified":"2024-02-21","tags":["origin"],"_drf":{"collection":"archive","source":"https://designresearchframework.com/md/archive/user-research-framework-vs-design-research-framework","title":"\"User Research\" vs. \"Design-Research\"","type":"origin","published":"2024-02-21","modified":"2024-02-21","original_url":"https://designresearchframework.com/user-research-framework-vs-design-research-framework/","order":2}},{"id":"https://designresearchframework.com/origins/2024/6ds-collaboration-framework-an-overview","url":"https://designresearchframework.com/origins/2024/6ds-collaboration-framework-an-overview","title":"The 6Ds Collaboration Framework: An Overview","content_text":"The 6Ds Collaboration Framework is an innovative approach designed to enhance collaboration and stabilize the digital product creation process. It is structured around three key lenses that define the problem space —Institution, Design, and Technology with focus on the activities needed to understand and execute within these domains. These three lenses align to Zones of Engagement and are associated with specific skill: Strategic, Envisioning, and Making.\n\nThis structure not only promotes specialized focus and expertise [on roles](https://theuxworkshop.com/product-creation-roles/), but also fosters interconnectivity and feedback loops among the phases, ensuring a holistic and adaptive approach to digital product creation.\n\n## 3 Zones of Engagement\n\n### 1. Strategic\n\n**Responsible Party:** Product Experience Manager\n\n**Key Activity:** Manage and communicate Institutional Rules and Objectives\n\n- **Direct:** Establishes the product strategy and roadmap, taking into account market trends, user needs, and the competitive landscape. This phase sets the direction for the project, providing a strategic framework for subsequent phases.\n- **Define:** Involves clearly defining the problem or design challenge by synthesizing information from research, creating a problem statement or design brief that outlines the project's scope and objectives.\n\n### 2. Envisioning\n\n**Responsible Parties:** Content Strategy and Product Design\n\n**Key Activity:** Advocate Human Wants and Needs\n\n- **Discover:** Conducts design research to gather insights about users, their needs, and the context of use. This phase employs various research methods to deeply understand users' pain points and preferences.\n- **Detail (Previously Design):** Focuses on creating concepts and solutions based on insights gathered during the Discover phase. This involves exploring and illustrating varying content and visual design approaches through sketching, wireframing, or creating mock-ups.\n\n### 3. Making\n\n**Responsible Party:** Engineering/Coders\n\n**Key Activity:** Set Expectations for Technical Feasibility\n\n- **Develop:** Collaborates closely with designers and content writer to bring design concepts to life. This phase encompasses coding, testing, and refining the solution, ensuring a seamless integration of design and functionality.\n- **Deploy (previously Deliver):** Launches the finished product into production, coordinating with marketing, sales, and support teams to ensure a successful launch and ongoing performance monitoring.\n\n### Interconnected Infinite Loops\n\nEach zone within the 6Ds Collaboration Framework can be understood as an infinite loop that feeds into itself and links to the other loops, creating a dynamic, interconnected system. This emphasizes the iterative nature of the creation process, allowing for continuous improvement and adaptation:\n\n- **Strategy Loop:** The Define phase feeds back into the Direct phase, allowing for the refinement of the product strategy as new insights and requirements emerge. This loop is influenced by the Discover phase of the Design area, ensuring that design research informs strategic adjustments.\n- **Envision Loop:** The Detail phase leads back into the Discover phase for ongoing research and iteration based on feedback from design concepts and prototypes. This loop is connected to both the Business and Technology areas, allowing design insights to influence business strategies and technological feasibility.\n- **Make Loop:** The Deploy phase connects back to the Develop phase, as the launch of the product provides insights into its performance and areas for improvement. The output of this loop is the product itself. There are monitoring technologies implemented that feed data into the The Well-Informed space. Which then influences the Direct phase of the Strategy Loop completing the macro-level loop.\n\n### Visualizing the Macro-Level Loop\n\nThe entire process is visualized as a macro-level, cyclical process (Direction -> Define -> Discover -> Detail -> Develop -> Deploy -> Direction…), highlighting the continuous, cyclical nature of digital product creation. This model underscores the importance of learning from each phase and applying these insights to enhance future projects, fostering a culture of innovation and adaptability.\n\n### Embracing the 6Ds Collaboration Framework\n\nThe 6Ds Collaboration Framework is more than just a methodology; it's a mindset shift in how we approach digital product development. It calls for breaking down silos, fostering collaboration, and putting the user at the center of every decision. As we delve deeper into each phase in future posts, we'll explore how this framework can be applied to drive success in your projects and organizations.\n\nStay tuned as we embark on this journey together, transforming the way we think about and execute digital product creation.","date_published":"2024-02-23","date_modified":"2024-02-26","tags":["origin"],"_drf":{"collection":"archive","source":"https://designresearchframework.com/md/archive/6ds-collaboration-framework-an-overview","title":"The 6Ds Collaboration Framework: An Overview","type":"origin","published":"2024-02-23","modified":"2024-02-26","original_url":"https://designresearchframework.com/design-research-framework/part-i-the-environment-of-innovation/6ds-collaboration-framework-an-overview/","order":3}},{"id":"https://designresearchframework.com/origins/2024/inspiring-design-innovation-with-the-well-informed-space","url":"https://designresearchframework.com/origins/2024/inspiring-design-innovation-with-the-well-informed-space","title":"Inspiring Design Innovation with The Well-Informed Space","content_text":"The **Well-Informed Space** is a pivotal element of the **Design-Research Framework (DRF)**, tailored to surmount the age-old challenge of efficiently managing and leveraging the deluge of data accumulated during the design process. This space evolves from a mere repository to an active, engaging source of inspiration, thanks to advancements in generative AI and large language models, enhancing the accessibility of past insights to shape future innovations.\n\n### The Evolution of The Well-Informed Space\n\nTraditionally, design processes have been hampered by the cumbersome task of sifting through vast amounts of unstructured information. The Well-Informed Space addresses this by transforming passive data into a dynamic, easily navigable pool of knowledge, thereby fostering a culture of informed creativity and data-driven decision-making within design teams.\n\n### Key Components and Practices\n\n1. **Generative AI and Large Language Models**: These technologies have revolutionized the accessibility and utility of stored data, enabling design teams to engage with historical insights actively. This approach ensures that design decisions are both informed and inspired by past projects and research outcomes.\n2. **Data-Driven Decision Making**: By making historical data and insights readily accessible, the Well-Informed Space empowers teams to base their design decisions on empirical evidence, enhancing the relevance and impact of their work.\n3. **Universal Accessibility**: Ensuring that all team members, regardless of their role or tenure, have unfettered access to the collective knowledge base, the Well-Informed Space democratizes information and fosters a collaborative learning environment.\n4. **Continuous Innovation**: As the field of generative AI continues to evolve, so too will the capabilities of the Well-Informed Space, offering new avenues for leveraging design knowledge in the pursuit of innovation.\n\n### Further Reading and Resources on the Well-Informed Space\n\n- **Exploring UX Research Methods**: To deepen your understanding of the tools and practices that can enrich the Well-Informed Space, delve into various UX research methods such as [card sorting](https://www.maze.co/blog/card-sorting/), [tree testing](https://www.maze.co/blog/tree-testing-guide/), and [usability testing](https://www.toptal.com/designers/ux/ux-research-methods). These methods provide invaluable insights into user behaviors and preferences, informing the content and structure of the Well-Informed Space.\n- **Incorporating User Feedback and Analytics**: Employing tools like [eye tracking](https://www.hotjar.com/blog/eye-tracking/) and [product analytics](https://www.hotjar.com) can offer nuanced insights into how users interact with your designs, further enriching the Well-Informed Space with actionable data.\n- **Engagement with the Design Community**: Keeping abreast of the latest trends and discussions in the design research community can provide fresh perspectives and innovative ideas for enhancing the Well-Informed Space. Engaging with thought leaders and participating in forums can be particularly enlightening.\n\n### Conclusion\n\nThe Well-Informed Space is not just a component of the Design-Research Framework; it's a catalyst for transformative design innovation. By harnessing the collective intelligence of design teams and leveraging cutting-edge AI technologies, it opens new horizons for creativity and problem-solving in the digital age.","date_published":"2024-02-20","date_modified":"2024-02-23","tags":["origin"],"_drf":{"collection":"archive","source":"https://designresearchframework.com/md/archive/inspiring-design-innovation-with-the-well-informed-space","title":"Inspiring Design Innovation with The Well-Informed Space","type":"origin","published":"2024-02-20","modified":"2024-02-23","original_url":"https://designresearchframework.com/design-research-framework/part-ii-the-pillars-of-the-design-research-framework/inspiring-design-innovation-with-the-well-informed-space/","order":4}},{"id":"https://designresearchframework.com/origins/2024/design-research-and-feedback-loops","url":"https://designresearchframework.com/origins/2024/design-research-and-feedback-loops","title":"Design Research and Feedback Loops","content_text":"The Design-Research Framework (DRF) stands as a beacon for teams navigating the complex waters of digital product design, irrespective of their chosen development methodology—Agile or Waterfall. This framework not only embraces the iterative nature of Agile but also complements the structured phases of Waterfall, ensuring that design research and feedback loops are integrated seamlessly into each step of the product development process.\n\n### Agile Environment Application\n\nIn Agile environments, the DRF emphasizes rapid iteration and continuous feedback. Here, design research and design thinking are embedded in sprints, allowing teams to quickly pivot based on design feedback and insights. Essential tools include:\n\n- **Prototyping tools** like Sketch and Figma facilitate quick creation and iteration of design concepts.\n- **User testing platforms** such as UsabilityHub or Lookback.io enable real-time feedback and user testing sessions.\n- **Collaboration tools** like Jira and Trello ensure that insights and feedback are shared across teams, fostering a culture of continuous improvement.\n\nThe DRF in Agile thrives on short, feedback-driven cycles, allowing for the constant refining of product features based on actual user interactions and data.\n\n### Waterfall Environment Application\n\nIn Waterfall methodologies, the DRF provides a structured approach to integrate product design research upfront and ensure that insights guide the design from the very beginning. Essential tools and methods include:\n\n- **Comprehensive design research** at the outset, utilizing tools like surveys (SurveyMonkey) and interviews to gather deep insights.\n- **Detailed prototyping and wireframing**, using tools like Axure RP, to define and validate user flows and interfaces before full-scale development begins.\n- **Validation methods** such as A/B testing and usability testing, conducted at specific milestones, ensure that the product meets user needs before moving to the next phase.\n\nIn Waterfall, the DRF ensures that user needs and insights are captured and addressed from the start, reducing the need for costly revisions later in the development cycle.\n\n### Integration of Design Research and Feedback Loops\n\nCentral to the DRF is the integration of design research and feedback loops at every stage. This involves:\n\n- **Continuous user engagement** through surveys, interviews, and usability testing to gather ongoing insights.\n- **Data analysis tools** like Google Analytics and Hotjar to monitor user behavior and feedback in real-time.\n- **Iterative design and testing**, where insights from one stage inform the next, ensuring the product evolves in alignment with user needs.\n\n### Design Research: Prototyping, Testing, and Validation Methods\n\nEffective prototyping, testing, and validation are crucial for both Agile and Waterfall environments, enabling teams to explore ideas, identify issues, and refine solutions quickly. Methods include:\n\n- **Rapid prototyping** to quickly explore concepts and gather user feedback.\n- **Iterative testing**, where prototypes are tested and refined based on user interactions.\n- **Validation techniques** such as usability testing, A/B testing, and field studies to ensure the final product aligns with user expectations and solves real problems.\n\nThe DRF, with its focus on user-centered design, fosters a culture where every team member is attuned to the users' needs and empowered to create products that truly resonate. By applying the DRF within Agile and Waterfall environments, teams can harness the full spectrum of design research and feedback, driving innovation and delivering products that meet and exceed user expectations.\n\n### Further Reading:\n\n1. **\"Agile and Design Thinking — How Can They Go Well Together?\" – UX Magazine** – This article delves into the integration of Agile and Design Thinking, highlighting the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) and its approach to blending quick customer feedback and iterative development with a deep understanding of human behavior and customer goals. [Read more on UX Magazine](https://uxmag.com/)\n2. **\"Agile design processes and guidelines | Atlassian\"** – Offers guidelines for Agile teams struggling with design integration, focusing on overcoming challenges related to high-fidelity designs, designer allocation, feedback reporting, and codebase structure. It also discusses collaborative design in Agile teams to improve workflow and prevent silos. [Explore on Atlassian](https://www.atlassian.com/)\n3. **\"What is Agile Design Methodology and how to apply it?\" – Adam Fard Studio** – Provides an overview of Agile as a people-oriented management system, contrasting it with the Waterfall methodology. It outlines the iterative and evolutionary nature of Agile, emphasizing the importance of regular communication and feedback for addressing pressing issues quickly. [Discover more at Adam Fard Studio](https://adamfard.com/)","date_published":"2024-02-20","date_modified":"2024-02-23","tags":["origin"],"_drf":{"collection":"archive","source":"https://designresearchframework.com/md/archive/design-research-and-feedback-loops","title":"Design Research and Feedback Loops","type":"origin","published":"2024-02-20","modified":"2024-02-23","original_url":"https://designresearchframework.com/design-research-framework/part-i-the-environment-of-innovation/design-research-and-feedback-loops/","order":5}},{"id":"https://designresearchframework.com/origins/2024/what-is-design-thinking-an-overview","url":"https://designresearchframework.com/origins/2024/what-is-design-thinking-an-overview","title":"What is Design Thinking? An Overview","content_text":"Design Thinking integrates the needs of people, the possibilities of technology, and the requirements for business success. It's not just a buzzword; it's a systematic process that aims to solve complex problems in a user-centric way. This methodology has transformed the way companies develop products, services, and strategies, making it an essential tool for digital product designers and strategists.\n\nAt its core, Design Thinking is about empathy. It starts with understanding the users' needs, frustrations, and desires. This empathetic foundation ensures that solutions are not just technically feasible and economically viable but also deeply resonant with users. By putting people at the center of the design process, Design Thinking enables innovators to create more meaningful, user-friendly solutions.\n\nThe process typically unfolds in five stages: Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test. However, it's not a linear pathway but rather an iterative loop, where insights gained in the testing phase might circle back to redefine the problem or generate new ideas.\n\n## Empathize\n\nThis first step is about immersing yourself in the users' environment to grasp their experiences and emotions. It's where designers observe, engage, and empathize with the people for whom they are designing, to understand their needs and motivations.\n\n## Define\n\nThe insights gathered during the empathy stage feed into the definition phase, where designers articulate the user needs and problems. This stage frames the challenge in a user-centered way, setting the direction for the ideation phase.\n\n## Ideate\n\nWith a clear problem statement in hand, the ideation phase is where creativity comes to the forefront. Designers brainstorm a range of ideas without constraints, encouraging wild solutions that can be refined and focused later.\n\n## Prototype\n\nPrototyping is about bringing ideas to life. These can be scaled-down versions of the product or specific features, allowing designers to explore the problem spaces and investigate the potential solutions more concretely.\n\n## Test\n\nFinally, testing these prototypes with users provides valuable feedback, which can validate assumptions, reveal new insights, and highlight areas for improvement. This feedback loop is crucial for refining and improving the solution.\n\nDesign Thinking's beauty lies in its flexibility. It can be applied to virtually any field or challenge, from creating a new product or service to improving existing systems or solving social issues. Moreover, it encourages a culture of innovation, collaboration, and user empathy, making it a powerful tool for teams and organizations aiming to create impactful solutions.\n\nAt Design-Research Framework, we believe in the transformative power of Design Thinking. Our goal is to demystify this process, providing practical guidance and insights that can be applied in your day-to-day work. Whether you're new to Design Thinking or looking to deepen your understanding, we're here to support your journey towards becoming a more effective, empathetic, and innovative designer.\n\nStay tuned as we dive deeper into each stage of the Design Thinking process in the coming weeks, offering tips, tools, and techniques to help you apply these principles to your projects. Join us in embracing Design Thinking, and let's create solutions that truly meet the needs of our users.","date_published":"2024-02-15","date_modified":"2024-02-27","tags":["origin"],"_drf":{"collection":"archive","source":"https://designresearchframework.com/md/archive/what-is-design-thinking-an-overview","title":"What is Design Thinking? An Overview","type":"origin","published":"2024-02-15","modified":"2024-02-27","original_url":"https://designresearchframework.com/design-research-framework/part-i-the-environment-of-innovation/what-is-design-thinking-an-overview/","order":6}},{"id":"https://designresearchframework.com/origins/2024/overview-of-design-thinking-models","url":"https://designresearchframework.com/origins/2024/overview-of-design-thinking-models","title":"Overview of Design Thinking Models","content_text":"Design thinking models provide structured frameworks for approaching complex problems by focusing on understanding users, challenging assumptions, redefining problems, and creating innovative solutions to prototype and test. Here are some widely recognized design thinking models:\n\n### Popular Design Thinking Models\n\n1. **The Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford (d.school) Model**: This is one of the most well-known models, which outlines five phases: Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test. This iterative process encourages understanding users, challenging assumptions, redefining problems, and creating innovative solutions. Learn more: [IxD Foundation](https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/article/5-stages-in-the-design-thinking-process)\n2. **IDEO's Design Thinking Model**: Similar to the Stanford model, IDEO, a global design company, employs a user-centered methodology that emphasizes observation, collaboration, fast learning, visualization of ideas, rapid concept prototyping, and concurrent business analysis. Learn more: [IDEO](https://designthinking.ideo.com/)\n3. **The British Design Council's Double Diamond**: This model divides the design process into four distinct phases – Discover, Define, Develop, and Deliver. The process is visualized as two diamonds, representing a process of exploring an issue more broadly or deeply (divergent thinking) and then taking focused action (convergent thinking). Learn more: [British Design Council](https://www.designcouncil.org.uk/our-resources/the-double-diamond/)\n4. **IBM's Loop Model**: IBM's model focuses on a continuous loop of Observe, Reflect, and Make. This model emphasizes the importance of continuous iteration and feedback, suggesting that design thinking is an ongoing process of learning and creating. Learn more: [IBM's Enterprise Design Thinking Model](https://www.ibm.com/design/thinking/page/framework/loop/)\n5. **Google's Sprint Model**: Developed at Google Ventures, it's a five-day process for answering critical business questions through design, prototyping, and testing ideas with customers. It's highly structured and aimed at quickly developing and validating solutions. Learn more: [Google Design](https://design.google/library/design-sprints)\n6. **LUMA Institute's System of Innovation**: The LUMA system proposes a flexible approach to design thinking, consisting of 36 methods grouped into three key categories: Looking, Understanding, and Making. This system is adaptable and can be tailored to fit various types of projects and teams. Learn more: [LUMA Institute](https://www.luma-institute.com/)\n\nEach model has its own unique focus and approach but shares common principles of empathy, collaboration, experimentation, and iterative learning. The choice of model can depend on the specific project, team, and objectives at hand.","date_published":"2024-02-22","date_modified":"2024-02-23","tags":["origin"],"_drf":{"collection":"archive","source":"https://designresearchframework.com/md/archive/overview-of-design-thinking-models","title":"Overview of Design Thinking Models","type":"origin","published":"2024-02-22","modified":"2024-02-23","original_url":"https://designresearchframework.com/design-research-framework/part-i-the-environment-of-innovation/overview-of-design-thinking-models/","order":7}},{"id":"https://designresearchframework.com/origins/2024/why-collaboration-is-important","url":"https://designresearchframework.com/origins/2024/why-collaboration-is-important","title":"Why Collaboration is Important","content_text":"Everyone is responsible for delivering a great user experience.\n\nBy fostering a collaborative environment where all teams contribute to and access the Well-Informed Space, you emphasize the shared responsibility for delivering a great user experience. This approach can lead to more effective, user-centered products that meet the needs of your target audience.\n\nHere are some benefits of a collaborative approach to product development:\n\n1. Holistic understanding: When everyone has access to research findings and insights, teams can develop a more comprehensive understanding of the project and the users' needs. This shared knowledge helps align all teams around the same goals and objectives.\n2. Cross-functional communication: Encouraging open communication between Business, Design, and Technology teams can lead to more innovative and effective solutions. By sharing ideas, feedback, and insights, teams can learn from each other and build on their collective expertise.\n3. Improved decision-making: When all team members have access to the Well-Informed Space, they can make more informed decisions based on the available data and insights. This can lead to better choices throughout the project, ultimately resulting in a more successful product.\n4. Faster iterations: A collaborative approach can accelerate the product development process by reducing barriers between teams and streamlining the flow of information. This can help teams iterate and improve more quickly, leading to a more refined final product.\n5. Greater ownership and commitment: When everyone is involved in creating a great user experience, team members are likely to feel more invested in the project and committed to its success. This sense of ownership can drive teams to work together more effectively and deliver better results.\n\nBy emphasizing collaboration and shared responsibility for delivering a great user experience, you can create a strong foundation for successful product development. This approach fosters a culture of teamwork, innovation, and continuous improvement, leading to better products and more satisfied users.","date_published":"2024-02-26","date_modified":"2024-02-26","tags":["origin"],"_drf":{"collection":"archive","source":"https://designresearchframework.com/md/archive/why-collaboration-is-important","title":"Why Collaboration is Important","type":"origin","published":"2024-02-26","modified":"2024-02-26","original_url":"https://designresearchframework.com/design-research-framework/part-i-the-environment-of-innovation/why-collaboration-is-important/","order":8}},{"id":"https://designresearchframework.com/origins/2024/what-is-design-research","url":"https://designresearchframework.com/origins/2024/what-is-design-research","title":"What is Design Research?","content_text":"Design research is an essential part of the discovery process, as it provides valuable insights into user needs, behaviors, and preferences. Here are some steps and methods to consider when building or enhancing your own design research framework:\n\n1. Define your research objectives: Start by identifying the goals and objectives of your research. This will help guide your research activities and ensure that you collect relevant and actionable insights.\n2. Choose your research methods: Design research can be conducted using a variety of qualitative and quantitative methods. Some popular methods include:\n    - User interviews: Conduct one-on-one interviews with users to gain deep insights into their needs, motivations, and pain points.\n    - Surveys and questionnaires: Collect quantitative data from a larger group of users to validate trends and hypotheses.\n    - Observations and contextual inquiries: Observe users in their natural environment to better understand their behaviors, habits, and interactions with products or services.\n    - Usability testing: Test your prototypes or existing products with users to identify usability issues and areas for improvement.\n    - Focus groups: Conduct group discussions to gather diverse perspectives and opinions on a specific topic or problem.\n3. Recruit and select participants: Define your target user group and recruit participants who represent that group. This can be done through various channels, such as social media, email, or using a recruitment agency.\n4. Prepare research materials: Develop interview guides, questionnaires, or other materials needed for your chosen research methods. Ensure that your materials are clear, concise, and cover the key topics you want to explore.\n5. Conduct the research: Execute your research activities by following your plan and using your prepared materials. Be adaptable and open to new insights that may emerge during the process.\n6. Analyze and synthesize the data: After collecting your research data, analyze and synthesize the information to identify patterns, trends, and key insights. This may involve coding qualitative data, creating affinity diagrams, or using data visualization tools for quantitative data.\n7. Communicate your findings: Present your research findings to your team or stakeholders in a clear and engaging manner. Use visual aids, such as infographics or journey maps, to help illustrate your insights.\n8. Apply your findings to the design process: Use the insights from your research to inform your design decisions and validate your assumptions. This will help ensure that your solutions effectively address user needs and create a positive user experience.\n\nRemember that design research is an iterative process. You may need to revisit some of these steps or adjust your approach as new information comes to light or as your project evolves.","date_published":"2024-02-26","date_modified":"2024-02-26","tags":["origin"],"_drf":{"collection":"archive","source":"https://designresearchframework.com/md/archive/what-is-design-research","title":"What is Design Research?","type":"origin","published":"2024-02-26","modified":"2024-02-26","original_url":"https://designresearchframework.com/design-research-framework/part-ii-the-pillars-of-the-design-research-framework/what-is-design-research/","order":9}},{"id":"https://designresearchframework.com/origins/2024/design-discovery-for-innovative-products-and-services","url":"https://designresearchframework.com/origins/2024/design-discovery-for-innovative-products-and-services","title":"Design Discovery for Innovative Products and Services","content_text":"### The Pathway to Insightful Design: Unveiling the Discovery + Detail Loop\n\nIn the landscape of product and service design, the journey from initial concept to a solution that truly resonates with users is navigated through a profound process known as the Discovery + Detail Loop. This iterative cycle emphasizes the continuous interplay between broad exploration and focused refinement, a dance between understanding users deeply and crafting the details that matter. At the heart of the Discovery phase of this loop lie four essential activities: Listen/Observe, Interpret, and Model. Each represents a critical step toward achieving empathy and innovation in design.\n\n### Listen/Observe: Unearthing Genuine User Needs\n\nThe first step within the Discovery phase, Listen/Observe, is where designers adopt the roles of empathetic researchers, diving into the users' world without preconceived notions. This stage is about capturing the reality of users' lives, their interactions, frustrations, and joys. Techniques such as ethnographic studies, in-depth interviews, and direct observation are employed to gather nuanced insights, providing a raw, unfiltered view into the user's experiences.\n\n### Interpret: Synthesizing Data into Meaningful Insights\n\nTransitioning from gathering data to making sense of it, the Interpret stage is where the magic of analysis happens. Designers sift through the collected data, looking for patterns, anomalies, and deeper insights that can inform design strategies. This analytical endeavor often involves collaborative workshops, affinity diagramming, and the creation of empathy maps, transforming disparate observations into a coherent understanding of user needs and aspirations.\n\n### Model: Visualizing the User Experience\n\nArmed with a deep understanding of user insights, the Model stage is where abstract knowledge is transformed into concrete representations of the user experience. Designers create personas, journey maps, and service blueprints, each serving as a tool to visualize and communicate the essence of the user's interactions with the product or service. These models are not just representations; they are the foundations upon which impactful design decisions are made, guiding the development process toward solutions that genuinely resonate with users.\n\n### Embracing the Loop: The Heartbeat of Design Innovation\n\nThe Discovery + Detail Loop is a testament to the dynamic nature of designing for user experiences. It recognizes that understanding users is not a one-time task but an ongoing journey that continuously informs the design of products and services. By embracing this loop, designers ensure that their work is deeply rooted in user insights, crafting experiences that are not just usable but truly meaningful.","date_published":"2024-03-07","date_modified":"2024-03-07","tags":["origin"],"_drf":{"collection":"archive","source":"https://designresearchframework.com/md/archive/design-discovery-for-innovative-products-and-services","title":"Design Discovery for Innovative Products and Services","type":"origin","published":"2024-03-07","modified":"2024-03-07","original_url":"https://designresearchframework.com/design-discovery-for-innovative-products-and-services/","order":10}},{"id":"https://designresearchframework.com/origins/2024/design-research-framework","url":"https://designresearchframework.com/origins/2024/design-research-framework","title":"Design-Research Framework (2024 book outline)","content_text":"### Introduction: The Genesis of a Framework\n\n- Welcome and Purpose: Introducing the blog and its mission to redefine digital product creation.\n- From where did the Design-Research Framework come? A Personal Journey: My evolution from a digital product designer to a thought leader in design research.\n\n### Part I: The Environment of Innovation\n\n- **The Digital Product Landscape**: Overview of current trends, challenges, and opportunities in digital product development.\n- **The 6Ds Collaboration Framework**: Detailed exploration of the 6Ds Framework as a model for efficient and innovative product development.\n    - Agile or Waterfall environments – not either or, but both. User Research and Feedback Loops\n- **Understanding Business Dynamics**: Insights into how business objectives and rules shape product strategy.\n- Sustainability Topics\n- **Navigating Design Challenges**: Strategies for addressing human wants and needs through empathetic design. Overview of Design Thinking Models\n- **Leveraging Technology for Feasibility**: The critical role of technology in realizing design visions and achieving product goals.\n\n### Part II: Deep Dive into the Design-Research Framework\n\n1. **Introducing the DRF**: Foundation and principles of the Design-Research Framework.\n2. **The Problem Space Explored**: Examination of the problem space, including institutional constraints, technical feasibility, and user needs.\n3. **The Infinite Loop of Innovation**: Discussion on the iterative process of discovery and design within the DRF.\n4. **The Well-Informed Space Unveiled**: How the DRF leverages generative AI and large language models for data management and inspiration.\n\n### Part III: Implementing the Framework\n\n1. **Case Studies: Success Stories and Lessons Learned**: Real-world examples of the DRF in action across various industries.\n2. **Strategies for Adoption**: Tips for integrating the DRF and the 6Ds Framework into existing workflows and corporate cultures.\n3. **Tools and Technologies**: Overview of essential tools and technologies that support the DRF and enhance product development processes.\n\n### Part IV: Cultivating a Culture of Continuous Innovation\n\n1. **Leadership in the Age of Innovation**: The role of leadership in fostering a culture that embraces continuous learning and adaptation.\n2. **Building Collaborative Teams**: Strategies for assembling and nurturing teams that thrive on innovation and collaboration. Include remote collaboration.\n3. **Looking Ahead: The Future of Design and Innovation**: Predictions for the evolution of design thinking, the DRF, and digital product development.\n\n### Conclusion: A Call to Action for Innovators\n\n- Summarizing the journey and inviting readers to embark on their own path of innovation using the insights and strategies discussed.\n\n### Appendices\n\n- Glossary of Key Terms, Further Reading and Resources, Templates, and Checklists.\n\n### Index\n\nThis outline is structured to facilitate the gradual release of content that is both standalone in its value on a blog and cohesive when compiled into a book. Each section is designed to engage your target audience—business leaders, product managers, designers, and developers—by addressing their specific challenges and providing practical, actionable solutions. This approach not only positions you as a thought leader in the field but also builds a comprehensive resource that your audience can refer to time and again.","date_published":"2024-02-23","date_modified":"2024-02-23","tags":["origin"],"_drf":{"collection":"archive","source":"https://designresearchframework.com/md/archive/design-research-framework","title":"Design-Research Framework (2024 book outline)","type":"origin","published":"2024-02-23","modified":"2024-02-23","original_url":"https://designresearchframework.com/design-research-framework/","order":11,"note":"Links in the original pointed to private Notion pages and have been removed. The page's theme leftovers (empty \"Watch, Read, Listen\" block and a signup with no form) are not reproduced."}},{"id":"https://designresearchframework.com/origins/2024/part-i-the-environment-of-innovation","url":"https://designresearchframework.com/origins/2024/part-i-the-environment-of-innovation","title":"Part I: The Environment of Innovation","content_text":"In this section, we delve into the intricacies of digital product innovation, covering everything from the current landscape to the dynamics influencing product strategy. We will explore the 6Ds Collaboration Framework as a prime model for innovative product development and discuss how to navigate design challenges with empathy and understanding. Furthermore, we will look at how technology can be harnessed effectively to realize design visions and meet product goals.\n\n1. **The Digital Product Innovation Landscape**: Overview of current trends, challenges, and opportunities in digital product innovation, design, and development.\n2. **The 6Ds Collaboration Framework**: Detailed exploration of the 6Ds Framework as a model for efficient and innovative product development.\n    - [The 6Ds Collaboration Framework: An Overview](/origins/2024/6ds-collaboration-framework-an-overview)\n    - Agile or Waterfall environments – not either or, but both\n    - [Design Research and Feedback Loops](/origins/2024/design-research-and-feedback-loops)\n3. **Understanding Business Dynamics**: Insights into how business objectives and rules shape product strategy.\n4. **Navigating Design Challenges**: Strategies for addressing human wants and needs through empathetic design.\n    - [Overview of Design Thinking Models](/origins/2024/overview-of-design-thinking-models)\n5. **Leveraging Technology for Feasibility**: The critical role of technology in realizing design visions and achieving product goals.","date_published":"2024-02-23","date_modified":"2024-02-23","tags":["origin"],"_drf":{"collection":"archive","source":"https://designresearchframework.com/md/archive/part-i-the-environment-of-innovation","title":"Part I: The Environment of Innovation","type":"origin","published":"2024-02-23","modified":"2024-02-23","original_url":"https://designresearchframework.com/design-research-framework/part-i-the-environment-of-innovation/","order":12}},{"id":"https://designresearchframework.com/origins/2024/part-ii-the-pillars-of-the-design-research-framework","url":"https://designresearchframework.com/origins/2024/part-ii-the-pillars-of-the-design-research-framework","title":"Part II: The Pillars of the Design-Research Framework","content_text":"1. **The Problem-Space**\n    - Identifying and defining user problems\n    - Problem Articulation\n    - Case studies and examples\n    - **Learn more:** (Coming Soon)\n2. **The Infinite Loop: Navigating the Process**\n    - Discover, Design, Develop, Deploy – detailed exploration\n    - Iteration and flexibility in design thinking\n    - **Learn more:** [The 6Ds Collaboration Framework: An Overview](/origins/2024/6ds-collaboration-framework-an-overview)\n3. **The Well-Informed Space**\n    - Building and maintaining a knowledge repository\n    - Leveraging insights for informed decision-making\n    - **Learn more:** [Inspiring Design Innovation with The Well-Informed Space](/origins/2024/inspiring-design-innovation-with-the-well-informed-space)","date_published":"2024-02-23","date_modified":"2024-02-23","tags":["origin"],"_drf":{"collection":"archive","source":"https://designresearchframework.com/md/archive/part-ii-the-pillars-of-the-design-research-framework","title":"Part II: The Pillars of the Design-Research Framework","type":"origin","published":"2024-02-23","modified":"2024-02-23","original_url":"https://designresearchframework.com/design-research-framework/part-ii-the-pillars-of-the-design-research-framework/","order":13}},{"id":"https://designresearchframework.com/origins/2024/digital-product-innovation-landscape","url":"https://designresearchframework.com/origins/2024/digital-product-innovation-landscape","title":"Digital Product Innovation Landscape in 2024","content_text":"The realm of digital product innovation is rapidly evolving. A surge in technological advancements, shifts in customer behavior, and heightened market competition are propelling this transformation. These factors are not only influencing digital product design but also the engineering processes involved in product development.\n\n## Digital Product Innovation Considerations\n\nInnovation in the digital economy is driven by various factors. *Trends in Digital Product Creation* discuss that customer behavior changes, technological advancements, and market competition are major contributors. Companies face the challenge of staying ahead of these changes and leveraging them to their advantage. This requires a deep understanding of the digital market and innovative engineering solutions.\n\nProduct engineering in the digital space comes with its own share of challenges. As highlighted in the *[Top 10 Challenges in Digital Product Engineering](https://www.ust.com/en/insights/top-10-challenges-in-digital-product-engineering-conquering-complexity-and-embracing-innovation)*, managing complexity, ensuring product quality, and maintaining speed and agility in development are some of the key challenges. Companies need to focus on robust testing strategies, iterative development, and continuous learning to overcome these hurdles.\n\nAccording to McKinsey's *[Product development for the digital economy](https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/operations/our-insights/accelerating-product-development-the-tools-you-need-now)*, product development in the digital economy requires a fresh approach. This approach needs to be customer-centric, data-driven, and agile. To stay competitive, companies need to embrace digital transformation and invest in digital product engineering.\n\nThe future of digital product innovation is exciting, with emerging trends such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and blockchain technology shaping the landscape. These technologies offer thrilling opportunities for product innovation. However, they also present new challenges that companies must be prepared to tackle. The *[Digital Trends 2024](https://www.semrush.com/blog/digital-trends-exploring-key-digital-marketing-innovations/)* report provides a comprehensive overview of these key digital marketing innovations.\n\nIn Emma Harris's *[A Comprehensive Guide to Digital Product Engineering in 2024](https://medium.com/@iemmahais/a-comprehensive-guide-to-digital-product-engineering-in-2024-bf2d87a9016e)*, she emphasizes the need for companies to revolutionize their approach towards digital product engineering. This shift is critical for companies to capitalize on the opportunities presented by the digital economy.\n\nThe *[Digital Product Revolution: Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities](https://www.xerago.com/digital-product-revolution)* article concludes that digital product innovation has a promising future. However, companies must be prepared to address the challenges that come with these advancements.\n\nIn conclusion, the digital economy is transforming the way we approach product development. Companies must adapt to these changes and take a proactive, innovative approach to stay competitive in this exciting landscape.","date_published":"2024-02-29","date_modified":"2024-02-29","tags":["origin"],"_drf":{"collection":"archive","source":"https://designresearchframework.com/md/archive/digital-product-innovation-landscape","title":"Digital Product Innovation Landscape in 2024","type":"origin","published":"2024-02-29","modified":"2024-02-29","original_url":"https://designresearchframework.com/digital-product-innovation-landscape/","order":14}}]}