Discover
Explore the challenge: what do you know already, and what do you need to know?
Gather information so that you can identify the challenge you will focus on. This will help ensure it is the right issue to focus resources on and that you have the data you need to make informed decisions and move forward effectively.
Explore the challenge through user research with people who provide, use and experience your service. Consider the wider range of people involved, including potential or non-users, and families and carers. Check if your organisation already has information that could be useful. Use desk research to access additional information and broaden your understanding.
Plan for ethical and inclusive user research from the outset.
Start with the why, and then select the tool
There are a wide range of tools available for each stage of the design process. It is important to think about what you seek to achieve and then to find or create a tool that would help you to do that.
You can find a full list of tools in the Tool Directory, but here are some suggestions to get you started in Discovery: