Dick Buchanan offered us some "Dutch Uncle Advice" (whatever that means) and gave an overview of what he thinks the design process is for projects.1) Vision and strategy. First, you have to understand the governing practices of the organization you are working for and study the surrounding circumstances. Deliverable is typically a brief.
2) Explore the brief. The team has to agree on an interpretation of the brief, lest it take a "drunk-man's walk" around the project. You need to discover what the real problem that will be addressed is and understand the goal of the project. Brainstorming, research, observation, and documentation are the activities of this period.
3) Conception, invention, and judgment. Invent possible concepts and then judge which ones are viable. Make an argument about the solution. In design, "we make our arguments by making stuff." Frequent visualization is the activity of this period.
4) Disposition and evaluation. Once you have an idea, you need to develop it. Take the idea, make prototypes, and test them with users. "Prototype, evaluate, prototype, evaluate, prototype, evaluate until you get it right." The making is important.
5) Delivery. Present your results. Oral and written presentations and prototype demonstration.
6) Implementation. This is a distinct design problem in itself. The product has to work within the organization, so the organization has to adopt the idea. "A cool idea," Dick reminded us, "don't mean shit. It has to be made." This is all about stewardship of a product within an organization. Sometimes, this is best accomplished by someone outside the organization. "Sometimes you have to hear things from a guy with a briefcase from out of town."
Steps 2-5 are the literal/narrow/traditional view of design, while steps 1 and 6 are new, and are the more expansive view of design today. Various firms and designers specialize in each of these steps.
