Double Diamond Approach

Structure your innovation journey from exploration to execution

method

Corporate Innovation

Innovation Process Stage

Go to Canvas

time effort

min.

Level

Intermediate

Group Size

3-10

The Double Diamond Approach is a design and innovation process framework. It facilitates structured exploration and problem-solving by alternating between broad thinking (divergence) and focused action (convergence), leading to actionable innovation opportunities.

Companies have long recognized that innovation is essential to staying competitive. They launch design sprints, host hackathons, and invest in cutting-edge technology. Yet, despite these efforts, many organizations remain unsatisfied with their innovation outcomes. The issue often isn’t a lack of creativity — it’s the absence of a clear, repeatable process for turning ideas into solutions.

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To solve this problem, there is an approach called the Double Diamond.

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This framework guides teams through a structured process of divergent and convergent thinking. It helps organizations move from exploring messy problem spaces to defining, developing, and delivering actionable innovations.

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So the key is to structure your innovation journey from exploration to execution!

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how does  the method work?

You can apply the Double Diamond using four key steps:

Discover: Gather insights about users, trends, and contexts.
Define: Narrow down to the core opportunity or challenge.
Develop: Ideate, prototype, and experiment with possible solutions.
Deliver: Test, refine, and implement the idea that best meets user and business needs.

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Step by Step Guide

The Double Diamond divides the innovation process into two phases:‍ Problem definition and solution creation.‍‍ Each contains a divergent and a convergent stage:

Diverge (Discover) – In this first stage, the goal is to understand the trends present in your context. It involves broad exploration and gathering insights to identify relevant trends and themes.

Converge (Define) – After exploring the trends, the next step is to define which trends or trend clusters are of interest. This narrows down the focus to areas that are most relevant for innovation.

Diverge (Develop) – In the second diamond, the process moves into deeper exploration, where you dive deeper into selected trends to gain a thorough understanding. This stage encourages creative thinking and solution exploration.

Converge (Deliver) – Finally, the process concludes with assessing and mapping the trends to derive implications. This step is where insights are refined into concrete innovation opportunities that align with the organization's goals.