Get Clear
Clarify aim; set boundaries.
In this step, success is defined. This definition of success will be used across the entire design process. In particular, two things must be accomplished before proceeding further:
Clarify the Aim by identifying a clear goal, desired outcomes or challenge. The design practitioners help the design owner do so in measurable “results” terms. For example, it is not OK to just say “improve.” Designers need a clear challenge to “measure” their ideas against. This challenge can be stated in terms of increased access (e.g. serve 20% more people within existing money and staff). They can be stated in terms of improved outcomes (e.g. improve - by 10% - the health outcomes of County residents seeking mental health/addiction services, as measured by three biometric barometers). The only exception to this would be where a design lab is commissioned to “solve” a knotty or complex problem, and the aim is for new solution(s) or a new strategy to address it.
Set the Boundaries. The design practitioners help the owner set the parameters, including resources available, any preferred solutions that must be considered, and what, if anything, is off limits. Contrary to what might be thought, this actually frees up thinking! (If there are no boundaries, people’s ideas tend to stick closer to “home.”) Design parameters help set the “playing field” – and the ground rules.
At the close of this step, The Success Definition is written and agreed upon with the project’s owner. It contains a short list of outcomes the design should produce. The parameters, including scope and limitations, focus the design work and make it real. The Success Definition is given to designers up front, and is used to “test” the efficacy of design ideas throughout the invention process and especially at the end.