Introducing the Designer’s 'Black Box'

The Double Diamond model has long been a staple in design thinking, visually outlining the process from problem to solution through divergent and convergent phases. Yet, many design experts have criticised the model’s linear portrayal, as it often simplifies the iterative and fluid nature of design.

To my experience, many design students initially approach this process with the misconception that simply following methods and filling out templates will magically generate ideas.

The Designer as a Black Box Mediator

While this critique is widely acknowledged, I want to propose an addition to the conversation: the concept of the 'black box.' Acting as a mediator between each phase of the Double Diamond, whether in the discovery or delivery phase, the black box plays a pivotal role.

The black box symbolises the designer’s mind—a dynamic space where creativity, intuition, and experience transform inputs into refined ideas.

Research findings, user feedback, and insights enter this space, and through the designer’s lens, they evolve into actionable strategies or prototypes. The process is fluid, encouraging designers to move between stages and challenge the misconception that design is a purely linear journey.

By reimagining the Double Diamond with designers as a central 'black box' at its core, we move closer to representing the true complexity of design thinking—where intuition is just as vital as research, and iteration drives innovation.

As designers, we must embrace the dynamic nature of our work, acknowledging that jumping between phases, revisiting problems, and refining solutions is part of the process. This perspective celebrates the role of the designer, not as a passive follower of steps, but as an active, agile problem-solver navigating through the 'black box' to create meaningful solutions.

The magic of innovation happens in the black box —the designer's mind—where insights transform into solutions, guided by the designer's intuition and experience.