Practical Design Discovery

A Book Apart #22

by Dan M. Brown

Design discovery is crucial to a project’s success—unite your team in an approach toward a common goal. Explore the role of discovery in product design, how to use and structure your favorite techniques for success, and how to synthesize and document what you learn. With Dan Brown’s flexible framework for planning and practicing discovery activities, you’ll set every design endeavor on the right path.

Genres: Design, Nonfiction, Research, Business, Professional Development, Technology

144 pages, ebook

Published February 14, 2017

Reviews

[Raluca · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's a small collection of tips & tricks. It feels to me more of a collection of articles put into a book.

Describes what each stage of the design discovery process is about, but does not go in depth with the topics. Since I have read a lot about discovery earlier, I don't feel the book has helped in any way.

[Dave · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dan Brown names an important and overlooked part of the design process so that we can rightly attend to it. The book discusses discovery activities, the discovery mindset, and a set artifacts aligned to a 4-quadrant model: Gather, Process, Explore, Analyze. Light stories serve as a bit of a backbone to describe traps, pitfalls, and tie activities together between phases.

The model itself is a 2x2, set against Framing + Direction-setting (horizontal) and Converging + Diverging (vertical). With descriptions of tools, activities, anecdotal examples and abstract samples, it lacks a strong point of view on how it all should fit together... while there's no ideal or standard project, it's nice to have a clear picture to serve as guiding light, until experience builds intuition and fluency.

In all, a smart collection of discovery technique that's worth a read or revisit before new projects. Dan Brown's experience shows in the breadth of topics covered. For deeper details on the execution of any specific area, you'll need to look further into one of the many cited references and resources.

[Julian Moreno · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good reference to have a suitable approach in product / service discovery plans taking into account multiple factors, especially from the point of view of thought and design principles through practical examples.

[10thumbs · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid read and useful web development resource that I’ll go back to again and again. Only quibble is I’d love to have an in depth case study or two to illustrate some of the concepts discussed and better understand their application & implementation.

[Marvin Vista · Rating 4 out of 5]

User research is definitely not overrated. Dan Brown's book shows us some of the many ways to do it effectively. Read the book and read it again, absorb it, and integrate it to your design process. A definite must read for product designers new and old.

[Nate Tucker · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found "Practical Design Discovery" to be a commendable read, particularly for those immersed in the intricacies of design and product development. The book adeptly fills gaps in understanding how to achieve broader product research goals, which is a common hurdle in the design process.

One of the strengths of this book is its focus on formulating questions and the general principles of conducting effective research. It enlightens not just on the process but also on the significant role of designers, shedding light on what they actually do. This aspect is crucial for anyone looking to deepen their understanding of the design process and its impact on product development.

However, it's important to note that a considerable portion of this book seems to be a response to the challenges and frustrations that designers frequently face. It delves into the need for proving the worth of design, navigating relationships with stakeholders, and handling common obstacles like limited time for design discovery or skepticism about its value. This makes the book particularly valuable for designers operating in larger companies or those working as contractors or in design studios, where these issues are more prevalent.

That said, for those looking for a quick guide to mastering user interviews or conducting top-notch design studies, this book might not be the fastest route. While it provides a thorough understanding of the design discovery process, its focus is more on the broader context and challenges of design work rather than being a step-by-step tutorial on specific design techniques.

In summary, "Practical Design Discovery" is a well-crafted book that offers valuable insights into the design process, especially useful for those dealing with the complexities of larger organizational structures or external stakeholders. It's a resource that can help designers navigate the often turbulent waters of proving their worth and integrating their work within a larger product development framework.

[Sashko Valyus · Rating 5 out of 5]

«...There is no design without discovery».
Невелика книженція від A Book Apart, про те як проводити дизайн-діскавері. Незважаючи на те, що процес цей часто хаотичний, автор постарався максимально все систематизувати і показати чіткий процес, в той же час він наголошує що «...discovery is a mindset...». Ця книга не вдається в деталі як проводити інтерв'ю чи робити дизайн студіо, а більше про те коли це робити, чому, як переконати інших в важливості цього і що ви на виході маєте отримати. Хороша книга для дизайнів рівня міддл+, для того щоб звести різні інструменти та піходи в один підхід.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read half of this book, kept putting it down, then finally just skimmed the rest. Seems like a great reference book to have as a searchable PDF – lots of good nuggets to reference during the discovery process (though a little hard for me to personally get into when not currently in the thick of that process). I saw another review mention a request for more in-depth case studies; I think that's something that would help me dig into the content a bit more.

[Coby Almond · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book.

The best part about finishing @brownorama's Practical Design Discovery is learning that it's partly a love letter to his wife as I was reading it to mine. So many life lessons peppered throughout it. Thanks for writing it Dan.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is exactly the guide I needed to help me work through design discovery for digital products. It provides the right amount of actionable ideas and activities without getting bogged down in the details, and Dan Brown does a good job of attributing those things back to their originators. Overall I think this is a must-read for product designers and really anyone working on a product team.

[Elina Kapanen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Practical indeed. The book covers the most important concepts in an easily understandable way.

[Massimo Curatella · Rating 5 out of 5]

A treasure trove for Product Designers.

[Spencer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Foundational.

[Alexander Debkaliuk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great comprehensive volume on Discovery, as a phase, and as a mindset. Essential to any designer, reads easy, has tons of advice, puts things in perspective, gets you nodding along as you go thought it start to finish.

It excited me especially because a lot in Dan’s approach is how I’m used to doing things during Discovery. So much alignment, it was a great reassurance and help filling the gaps and areas in the design process where I needed some confidence and reassurance (Does everyone approach X the same way?) Also a mindset that just make complete sense to me.

Was very lucky to visit Dan’s workshop. The value of buying the book was obvious there, now confirmed.

[Courtney Jordan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This has been sitting on my shelf for years, so it's pretty basic for my level in ux and design, but I wanted to finally get through it. Should be helpful for those new to UX/design.