Purpose

The intended function or outcome of a design.

Purpose explains why a design exists and what it must achieve. It may need to inform, persuade, identify, guide, protect, contain, support an activity or create an experience. Good design uses form, visual language, materials, functions and interactions to fulfil that intention effectively.

Context

The conditions in which a design is created and experienced.

Context includes the physical or digital setting, time period, location, culture, technology, environmental conditions and social expectations surrounding a design. A successful response suits these circumstances. Evaluating good design means explaining how particular decisions address its setting, rather than applying one universal standard.

Audience

The people who view, use or interact with a design.

Audience or users are the people a design must engage and support. Their habits, mindsets, experiences, accessibility needs, knowledge, cultural expectations, behaviours and abilities shape appropriate decisions. Good design responds to these characteristics instead of reflecting the personal preferences of someone outside the intended group.

Interviews

One-to-one conversations that reveal personal experiences and needs.

Interviews are structured or semi-structured conversations used to understand an individual’s experiences, behaviours, motivations and needs. Designers prepare open-ended questions, listen without leading the participant and ask follow-up questions when useful details emerge. Interviews can provide depth and personal context that numerical research cannot, but a small number of participants should not be treated as representative of every user. Ethical practice requires informed consent, voluntary participation, appropriate privacy and accurate recording of what the participant communicates.

Surveys

Consistent questions that reveal patterns across a broader sample.

Surveys collect responses from multiple participants using a consistent set of written questions. Closed questions produce comparable quantitative data, while carefully selected open questions can provide shorter qualitative insights. Designers use surveys to identify patterns, preferences, behaviours or the frequency of an experience across a broader sample. Questions should be neutral, clearly worded and relevant to the communication need. Researchers must explain how responses will be used, avoid collecting unnecessary personal information and recognise that sampling choices affect how confidently findings can be applied.

Focus Groups

Facilitated group discussions that expose shared and competing perspectives.

Focus groups bring a small group of participants together for a facilitated discussion about shared experiences, attitudes or responses to a design problem. Interaction between participants can reveal agreements, competing priorities and ideas that may not arise in individual interviews. The facilitator should use open prompts, ensure quieter participants can contribute and prevent one person from dominating. Findings must account for group pressure and should be compared with other research. Participants require informed consent and should understand the limits of confidentiality within a group discussion.

Ethnographic Research

Observation of people and behaviour within their real-world context.

Ethnographic research studies people’s behaviours and experiences within the real context where an activity occurs. Designers may observe routines, interactions, workarounds, environmental conditions and relationships between people and designed systems. This approach can reveal a difference between what participants say they do and what occurs in practice. Observation should have a clear purpose and must respect consent, privacy, cultural protocols and vulnerable participants. Researchers record evidence without making premature judgements, then interpret recurring behaviours and contextual influences alongside information from other methods.

Discover

Investigate the problem, people and surrounding context.

Discover is a divergent stage where designers investigate an issue broadly before deciding what the design problem is. Human-centred research, observation, interviews and analysis reveal audience or user needs, behaviours, experiences and contextual factors. The findings provide evidence for reframing the initial problem.

Define

Synthesise research into a clear design direction.

Define is a convergent stage where designers organise and interpret discoveries to establish the central communication need. Patterns, insights and opportunities are prioritised, helping reframe an ill-defined problem. The resulting understanding informs a focused brief with clear purpose, audience or users, context, constraints and expectations.

Develop

Note: This stage is covered in future outcomes.

Develop is a divergent stage where designers explore multiple responses to the brief. Ideas are generated through creative and critical thinking, visualisation, experimentation and collaboration. Feedback, testing and evaluation reveal strengths and limitations, allowing promising concepts to be refined before a preferred direction is selected.

Deliver

Note: This stage is covered in future outcomes.

Deliver is a convergent stage where the preferred concept is refined into a resolved design solution. Designers test details, make final decisions and prepare suitable presentation formats or production files. The outcome is evaluated against the brief to confirm that it addresses its purpose, audience or users and context.

Divergent Thinking

Expanding possibilities through open and imaginative exploration.

Convergent Thinking

Narrowing possibilities through evaluation and informed decisions.

Shared Mind Maps

Build a collective picture of the problem and its connections.

A shared mind map allows participants to add observations, questions, stakeholders, causes and contextual factors around a central issue. Branches, colour and connecting lines make different perspectives visible, expose assumptions and reveal relationships. The group can then identify gaps requiring further research and agree on emerging priorities.

Peer Critique

Use constructive feedback to test interpretations and strengthen decisions.

Peer critique invites other designers or classmates to examine research findings, assumptions and proposed problem statements. Participants identify strengths, question unsupported conclusions and suggest alternative interpretations using agreed criteria. Recording and responding to feedback helps the designer refine their reasoning and demonstrate how collaboration influenced the reframed problem.

Stakeholder Survey

Collect comparable evidence from people affected by the problem.

A stakeholder survey gathers responses from clients, users and other affected groups through a consistent set of questions. Neutral wording and a mix of closed and open questions can reveal patterns, priorities and contrasting experiences. Comparing stakeholder groups helps designers avoid relying on one perspective when defining the communication need.

Design Pitch

Present a proposed direction and invite stakeholder response.

A design pitch communicates the reframed problem, supporting evidence and proposed direction to peers, clients or stakeholders. A concise verbal and visual presentation makes the designer’s reasoning accessible and creates an opportunity for questions, clarification and feedback. Responses can confirm priorities or expose issues that require further investigation.

Demography

Population characteristics that may influence communication needs.

Demography describes measurable audience characteristics such as age, location, language, education, occupation, income or cultural background. These details can help define who a design must reach, but they should be used only when relevant and combined with richer research into people’s behaviours, perspectives and circumstances.

Interests

Topics, activities and preferences that attract audience attention.

Interests are the subjects, activities, communities and preferences that an audience values or chooses to engage with. Understanding genuine interests can inform relevant content, imagery, tone and references. Designers should use research rather than trends or stereotypes to create meaningful connections without distracting from the communication’s purpose.

Habits

Repeated behaviours that shape how people encounter and use designs.

Habits are recurring audience behaviours, routines and patterns of interaction. Researching when, where and how people access information or use designed outcomes helps reveal practical needs and likely barriers. Designers can respond through suitable formats, hierarchy, navigation, timing and placement that fit established behaviour or support purposeful change.

Experiences

Prior encounters and knowledge that affect interpretation and use.

Experiences include what audience members have previously seen, learned, felt or done in relation to a problem, context or designed outcome. Familiarity, skills, cultural associations and past difficulties shape expectations and interpretation. Designers use this knowledge to build on recognisable conventions or address confusion, exclusion and unmet needs.

Mindset

Attitudes, beliefs and motivations that influence audience responses.

Mindset refers to the audience’s attitudes, beliefs, values, motivations and readiness to respond. It can affect whether people trust, resist, ignore or act on a communication. Researching mindset helps designers choose an appropriate tone, message and persuasive approach while respecting cultural differences and avoiding manipulation or unsupported assumptions.

Client

Who commissions or requires the design.

The client is the person, group or organisation that commissions the project or requires the communication need to be addressed. Identifying the client clarifies who provides the brief, approves decisions and may supply information, resources or feedback throughout the design process.

Client Need

The problem or communication need that must be addressed.

The client need identifies the communication problem that requires a design response. It should emerge from research evidence and describe the change needed without prescribing a finished solution. A focused client need gives the project direction while leaving space for divergent exploration.

Audience

The demographics, interests, habits, mindsets and experiences of the intended audience.

The audience comprises the people the communication must reach and influence. The brief should identify relevant demographic information, interests, habits, mindsets, experiences, knowledge and accessibility needs found through research. These interconnected characteristics help designers make appropriate decisions instead of relying on broad labels or unsupported assumptions.

Purpose

What the communication should achieve.

Purpose states the intended outcome of the communication, such as informing, guiding, persuading or changing behaviour. It describes what the audience should understand or do rather than how the solution should look. A precise purpose provides a basis for evaluating later design ideas.

Context

Where and under what circumstances the design will be encountered.

Context describes where, when and under what conditions the communication will be encountered. Physical surroundings, viewing distance, time available, weather, competing information and user behaviour may all matter. Defining these circumstances helps ensure later responses are appropriate for the real situation.

Design Criteria

The requirements a successful design response should satisfy.

Design criteria are specific, measurable requirements used to guide and evaluate a design response. They translate research, client needs, audience characteristics and contextual conditions into practical expectations. Clear criteria support idea development and help designers judge whether proposed solutions are appropriate, effective and feasible.

Deliverables

The design outcomes that will be produced.

Deliverables specify the resolved design outcomes the client expects to receive. They identify the required formats or related components without detailing every visual decision in advance. Naming deliverables clarifies the project scope and ensures the final response can be checked against the agreed brief.

Client

Who commissions or requires the branding project.

The client is the person, group or organisation commissioning the project. They communicate the need, provide relevant information and approve the final direction. Understanding the client’s identity, values and practical expectations helps the designer develop branding that represents the organisation accurately and appropriately.

Client Need

The branding problem or communication need to be addressed.

The client need defines the problem requiring a visual communication response. It should explain the change the branding must create without prescribing its final appearance. A focused need gives idea generation a clear direction and allows different concepts to be evaluated against the same communication goal.

Audience

The demographics, interests, habits, mindsets and experiences of the intended audience.

The audience identifies the people the branding must attract and communicate with. Relevant demographic information, interests, habits, mindsets, experiences, expectations and accessibility needs influence visual language and brand touchpoints. These interconnected characteristics help designers create an identity that feels meaningful instead of relying on personal taste, broad labels or unsupported assumptions.

Purpose

What the branding communication should achieve.

Purpose states the intended effect of the branding, such as identifying, differentiating, informing or building recognition. It focuses development on what audiences should understand or feel rather than a predetermined style. The purpose later provides a clear basis for comparing and evaluating possible identity concepts.

Context

Where and under what circumstances the branding will appear.

Context describes the physical and digital situations in which audiences will encounter the brand. Location, viewing distance, format, competing messages, available time and platform conventions may affect design decisions. Considering each context helps the identity remain recognisable and functional across different applications.

Design Criteria

The requirements successful branding concepts should satisfy.

Design criteria translate the client need, audience research and context into specific requirements for development and evaluation. Effective criteria are clear enough to test while leaving room for creative exploration. Designers use them to compare ideas, justify refinements and determine whether the resolved identity is appropriate.

Deliverables

The branding outcomes that will be produced.

Deliverables define the final design outcomes the client expects to receive. Listing them clarifies the project scope and the formats that must be developed, tested and resolved. In a branding project, coordinated deliverables should express one consistent identity while meeting the functional needs of each application.

Generate

Explore many distinctly different responses to the design problem.

Generate is a divergent stage in which designers produce a broad range of ideas in response to the brief. Different approaches to visual language, composition, imagery, typography, colour, methods, materials and media are explored before a preferred direction is selected. The aim is purposeful variety rather than minor variations of one idea.

Refine

Improve promising ideas using evaluation, testing and feedback.

Refine involves selecting promising ideas and improving them so they respond more effectively to the brief. Designers compare alternatives, seek and apply feedback, test visual and functional decisions, and document changes. Each refinement should have a clear reason connected to the client need, audience, purpose, context, design criteria or deliverables.

Resolve

Complete and present a coherent design solution that meets the brief.

Resolve is the stage in which the preferred concept is fully developed into a finished design solution. Designers finalise visual language, technical details, production requirements and presentation formats, then evaluate the outcome against every part of the brief. The resolved solution should be coherent, functional and ready for its intended context.

Divergent Thinking

Expanding possibilities through open and imaginative exploration.

Convergent Thinking

Narrowing possibilities through evaluation and informed decisions.

Evaluation Matrix

Compare design options against criteria drawn from the brief.

Place design options in rows and brief criteria in columns. Record evidence and a judgement for each option against each criterion. Use a consistent scoring scale if scores are helpful, and explain any weighting before comparing totals. Use the matrix to identify strengths, weaknesses and priorities for refinement rather than selecting a concept by its total alone.

Traffic-light evaluation

Use red, amber and green to make progress against each criterion visible.

Check each requirement in the brief and assign a status: green means met, amber means partly met or needing further evidence, and red means not met. Pair each colour with its written status so the judgement does not depend on colour alone. Add supporting evidence and a next action, then revisit the status after refinement.

Rubric or rating scale

Judge performance using clearly defined levels or a consistent scale.

A rubric describes what different levels of achievement look like for each criterion. A rating scale records a judgement using defined points, such as 1 (not met) to 5 (fully met). Derive criteria from the brief, explain the levels and apply them consistently. Support ratings with visible evidence or testing, then use lower results to plan refinements.

Brand Story

A coherent narrative that connects the brand’s purpose, values and audience.

A brand story communicates why a brand exists, what it values and the role it hopes to play in its audience’s life. It may be expressed through origin stories, people, places, challenges, beliefs or future ambitions. Designers translate this narrative into visual language, messages and experiences rather than relying on one written paragraph. A relevant and credible story can build emotional connection and help separate the brand from competitors, but it must remain consistent with the organisation’s actual behaviour and audience expectations.

Visual Identity

A recognisable system of visual features applied consistently across brand touchpoints.

Visual identity includes the logo, typography, colour, imagery, graphic elements, composition and other recurring features that allow audiences to recognise a brand. Consistency creates connection between separate applications, while controlled variation allows the identity to respond to different formats and contexts. Designers select features that communicate an appropriate personality and remain legible, distinctive and flexible. An effective identity does more than repeat a logo; it establishes a coordinated visual language that reinforces meaning wherever the audience encounters the brand.

Language and Voice

The characteristic way a brand speaks and writes to its audience.

Brand voice is the consistent personality expressed through vocabulary, sentence structure, tone, rhythm and level of formality. The same core voice may be adjusted according to context: a social post, instruction, complaint response and formal announcement do not need identical wording. Designers coordinate language with visual identity so the communication feels unified and appropriate for the intended audience. A distinctive voice can improve recognition, trust and emotional connection, provided it remains clear, inclusive and credible rather than imitating audience slang superficially.

Value Proposition

A clear statement of the distinctive benefit offered to the intended audience.

A value proposition explains why an audience should choose or support a brand. It identifies a relevant audience need, the benefit offered and a meaningful point of difference from alternatives. Designers communicate this proposition through headlines, imagery, demonstrations, comparison, hierarchy and repeated brand messages. Strong value propositions are specific, credible and easy to understand; vague claims such as ‘the best quality’ provide little reason to believe or remember the brand. The proposition should also be supported by the actual product, service and audience experience.

Reuse

Keeping a product or component in its original use for longer.

Reuse involves designing products so they can perform their intended function repeatedly rather than being discarded after limited use. Designers may select durable materials, create refillable or washable systems and make high-wear components replaceable. Extending useful life can reduce waste and decrease demand for replacement products.

Repurpose

Giving an existing product, component or material a different use.

Repurposing involves adapting an existing product, component or material so it performs a new function rather than becoming waste. Designers can consider possible second uses when selecting materials, developing forms or designing components, extending their useful life beyond the product's original purpose.

Repair

Allowing worn or damaged parts to be fixed or replaced.

Repairable products can be maintained when individual components fail instead of requiring the whole object to be discarded. Designers can use accessible screws and fasteners, modular construction, replaceable components and standardised parts so products can be opened, maintained and repaired without unnecessary damage.

Circular Design

Keeping products, components and materials circulating rather than becoming waste.

Circular design considers the complete life cycle of a product and aims to keep products, components and materials at their highest useful value. Designers may consider durability, reuse, repair, refurbishment, remanufacture, disassembly and material recovery when developing products.

Behaviours

Design can make particular actions easier, more visible, rewarding or habitual.

Behaviour concerns what people do in response to an object or the situation it creates. Affordance, convenience, feedback, placement, prompts and restrictions may encourage actions such as refilling, sharing, repairing or disposing. Designers should compare the intended behaviour with realistic use and recognise that people may ignore, misunderstand, adapt or misuse an object.

Interactions

Objects shape physical contact, access and relationships between people.

Interaction includes how a person holds, operates, approaches or shares an object and how the object affects interaction between people. Ergonomics, scale, arrangement, controls, tactility and feedback can create confidence and independence or introduce barriers. Evaluate whose body, ability and circumstances appear to have been considered rather than assuming one interaction suits everyone.

Systems

Every object participates in connected processes, services and infrastructures.

A system connects the people, resources and processes involved in an object's production, distribution, use, maintenance and end of life. Designers influence systems through material selection, standardisation, repair access, refill or return services, compatible components and information. Improving one object feature may have limited value if the surrounding system cannot support it.

Outcomes

Design produces intended and unintended effects for different stakeholders over time.

Outcomes are the consequences associated with a design and may be functional, behavioural, social, economic, cultural or environmental. Immediate success for one user can create costs elsewhere in the lifecycle. Designers evaluate evidence, identify who benefits or is disadvantaged and consider rebound effects rather than assuming a good intention automatically produces a positive result.