How the Double Diamond Design Process Works in Hubspot-Style Projects

The Double Diamond design process, popularized by the British Design Council and used in many Hubspot-style digital projects, offers a clear, visual way to move from vague ideas to tested solutions that users actually want.

This article breaks down the Double Diamond framework into simple steps you can apply to websites, products, and campaigns while aligning with the structured, data-driven mindset you see in Hubspot workflows.

What Is the Double Diamond Design Process?

The Double Diamond is a four-phase framework grouped into two main diamonds:

• Diamond 1: Discover and Define
• Diamond 2: Develop and Deliver

Each diamond alternates between divergent and convergent thinking:

• Divergent: Open up, explore, and generate ideas.
• Convergent: Narrow down, filter, and decide what to focus on.

This pattern keeps teams from jumping straight to solutions. Instead, you move from understanding the problem deeply to validating the best solution, much like how Hubspot users move from data to decisions through structured pipelines and dashboards.

Double Diamond vs. Traditional Linear Processes

In a traditional linear process, teams often:

• Assume they know the problem.
• Jump straight into building.
• Discover issues only at launch.

The Double Diamond shifts that by explicitly separating problem exploration from solution creation. You explore widely, then focus narrowly at each stage. For teams accustomed to structured systems like Hubspot, this feels similar to moving from high-level analytics to targeted campaigns.

Phase 1: Discover the Problem Like a Hubspot Analyst

The Discover phase is the first divergent stage. The goal is to understand the real problem, the users, and the context.

Key Discover Activities Inspired by Hubspot Thinking

• User interviews: Talk directly to customers, prospects, or internal stakeholders.
• Surveys: Gather quantitative feedback at scale.
• Analytics review: Analyze traffic, funnels, and behavior on your site or app.
• Competitive research: Study how others solve similar problems.

In practice, this phase answers questions like:

• Who are we designing for?
• What are their goals and frustrations?
• Where are they dropping off or getting stuck?

For marketing or product teams, it mirrors how you would use data inside platforms like Hubspot: first observe, then segment, then only later act.

Tips for a Strong Discover Phase

• Do not assume you already know the answer.
• Talk to a mix of users, not just power users.
• Capture insights visibly for the team: boards, documents, or shared workspaces.

Phase 2: Define Your Core Problem

The Define phase is the first convergent step. You take all the raw input from Discover and narrow it into a clear problem statement.

Turning Research into a Clear Brief

In this phase, you synthesize your findings:

• Group similar user pains and needs.
• Highlight the most important obstacles to success.
• Agree on which problems matter most to solve right now.

The outcome is usually a concise problem definition or design brief, such as:

“Busy small-business owners cannot quickly understand which pages drive leads, so they are not improving high-impact content.”

This is very similar to creating a focused campaign goal for a Hubspot workflow: one problem, one primary outcome, and clear constraints.

Helpful Define Tools

• Personas and journey maps.
• Problem statements and “How might we” questions.
• Prioritization matrices to decide what to solve first.

Phase 3: Develop Solutions With a Hubspot-Style Testing Mindset

The Develop phase is the second divergent stage. Here you explore many ways to solve the defined problem before committing to one.

Brainstorming Solution Ideas

Use collaborative techniques to generate options:

• Sketches of page layouts or interfaces.
• Low-fidelity wireframes.
• Service blueprints showing front-stage and back-stage steps.
• Content outlines, email sequences, or onboarding flows.

Quantity matters here. Treat ideas as hypotheses, just as you would test variations of emails or landing pages in a Hubspot campaign before choosing a winner.

Narrowing Ideas in the Develop Phase

After opening up, you start filtering:

• Remove ideas that are clearly misaligned with user needs.
• Score options based on impact vs. effort.
• Select a small set of concepts worth prototyping.

The goal is not perfection; it is getting to a few realistic, testable solutions.

Phase 4: Deliver and Validate Your Solution

The Deliver phase is the final convergent stage. You test, refine, and finally ship the solution that best meets user needs.

Prototyping and Testing

Common activities in Deliver include:

• Interactive prototypes for usability testing.
• A/B tests on live pages or flows.
• Beta launches with limited user groups.

In digital contexts, this can look a lot like an optimization program run with the same discipline you might apply when iterating on Hubspot landing pages or forms.

Launching and Measuring Results

Once a solution passes tests, you move to full launch:

• Deploy the final design or feature.
• Track performance with analytics dashboards.
• Gather ongoing feedback for future iterations.

The Double Diamond does not end at launch. Learning from real-world performance feeds the next cycle of discovery and improvement.

How to Run a Double Diamond Workshop for Your Team

You can facilitate a simple workshop to introduce this model to your organization.

Step-by-Step Workshop Outline

1. Explain the Double Diamond: Walk through the four phases and their goals.
2. Share existing data: Present analytics, support tickets, or research.
3. Map current problems: Have participants write problems on sticky notes.
4. Cluster and choose one focus problem: This completes the Define phase.
5. Brainstorm solutions: Run time-boxed idea sessions without judging.
6. Vote on top ideas: Use dot voting to select concepts to test.
7. Assign next steps: Decide who will prototype and how you will validate.

This workshop format encourages structured creativity, which fits well with teams already familiar with tracking, iteration, and automation in tools similar to Hubspot.

Best Practices and Common Pitfalls

Best Practices

• Allocate enough time for Discover; rushing research leads to weak solutions.
• Document every phase visibly so new team members can follow the story.
• Keep decisions tied to evidence, not just opinions.
• Align metrics for success before you start developing solutions.

Pitfalls to Avoid

• Jumping from vague ideas straight into wireframes.
• Skipping user input and relying only on internal assumptions.
• Treating the Double Diamond as a rigid checklist instead of a guide.

Learn More About the Double Diamond Design Model

If you want a deeper dive into the origin of this framework and additional examples, review the original article that inspired this summary on the HubSpot blog: Double Diamond Design Process.

For organizations that want to connect strong design processes with analytics, automation, and CRM operations too, you can explore strategic consulting and implementation support from partners such as Consultevo.

By combining the Double Diamond’s structured creativity with the disciplined, data-focused mindset seen in platforms like Hubspot, your team can consistently ship solutions that are both user-centered and measurable.

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