10 Design Diagrams To Study Instead of Staring Into the Void

by Jeff Humble

Dear Reader,

It's that time of the year.

Another boring Q3 earnings call, and all you want is to go back to the beach.

You look at yourself in Zoom, and all you see is a bottomless void.

Hey. Stop that.

Instead, check out some of the best Jeffing diagrams on the internet.

At least you will look like you are kind of working...

1. Diverging and converging in action

Designers talk a lot about diverging and converging, but what they don't talk about is how this is a multi-track process for getting to the right idea. This shows how some divergences don't make it to the end and how this exploration is highly desirable.

2. Where wisdom comes from

Researchers talk a lot about insights, but they don't tell you where they come from. This image shows where and why an insight is important. This diagram has become something of a meme with all kinds of remixes.

3. What kind of discipline are we again?

I can never keep this straight, so I'm always referring to this one. Ten bucks says the person who called you a multidisciplinary agency has no idea what it really means. Now you do.

4. Krebs Cycle of Creativity

This one is a classic, but I still think about it a lot. This one even made it into Netflix's Abstract series. Which makes sense because this thing is just beautiful to look at.

5. The Scientific Method: Fuck Around & Find Out

Need a shorthand to remember what the scientific process is all about? You're welcome. It is my opinion that designers do too much "fucking around" and not enough "finding out."

​Learn how to "find out" in this blog post.​

6. The Iceberg Model for Systems Thinking

The Iceberg Model is an excellent image to start your journey towards more systemic thinking, and this comic-book style version is one of my favorites.

7. Design Thinking vs. Futures Thinking

Design thinking is definitely not the end of the process. I like that this image explains futures thinking by comparing it to something we all know. Definitely something to aspire to!

8. Discovering & Delivering Value

People have such a hard time seeing how research and UX can fit into an Agile workflow. Well, it's this. Some call this Dual-Track Agile. Send it to your product manager next time they say there's no time for discovery.

9. Double Diamond of Speculative Design

This one is based on tons of interviews and years of practice by some of the most prolific speculative designers. Surprisingly, their process looks a lot like a regular designer's process with a few tweaks.

​Learn more about this one in the blog post.​

10. The Knowledge Loop

I saved this one for last because I've pretty much built my entire career around this process. Also known as Project-Based Learning, this is how to approach anything where you want the learning to stick.

This is how we teach at the Fountain Institute, so try one of our courses!

That's the top 10 diagrams!

If you want to avoid the void for a few more minutes, 😅 check out the full article: 99 Diagrams Every UX Designer Should Know →​

Use it to recharge your creative muscles when they're cooked 🔪

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Until next month, y'all!

​ Jeff Humble ​UX Strategist & Co-Founder ​The Fountain Institute ​

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