Discovery concepts guide on Digital.gov /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/guides/hcd/discovery-concepts/ Recent content in Discovery concepts guide on Digital.gov Hugo en-us Mon, 27 Jan 2025 19:42:55 -0500 Goals and insights /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/guides/hcd/discovery-concepts/goals-and-insights/ Mon, 24 Jul 2023 09:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/guides/hcd/discovery-concepts/goals-and-insights/ Goals Find root causes Finding the root causes of attitudes, feelings, or behaviors are some of the key insights we drive towards in HCD discovery. If your research has been directionalized to understand why something is the way it is, then it will be easier to discover the root cause, or the reason why, during this synthesis phase. Collaborate Synthesis is a collaborative process with your whole team. It’s not brainstorming, but can look and feel similar. Methods /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/guides/hcd/discovery-concepts/methods/ Mon, 24 Jul 2023 09:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/guides/hcd/discovery-concepts/methods/ Screening candidates To discern whether an individual is a match for your research, have a short conversation and ask them to tell you their story. Use open-ended questions like, “Can you tell me about a time when…” or “Tell me about a day in the life of your agency.” Questions like this can help you get directly into the touchpoints or pain points you may want to study, and ensure that you identify participants whose experience is pertinent to your work. Step 1: Plan your project /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/guides/hcd/discovery-concepts/plan/ Mon, 24 Jul 2023 09:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/guides/hcd/discovery-concepts/plan/ Preparing for a successful discovery research effort takes time and step-by-step planning. Step 2: Recruit participants /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/guides/hcd/discovery-concepts/recruit-participants/ Mon, 24 Jul 2023 09:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/guides/hcd/discovery-concepts/recruit-participants/ How to find and recruit the ideal participants for your interviews Step 3: Plan your research /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/guides/hcd/discovery-concepts/plan-research/ Mon, 24 Jul 2023 09:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/guides/hcd/discovery-concepts/plan-research/ How to prepare yourself for the research process Step 4: Do your research /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/guides/hcd/discovery-concepts/do-research/ Mon, 24 Jul 2023 09:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/guides/hcd/discovery-concepts/do-research/ Best practices for conducting interviews Step 5: Synthesize your findings /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/guides/hcd/discovery-concepts/synthesize/ Mon, 24 Jul 2023 09:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/guides/hcd/discovery-concepts/synthesize/ Reflect on the relevant data and work to identify common patterns or trends. Step 6: Find opportunities /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/guides/hcd/discovery-concepts/find-opportunities/ Mon, 24 Jul 2023 09:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/guides/hcd/discovery-concepts/find-opportunities/ Opportunities are the fields in which your organization can innovate and offer new or revised products, services, and systems. Step 7: Present your findings /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/guides/hcd/discovery-concepts/present/ Mon, 24 Jul 2023 09:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/guides/hcd/discovery-concepts/present/ When preparing to present opportunities to your key audience, remember that you are taking them on a short guide through your research effort. Step 8: Determine next steps /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/guides/hcd/discovery-concepts/up-next/ Mon, 24 Jul 2023 09:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/guides/hcd/discovery-concepts/up-next/ Design or reframe? Steps to discovery /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/guides/hcd/discovery-concepts/steps-to-discovery/ Mon, 24 Jul 2023 09:00:00 -0500 /preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/guides/hcd/discovery-concepts/steps-to-discovery/ Each step in the discovery cycle happens either before, during, or after conducting research.