ROI Case File No.245 | 'European Design Company's Creative Process'

Chapter 1: Creativity Adrift — Flood of Ideas and Confusion

The week following the resolution of Pacific Commerce's value chain integration case, a consultation regarding structuring creative processes arrived from Europe. The fifth case in Volume 19 "New Frontiers of Analysis" concerned the challenge of systematizing creativity and innovation.

"Detective, we are a company providing innovative design solutions in Europe, but even though we develop wonderful travel products, they don't lead to bookings. We seem unable to create marketing that resonates with travelers' hearts."

Marco Rossi, Creative Director of Innovative Design Studio NEXUS, visited 221B Baker Street unable to hide his confusion. In his hands, he held countless sketches and idea memos and, in stark contrast, a portfolio showing how few works reached completion.

"We are a creative company providing innovative design solutions for corporate clients across Europe. We have talented designers and abundant ideas, but we lack systematic project execution methods and can't convert creativity into value."

Innovative Design Studio NEXUS's Creative Assets: - Founded: 2018 (emerging European design studio) - Creators: 35 top designers across various fields - Specialization: Product design, UI/UX, branding, spatial design - Awards: 15 international design awards won - Clients: 25 Fortune 500 companies

The numbers certainly indicated creative capabilities. However, Marco's expression bore deep concern.

"The problem is that our creative talent is sporadic, and without systematic processes, ideas proliferate but don't ultimately tie to value creation. Wonderful ideas emerge daily, yet they don't lead to solving client challenges."

Serious Gap Between Creativity and Practicality: - Project Completion Rate: 40% (many stall or drift midway) - Client Satisfaction: 3.6/5 (gap between expectations and deliverables) - Development Period: 1.8 times planned (prolonged due to drift, normalized) - Profitability: 12% (costs increase due to extended creative time) - Creator Burnout: 20% annual turnover (dissatisfaction with confusion)

"We're drowning in a 'flood of ideas.' We don't know how to control creativity and guide it toward valuable outcomes."

Chapter 2: Chaotic Creative Reality — Conception Without Structure

"Mr. Marco, in current projects, what kind of process do you follow from idea to final deliverable?"

Holmes quietly inquired.

Marco began explaining the current situation with a confused expression.

"We basically emphasize 'free thinking' and don't establish clear processes. We leave things to creators' intuition and talent, but that seems to be creating confusion instead."

NEXUS's Current Creative Process:

Idea Generation Stage (Disorderly Divergence): - Brainstorming: 3 times weekly, 2 hours each (no direction) - Individual Conception: Creators' free thinking time - Inspiration Collection: Gathering trends, cases, and technical information - Idea Sharing: Weekly all-hands meetings for presentations

Concept Development Stage (Unclear Judgment Criteria): - Idea Selection: Subjective choice through intuition and discussion - Concept Detailing: Individual work left to person in charge - Feasibility Study: Ex-post confirmation of technical constraints - Client Requests: Discovered misalignment with requirements afterward

Prototype Creation Stage (Trial and Error Repetition): - Design and Production: Dependent on individual skills and judgment - Testing and Validation: No systematic evaluation criteria - Corrections and Improvements: Response as problems occur - Quality Control: Quality issues discovered just before completion

Finalization and Delivery Stage (Concentration of Chaos): - Final Adjustments: Unexpected major revisions frequent - Client Confirmation: Discovery of large gap with expectations - Emergency Response: Complete overhaul just before deadline - Delivery Completion: Forced completion with compromises

I focused on the lack of creative process structuring.

"You have attractive content, but lack a designed process to systematically narrow creativity down to practical solutions."

Marco answered with a serious expression.

"That's exactly right. We excel at 'divergence' but completely fail at 'convergence.' Ideas just multiply without reaching optimal solutions."

Specific Problems from Ignoring Customer Psychology Process:

Project Example: Interior Interface Design for Major Automotive Manufacturer

Weeks 1-2: Confusion in Idea Divergence - Generated Ideas: 150 cases (voice, touch, gesture, eye-tracking, brainwave, etc.) - Direction: Scattered (no unified concept) - Evaluation Criteria: None (only "interesting?" and "new?") - Result: Many attractive but unfeasible ideas

Weeks 3-4: Wandering Selection - Selection Method: Designer voting (no objective criteria) - Selected Ideas: 12 cases (still too many) - Feasibility: Technical constraints discovered ex-post - Client Requests: Detailed confirmation only at this stage

Weeks 5-8: Development Stagnation - Parallel Development: 12 cases simultaneously (resource dispersion) - Technical Challenges: Technical difficulties beyond assumptions - Usability: Many problems in actual usage - Consistency: No unity among 12 designs

Weeks 9-12: Chaos and Compromise - Emergency Selection: Urgent narrowing to 3 technically feasible cases - Quality Issues: Quality decline due to rapid narrowing - Client Dissatisfaction: No expected innovation - Final Result: Mundane combination of existing technologies

"Ultimately, starting from 150 ideas, we produced only mediocre results that satisfied no one."

Chapter 3: Double Diamond Shows Creative Laws — Dual Structure of Divergence and Convergence

⬜️ ChatGPT | Catalyst of Conception

"Diverge and converge, then diverge and converge again. Control the waves of creativity."

🟧 Claude | Alchemist of Narrative

"True creation is not chaos. It's a jewel shining at the end of orderly exploration."

🟦 Gemini | Compass of Reason

"Double Diamond gives structure to creativity. It transforms infinite possibilities into valuable reality."

The three members began their analysis. Gemini displayed a "Design Thinking-Specific Double Diamond" framework on the whiteboard.

Double Diamond Model's Four Stages: - First Diamond: Discovering the Right Problem - Discover: Divergent exploration of problem space - Define: Convergent identification of true problem - Second Diamond: Creating the Right Solution - Develop: Divergent creation of solutions - Deliver: Convergent implementation of optimal solution

"Mr. Marco, let's systematize NEXUS's creative process with the Double Diamond model and properly control divergence and convergence."

NEXUS Project's Double Diamond Redesign:

First Diamond: Discovering the Right Problem

Discover (Discovery) - Thorough Problem Space Exploration:

Current Problems (Undirected Divergence): - Superficial understanding of client requests - Insufficient market/user research - Ignoring technical constraints - Lack of competitive analysis

After Double Diamond Optimization: - User Research: Ethnography, interviews, observational studies - Market Analysis: Systematic investigation of trends, competitors, technical trends - Constraint Confirmation: Detailed confirmation of technical, budget, time, and regulatory constraints - Stakeholder Analysis: Organizing expectations, demands, and constraints of related parties

Target: Comprehensively explore 80% of problem space

Define (Definition) - Clarifying the True Problem:

Current Problems (No Judgment Criteria): - Subjective problem setting - Ambiguous success criteria - Multiple mixed problems - Unclear priorities

After Double Diamond Optimization: - Problem Statement: Clarifying "whose," "what," and "why" problem - Success Indicator Setting: Setting measurable goals and KPIs - Constraint Organization: Clear Must Have, Should Have, Could Have - Hypothesis Setting: Testable hypotheses regarding solution direction

Target: Converge to single clear problem definition

Second Diamond: Creating the Right Solution

Develop (Development) - Systematic Solution Creation:

Current Problems (Disorderly Divergence): - Conception ignoring feasibility - Ideas with weak relevance to problem - Mass production without evaluation criteria - Duplication and contradictions among ideas

After Double Diamond Optimization: - Structured Conception: How Might We, SCAMPER, Six Thinking Hats - Creation Within Constraints: Realistic conception premised on technical and budget constraints - Multi-angle Approach: Multi-axis conception of function, emotion, society, environment - Combinatorial Creation: New combinations of existing ideas

Target: Create 50-100 feasible ideas

Deliver (Delivery) - Determining and Implementing Optimal Solution:

Current Problems (Ambiguous Convergence): - Subjective selection criteria - Desktop judgment without prototypes - Lack of user testing - Quality problems during implementation

After Double Diamond Optimization: - Multi-stage Evaluation: Quantitative assessment of feasibility, impact, and novelty - Prototyping: Rapid validation at low cost - User Testing: Validation by actual users - Iterative Improvement: Continuous improvement based on feedback

Target: Converge to and implement one optimal solution

Claude reported an important discovery.

"This is clear. NEXUS has creative talent but lacks processes to control divergence and convergence. Double Diamond enables reliable conversion of creativity into valuable outcomes."

Most Important Discovery: "Structured Creativity"

Creativity is not disorderly freedom but maximally expressed within appropriate constraints and structure. Through repeated divergence and convergence, optimal solutions can be reliably derived from infinite possibilities.

Expected Effects of Double Diamond Introduction: - Problem Setting Accuracy: Subjective → Objective and clear - Idea Quality: Quantity emphasis → Quality and feasibility emphasis - Solution Selection: Intuition → Data and test-based choice - Final Result: Compromised → Optimized value creation

Chapter 4: Ideas Taking Form — Bridge Between Creation and Implementation

Following detailed Double Diamond analysis and creative process redesign, NEXUS's creativity utilization strategy became clear.

Transition from "Disorderly Creation" to "Structured Creation":

Core Problem: Lack of Creativity Control and Utilization Process

NEXUS possessed excellent creators and abundant ideas but lacked processes to systematically narrow them down and convert them into valuable outcomes.

Double Diamond Implementation Strategy:

Phase 1: Process Foundation Construction (2 months)

First Diamond Standardization:

Discover (Discovery) Process: - Research Framework: Four-axis investigation of user, market, technology, competitors - Research Tools: Interview guides, observation sheets, analysis templates - Duration Setting: Standard research periods by project scale - Quality Standards: Objective criteria for research completion determination

Define (Definition) Process: - Problem Setting Template: Who, What, Why, How structuring - Hypothesis Setting Framework: Methods for setting testable hypotheses - Success Indicator Design: Goal setting from both quantitative and qualitative aspects - Constraint Organization System: Systematic organization of technical, budget, time constraints

Second Diamond Standardization:

Develop (Development) Process: - Conception Method Toolkit: Selection guide for optimal conception methods by situation - Idea Evaluation Matrix: Three-axis evaluation of feasibility, impact, novelty - Prototyping Strategy: Staged prototype creation planning - Validation Design: Test design for hypothesis verification

Deliver (Delivery) Process: - Selection Criteria: Quantified decision-making criteria - Implementation Plan: Staged implementation, quality control, risk countermeasures - User Testing: Validation and feedback collection at each stage - Continuous Improvement: Effect measurement and improvement planning post-implementation

Phase 2: Practical Introduction (4 months)

Pilot Project Implementation:

Target: Major Automotive Manufacturer Interior Interface Redesign

First Diamond Implementation (4 weeks):

Weeks 1-2: Discover (Discovery) - Driver Behavior Observation: Detailed observation of 50 people for 200 hours - Interviews: Need investigation for safety, convenience, comfort - Technology Trend Analysis: Latest in-vehicle technology, regulations, competitor trends - Constraint Confirmation: Safety standards, costs, technical constraints

Weeks 3-4: Define (Definition) - Problem Statement: "Realizing intuitive operation without compromising driving safety" - Success Indicators: 30% operation time reduction, 50% error rate reduction, satisfaction 4.5/5 - Hypothesis Setting: "Voice + gesture combination is optimal solution" - Constraint Organization: Clear safety standards, manufacturing cost within 20%, 12-month development

Second Diamond Implementation (4 weeks):

Weeks 5-6: Develop (Development) - Structured Conception: How Might We "How to balance safety and convenience" - Idea Creation: 25 combinations of voice, touch, gesture, eye-tracking - Evaluation and Selection: Narrow to 8 proposals by feasibility, impact, novelty - Prototypes: Paper prototypes, digital prototypes created

Weeks 7-8: Deliver (Delivery) - User Testing: Operational testing in actual vehicle environment by 20 people - Data Analysis: Quantitative evaluation of operation time, error rate, satisfaction - Final Selection: Voice + minimal touch combination solution - Implementation Preparation: Detailed design, technical specifications, implementation planning

Comparison with Traditional Process:

Traditional (12 weeks, chaos) vs Double Diamond (8 weeks, systematic): - Problem Understanding: Ambiguous → Clarified (Discover and Define effect) - Idea Quality: 150 cases, low feasibility → 25 cases, high feasibility (Develop effect) - Final Selection: Subjective compromise → Data-based optimal solution (Deliver effect) - Client Satisfaction: 3.2/5 → 4.7/5 (predicted)

Phase 3: Complete Organizational Introduction (Ongoing)

All Project Standardization: - Double Diamond Mandatory: Application obligation for all projects - Education and Training: Process training for all creators - Tool Development: Standard tools and templates for each stage - Quality Control: Continuous monitoring of process compliance and output quality

Organizational Culture Transformation: - Evaluation System: Integrated evaluation of creativity + process compliance - Team Composition: Combination of divergence-skilled and convergence-skilled members - Knowledge Sharing: Organizational sharing of success and failure cases - Continuous Improvement: Regular review and improvement of process itself

Comparison with Successful Companies:

Double Diamond-Utilizing Successful Company (UK Company A): - Same scale design studio - Before introduction: 45% project completion rate, 3.4/5 satisfaction - After introduction: 85% project completion rate, 4.6/5 satisfaction - Success Factors: Structured processes, quality control, continuous improvement

NEXUS's Improvement Potential: Dramatic creativity utilization improvement expected through similar approach

Chapter 5: Detective's Double Diamond Diagnosis — Trajectory of Creation

Holmes summarized the comprehensive analysis.

"Mr. Marco, the essence of the Double Diamond model is 'structured creativity.' Creativity is not disorderly freedom but maximally expressed within appropriate constraints and staged processes. True creation is not chaos but a jewel shining at the end of orderly exploration."

Double Diamond Creative Strategy: From "Disorderly Creation" to "Structured Creation"

Basic Strategic Policy: Structured Creative Excellence

Phase 1: Double Diamond Foundation Construction (2 months)

Process Standardization System: - First Diamond Standard: Structured process for problem discovery and definition - Second Diamond Standard: Systematic methods for solution development and implementation - Quality Gates: Objective determination criteria for each stage completion - Toolkit: Optimal tools and template collections for each stage

Education and Training System: - Process Training: Double Diamond education for all creators - Facilitation Training: Skills to lead divergence and convergence - Evaluation Skills Training: Objective evaluation and selection capability improvement - Continuous Learning: Regular learning of latest methods and cases

Phase 2: Practical Introduction and Validation (4 months)

Pilot Projects: - Three Scale-Based Projects: Validation in small, medium, and large scale - Effect Measurement: Quantitative evaluation of completion rate, satisfaction, duration, quality - Process Improvement: Process improvement based on practical learning - Success Factor Analysis: Systematic analysis of what was effective

Organizational Adaptation: - Team Composition Optimization: Optimal role division by divergence and convergence strengths - Project Management: Progress management compliant with Double Diamond - Customer Communication: Customer involvement and consensus formation at each stage - Quality Assurance: Quality check and improvement system at each stage

Phase 3: Organization-Wide Deployment (Ongoing)

Company-Wide Standardization: - Mandatory Process: Application obligation for all projects - Evaluation System Integration: Integrated evaluation of creativity and process quality - Customer Value Improvement: Customer satisfaction improvement through process quality enhancement - Competitive Advantage Establishment: Differentiation through structured creativity

Continuous Evolution: - Process Improvement: Regular review and optimization of process - New Method Introduction: Continuous introduction of latest design thinking methods - Industry Leadership: Industry sharing of best practices - Knowledge Creation: Systematization and external dissemination of own experiences

Expected Effects: - Project Completion Rate: 40% → 85% (process quality improvement) - Client Satisfaction: 3.6 → 4.7 (expectation match improvement) - Development Period: 1.8x planned → 1.1x (efficiency improvement) - Profitability: 12% → 25% (efficiency and premium pricing)

Investment Plan: - Double Diamond Introduction: 500 million yen annually - Expected Benefits: 2 billion yen annually (efficiency + price improvement) - Investment Recovery Period: 4 months

"What's important is giving structure to creativity enables higher creativity. Double Diamond is the compass of creation that transforms infinite possibilities into valuable reality."

Chapter 6: Completion of Creative New Frontiers — Structured Innovation

15 months later, a report arrived from Innovative Design Studio NEXUS.

Creativity Revolution Results through Double Diamond Introduction:

Dramatic Project Outcome Improvement: - Project Completion Rate: 40% → 87% (structured process effect) - Client Satisfaction: 3.6 → 4.8 (expectation and outcome alignment) - Development Period: 1.8x planned → 1.05x (significant efficiency improvement) - Profitability: 12% → 28% (efficiency + value improvement)

Qualitative Creative Process Transformation:

First Diamond (Problem Discovery and Definition) Success: - Problem Understanding Accuracy: Subjective → Objective data foundation - Client Requests: Ex-post → Thorough advance confirmation - Constraints: Ignored → Utilized as creative constraints - Success Indicators: Ambiguous → Clear measurable goals

Second Diamond (Solution Development and Implementation) Success: - Idea Quality: Quantity emphasis 150 cases → Quality emphasis 25-30 cases - Feasibility: Desk theory → Realistic creation within constraints - Selection Process: Subjective voting → Objective choice based on data and testing - Final Result: Compromised mediocrity → Optimized innovation

Specific Success Cases:

Project: Digital Branch Experience Design for Major Bank

First Diamond Implementation Results: - Discover: Customer behavior observation, employee interviews, competitor analysis discovered true needs - Define: Problem set as "Eliminating wait time stress + Ensuring privacy + Efficient consultation" - Result: Problem redefinition from traditional "beautiful space design" to "customer experience optimization"

Second Diamond Implementation Results: - Develop: 28 proposals created through integrated approach of space, digital, service - Deliver: Selected "AI Assistant + Private Booth" through customer testing and employee validation - Result: Achieved 50% wait time reduction, satisfaction 4.7/5, 30% processing efficiency improvement

Client Evaluation: "Previously designs were beautiful but difficult to use, but this time beauty and functionality perfectly coexist. Through Double Diamond process, you discovered challenges we weren't even aware of and provided solutions far exceeding expectations."

Fundamental Organizational Culture Transformation:

Creator Mindset Changes: - Creative View: "Free thinking" → "Structured creation" - Problem Awareness: "Interesting ideas" → "Valuable solutions" - Process: "Intuition dependent" → "Data and test-based judgment" - Outcome Awareness: "Work completion" → "Customer value realization"

Team Collaboration Improvement: - Role Division: Optimal combination of divergence-skilled and convergence-skilled members - Information Sharing: Systematic information sharing and decision-making at each stage - Quality Control: Subjective judgment → Quality assurance by objective criteria - Learning Culture: Failure cause analysis, success factor systematization

Evaluation Changes from Customers and Market:

Client Evaluation Innovation: - Expectation Management: "Don't know what's possible" → "Clear process and outcome prediction" - Satisfaction: Unexpected results → Value creation exceeding expectations - Trust Relationship: One-time transactions → Long-term partnerships - Referrals and Spread: New customer acquisition through word-of-mouth +150%

Industry Position Improvement: - Industry Evaluation: "Talented but unstable" → "Stable value creation company" - Competitor Evaluation: "Creativity only" → "Integrated advantage of creativity + implementation capability" - Media Evaluation: "Art-oriented" → "Innovation solution company" - Academic Evaluation: Practical model of design thinking as research subject

Employee Voices:

Senior Designer (7 years with company): "Previously I relied on genius flashes, and when things didn't work, I thought it was lack of talent. After Double Diamond introduction, I'm confident that following the process reliably produces good results. My creativity is expressed more."

UI/UX Designer (3 years with company): "Designing after understanding users' true needs in the Discover phase, I stopped creating off-target ideas. Both efficiency and quality have improved dramatically."

New Designer (6 months with company): "Having clear processes allows even newcomers to contribute to projects. Knowing what to do at each stage lets me grow without confusion."

Business Growth Impact: - New Orders: 12 annually → 28 annually (reputation improvement effect) - Average Order Amount: 15 million yen → 28 million yen (value improvement) - Profit Margin: 12% → 28% (efficiency + premium pricing) - Employee Satisfaction: Significant improvement (balance of creativity and results)

Industry Impact Expansion: - Education Business: Double Diamond training service started - Consulting: Process introduction support for other companies - Books and Lectures: External dissemination of creativity structuring know-how - Academic Collaboration: Design thinking education program provision at universities

Marco's letter contained deep gratitude and new discovery:

"Through Double Diamond introduction, we evolved from 'chaotic talent collective' to 'structured creative company.' Most importantly, we learned that creativity is not disorderly freedom but maximally expressed within appropriate constraints and staged processes. By repeating divergence and convergence, we can reliably produce valuable outcomes from infinite possibilities. Now all 35 creators have confidence in their creativity while contributing to client problem-solving. Double Diamond is not just a process but a magical formula converting creativity into value."

Detective's Perspective — True Liberation of Creativity

That night, I pondered deeply about the relationship between creativity and process.

NEXUS's case clearly denied the false opposition of "free creativity vs. structured process" that many creative companies fall into. True creativity is expressed maximally not in disorderly chaos but within appropriate constraints and structured processes.

The true value of the Double Diamond model lies in repeating divergence and convergence to systematically narrow creative possibilities and reliably reach valuable outcomes. The first diamond discovers the right problem, the second diamond creates the right solution. This dual structure is key to converting creativity into value creation.

In Volume 19 "New Frontiers of Analysis," while Case 241's SWOT analysis showed reality recognition, Case 242's MECE analysis demonstrated information structuring, Case 243's AARRR analysis showed growth process visualization, Case 244's value chain analysis showed value creation activity integration, Case 245's Double Diamond analysis proved the power of value transformation through creativity structuring.

"Creativity is liberated by constraints. Structure is the power that transforms infinite possibilities into actual value."

The next case will surely depict another moment when analytical methods dramatically expand corporate creative possibilities.

"True creation is not chaos. It is a jewel shining at the end of orderly exploration. Double Diamond is the exploration map that reliably discovers that jewel." — From the Detective's Notes