two people walking down a staircase

Designing Through Discovery

We use a human-centered design methodology to uncover any significant challenges and opportunities in our pre-design process – those our clients are aware of and those they may not even know exist. “Design Through Discovery” is our adaptation of the Design Thinking methodology, an empathetic and iterative process for creative problem-solving. We combine direct observation and qualitative data collected from people at the core of organizational issues. Before we discuss design, engineering, or construction, we always begin with the purpose, challenges, and business contributions the facility should address.

We start by bringing all stakeholders to the table to discuss the overall project vision, guiding principles, and project outcomes. While our process is the same for each client, we adapt our questions and team member composition based on individual project needs. Through facilitated brainstorming activities, our design teams uncover client issues, gain insights into the project stakeholders and come away with the essential requirements for success. In essence, we listen, but with the intent to partner with clients and each other to find solutions that may not have been obvious from the start.