If you had an hour to solve a problem, how much of it would you spend understanding the problem?
In Episode 2 of The Design Orchestrator, "Why Use a 5-Stage Process Instead of Just Starting to Design?", Clay Martin, CEO of One3 Design, explains why skipping straight into CAD means getting ahead of yourself.
Clay borrows a well-known line: "If you have an hour to solve something, spend fifty-five minutes understanding the problem and five minutes solving it."
That thinking is behind One3 Design's five stages, in Clay's words:
1. Discover: understand the current state, the constraints, and the opportunity
2. Define: define what done looks like and align the scope and outcomes
3. Design: develop the right solution using the right pieces
4. Build: execute, test, and improve to optimize
5. Deliver: deliver in the real world
Each stage works as a gate. Before a project moves forward, the open questions get answered. Will the product face constant UV exposure? What loads does it need to handle? Which industry standards and regulations must it meet?
That gives clients the chance to stop, recalibrate, or adjust scope before costs grow, and it keeps both sides aligned on what's being built.
The process also flexes. Clay estimates about 99% of projects include Discover and Define, but some engagements end at Design, and others start at Build with a finished drawing package.
As Clay puts it, "the framework of the five-stage process fits virtually everything."
Coming up, the series breaks down each stage one episode at a time.
Listen to Episode 2 of The Design Orchestrator:
Youtube
Amazon/Audible
Apple Podcasts
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Castbox
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Learn more about One3 Design.
