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002: Diverge-Converge

The double diamond design process.

Jeremy Finch
Jeremy Finch
3 min read
002: Diverge-Converge
Animated drawing of TV broadcast person standing in front of screen that says 'Episode 2'


Since last week  

Hitting 'publish' last week felt great.

30 seconds later: Did I just commit publicly to something I can't deliver on?

Looping GIF of GOB Bluth saying "I've made a huge mistake"


Luckily, someone replied with a reminder:
The hardest part is getting started.  

You'll probably change the house you're building about a thousand times - just lay a few bricks down and see where it goes."


One step in front of the other.


Some common barriers

What seems to derail creative endeavors?

A long vertical series of drawings of words: "procrastination, insecurity, criticism, self-doubt, disapproval" etc.


The ego aspects, in particular, are tough.

Then, there are the process-based risks.

A common obstacle = Trying to create and analyze simultaneously.

Animated graphic of double-diamond with "converge" and "diverge" overlayed on top


You've proabably seen some version of this concept before somewhere.


The key point = Generating ideas and refining / executing concepts are fundamentally different steps. People can't handle both effectively at once.


This is why brainstorming aims to generate huge quantities of ideas first (initially deferring all assessment of quality and feasibility). That's the theory, at least.

Drawing of double-diamond graphic with messy scribbles on top
Theory vs Reality


Something I'm thinking about: If people like certain things here, it'll signal that I should make more. If you think stuff is bad, that's good to know too. Feedback helps.  

Along the way, I'll try to rapidly test and learn.

Diverge-converge.




How do you move through creative fear?

When do you decide to generate ideas vs. critically evaluate options?



hi@thefirejar.com


A drawing of a mailbox with a letter inside


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