It begins not with solutions, but with a commitment to truly understand the people we’re designing for. Three essential mindsets guide this phase: empathy, seeking first to understand, and embracing ambiguity.
Empathy
Empathy means stepping into someone else’s world—seeing through their eyes, feeling what they feel, and understanding the challenges they face. It keeps people, not systems, at the heart of our work. When we lead with empathy, we move beyond assumptions and uncover meaningful insights that data alone can’t provide.
Seeking First to Understand
Seeking first to understand asks us to listen before acting. It’s about slowing down, asking good questions, and being present with what people share. This mindset helps us identify the real problems—not just the obvious ones—and lays the groundwork for more relevant and impactful solutions.
Embracing Ambiguity
Embracing ambiguity means being open to not having all the answers at the start. In human-centered design, this allows teams to explore the problem fully, listen deeply to user needs, and discover unexpected insights before jumping to solutions.
Together, these mindsets help us build trust, surface deeper insights, and set the stage for creative, inclusive design. The Discover phase is about learning with humility and designing with heart.