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18F Design Methods

co_present 31 Exercises
User Research
Findings Synthesis
Prototyping
Design Methods are proven human-centered design practices developed by the former U.S. government's digital services agency, which is now defunct, but archived by my friend Dug. Organized into four phases — Discover (research user needs), Decide (synthesize findings), Make (create prototypes), and Validate (test and iterate)—these open-source methods help teams build user-centered solutions. Each method includes step-by-step instructions and practical tips, making them accessible to teams of any experience level. By following these methods, organizations move from assumptions to evidence-based decisions, ensuring they build services that truly meet user needs.

Exercises

18F - Discover 60 Mins

18F - Cognitive Walkthrough

18F - Decide 180 Mins

18F - Interface Audit

18F - Decide 240 Mins

18F-Journey Mapping

18F - Decide 90 Mins

18F - Mental Modeling

General

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General

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18F - Make 480 Mins

18F - Design Pattern Library

18F - Make 240 Mins

18F - Prototyping

18F - Make 180 Mins

18F - Wireframing

General

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18F - Validate 60 Mins

18F - Content Highlighter Testing

18F - Validate 180 Mins

18F - Multivariate Testing

General

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18F - Validate 120 Mins

18F - Usability Testing

18F - Decide 120 Mins

18F-Design Principles

18F - Decide 60 Mins

18F - Design Hypothesis

18F - Decide 240 Mins

18F - Content Audit

18F - Discover 90 Mins

18F - Design Studio

18F - Discover 30 Mins

18F - Dot Voting

18F - Discover 45 Mins

18F-Five Whys

18F - Discover 120 Mins

18F - Heuristic Evaluation

18F - Discover 30 Mins

18F - Hopes And Fears

18F - Discover 90 Mins

18F - KJ Method

18F - Discover 60 Mins

18F - Lean Coffee

18F - Discover 60 Mins

18F - Stakeholder And User Interviews

18F - Discover 45 Mins

18F - Stakeholder Influence Mapping

General

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18F - Decide 120 Mins

18F - Archetypes

18F - Decide 90 Mins

18F - Coding Qualitative Data

18F - Decide 180 Mins

18F - Comparative Analysis

18F - Validate 90 Mins

18F - Visual Preference Testing