Method Cards
Why method cards?
- To add rigor and structure to agile development.
- To build a shared vocabulary for each method among 18F staff and our partner agencies.
- To give less experienced or new researchers a gateway into well-documented and proven research methods, supported by other 18F team members.
We’ve grouped these methods into four phases
- Discover: Learn as much as you can about the project and people involved.
- Decide: Use what you’ve learned to start focusing your research on specific areas and groups of people.
- Make: Move toward a final product that’s ready to be released and tested.
- Validate: Test your research, design, and product.
We’ve called out specifics about doing this work in government
For the most part, the processes are the same as anywhere. However, to stay on the happy side of the law, take a look at Recruiting, Incentives, and Privacy. No matter which methods we work with, these are the fundamentals of our design research.