There are a number of design processes that various institutions have drawn up to allow the designer in many disciplines not just Architecture, to follow.
The Double Diamond
The Design Council developed this framework for innovation to help designers and non designers alike to tackle various social, economic and environmental problems
It was launched in 2004, it has at its heart a clear visual description of the design process using 4 D's and by using divergent an convergent thinking
Discover - Define - Develop - Deliver
Discover
Understanding, identify needs, talking to people, gathering research, researching historical context
Define
Phase of analysis where the design team reflects on the information gained in the discover phase, focus groups can be used to get an overview of users reactions to proposed ideas
Develop
This is where solutions are created, prototyped and tested. there should be intense activity, multiple ideas , brainstorming and re defining existing design concepts
Deliver
Final stage of testing out different solutions, systematically rejecting those solutions that will not work and improving those that will