Having defined the areas of activity for review and an appropriate group of people to undertake the audit process, evidence gathering can begin.

Each section of the Design Atlas questions is laid out in a similar format. For every question a paragraph of background information is provided. This aims to put the question into context explaining why it is significant and the relationship to other issues within the business. A short description is then provided of the evidence that could be gathered to help establish the level of capability for each area of enquiry. Four levels of current practice are then described. The individual(s) charged with using the Design Atlas framework must select the most appropriate descriptor of current practice. The level achieved can then be recorded on the Design Atlas results sheet.