discovery phase
Evidence-gathering period
Discovery phase is the initial stage of a legal proceeding where both sides gather evidence before trial.
Lawyers request documents, take depositions, and issue subpoenas to build their cases: We're still in the discovery phase, so the trial won't start for months.
The term has spread to business and design contexts, describing any early information-gathering stage of a project.
- depositionsFormal pretrial questioning
- interrogatoriesFormal discovery questions
- subpoenasLegal orders requiring appearance
- market researchAnalyzing buyer preferences systematically
- evidenceFacts supporting truth
feasibility studies · wireframes · hypothesis testing · literature review · fieldwork · fact-finding · litigation · disclosure · smoking gun · burden of proof · competitive analysis · trial preparation · experimental design · uncovering · observation · pretrial · prototyping · unearthing
- Innovation Methodsbrainstorming, design thinking, ideation, prototyping, iteration
- pretrial proceedingspreliminary hearing, preliminary hearings, pretrial hearing, pretrial detention, arraignment
- regulatory stagespre-market, post-market, implementation, approval, rulemaking
discovery phasetrial phase
Testing stage before approval
trial · verdict · settlement · final judgment · judgment
discovery phaseconcealment
Act of hiding something
stonewalling · evidence suppression · non-disclosure · confidentiality · protective order
discovery phasesummary judgment
Court ruling without trial
settlement · early settlement · dismissal · motion to dismiss · default judgment