IDO™ runs through the RIDE™ methodology: Research, Integrate, Deliver, Evaluate. Each stage produces a small set of recurring artifacts that carry work forward and help the next stage get executed. These artifacts are the actual outputs that teams create, read, and update when they apply the framework.
The table below lists the core IDO™ artifacts produced by each stage, in chronological order:
Discovery Journey Map
The implementation of the IDO Framework starts by mapping a single view of how your target student segments move from discovery through enrollment and attendance at your university.
Discovery Journey Matrix
A grid that connects student behaviour across the journey with what the institution is doing in each stage and channel, making gaps and missed opportunities visible.
Visibility Gap Canvas
A view of how the institution appears across search, AI answers, social, community platforms, rankings, and other discovery platforms, and how this compares with key competitors.
Discovery Research Summary
The main output of the Research stage that feeds the Integrate stage
Information Discovery Strategy
The central strategy document that explains where the institution stands in the information discovery landscape, what needs to change, and how it plans to move in that direction.
Discovery Scorecard
Discovery Scorecard that shows which signals will be tracked, which time views matter, and how often results will be read in Evaluate.
Delivery Plan
A report built for the leadership team that shows the performance of the information discovery strategy for a particular month.
Monthly Report
A report built for the leadership team that shows the performance of the information discovery strategy for a particular month.
Delivery Workbook
Keeps task records in one place, including owners, status, notes, decisions, and follow-up actions.
Discovery Performance Report
A detailed report on the performance of the information discovery strategy during a cycle, setting the directives for strategic and delivery changes for the next cycle.
When higher ed teams use the artifacts consistently throughout all RIDE™ stages, they create a shared way of working that keeps everyone aligned from one cycle to the next. They are designed to make the work easier by being part of a unified approach.
They also make accountability clearer by making priorities, owners, and progress visible to all teams, reducing confusion and silos. Over time, the artifacts help teams build momentum because each cycle starts with what is already known and ends with a clearer direction for what to improve next.
Read next section: How to Implement the IDO™ Framework
