"Patent Pending: The Design Process Unveiled"

You are correct. "Apply for a patent" is not a stage in the Design Process. The stages involved in a typical Design Process generally include: 1. Define the problem 2. Research and gather information 3. Develop possible solutions 4. Select the most promising solution 5. Create a prototype 6. Test the prototype 7. Evaluate and iterate on the design Applying for a patent is a legal step that might occur after the design process if you want to protect your invention or design legally, but it is not part of the actual design process itself.