The Direct displacement-based seismic design (DDBD) procedure offers a rational alternative to force-based design procedures in existing codes. However, for low-rise regular structures the equivalent lateral force method is considerably quicker to apply than the DDBD procedure, which requires careful evaluation of a design displacement profile and equivalent single-degree of freedom characteristics. In order to improve the speed with which the DDBD procedure can be applied to regular low-rise RC frame buildings, this paper presents a number of simplifications that can be made that allow the DDBD procedure  to be applied as quickly as the equivalent lateral force method. Comparisons are provided between the simplified and rigorous DDBD solutions for a large number of RC frame buildings in regions of medium and high seismicity. The results suggest that the simplified method could be an effective tool for design as it provides results that are practically equivalent to the full DDBD procedure. The final part of the paper discusses the advantages and disadvantages of the proposed simplifications, highlighting the limitations of the approach.