Early in the design process, there's a humble yet powerful tool that can lead you to explore the space you are designing: it's called questioning assumptions.
However, asking effective questions and challenging assumptions is more complicated than it seems. To improve, there's no other way than to immerse yourself in curiosity.
“You don’t learn unless you question.”
Warren Berger, Author of A More Beautiful Question
Questions
Questions serve as tools for seeking information, clarification, or verification when we encounter the unknown or the partially understood. Their purpose is to gather knowledge and gain clarity about that which remains unexplored or not fully comprehended.
To ask questions:
Always be intentional. Before asking a question, take a moment to reflect on what you want to learn or understand, why it holds significance, and how you plan to utilize the obtained answers. This approach will enable you to ask more focused and pertinent questions.
Strive to pose open-ended questions that foster discussion and exploration.
Steer clear of questions that imply or suggest a specific answer, often achieved by presenting the question in a biased or manipulative manner. Instead of asking, "Don't you think the new policy is unfair?" opt for a more neutral and open-ended approach: "What are your thoughts on the new policy?
Examples:
Case:
Low burning of membership points.
In the X app, each user has membership points every time they make a transaction. But the usage is considerably still very small
Questions:
1. What type of rewards do users redeem the most?
2. Do users have enough points to exchange for rewards? How many users have enough points vs Don't?
3. When do users redeem the most?
Assumptions
Assumptions are ideas or beliefs that are presumed to be true without concrete evidence, often stemming from an individual's experience, knowledge, or personal beliefs.
However, assumptions can act as mental shortcuts, helping us navigate complex situations by deriving meaning from available information.
While assumptions can be a valuable starting point, it is crucial to articulate and examine them further. Doing so allows us to uncover potential biases or blind spots that might influence our thinking and facilitates a more profound comprehension of the situation at hand.
To be effective in having assumptions: it is essential to have at least some information. Seek insights from others by asking questions and examining available data.
Examples:
After getting some insights and data, here are some of the assumptions:
1. Users aren't really interested in the rewards.
2. People don't know if they have membership points
3. People feel more urgent with limited-time or limited-quantity rewards (Scarcity)
When you have assumptions:
Look for evidence or data to support the assumption. If there is no evidence to support it, question its validity.
Validate the assumption by gathering additional information, conducting experiments, or using other research methods.
Having questions and assumptions in the early design process can be incredibly beneficial.
By asking thoughtful questions and using assumptions as a starting point, you can better understand the problem you're trying to solve.
Next → Prioritize & define means to resolve.
Aim for high-risk + uncertain questions and assumptions.
Prioritize questions/assumptions that are still uncertain and pose a high risk if left unanswered.
Find a way to resolve your questions and assumptions.
Discuss with your team to get a broader and more objective perspective.
Talk to people who may know the answers
Look at the data
Do more in-depth research
When you have got the answer to a question/assumption, there may be further questions or assumptions that are worth it for you to follow up on
Use this Notion template for collecting questions and assumptions
Notion: Toolkit – Questions and Assumptions