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How to Uncover Hidden Assumptions

rgbcolor
April 29, 2016

How to Uncover Hidden Assumptions

Outline
1: Why are assumptions important?
A difference in expectations is one of the most preventable causes of projects going wrong. And among all expectations, assumptions can be the most dangerous. They feel so “obvious” that no one even bothers to bring them up. But when collaborators act on conflicting assumptions, it’s only a matter of time until problems arise.

2: How to deal with them
UX designers are well positioned to help. To uncover hidden assumptions, ask questions and share work-in-progress. Diagrams and sketches help facilitate discussions and confirm “big picture” assumptions. Design Sprints help to quickly validate a product idea or a feature.

3: What to expect in return
Like with any best practice, the return on investment with finding assumptions isn’t always immediate. It’s an investment into doing solid work – not an easy fix to an obvious problem. Knowing assumptions will prevent work and time being wasted in the long run. Over time, it will help establish trust with the client and the team.

Takeaways
The skill of finding and addressing hidden assumptions is necessary to prevent nasty surprises down the line - and to keep client and team relationships productive in the long term. Attendees will walk away with a roadmap to dealing with assumptions in UX Design projects, as well as specific techniques and example questions they can use in almost any situation.

Audience Level: General
UX practitioners on all levels need to know how to ask good questions. Those just starting out can contribute to any project they take on by looking out for hidden assumptions. Those who are more experienced, and might be leading teams will benefit by directing attention to the potentially problematic assumptions in the planning stage.

rgbcolor

April 29, 2016
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Transcript

  1. How to uncover 
 hidden assumptions Maria Matveeva Head of

    Design at DockYard @rgbcolor @dockyard
  2. Hidden Assumptions - Why are they important? - How to

    uncover them - What to expect in return Photo credit: Susanne Feldt https://unsplash.com/sfeldt
  3. Emergency call: -Hello, I’d like to report a dangerous situation.

    -Ok, where are you? -Rt. 95, between exits 51 and 52… -Are you in the city or the county? -…
  4. EXAMPLE - When a firm designs a website for a

    client, 
 who is responsible for purchasing… • hosting • stock images • fonts • and any other required assets or services?
  5. EXAMPLE - The client is responsible for these things… •

    …but only after the designer has made the next steps clear for the client. It’s part of the service we provide.
  6. 2: How can we uncover assumptions? WHY ARE ASSUMPTIONS IMPORTANT?

    | WHAT TO DO | WHAT TO EXPECT IN RETURN Yay! Practical tips!
  7. WHAT TO DO - Just like giving a talk… -

    Onboarding clients and collaborators - Set reasonable expectations, then over-deliver Establish expectations
  8. WHAT TO DO “Say what you’ll do, do what you

    say… and document it.” Establish expectations
  9. WHAT TO DO - Shared values first - Goal oriented

    - Use visuals Establish expectations
  10. WHAT TO DO - Make “obvious questions” your style! •

    Designers are often good at it. • “Just to make sure I understand correctly…” - Open-ended questions - When in doubt, reiterate goals. Ask “stupid” questions
  11. WHAT TO DO - Make “obvious questions” your style! •

    Designers are often good at it. • “Just to make sure I understand correctly…” - Open-ended questions - When in doubt, reiterate goals. Ask “stupid” questions Sometimes, there won’t be an answer. That’s OK.
  12. EXAMPLE “The user will log in, and … How are

    we supporting
 user accounts, logging in, errors, passwords…
  13. EXAMPLE “The user will log in, and … Do we

    need all this? (Client saves $20,000)
  14. EXAMPLE! “You like this widget in green, right? We picked

    green because it’s calming.” Don’t do this, k, thanx.
  15. EXAMPLE! “How do you feel about this widget? Do you

    like its color?” Slightly better…
  16. EXAMPLE! “How do you feel about this widget? What do

    you think it does?” Almost helpful!
  17. WHAT TO DO - Map out the knowns & unknowns

    - Speed up the discussion - Expose difference in assumptions - Encourage “big picture” thinking Sketching helps:
  18. WHAT TO DO - Quickly validate an idea (an assumption!)

    - Test one feature - Validate reasons to prioritize specific product features - Work “quick and dirty” Design Sprints help:
  19. 3: What can I expect in return? WHY ARE ASSUMPTIONS

    IMPORTANT? | WHAT TO DO | WHAT TO EXPECT IN RETURN
  20. WHAT TO EXPECT - May feel weird at first -

    This takes time. Plan for it. - Some answers may not be what you’d like. - But you’ll be a professional