Assumptions Table

This exercise will look at the assumptions a Product Manager is making about their users, the problem area or the product they're making.

Introduction

Examining the assumptions that a Product Manager is making will encourage them to think about their users' perspectives and how to validate whether these assumptions are true.

Required Materials

Paper and Pen.

Workflow

1. Create a table with two columns titled 'Assumptions' and 'Validated If'.

2. In the first column, write down all the assumptions we are making about our users and the product.

3. In the second column, write down criteria for testing whether this assumption is valid or not. The criteria should be measurable through observation or research.

Example

Assumption	Validated If
Our users want to use a chat room.	There are over 15 posts on the app message board each day.

This workshop can link directly to the Assumptions to Questions Workshop.

Collaboration

Collaboration here most often happens when organisations realise they're making similar assumptions about their users. In particular, we've noticed that understanding access to digitial and what platforms people use are some of the most common assumptions. Through validating these, we validate whether there is a strong need for a digital service.

Resources

• Assumptions Board

• Inventory of Assumptions

Facilitator Notes

This exercise works best when it follows exercises related to defining the problem or understanding our users. It also leads into writing scripts for user research.

Any assumption is worth noting down so encouraging participants to write whatever comes to mind is helpful. Try to get them to think in terms of quanitifiable validators - for example, 60% of users interviewed mentioned this.