Assumptions to Questions

A workshop in turning criteria for validating an assumption into a question to ask to users.

Introduction

This exercise will turn assumptions into questions that can be used in User Research. The exercise is straightforward and helps flesh out a user research script.

This could be combined with the Assumptions Table exercise to create a table with three columns. However, we find that thinking about this in two steps will help focus the measures of validation and ensure the questions directly address the assumption.

Required Materials

Paper and Pen.

Workflow

1. This exercise is fairly simple. We start by taking an already formulated list of assumptions.

2. Participants should be provided with an example for how this may be rephrased as a question.

3. Ask the participants to convert their assumptions into questions by thinking about how to validate the assumptions.

Example

Assumption

Users are comfortable speaking to their phone.

Question

Do you ever use apps which require you to speak to your phone?

Collaboration

It is helpful to pair up participants to work on this exercise. Having a second pair of eyes can offer a fresh perspective for how to keep the question open ended and avoid bias. We usually ask teams to focus on one table for half the time then switch context to the other Product Manager's assumptions. This may also highlight areas of similarity.

Facilitator notes

Use your experience of conducting user research as a guide. Are the questions clear? Do they ask what they're meaning too? Are they unbiased? We recommend pairing up organisations who have similar assumptions so that they can understand a different perspective on how to validate those.