Challenge Assumptions

Challenge AssumptionsLearn about your assumptions and how you can overcome them to discuss new, innovative solutions.

60 – 120 min1+ Participantsworkshop solo analogue

Summary

Assumptions are often made before even using a product or system by just seeing or hearing about it. Using imagination and creativity helps to overcome these thinking paradigms. Maybe someone at a certain point wondered: “Will we only ever be able to travel short distances?”, for example by car. At a later point, someone managed to put this assumption out of the way by inventing the plane. Questioning the current state of something helps us to broaden our horizons and encourages innovative thinking.

Step-by-step

Write down assumptions on the subject or product, e.g. “The Internet is not helpful at literature research.”.
Challenge and question assumptions by thinking about how to overcome them. Try to come up with a way how you can convince someone to assume the opposite of the same topic?
Based on your new assumptions, brainstorm for new, innovative ideas which tackle the underlying problem of these assumptions, e.g. “Many people still don't trust the quality of Wikipedia articles.“.

What you need

Paper
Pens

These methods might seem simple, but applying them in a real project is another story. We’re there to help. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to get in touch with us at the User Experience Strategy & Design team.

Ask Away!