• The 4 Phases
  • All Methods
    • Phase 1Observation
      • 5 Whys
      • 6 Thinking Hats
      • AEIOU Framework
      • Card Sorting
      • Collage
      • Competitive Analysis
      • Content Audit
      • Contextual Inquiry Plan
      • Crazy Eights
      • Eisenhower Matrix
      • Empathy Map
      • Field Study
      • Focus Groups
      • Future Trends
      • How Might We
      • Hypothesis Testing
      • Jobs-to-be-done (JTBD)
      • Journey Mapping
      • Knowns and Unknowns Framework
      • Lessons Learned
      • Mental Models
      • Mind Mapping
      • Moodboards
      • Mystery Shopping
      • Netnography
      • Observation
      • Personas
      • Poems
      • Poster Session
      • Product Love Letters
      • Stakeholder Map
      • Surveys
      • World Café
      • Worst Possible Ideas
    • Phase 2Creation
      • 6 Thinking Hats
      • 6-3-5 Brainwriting
      • Bodystorming
      • Brainstorming
      • Business Model Canvas (BMC)
      • Card Sorting
      • Challenge Assumptions
      • Click Dummy
      • Collage
      • Could, Should, Must
      • Crazy Eights
      • Dark Horse Prototype
      • Eisenhower Matrix
      • Emotional Journey Map
      • Empathy Map
      • Field Study
      • Focus Groups
      • How Might We
      • Hypothesis Testing
      • Innovation Board
      • Jobs-to-be-done (JTBD)
      • Journey Mapping
      • Knowns and Unknowns Framework
      • Low-Fidelity Prototyping
      • Mental Models
      • Mind Mapping
      • Mobile Diaries
      • Moodboards
      • One-Minute-Pitch
      • Personas
      • Pluralistic Walkthrough
      • Poster Session
      • Product Love Letters
      • Remote Usability Test
      • SCAMPER
      • Service Blueprints
      • Stakeholder Map
      • Storyboards
      • Surveys
      • SWOT Analysis
      • User Testing
      • Value Proposition
      • Walt Disney Method
      • Wizard of Oz
      • World Café
      • Worst Possible Ideas
      • Wow-How-Now Matrix
    • Phase 3Implementation
      • A/B Testing
      • Business Model Canvas (BMC)
      • Could, Should, Must
      • Eye Tracking
      • Golden Circle
      • High-Fidelity Prototype
      • Innovation Board
      • Low-Fidelity Prototyping
      • Mobile Diaries
      • One-Minute-Pitch
      • Pluralistic Walkthrough
      • Product Love Letters
      • Remote Usability Test
      • Service Blueprints
      • Storyboards
      • SWOT Analysis
      • User Interviews
      • User Stories
    • Phase 4Validation
      • A/B Testing
      • Competitive Analysis
      • Concept Testing Plan
      • Contextual Inquiry Plan
      • Eye Tracking
      • HEART Framework
      • High-Fidelity Prototype
      • Hypothesis Testing
      • Innovation Board
      • KPI Tracking
      • One-Minute-Pitch
      • Pluralistic Walkthrough
      • Remote Usability Test
      • SCAMPER
      • Search-Log Analysis
      • Service Blueprints
      • Social Media Monitoring
      • Surveys
      • User Interviews
      • User Stories
      • User Testing
  • Workshop Bundles
  • About us
  • Meet the Creators
  • Get support
  1. UX Toolkit
  2. Methods
  3. Challenge Assumptions
beginnercreation
Challenge AssumptionsLearn about your assumptions and how you can overcome them to discuss new, innovative solutions.
60 – 120 min1+ Participantsworkshopsoloanalogue
+3
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
  1. Write down assumptions on the subject or product, e.g. “The Internet is not helpful at literature research.”.
  2. 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?
  3. 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
Do you have a question?
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!
Explore similar methods
Mental Modelsobservation
1+ Participants
20 min – 2 d

Match with your user's expectations.

Social Media Monitoringvalidation
1+ Participants
weeks – months

Compute the value of a brand or company.

User Testingcreation
5+ Participants
16 – 24 h

Understand how user-friendly your product is.

Empathy Mapobservation
1+ Participants
45 – 90 min

Collect information about how the emotional and mental world of your user looks like.

Jobs-to-be-done (JTBD)observation
1+ Participants
60 – 90 min

Find out why your customers are buying your product and what their social, functional and emotional needs are.

© Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany, 2022.
Follow us
  • Dribbble
  • Instagram
  • Medium
  • Behance
Phases
  • Observation
  • Creation
  • Implementation
  • Validation
Learn more
  • About Us
  • User Experience Strategy & Design
  • Liquid Design System
Legal
  • Data Privacy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Imprint
Follow us
  • Dribbble
  • Instagram
  • Medium
  • Behance
This website uses cookies to give you the best, most relevant experience. Using this website means you’re OK with this. You can change which cookies are set at any time – and find out more about them in our Cookie Policy.