Why we need to cut back on the “Cool question”
The next time you’re sitting in a brainstorming session, count how many times you hear “Wouldn’t it be cool if ________?” when someone introduces an idea.
This is what I call the “Cool question.”
From my experience in UX for virtual reality (VR), I’ve heard the Cool question arise a lot during team brainstorming sessions. It’s hard not to get excited for the infinite cool things you could create for this (somewhat) new immersive platform.
The Cool question is not a bad thing to ask. It’s important to let the precious brain juices flow free and dream big.
But if we are only asking ourselves what would be “cool”, we can steer ourselves in the wrong direction.
Below I’ll discuss why this happens and how we can avoid it.
You are not your user.
Mind. Blown.
“Cool” is subjective. If you’re constantly saying “Wouldn’t it be cool…” before presenting an idea, you are most likely speaking from your own taste.
But when it comes down to shipping your product, you are not the one using it. Design for the person who is. This design process includes the types of questions that you ask every step of the way.
For this article, I’m focusing in on the “Wouldn’t it be ____ if” questions that we often ask to present and think through design ideas.
What are you designing?
Ultimately, the questions you should ask while brainstorming can be gleaned from the user needs identified through research, personas, and user stories.
Here’s one approach you could use for defining those questions:
- Identify the needs of your users
- Translate those needs into criteria for an optimal experience
- Pull out key terms from the criteria to develop a language that your team uses to pitch and discuss ideas
Here’s that approach with an example:
- The user needs to learn how to use the controls in order to manipulate objects in the 3D space
- Instructions for how to use controls must be clear and informative enough that the user understands and remembers them
- Wouldn’t it be clear if? Wouldn’t it be informative if? can be asked when brainstorming ideas for the onboarding process
Wouldn’t it be _______ if
Here’s some examples of what you could ask beyond the Cool question.
- Wouldn’t it be useful if ______?
- Wouldn’t it be helpful if ______?
- Wouldn’t it be engaging if ______?
- Wouldn’t it be accommodating if ______?
- Wouldn’t it be compelling if ______?
- Wouldn’t it be handy if ______?
- Wouldn’t it be instinctual if ______?
- Wouldn’t it be convenient if ______?
- Wouldn’t it be intuitive if ______?
- Wouldn’t it be accessible if ______?
- Wouldn’t it be meaningful if ______?
- Wouldn’t it be informative if ______?
Considerations
BEFORE asking these questions, make sure you:
- Understand the problem you’re designing for
- Understand who you’re designing for
AFTER asking these questions, test your ideas !
These questions are only meant to generate ideas, not verify them. You won’t know the answer to these questions until you prototype and user test.
I stopped asking the Cool question
When I’m in a meeting or thinking through a design idea in my head, I’ve intentionally stopped asking the Cool question and swapped it with some of the questions above. I’ve found that asking these make me think more critically about my ideas from the standpoint of user needs, rather than my own personal preferences.
I am not telling you to stop asking the Cool question. I am not telling teammates to put a quarter in the Cool jar when they ask that question. But I am encouraging teams to be more strategic about the language they use during the brainstorming process.
Wording is subtle yet mighty. The language we use to propose ideas directly impacts how we think through the problem.
Give them a try!
Have an upcoming brainstorming session? Try asking some of the questions above and encourage teammates to do the same. Please let me know if they help! Think of more questions? Do share!
You can find me on Twitter @downthoerth, or holla at me old school at hoertheva@gmail.com.
Happy designing!
