Design without Assumptions

Before I began to write. I made a conscious effort to check my dictionary to be sure that what I see assumptions to be is exactly what it is. I didn’t want to assume I knew what “assumption” is. So here is my favourite dictionary definition of “Assumption”.

“A thing that is accepted as true or as certain to happen, without proof”

In life generally, to assume things without a definite proof is sometimes wrong, also to act or react based on assumptions sometimes end badly. We often get the question “did you see it?, did you find out yourself? Are you an eye witness? Etc when things go wrong.

Coming down to design, particularly User experience design or user interface design, assumptions lead to bad experiences.

One major reason a designer should not design based on assumptions is that “you are not designing for yourself” you are designing a product that someone else will use, so you don’t assume for them. Even if you think, certain interaction will take place between the product you are designing and the user you are designing for…you still need proof! Why? Because users are of different backgrounds, think differently, interact differently and most importantly human nature varies widely, you cannot know it all. What you assume for “A” might not work for “B”. You get it?

Come to think of it, using ‘icons’ for example, as a designer you assumed your user will recognise the purpose of a certain icon because of where you have placed it in the design especially when the icon is not one of the common icon users are used to seeing in most applications or websites. You assume your users should know that because they clicked on a button then wherever they find themselves is where the button should have taken them to, now what if the user mistakenly clicked on something else without even knowing, do you not think that even the users need proof that “okay! I clicked on this, certainly that is where I am”. I mean, you need to save your users from confusion because of your own assumption and that is where the “bad experience” comes in.

How do you remove assumptions?

Of course there are lots and lots of examples to state when it comes to “assuming for your users’’, whatever you design based on “the user should know that after this should be this” or “the user should know that this thing is meant for this page, at least he/she is learned” etc, No! do not assume please. Sometimes, some people are not as smart as you think or expect them to be. So don’t assume they should know.. provide proof for them to know… the same way you as a designer needs proof to design a usable and pleasant experience for users.

The only way out of this is “Research”. Come out of your assumptions, find out for sure.

1. Finding out: make good use of the internet. What you want to achieve has been done by someone before, analyse your findings “will this approach work for me?” try to understand why that designer used that approach and because you want to design a unique experience for your user, analyse what will best work for you as well. Be sure to empathise and do not copy.
2. Talk to people: Spare some time to talk to users, not just anybody but prospective user of the product you are building. Hear from them, understand their pain points, their frustrations especially with other similar products they have interacted with in the past or currently, their motive for wanting to use the product etc. this is the only way you can empathise better with your users to design a meaningful experience for them and not based on assumptions.
3. Test: Most designers think that they can only test when the product is ready, No!, you don’t have to wait till the product is ready and developed before you test. Design is iterative, it is never done, you continue to add and subtract based on your users activities and interaction with it, therefore you can begin to test with your prototype. Take a few walks, meet with people, you can make use of the mall, eateries, bars etc where people are more reserved and patient to hear you out. Give them your prototype to interact with and observe how they interact with it, observe their frustrations, difficulties, even their ease of access on their own without interrupting or telling them what to do.

Assumptions will deny you empathy. No matter how good you are or how certain you think you are, make sure you still come out of your space to get proof that what you are designing is exactly what your user needs, not what you want them to need. It is their need not yours. Your duty as a designer is to bring that need to reality and not complicate things, frustrate or confuse your users.