The 5 whys analysis

Sakichi Toyoda's 5 whys technique is a way to solve problems by drilling down to their core cause.^[1] This technique helps you discover the real issues and create a focused problem statement, setting the stage for effective design solutions.

Here’s how to use it:

1. Start with a clear problem. Identify a specific, observable issue like "Users abandon our checkout process."
2. Ask the first "why." The answer might be "The process takes too long to complete." This reveals the immediate cause.
3. Continue asking "why." Each answer becomes the basis for the next question: "Why does it take too long?" The answer could be "Because users must fill out too many fields."
4. Dig deeper with each "why." "Why are there too many fields?" The answer could be "Because we collect non-essential information." Keep going until you find root causes.
5. Stop when you reach an actionable cause. The final answer should point to something you can actually fix, like "We haven't defined our minimum required user data."