Assumption mapping

The assumption mapping method is about carefully checking and understanding the team's beliefs about a product. It helps define problems clearly and sets a strong base for good design solutions.

Here's a straightforward way to do assumption mapping:

• Spot your team's assumptions: Identify what your team believes about the problem you're tackling. This might be about what users need, their main issues, or the core reasons behind these issues.
• Involve everyone: Get input from your team and other stakeholders to cover a wide range of beliefs.
• Make a visual map: Draw a map that organizes these assumptions by topic, showing different areas you might need to focus on.
• Assess the assumptions: Decide which assumptions are most important based on how much they affect your understanding of the problem. Question these assumptions by looking for evidence or doing specific research.
• Keep updating the map: Change your beliefs on the map as you find out more, making sure your understanding of the problem stays sharp and accurate.

For instance, if you think users are less engaged because they don't like the interface, you'd check this assumption by getting feedback from users to see if it's really true.