Playlist · 13 videos
Research
Research principles and practices for framing better questions, gathering evidence, and making more considered decisions.
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Hypotheses: test assumptions before scaling them.
Ideas for a service carry assumptions about people, context, and operations. Making those assumptions explicit creates room to investigate what we do not yet know.
The central idea
A useful hypothesis guides a decision.
Stating what we expect to observe helps us choose a test proportionate to the risk. Results must be interpreted in context: evidence may support, weaken, or reshape a hypothesis without proving an idea once and for all.
Level 02 · Practice
Related methods
Choose a method based on the question you need to answer and what you still need to learn.
01
In-depth interviews
A long, open-ended one-to-one conversation conducted in the participant’s own setting, such as their home or workplace.
View method →02Paired customer interviews
An in-depth interview with two people who know each other well, such as partners or friends, using the same open-ended guide.
View method →03User workshops
A group session with users in a co-creation format, used as an alternative to a focus group.
View method →04Cultural probes
A set of tasks participants complete during a session or on their own afterward, generating insights with minimal researcher influence.
View method →05How might we…?
An open-ended question that reframes a design challenge as an opportunity to create.
View method →06Brainstorming
A structured session for generating many ideas in response to an opportunity question.
View method →07Develop a concept
Synthesize an idea into a proposition that people can understand, desire, and discuss.
View method →08Storyboarding
A visual sequence showing how someone encounters, uses, and experiences a solution over time.
View method →09Role-play
An enacted rehearsal of an experience that helps a team learn from the actions, dialogue, and relationships it brings about.
View method →10Rapid prototyping
Build a simple representation to learn before making a decision or investing at scale.
View method →11Gather feedback
Put an idea or prototype in front of the right people and turn their responses into the next learning steps.
View method →Watch
Playlist · 11 videos
Quantitative analysis
Concepts and techniques for interpreting quantitative data without losing sight of the question or decision context.
Open playlistBooks on testing assumptions
Intermediate
Service Design: 250 Essential Methods
A wide-ranging collection of methods for research, ideation, prototyping, and implementation. It works better as a reference than as a linear read, helping readers who know the basic process broaden their toolkit.
View in the library →Test assumptions to guide your next decision.
State what you expect to observe, choose a test proportionate to the risk, and interpret the results in the context of the service.
Continue with Research9 related publications