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Hypothesis Creation

What is it

  • Acknowledges that no matter how much research you do, your service enhancement is just a theoretical solution to a human need or want that you hope will result in success. The hypothesis is your guess at why a particular solution will succeed. Valuable hypothesis comes from well researched observations.
  • Hypothesis creation is the approach to how to best formulate a hypothesis that offers a valuable outcome.

Who

  • Hypothesis creation is best undertaken collaboratively between the product manager and user researcher with support from the service designer, if such capability is available within the team

Running the technique

  • Imagine the change wanted that fully addresses the outstanding user need and write it down.
  • Identify what is preventing this outcome from being achieved. If these causes were removed the outcome would already be a reality. These are the root of the hypothesis
  • Ideate solutions that offer alternative options to achieving the outcome by removing these causes/blockers
  • Create the full hypothesis statement in this recommended format.
  • WE BELIEVE THAT ( feature/service) WILL ( define what will change and how ) FOR (target user group) WHEN WE SEE (the success criteria)