justinteractive

Working as a user experience consultant across many complex domains I’ve never been afraid to ask what some may consider ‘dumb’ questions. Granted, I’ve occasionally had to deal with peers puzzling over why I even asked that question but I always respond with the tenet that ignorance is a blessing.

Many agencies will search for consultants who have extensive experience of their projects specific subject matter, yet, I find this approach somewhat mis-guided and of itself, naive. Interviewers who think they know the topic they have been tasked with investigating are prone to making assumptions that inevitably pollute the actual user research. Precisely because I approach the research phase as a total newbie, the ‘dumb’ questions often reveal critical design insights that would have otherwise remained hidden.

Don’t be afraid to ask the obvious questions, but, a word of warning. Make sure you establish your approach and mention up front that you are being deliberately naive in order to better understand the topic or process otherwise your colleagues and informants are likely to think you’re just plain ‘dumb’.