Explain the mechanism
Ask why the behaviour occurs as well as what it is.
- 01Readthe situation
- 02Explainthe mechanism
- 03Examinethe evidence
- 04Judgeunder constraint
- 05Translateinto form
- 06Observewhat happens
- 07Transferwhat was learned
Description is necessary but insufficient.
The more useful question is usually why the observed behaviour occurs.
The mechanism might involve cognition, incentives, information, physical layout, institutional rules, interaction design, social norms or several of these at once.
Methods
Four methods that help
Each is a card in Riffle, a library of design method cards I built. The card says when to use the method, how to run it and what you get.
Five whys (opens Riffle in a new tab)
What lies underneath this problem, and which cause can we act on?
Under an hour · A small team
Fishbone diagram (opens Riffle in a new tab)
What could be causing this problem, across every kind of cause, and which causes should we check first?
A few hours · A small team
Iceberg model (opens Riffle in a new tab)
Why does this problem keep happening, what lies beneath the events we notice and where could we intervene with most effect?
A few hours · A small team
Systems map (opens Riffle in a new tab)
What drives this problem, and where would a change shift the whole system?
Several days · A small team