Questions must come from sincere curiosity and inquiry. When asking a question, consider what answer you want to get and how to get it.
With sincere curiosity, one embraces unknowns and forces exploration. Without it, questions become a stage for pissing people off.
Formulating possible answers to your question helps you to identify the central point of your argument, sharpen your observation or highlight constraints.
Constructive doubt creates curiosity. It compels exploration. It’s easy to tell if you’re on the right path: constructive doubt means you don’t care who’s right.
Here’s how to apply the scientific method to design: before asking a question, formulate a plan to answer the question. Then, explain the plan. For instance, instead of asking “Why are we building this right now?” pick your favorite prioritization framework and offer to help the team organize their roadmap.
Doubting is good! At its best, doubt doesn’t increase uncertainty, or cast an idea in a negative light. It’s a way to express curiosity. Curiosity leads to understanding. That’s the key. The more we can contribute to the collective curiosity of our peers, the more we can be seen as the “good” designers.
Don’t be a question machine
It’s hard to know when it’s appropriate to express your doubts. Here are a few questions that help might help:
Are there lots of unknowns? If you’ve already gathered lots of data, research, or understanding, your colleagues will expect you to have answers.
Is there time to explore? If you need to move fast, it might be better to go with your gut feelings.
Is there a lot at stake? Sometimes, being wrong isn’t that bad. If the stakes are low, just ship the dang thing.
Constructive doubt creates curiosity. It compels exploration. It’s easy to tell if you’re on the right path: constructive doubt means you don’t care who’s right.
Here’s how to apply the scientific method to design: before asking a question, formulate a plan to answer the question. Then, explain the plan. For instance, instead of asking “Why are we building this right now?” pick your favorite prioritization framework and offer to help the team organize their roadmap.
It’s easy to question others’ ideas and plans, and I often express doubt at the wrong time. But as [[Richard Feynman]] said, doubt is the key to progress:
“It is imperative in science to doubt. To make progress in understanding we must remain modest and allow that we do not know. You investigate for curiosity … it is not that you are finding out the truth, but that you are finding out that this or that is more or less likely.”
[[Richard Feynman]] in [[The Relation of Science and Religion]]
Doubting is good! At its best, doubt doesn’t increase uncertainty, or cast an idea in a negative light. It’s a way to express curiosity. Curiosity leads to understanding. That’s the key. The more we can contribute to the collective curiosity of our peers, the more we can be seen as the “good” designers.