Page 70 - The Design Thinking Playbook

EXPERT TIP
The 6 WH questions

As we have seen, the WH questions help in the divergent phase to What Who Why Where When How
gain a basic overview and in-depth insights. WH questions help to get What is the Who is Why is the Where does When did the How could this
better information, thus comprehend the problem or situation better. problem? involved? problem import- the problem problem begin? problem be an
ant? occur? opportunity?
What would we Who is affected Why does it Where was When do How could it be
like to know? by the occur? it already re- people want to solved?
situation? solved before? see results?
Who?
Where? What are the Who decides? Why was it not Where did sim- When can What has
How? assumptions yet solved? ilar situations the project be already been
that are scruti- exist? started? tried to resolve
nized? the problem?
When? Why?

What?
1. Create a set of WH questions.
2. Make a list of possible sub-questions.
3. Try to answer all WH questions.
4. If a WH question does not make sense in the context of the problem, skip it.
Especially in the first few design thinking phases, the WH questions 5. If the WH questions were used with the user in the context of a problem interview, try to dig deeper by
are of vital importance. probing and repeating questions.
They help us make concrete observations in a specific situation and 6. Try to find more than one answer to every question. Conflicting answers can be of particular interest
thus discover more emotions and motives. In addition, the WH ques- and should be amplified more deeply together with the user.
tions help analyze and scrutinize information already gathered. 7. Evaluate the answers only at the end and filter the statements according to their
relevance to the solution.

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