Why?

When is the last time you took a moment to ask, “Why?” It’s one word—a seemingly simple question—but the power of analyzing motives can be life-altering.

The world is moving faster than ever. Most of us—mobile phone in one hand, large coffee in the other—are challenged to keep up with an unyielding fire hose of information while we travel almost obliviously from point A to point B. Our lives are saturated with routines that we repeat day in and day out without considering the rationale behind our choices; many of our lives have become so routine that we cease to make decisions at all, i.e. life on autopilot.

“Why” challenges life on autopilot. Analyzing the intentions behind simple things like why you set your alarm for 6:00am; why you need a new phone; why you take that route to work; why you go to work at all; will—at the very least—shift your perspective. Discovering the answers could potentially lead you down a path that you’d never before considered.

Designing more effective experiences by asking, “Why?”

One of my primary responsibilities in my role as a user experience designer is to constantly ask, “why?” Why is that button green? Why does the form need a ZIP code field? Why would someone care about using this application?

For optimal effectiveness, all design decisions should be informed.

For optimal effectiveness, all design decisions should be informed. Frequently asking “why” may inevitably make people think you’re a pain in the ass (after adolescence most people begin to just do things without question). In the long run though, if done tactfully, understanding the reasons why will help inform design and business decisions—benefiting all parties.

If you’ve been paying attention, this is the point where you may respond, “Why ask why?” Good. It’s the first step to turning off the autopilot and starting to live and design with purpose.

Posted in Life, Uncommon Sense, User Experience | 3 Comments »