Is asking why always the best strategy? - The Intercom Blog

Summary

The post argues that asking ‘why’ repeatedly in product design interviews is not always the best strategy because digging too quickly to the deepest reason can miss valuable insights. Instead, the author recommends exploring three productive layers: usefulness (what the tool does), usability (the result of using it), and desirability (the emotional outcome), each revealing different design opportunities. For example, with an electric drill, the usefulness layer suggests power and speed settings, the usability layer suggests lighter weight and prescriptive settings, and the desirability layer suggests a docking station or attractive design. The author cautions that going beyond these three layers, such as asking why a more personal home matters, becomes too abstract and rarely actionable for product design. Taking time to explore each layer thoroughly yields more actionable and interesting insights than rushing to the root cause.

Takeaways

1. 1

   Asking ‘why’ repeatedly in product design interviews can be counterproductive if it rushes to the deepest layer, missing actionable insights at intermediate layers.

2. 2

   The three productive layers to explore are usefulness (what the tool does), usability (the result of using it), and desirability (the emotional outcome), each revealing different design opportunities.

3. 3

   Going beyond the desirability layer (e.g., asking why a more personal home matters) becomes too abstract and rarely yields actionable insights for product design.

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