Assumption
In UX (User Experience), an assumption refers to a guess or an unproven belief about a user's motivations, behaviour or needs. Any assumption about the users should be validated by research. Otherwise, it may lead to flawed designs and poor user experience.
There are still some benefits to assumptions. Even though they're unfounded by definition, they can still generate new ideas and help with creative problem-solving in design. Designers can also test certain assumptions early in the design process. This can reduce risk as it allows designers to identify potential problems and make necessary changes before the solution is implemented.
Remember that assumptions could never replace user research and validation, even if seasoned professionals make them. UX research and testing are crucial in creating a positive user experience.
How to approach assumptions? First, validate and test them to check whether they're reliable. And if you are making assumptions, try to do so from a user's perspective – anything else will not be useful.
Keep in mind that not all users are the same. So don't assume that everyone from your target audience has the same needs, wants the same things, or behaves the same. But also try not to make assumptions about a single user or a small group as you may later incorrectly generalise your assumption to the entire population. The best way to avoid that is to conduct user research, base your assumptions on the results, and create personas to help you better understand your user segments.
Assumptions are mostly unfounded, but we all make them. That's why we conduct such thorough UX research at Flying Bisons – to ensure that any assumptions we make during the product design and development are based on evidence; they're not just guesses.
