Using First Principles Logic in UX Design
In physics and other fields, individual’s work is argued and reasoned from the position of First Principles. Taking this route means an individual initiates their process from established foundational truths and not from assumptions or deduction from anything else. Elon Musk gave an example of this during an interview not long ago:
In the video, he uses this approach when dissecting the pricing landscape of car batteries. Professionals in other fields such as economics are adopting this approach as well. This struck a chord in me, as I am always looking for new ways to augment my own design process.
And Why Do We Fall, Bruce?
As a UX Designer, it doesn’t matter how well you can maintain control of a meeting. There’s an inevitable future where you’re in a room with your team and it turns into a design by committee quagmire. You’re having a healthy discussion considering many possible solutions for a problem, but it has gone on too long. The user’s core needs fall into a dark well and everyone asks “How did we get here?”.
In addition to the aforementioned scenario, there’s a multitude of other digressions that may occur during the design process.
You’re conducting research and begin asking the user too many speculative questions.
Someone asserts that an untruth about the user is indeed true.
Data collected from the user is re-interpreted by a teammate to meet their need. (Trying to make a circle square just to fit the design)
You get the picture right?
When we see these issues occur there is indeed a way to handle them already. A typical and time-consuming solution is to fall back on iterations. Another is to point at collected data and say “well the user said this”. But sometimes what the user says and what you learn during testing don’t coalesce.
So how would you analyze a problem utilizing First Principles logic?
First Principles Example
If we were to take a look at Instagram, we could easily extract out some foundational truths without even talking to users. Doing this allows us to look at various features of Instagram, analyze them using First Principles logic and work our way up to rationalize their existence.
Example Issue: Someone says “Enabling users to upload pictures through the UI is a terrible idea!”.
Calmly, you identify First Principles:
People take pictures to capture memories
Pictures are taken from cameras, computers, and smartphones
Pictures are stored on cameras, computers, and smartphones
People like to share pictures
Therefore Instagram should enable users to upload pictures from these devices.
If you bring this concept into your thought process or utilize it as a normal exercise with others it helps tremendously. When applied to scenarios where there is too much gray area, opinions, muddied waters or a solution to a problem is overreaching — it should serve you well.
Unravel complexity. Clarify ambiguity. Fight ignorance.