35. Five whys are better than one

If you’re a UX designer, there’s a good chance you’ve heard about the “Five Whys” as a way to uncover hidden problems. It’s often used as a research method to help us understand the cause of problems that might not be completely clear at first.This problem-solving method was created by Toyota in the 1930s and was largely used as a basis for Toyota’s later innovations in lean manufacturing. Taiichi Ono, the father of Toyota’s Lean Manufacturing once said:The basis of Toyota’s scientific approach is to ask why five times whenever we find a problem … By repeating why five times, the nature of the problem as well as its solution becomes clear.Taiichi OnoEven though this method is nearly 100 years old, it’s a great way to uncover problems and identify the root issues affecting your users, your process, your build, your team, etc. Whether you’re a software engineer, a UX designer, or work on the manufacturing shop floor, you’ll find this method useful.Topics: • 03:50 – What are the five whys? • 06:26 – The “Five Whys” is for everything — It’s about investigation and learning • 06:52 – An example • 09:18 – The answers can change depending on who you ask • 11:42 – Keep asking why until you get your answer • 13:29 – The “Five Whys” helps solve the butterfly effect • 14:53 – Complex problems might have simple solutions – Occams Razor • 18:51 – Don’t bring your computer to the IT department • 19:48 – How many whys are too many? • 23:41 – You won’t get nearly as far with simply experience in your job as you will with insight into the experience you’ve had. • 29:27 – Culture is the Key — A Brittany Summit JamHelpful Links: • Ask “Why” Five Times About Every Matter • How to Use 5 Whys to Find the Root Cause • en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Five_whys • Mental Models for Software Engineers: Occam’s Razor—– Thanks for listening! We hope you enjoyed today’s episode. If you liked what you heard, be sure to like and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! If you enjoyed today’s episode, please leave a comment and a five-star review. It helps us out a ton. If you haven’t already, sign up for our email list. We won’t spam you. Pinky swear. • Check out our website • Follow us on twitter • Find us on Facebook • Subscribe on Google Podcasts • Subscribe on Apple Podcasts •