The key to Design Communication: Became an Expert in Questioning

Asking the right questions is essential in effective communication. There are a number of different questioning techniques that you can use in different situations, depending on the desired outcome.?

One area designers need to become really good at is asking questions. We know clients and non-designers are not always able to express their needs to you. It is your responsibility to ask the right questions and get to the root of solutions.?

Here I am going to explain the different types of questions and outline some ways you can use them in your role.?

Open vs Closed Questions?

When you think about types of questions, you probably think about open-ended or closed-ended questions. Open-ended questions are questions that allow someone to give a free-form answer. Open-ended usually start with “What?”, “Why?”, or “How?”. They are used to encourage?the responder to open up to you. You can also use them when you want a longer response. Closed-ended (also known as polar) questions can be answered with “yes” or “no,” or they have a limited set of possible answers. Closed-ended questions are used when you want a short, specific answer. They allow you to control the conversation and keep it focused. As well as open-ended and closed-ended questions, there are many different types of questions and techniques when it comes to asking questions that we will further explore.?

When to use open questions?

When you are looking for an expansive answer - for example during user interviews. They allow you to collect qualitative answers with potentially insightful answers and different perspectives.

When to use closed questions?

When you want to encourage others to participate in meetings, or during small talk. They can help to build rapport and relationships. They’re popular as icebreaker questions in group situations because they’re easy to answer.?

Leading Questions?

A leading question is a type of question that prompts the respondent towards providing an already determined answer. The phrasal verb “to lead someone on” in English means to mislead or deceive someone. This type of question is suggestive as it is framed in such a way that it implies or points to its answer(s). Leading questions are intended to lead people to answer questions in a specific way based on how they're phrased. Often, leading questions contain information that the asker wants to be confirmed rather than a question that tries to get at the true answer.

When to use leading questions?

Leading questions are generally undesirable because they result in false or biased information. A leading question suggests the desired answer. In marketing, this might work well. For example, when collecting feedback from clients on a product or service you can include an assumption-based leading question like:

”How much did you enjoy using our product?"?

This question assumes that the client must have enjoyed using the product. Leading questions can also be used to verify something for example:?

“There’s a meeting at 3 pm today, isn’t there?”.?

As you can see, leading questions usually contain the answer within the question. These types of questions are also known as “assumption-based” leading questions as the entire question is asked based on an assumption.?

Assumption?= something that is accepted as true or as certain to happen, without proof.?

Examples of leading questions:

You are satisfied with our products, aren’t you?

Did you like our excellent new offering?

When to avoid leading questions?

When you are looking for unbiased answers, you should avoid leading questions. When you use leading questions, you tend to make a lot of assumptions. As designers, it is always best to avoid leading questions when carrying out user research. If you do, you may influence the results and not get the true outcome or understand the true experience of the users. Leading questions result in biased or false answers, as respondents are prone to simply mimic the words of the interviewer.?

Probing Questions

Probing is used to determine the mood or general opinion of the group about a certain topic or point in the discussion.?

To probe?=?to search into and explore very thoroughly

When to use probing questions?

There are many occasions when you should use probing questions. You use probing questions likely for the following reasons:

- to find out more details - from a new client, when you start a new project.?

- to investigate something further?- when you are researching or testing and you want to see the bigger picture.?

-to draw out information from others who might be trying to avoid telling you something - during interviews or to encourage participants to speak out during design sprints and facilitation workshops.?

It is a good idea to use probing questions when you would like to find out more details. When you receive an answer from the respondent that is lacking information, you are likely to probe them for more details. You may also use probing questions to clarify something so you can understand it thoroughly. For example:?

“Why do you think that is the case?”?

Or?

“What is the connection between ____ and _____??

Examples of probing questions:?

What sort of impact do you think this will have?

How did you come to this conclusion?

When you are investigating something further, you are likely to use probing questions. Here are a number of situations in which probing questions could be used:?

• To assess the needs of a new client?
• to facilitate brainstorming new solutions and ideas?
• To gain an insight into a person’s thought process?

Funnelling Questions

This technique involves starting with a general or open question and then heading towards a more specific point in each. By asking funnelling questions, it can help to relive the experience of the respondent and provides you with a lot of detail and insight about the situation or problem

When to use funnelling questions

Funnelling questions are used to seek further information either that goes into more specific details or becomes more general. You can use questions to find out increasing detail about some particular topic of interest. This narrows the funnel, giving you more information about a smaller area.?

A good technique to get more information is to ask “tell me more about…” It is an open and very general question that will encourage the respondent to give you more information.?

Funnelling questions can also help build relationships by showing interest. You can use funnelling questions to increase in detail:?

1. Start with an open question such as “What do you like most about your work?”
2. Then fill in with information you know or what you think there should be “What about ____? Do you enjoy ____??
3. Follow up by suggesting there is more detail to provide: “what else?”.?
4. Exhaust - stop only when you get the response “no, I don’t have any other examples / reasons / information”.??

You can also use funnelling questions to decrease detail and broaden the conversation?

1. Are you going to the party??
2. Yes! I will be there. I’m so excited, I’ll be able to see my friends for the first time in months.?
3. Who else will be there??
4. I’m not really sure. I guess Sarah’s neighbours will be coming too.?
5. Nice! What else will you do this weekend??

As you can see, you can broaden questions by asking: “what other things are you planning on doing? or “who else will be there?.

Rhetorical Questions

A rhetorical question is a question that is asked for effect without expecting an answer. Rhetorical questions may end with a question mark, but they are not technically questions at all because the audience – whether a large group, small group, or individual – is not expected to respond. This may be because the answer to the question is very obvious or immediately provided by the person asking the question. It may be that rhetorical questions do not have an answer - or the answers may be controversial and unclear.?

When to use rhetorical questions?

Rhetorical questions might be asked to start conversations, spur debate, or prompt contemplation. They can use used to provoke, emphasise, or argue.?Typically, they’re used in conversations where the speaker wants to drive an important point home. They can be used to engage, influence, or persuade the audience or to make the listener think about certain topics.?At the beginning of a presentation or pitch, you can use rhetorical questions to build interest and engage the audience.?

For example:?

Have you ever been in a situation where ___??

Do you struggle to search for the right outfit when browsing fashion websites?

Rhetorical questions can also have a sarcastic effect and are used to make a negative point. For example:?

Does it look like I’m bothered? = I’m not bothered!??

Using rhetorical questions can be used in copywriting or content writing as a way to help audiences interact with what they read. For example:?

“So, you want to know about rhetorical questions?”

Using this question can engage the audience and encourage them to continue reading the next sentence.?

When to avoid using rhetorical questions?

When used incorrectly, rhetorical questions can have a negative impact. Instead of encouraging the listener to engage, rhetorical questions may make them feel uncomfortable as they can come across as condescending or patronising.?

What do you think is the most important questioning technique to learn as a design professional??