software.architecture

Why Start With an Assumption-Based Diagram? Before you’ve conducted any formal research, you already have something: assumptions. And these assumptions are valuable — if made visible. Creating a first-draft experience diagram gives your team a common place to start. It helps uncover gaps in understanding, highlight contradictions, and generate focused research questions. Even though it’s not validated, it’s a critical tool for initiating alignment and shaping your exploration. Think of it not as a finished product, but as a hypothesis in visual form — a sketch of how you believe a process or journey unfolds.