SUMMARY
Purpose: The 5 Whys method helps uncover root causes behind user problems, going beyond surface symptoms to inform deeper design decisions.
Design Thinking Phase: Define
Time: 45–60 min session + 1–2 hours analysis
Difficulty: ⭐⭐
When to use:When research uncovers user complaints with no clear sourceWhen the team is jumping to solutions too fastWhen a product metric flags a performance issue with unclear root cause
What it is
The 5 Whys is a simple yet powerful root cause analysis technique used to dig beneath the surface of a problem by asking “why?” repeatedly—usually five times—until the underlying issue is revealed. It helps product teams challenge assumptions and reframe shallow problems into actionable design challenges.
📺 Video by Lean Enterprise Institute. Embedded for educational reference.
Why it matters
In complex product environments, surface-level symptoms often mislead teams into solving for the wrong thing. The 5 Whys brings structure to ambiguity. It enables design teams to clarify what problem they’re truly solving—before jumping into prototyping. By framing challenges through causality, it improves design impact and reduces waste.
When to use
- During early discovery sessions when stakeholder assumptions are muddy
- After usability testing reveals friction but stakeholders focus on UI fixes
- When product OKRs indicate stagnation and the cause is undiagnosed
Benefits
- Rich Insights: Helps uncover user needs that aren’t visible in metrics.
- Flexibility: Works across various project types and timelines.
- User Empathy: Deepens understanding of behaviours and motivations.
How to use it
- Start with an observed problem or user complaint based on research findings or metrics.
- State the initial problem clearly: “Why did [X] happen?”
- Answer with the most likely cause—then ask “Why?” again.
- Repeat the process a total of five times or until you land on a root issue that feels actionable or systemic.
- Document each “Why” layer in sequence to visualise causal chains.
- Use insights to reframe the design problem statement or inform a new HMW (How Might We) question.
- Facilitate with a cross-functional lens—some root causes may span engineering, policy, or ops.
Example Output
Starting Problem: “Users are not completing the sign-up process.”
Why 1: Because they abandon the form halfway through.
Why 2: Because the form asks for too much information upfront.
Why 3: Because the team wanted to reduce fraud and added ID verification early.
Why 4: Because previous fraud cases caused a surge in chargebacks.
Why 5: Because identity matching wasn't integrated post-verification, so manual detection failed earlier.
Insight: The usability issue is rooted in a business policy workaround. The design problem is not “simplify the form” but “how might we validate identity without blocking conversion?”
Common Pitfalls
- Stopping too early: Asking only 2–3 whys leads to band-aid solutions.
- Leading the answers: Avoid suggesting answers in your “why” questions—let the team respond naturally.
- Ignoring systems thinking: Sometimes the root cause isn’t in the product, but in upstream processes outside UX control.
10 Design-Ready AI Prompts for 5 Whys – UX/UI Edition
How These Prompts Work (C.S.I.R. Framework)
Each of the templates below follows the C.S.I.R. method — a proven structure for writing clear, effective prompts that get better results from ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot, or any other LLM.
C.S.I.R. stands for:
- Context: Who you are and the UX situation you're working in
- Specific Info: Key design inputs, tasks, or constraints the AI should consider
- Intent: What you want the AI to help you achieve
- Response Format: The structure or format you want the AI to return (e.g. checklist, table, journey map)
Level up your career with smarter AI prompts.Get templates used by UX leaders — no guesswork, just results.Design faster, research smarter, and ship with confidence.First one’s free. Unlock all 10 by becoming a member.
Prompt Template 1: “Get Root Cause Suggestions From Research Findings:”
Get Root Cause Suggestions From Research Findings:
Context: You are a UX researcher analysing usability test notes for a sign-up flow.
Specific Info: Users are dropping off at step 3 of 5. Error messages were unclear and users showed visible frustration during task completion.
Intent: Identify deeper root causes behind observed friction using the 5 Whys method.
Response Format: Present a 5 Whys breakdown, followed by 2 reframed design problems.
If causes seem ambiguous, ask follow-up questions to clarify behavioural patterns.
