Unit 2 · Lesson 7 of 20
Separate symptoms from causes
Build competing hypotheses and seek evidence that discriminates among them.
01 / Learn
The idea
The same screen can result from very different states. Zero matches after a successful request, an active filter, missing permission, an unavailable station, and a network timeout should not share an unqualified explanation. Before redesigning the message, map the request, filters, permissions, response, and data freshness. Label which facts are known and which are hypotheses.
Choose evidence that can rule causes in or out: request logs for technical failure, current filter values for no-match causes, service records for closure, and task observation for interpretation. Preserve the person's input while diagnosing. A safe temporary message states the limits of current knowledge and offers an appropriate recovery route. Its wording may change as the system gains evidence.
The visible message identifies the underlying problem. An inaccurate message may itself be part of the problem.
02 / See the reasoning
Worked example
Fictional scenario
A commuter's mobile journey planner says 'No trips found' after a route search.
A failed network request is observed in logs. An expert does not say 'No trains run.' They keep the route and time, explain that live trips could not load, and offer retry and verified service status. If a later successful request returns zero matching trips, the message can instead explain the active filters and how to broaden the search.
Try a decision →03 / Decide
Guided decision
The live request timed out; route and filters remain stored; yesterday's timetable is cached. Which response would you test first?
Feedback on your choice
What could change the answer: A confirmed station closure calls for a service message and alternative route; a successful zero-match response calls for no-results recovery rather than a network-error message.
This feedback helps you examine the decision; it does not grade your written reasoning.
Apply it somewhere new →04 / Apply elsewhere
Independent application
Fictional scenario
A support knowledge base on the web reports 'Nothing here' after an agent searches; a product filter, access permission, or index outage could explain it.
Separate observed facts from three hypotheses, identify evidence that would distinguish them, and write the safest provisional state message.
Make: A one-page cause map and problem statement with proposed checks.
The learner distinguishes empty data, no-match results, and retrieval failure, with targeted checks instead of a premature component choice.
Lesson complete
You applied the method in a new context.
You studied the idea, tested a decision, and made an artifact for a new context. Keep the reasoning for your next UX question.
05 / Keep working