Assumptions Analysis

Overview

Assumptions Analysis™ is the second specialist course in the Humanising IT™ Practitioner pathway.
Building directly on RIPP™, this course focuses on examining the assumptions that sit beneath perceived problems — before they shape research, decisions, or solutions.

Using tools and techniques from human-centred design, learners are guided to surface and challenge inherited beliefs about how services work, why issues occur, who is responsible, and what behaviour is expected. The course aligns to Phase 1 (Discover / Define) of the HIT Double Diamond Framework™ (HIT DDF™) and strengthens the foundation for all subsequent research and design activity.

Learning Outcomes

By completing this course, learners will be able to:

Identify assumptions underpinning perceived problems
Distinguish belief from evidence
Recognise how role, experience, and organisational context shape assumptions
Assess which assumptions carry the greatest risk if incorrect
Reduce bias before it influences research and decision-making
Prepare more effective research that tests what truly matters

Who It Is For

This course is designed for:

IT and digital professionals involved in problem definition and improvement initiatives
Service designers, business analysts, and change practitioners
IT leaders seeking to improve the quality of discovery and decision-making
Teams progressing through the Humanising IT™ Practitioner pathway
Anyone who wants to challenge inherited thinking before designing solutions

Why It Matters

In IT service management, problems are rarely neutral. They are shaped by assumptions — often unspoken — about how services should operate and why issues exist.

Left unexamined, these assumptions:

Reinforce flawed narratives
Bias research and design activity
Create misalignment between design intent and lived experience

Assumptions Analysis™ makes these beliefs explicit. By surfacing and questioning them early, teams create space for evidence to emerge and ensure that Humanising IT™ design decisions are grounded in real human experience, not untested certainty.

How Certification Works

Humanising IT™ Practitioner – Level 1 certification is achieved when all 6 of the specialist modules in the Discover / Define phase of the HIT Double Diamond (HIT DDF™) are completed.
Assumptions Analysis™ is the second specialist module in Phase 1 (Discover/Define).
All HIT Specialist Courses align to activities within the HIT Double Diamond Framework™ .
Completion contributes to Phase 1 (Discover / Define) of the Practitioner pathway.

This course prepares learners for Experience Archetypes and subsequent research activities.