questiondriven

Questiondriven is a problem-solving and decision-making approach in which a small set of pivotal questions steer the scope, methods, and evaluation of a project. Rather than starting from proposed solutions, teams identify the essential questions that must be answered to determine success and then gather evidence, design experiments, and choose analyses aimed at answering those questions.

The term is used across fields such as product development, research planning, policy analysis, and knowledge management. It functions as a discipline or mindset rather than a fixed framework, and it overlaps with related ideas such as inquiry-based learning, hypothesis-driven development, and design thinking.

Core principles of questiondriven work include: identifying a concise and measurable set of core questions; designing activities and data collection specifically to answer those questions; iterating based on what the answers reveal; prioritizing questions by impact and risk; and maintaining transparent documentation of questions, assumptions, and rationale. The approach emphasizes traceability, as decisions are linked directly to how well the questions are answered.

Typical workflow involves framing the problem through questions, selecting methods to address them, conducting experiments or analyses, evaluating results in terms of question closure, and refining the questions or solution accordingly. It can be combined with user-centered design by integrating user or stakeholder questions into the core set.

Benefits include clearer focus, better alignment with objectives, and easier justification of decisions. Challenges can include choosing the right questions, avoiding bias in question framing, and ensuring sufficient scope to avoid tunnel vision.