Assumption-making in ill-structured problems: a reflexive thematic analysis

Designers are often asked to state their assumptions. However, how assumptions are made is not well understood. We administered short and long versions of ill-structured problems to 22 students and analysed their responses using reflexive thematic analysis. Participants constructed analogies from recent experiences and distant memories. Interpretations in the short version often persisted in the long version, indicating assumptive inertia, a tendency to maintain initial assumptions. The findings offer insights into the process of assumption-making and its role in design decision-making.