Product & UX Designers · situation guide
Ask open questions, clarify a task, and describe obstacles without guessing at a user's motives.
Start a personalized practice session in seconds. No card required.
A pause in a session is observable; confusion is an interpretation that may need to be checked.
Vocabulary for this situation
Draw out the user's reasoning
Elicit means to draw forth or obtain information, a response, or a reaction; purpose and attempt forms do not guarantee a result.
“The follow-up question elicited the reason for the hesitation.”
Usage note: Do not put your proposed explanation into the question.
Practice “elicit” →Check what a broad reaction means
Use clarify to make information, meaning, expectations, or a position clearer and easier to understand, often by adding detail or removing ambiguity.
“Could you clarify which part felt difficult to find?”
Usage note: A request for clarification need not challenge the person's experience.
Practice “clarify” →Describe effort in a task
Friction is resistance that makes a process, transaction, or working relationship harder or slower than it should be — usually something to reduce, but professionals also add it on purpose as a deliberate safeguard.
“Re-entering the same details adds friction to the task.”
Usage note: Describe the obstacle and its effect rather than treating every step as a defect.
Practice “friction” →Communication sequence
The follow-up question elicited the reason for the hesitation.
Could you clarify which part felt difficult to find?
Re-entering the same details adds friction to the task.
Common mistakes
Related guides
Start with a focused set of expressions. Understand the meaning, compare examples, and write your own response with feedback.
Get started for free