What, So What, Now What
It's easy to consider what happens. It's harder to dig into what it means and what to do next.
Overview
This is a super powerful framework that works in many situations. We've used it repeatedly when designing products to get beyond simply displaying information — by understanding why the information matters to someone and what they might do with it.
Similar frameworks use slightly different language, like What, Why, What's Next. They all move from what is happening, to the context of the situation (the So What), to what happens next (the Now What).
A great example comes from Kayak: one of the biggest questions when booking flights is whether the price will go up or down. Kayak's algorithm uses historical prices to tell you Buy or Wait. Airbnb does it too — they show hosts a suggested listing price for their dates. Lots of data and algorithms behind it, but the end result is an incredibly simple experience.
The Difference (a retail example)
WHAT The 10oz version of Product ABC123 is out of stock.
SO WHAT The obvious context is missed sales targets — but go deeper. Maybe people switch to a competitor's brand, or buy the 24oz version, which then leads to an out-of-stock of that product too.
NOW WHAT The simplest move is to suggest creating a new order to replace the out-of-stock item. But you could go further: create the order and link to the order system, auto-order the product, or suggest a replacement if there's nothing in stock.