Base120 · Inversion

Negative Space Framing

IN · Inversion

Study what is absent rather than what is present

Model code
IN5
Transformation
IN (Inversion) — Improve by removing, reversing, or stress-testing assumptions.
Priority
5 of 20
Framework
HUMMBL Base120 — 120 mental models across 6 transformations

When to use

"Use when what is present does not explain the pattern. Study what is missing — which questions are not asked, which data is not collected, which stakeholders are not in the room. Absence is often more informative than presence."

Example

"A user research report shows 50 feature requests. Negative space framing asks — what do users never request? They never ask for better error messages, which means they may have given up on reporting errors. The absence reveals a deeper problem than the requests."

Common misuse

"Interpreting absence as evidence of absence. The fact that something is not mentioned does not mean it does not exist; it may mean it is suppressed, invisible, or assumed."

Also known as

Negative Space AnalysisAbsence Mapping

Related models

P15IN3DE4