The Hermeneutic Spiral in UX Design

The Circle of Understanding

In Being and Time, Heidegger describes understanding as fundamentally circular:

"Any interpretation which is to contribute understanding, must already have understood what is to be interpreted."

This isn't a logical flaw—it's the structure of comprehension itself. We understand parts through the whole, and the whole through its parts. Each cycle deepens our grasp.

The Spiral, Not the Circle

While Heidegger uses "circle," the motion is better described as a spiral. Each iteration doesn't return to the same point—it advances understanding:

The key insight: understanding accumulates. It doesn't reset.

Application to User Experience

Traditional systems break this spiral:

A hermeneutic system retains context and asks only what has changed.

Core Principles

The Hermeneutic Spiral pattern follows three principles:

Conversational Flow

First Visit:

Return Visit (recognized by phone number):

The second conversation is shorter, more natural, and acknowledges the relationship history.

System Overview

The Abundance Network is a WhatsApp-based creative professional matching platform built for Half Dozen. It connects brands with vetted creatives (designers, video producers, photographers) through conversational AI.

• Channel: WhatsApp (phone number as identity)
• Interaction: Conversational (not form-based)
• Memory: Cloudflare KV for context persistence
• Matching: AI-powered creative recommendation

Architecture

Context Schema

interface UserContext {
  // Identity (stable)
  phone_number: string;
  name?: string;

  // Brand context (semi-stable)
  brand?: string;
  industry?: string;
  style_preferences?: string[];

  // Project history (accumulates)
  past_requests: ProjectRequest[];

  // Interaction state (session-specific)
  current_conversation_stage: string;
  pending_matches?: Creative[];

  // Hermeneutic metadata
  first_interaction: string;
  total_sessions: number;
  last_seen: string;
}

Delta Detection Logic

function determineQuestions(context: UserContext): Question[] {
  const questions: Question[] = [];

  // Never ask what we already know (stable fields)
  if (!context.name) {
    questions.push({ field: 'name', prompt: "What's your name?" });
  }

  if (!context.brand) {
    questions.push({ field: 'brand', prompt: "What brand are you with?" });
  }

  // Always ask what varies (project-specific fields)
  questions.push({
    field: 'need',
    prompt: context.brand
      ? `What does ${context.brand} need this time?`
      : "What kind of creative help do you need?"
  });

  // Offer to reuse if we have history
  if (context.past_requests.length > 0) {
    const lastBudget = context.past_requests[0].budget;
    questions.push({
      field: 'budget',
      prompt: `Similar budget to last time (${lastBudget})?`,
      default: lastBudget
    });
  } else {
    questions.push({
      field: 'budget',
      prompt: "What's your budget range?"
    });
  }

  return questions;
}

Comparing stateless vs. hermeneutic intake:

The hermeneutic approach halved the interaction length for returning users while improving satisfaction.

What to Remember, What to Ask

Not all context should persist. The key distinction:

Graceful Degradation

// If context is partial, acknowledge and ask
if (context.name && !context.brand) {
  return `Hi ${context.name}! I don't have your brand on file—
          what are you working on?`;
}

// If context might be stale, offer to update
if (daysSince(context.last_seen) > 90) {
  return `Welcome back, ${context.name}! It's been a while.
          Still with ${context.brand}?`;
}

For UX Design

The Hermeneutic Spiral suggests that good UX isn't just about reducing friction in a single session—it's about building understanding across sessions. Design should treat user relationships as ongoing conversations, not isolated transactions.

For AI Systems

Conversational AI systems benefit from persistent context:

System: You are matching creatives with brands.

User context:
- Name: Louis
- Brand: Sunset Sounds
- Previous requests: Album artwork ($3,000), satisfied
- Style preference: organic, earthy

Current request: Music video

Use this context to personalize recommendations.

For Privacy

Context persistence raises privacy considerations:

• Users should be able to view and delete their context
• Sensitive fields should have explicit consent
• Context should expire if unused (configurable TTL)
• GDPR/CCPA compliance requires clear data handling

The Hermeneutic Spiral transforms user intake from repetitive interrogation into evolving conversation. By applying Heidegger's insight that understanding accumulates through iteration, we can design systems that respect user time and build genuine relationships.

The key is simple: remember what you learn, ask only what's new.

This isn't just efficient—it's philosophically correct. Understanding is circular, not linear. Each interaction should deepen the spiral, not restart it.