There are two types of needs: expressed and latent. Expressed needs are those directly stated, such as “I need to know when a show I want to watch is leaving a streaming service” or “I want to be able to quickly calculate the tip for a resturant tab”. Latent needs are those that users have, but are not aware of themselves. How often do you do something in a less than convenient way simply because it gets your goal done? A fun example is the Swiffer. It was created when the designer saw a friend mop up a spilled drink with his sock-covered foot, and proceed to toss the sock out. The mop, which required water and reusing was not as efficient as tossing out a cheap sock. Thus, a latent need for the Swiffer was discovered.
In this assignment you and your group will compile some research for the development of your application. You will to to find inspriation and better understand the target audience for whom you will be designing your customer’s product.
You will need to do background research on the domain of your application.
This includes:
You should collect written notes, screenshots, gifs, etc. as inspiration for what works and/or doesn’t work in the domain.
Additionally, you will need to research the people who are the primary audience for your application. While time does not permit a full and in-depth needfinding exercise, we will leverage a few of the basic concepts:
Avoid trying to come up with specific solutions at this stage as it limits potential ideas. For example, if a person needs to stock a tall shelf with boxes, the person does not need a ladder. They could use a chair, ladder, forklift, stilts, etc. Simply know that they need a way to reach a high shelf.
Do try and ellicit needs from your potential users focus on thing they say, what they do, what they think, and how they feel. Don Norman has a nice explanation of the format of an empathy map and how to use it.
You will compile a type of scrapbook folder in your project repository. Create a folder called research and include product images or screenshots for inspiration, notes from your domain research, a list of interview questions, and interview notes. Once you have all of that infromation collected, create a short powerpoint presentation to show your customers the information you have uncovered and ideas you have come up with for their product. You can use this example presentation as a model for what you want to do. You don’t need photos of yourselves or interview participants. When referring to participants in your presentation use “Participant 1, 2, or 3”. Keep participant names only in your development group’s personal notes.
Your reseach folder should have: