<aside> 💡 When you’re trying to solve a problem it can be tempting to slip into a technical discussion that focuses on features and functions. If you get caught up in the details too early, you risk inadvertently solving the wrong problem. Reframe your thinking by writing Needs Statements and answer the question: “What does our user actually need?”
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Needs statements are only as reliable as the data you have, so make sure you have defensible data based on real observation (for example, from an Interview or Contextual Inquiry). When you can, feel free to invite users or Sponsor Users to participate.
Frame the activity by writing the following prompt:[Our user] needs a way to [addresses this need] so that they [benefit in this way.]
Have everyone diverge around the needs and benefits they believe they’re solving for to fill out the prompt. Stay away from writing features as best as you can. If an idea is expressed in terms of the machine (“dashboard,” “click,” “log in,” “export,” and so on), that’s a clue that it’s a feature—not a user need.
Cluster similar ideas and discuss. As you converge, try writing a few needs statements that represent key elements. Make sure you use the same format as the original prompt.
