Needs assessment

If a needs assessment is performed correctly, it will save you both time and resources further down the line. It also provides you with better decision-making data before and during a future project.

The assessment is mostly carried out using workshops and interviews and will answer the following questions:

• Why? – Define the purpose and set clear goals for the product, focusing on the impact on your operations.
• Who? – Identify target groups and their needs. Determine who the priority are.
• What? – Transform the target groups’ needs into concrete use goals (what the target groups want to do with the product)
• How? – Develop the actions that need to be taken to meet the target groups’ use goals for the product and at the same time contribute to the impact you want for your operations.

The workshop contains the following five stages:

1. Start-up meeting
   We start with a meeting to clarify the expectations of everyone involved.
2. Understand the operations’ needs
   We look at what the processes in the operations are like right now. We define the purpose and formulate clear impact goals that the intended product will contribute to.
3. Identify target groups
   We map the users’ goals, challenges and needs. The conclusions are documented in ‘personas’.
4. Define the use goals and actions
   Using the insights from the target group analyses, we transform needs into concrete use goals for the product and action proposals.
5. Delivery
   We deliver a complete report that includes impact maps and personas.

Results

You will receive better decision-making data that will put you in a better position to build a system or a website based on your users’ circumstances.