Look at the full context to understand what the user is trying to achieve. Understand the different costs created for a user of data. These might include learning costs (e.g. understanding what data exists and how to use it), compliance costs (e.g. governance processes that allow access to data) and emotional costs (e.g. the frustration that arises from not being able to access the data they need).
Why it’s important
Understanding as much of the users’ context as possible gives you the best chance of meeting users’ needs in a simple and cost-effective way.
Focusing on the user and the problem they’re trying to solve - rather than a particular solution - often means that you learn unexpected things about their needs.
The real problem might not be the one you originally thought needed solving. Testing your assumptions early means you can learn what works sooner.
What it means
Teams should learn as much as possible about the problem users need them to solve by:
- Doing user research to understand what users need - and, where relevant, secondary research and analysis.
- Building quick, throwaway prototypes to test their hypotheses.
- Using web analytics and other data that is available to get users’ feedback.