Customer Input

(Reference: Ulrich and Eppinger, Product Design and Development)

Helpful Questions and Prompts

The goal is to elicit an honest expression of needs, not to convince the customer of what he or she needs.

Walk us through a typical session using the product.
What do you like about the existing products?
What do you dislike about the existing products?
What issues do you consider when purchasing the product?
What improvements would you make to the product?

Screwdriver example

Hints for Effective Interaction with Customers

Go with the flow.
Use visual stimuli and props.
Suppress preconceived hypotheses about the product technology.
Have the customer demonstrate the product and/or typical tasks related to the product.
Be alert for surprises and the expression of latent needs.
Watch for nonverbal information.

Guidelines for Writing Needs Statements

Express the need in terms of "what" the product has to do, not in terms of "how" it might do it.
Express the need as specifically as the raw data.
Use positive, not negative, phrasing.
Express the need as an attribute of the product.
Avoid the words "must" and "should."

Screwdriver example

Organizing the Needs into a Hierarchical List

Print or write each need statement on a separate card or self-stick note.
Eliminate redundant statements.
Group the cards according to the similarity of the needs they express.
For each group, choose a label.
Consider creating "supergroups" consisting of two to five groups.
Review and edit the organized needs statements.

Screwdriver example

Establish the Relative Importance of the Needs

Screwdriver example