Researching what users actually want
Design & Technology · Key Stage 2 · The School
Asking the right questions
A vague question like "what do you want?" gets a vague answer. A better question is specific: "what annoys you about your current pencil case?" Specific questions about a real, existing problem get answers you can actually design from. A specific question is also much easier for the other person to answer honestly.
Watching beats just asking
People are not always able to explain what they do. Watching someone struggle to open a bag, or reach for something just out of reach, often reveals a problem they would never have thought to mention. Research is watching as much as it is asking. Some problems only ever show up once you actually see them happen.
From research to an idea
Research is only useful once it changes a design. If three people say their bag strap digs into their shoulder, that is a criterion: "the strap must spread the load." A pile of answers with no design change attached was not really research at all. It is worth asking, of every answer collected, exactly what it should change.
Three classmates are asked about their pencil cases. One says it is too small. One says the zip always jams. One says it will not stand up on the desk. Three separate complaints, but they point to three separate design criteria: big enough to fit everything, a zip that will not jam, and a base that lets it stand. Nothing was designed yet — but the shape of the answer is already visible.