First step in any design project is to deeply understand the needs of those we are designing for. This means spending time with users and the people that deliver the service to get a feel for their current experience, their pain points, motivations and expectations. It's about listening to their stories, watching their interactions, and asking the right questions. From this understanding, we can start to identify areas for improvement and innovation.
To gain this deep insight, I use methods, such as:
- Ethnographic field work
- Interviews with users and stakeholders
- Shadowing/observations
- Surveys and questionnaires