3 Reasons Why Your Software Users Don’t Know What They Want.

“I have no idea, how should I know?”

This is often the answer when users are asked what they want. Now this is already a stupid question, better would be: What do you need? But even then, as software developers, we often don’t get the answer we are looking for.

And there are good reasons for that:

1. They don’t know it any other way. #

he current and future users of your software only know their current state. That’s how they work and do their job. Frequently, they can’t even imagine that they could do it in an entirely different way.

2. They don’t know the possibilities. #

Unlike us software developers, many users are not tech-savvy either. They simply don’t know the possibilities of how something can be implemented. And quite honestly, they don’t have to, do they?

3. They are in solution mode. #

Your users’ job is to solve their task. They are regularly already busy with the difficulties in their daily lives. While we are in analysis mode when asking the questions, the users are in solution mode instead. So, they only see their current options, theoretical possibilities are far away.

For all these reasons, you should listen carefully and then make tangible suggestions (e.g., sketches, prototypes).