Purpose

Why defining the purpose matters

Before identifying users, it’s crucial to define the purpose of your User Needs Mapping session. A clear purpose ensures alignment among stakeholders, focuses discussions, and sets the stage for meaningful outcomes. Without it, efforts can become fragmented, and the session may fail to address critical challenges.

Key Actions

  • Clarify objectives: Determine what you aim to achieve with the mapping session (e.g., reducing dependencies, improving team alignment, or identifying key user needs).
  • Define the scope: Establish the boundaries of the discussion to prevent scope creep.
  • Align stakeholders: Ensure all participants understand and agree on the session’s goals.

Tools and Techniques

  • Purpose Statement Template: Use this simple format to define your session’s purpose:

    “The purpose of this User Needs Mapping session is to [primary goal] by [key actions].”*

  • Stakeholder alignment meetings: Conduct brief pre-session meetings to confirm objectives and gather input.
  • Prioritization matrix: Use a matrix to determine which areas or challenges to focus on during the session.

Practical Example

Scenario: A mobile ticketing company like Passenger might define the purpose of their session as:

“The purpose of this User Needs Mapping session is to identify and prioritize the needs of our key user groups (commuters, operators, and internal teams) by mapping their interactions with our ticketing system and uncovering gaps in capabilities.”

This clear purpose ensures all participants understand the session’s focus and desired outcomes.

Exercise

Take a few minutes to draft a purpose statement for your User Needs Mapping session. Use the template provided to clarify:

  1. What you aim to achieve.
  2. How you plan to achieve it.
  3. What success will look like.

What’s Next?

With a clear purpose in place, you’re ready to identify your users.
Proceed to Step 2: Identifying Users

Need help to get things moving?

If you are looking for help to get started, please do not hesitate to reach out.

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