Go and Find Out What People Need

Choose people close to the problem

Begin with a specific question, such as how shift workers arrange meals when schedules change. Speak with people who have recently faced that situation, not only friends who want to encourage you. Include someone who uses a different approach or no longer needs the service you imagined. Explain why you are asking, how notes will be used, and that participation is voluntary. Collect only information needed for the investigation. You are trying to understand an experience, not to extract personal details or persuade someone to become a customer. If observation is useful, ask permission rather than assuming access to their workplace or private routine.

Ask about the last actual occasion

Questions about the future often invite polite guesses. Instead of asking whether someone would love a meal app, ask them to describe the last day their schedule changed. What happened first? What did they do next? Who helped? What was inconvenient? Allow the person to tell the story before presenting your idea. Ask for clarification without implying the answer you prefer. “How did you decide?” is more open than “Was price the main problem?” Specific experiences reveal constraints that broad opinions miss, including timing, existing commitments, and workarounds that already function reasonably well.

Notice both the difficulty and the workaround

A complaint alone does not tell you what to build. Look at how often the problem occurs, what its consequences are, and what the person already does about it. An elaborate workaround may indicate a serious difficulty, but it may also reflect an unusual situation. Distinguish an exact observation from your interpretation. “She called her sister after the shift changed” is an observation in the account; “she wants a paid delivery service” is an inference you have not established. Record contradictory evidence as carefully as confirming evidence. It can help you narrow the audience or abandon a mistaken assumption before substantial effort is spent.

Summarize before proposing a solution

At the end, briefly restate what you heard and invite correction. Later, group notes by situation and problem rather than by the solution you hoped to sell. Keep quotations separate from paraphrases and remove identifying details when they are unnecessary. A handful of conversations can reveal possibilities and language worth exploring; it cannot establish how common a problem is across a population. The UK Government Service Manual offers practical background on in-depth interviews. Use the learning to formulate a next question, a small prototype, or a decision to stop. Thank people without promising that you will solve something you have not yet understood.

Silence can be useful. Give the participant time to remember rather than immediately offering possible answers. If they cannot recall, record that limit instead of converting your suggestion into their reported experience.