User Needs: Who Are We Designing For?

Active learning helps Year 2 students grasp user-centered design by letting them step into real users' shoes. When students interview classmates, analyze survey data, or role-play feedback, they move beyond abstract ideas to concrete understanding of diverse needs and preferences.

• Year 2
• Technologies
• 4 activities
• 20 min–35 min

Learning Objectives

1. Identify at least three user needs for a given product design.
2. Compare the preferences of different potential users for a single product.
3. Design a simple survey to gather user feedback on a proposed solution.
4. Explain how user input can improve a product's functionality and appeal.

Inquiry Circle

⏱ 25 min·Pairs

Pairs: User Empathy Maps

Pairs select a product like a school bag and draw an empathy map for a user, noting what the user sees, hears, thinks, and needs. They add two preferences based on class discussion. Pairs present one key insight to the group.

Prepare & details

Explain how considering the user helps create a better solution.

Facilitation Tip: During User Empathy Maps, set a timer for 3 minutes per pair to encourage focused sharing of observations before the note-taking phase begins.

Setup: Groups at tables with access to source materials

Materials: Source material collection, Inquiry cycle worksheet, Question generation protocol, Findings presentation template

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Inquiry Circle

⏱ 35 min·Small Groups

Small Groups: Simple Survey Design

Groups create a three-question survey about playground equipment preferences. They test it on another group, tally responses on a chart, and discuss changes to a design idea. Groups share findings in a class gallery walk.

Prepare & details

Differentiate between what a designer wants and what a user needs.

Facilitation Tip: When designing simple surveys, provide sentence starters like 'How often do you...' to scaffold question writing for emergent writers.

Setup: Groups at tables with access to source materials

Materials: Source material collection, Inquiry cycle worksheet, Question generation protocol, Findings presentation template

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Inquiry Circle

⏱ 30 min·Whole Class

Whole Class: Role-Play User Feedback

The class brainstorms a shared design, such as a class pet toy. Students take turns role-playing different users giving feedback on needs and likes. The class votes on design adjustments based on input.

Prepare & details

Design a simple survey to understand what users would like in a new product.

Facilitation Tip: In the Role-Play User Feedback activity, assign roles clearly so students practice responding to feedback with specific design adjustments.

Setup: Groups at tables with access to source materials

Materials: Source material collection, Inquiry cycle worksheet, Question generation protocol, Findings presentation template

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Inquiry Circle

⏱ 20 min·Individual

Individual: Needs vs Wants Cards

Students receive cards with features for a lunchbox design and sort them into 'designer wants' or 'user needs' piles. They justify one choice per pile in a quick share. Collect sorts for class patterns.

Prepare & details

Explain how considering the user helps create a better solution.

Facilitation Tip: For Needs vs Wants Cards, model sorting one card aloud before students begin to clarify the difference between essentials and preferences.

Setup: Groups at tables with access to source materials

Materials: Source material collection, Inquiry cycle worksheet, Question generation protocol, Findings presentation template

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Self-Management
• Self-Awareness

Teaching This Topic

Teachers approach this topic by building empathy first, then connecting it to design decisions. Move from concrete experiences (interviewing a peer) to abstract reasoning (why certain features matter). Avoid rushing to solutions; instead, guide students through cycles of asking, listening, and iterating. Research in elementary design thinking shows that young learners develop deeper understanding when they test ideas with real users and reflect on surprises.

What to Expect

Students will describe at least two distinct user needs, connect those needs to design choices, and explain why user input matters. They will use empathy maps, surveys, and role-plays to gather and apply insights about real users in their classroom community.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During User Empathy Maps, watch for students assuming their own needs represent the user’s needs.

What to Teach Instead

After pairs share their maps, bring the class together to compare differences between their own preferences and those of their partner, prompting students to revise their maps with new insights.

Common Misconception

During Simple Survey Design, watch for students writing questions that assume all users think the same way.

What to Teach Instead

After groups share their surveys, ask the class to identify questions that might lead to biased answers, then revise them together to include open-ended prompts like 'Tell me about...'.

Common Misconception

During Needs vs Wants Cards, watch for students treating all characteristics as equally important.

What to Teach Instead

Use a gallery walk of sorted cards to highlight how needs (like 'easy to carry') differ from wants (like 'sparkly color'), and facilitate a class vote on which category influenced their design most.

Assessment Ideas

Exit Ticket

After User Empathy Maps, collect one sentence from each student describing a need their partner-user expressed that surprised them, and one sentence explaining how it could change a design.

Discussion Prompt

After Simple Survey Design, present a sample survey and ask: 'Which questions would give you the clearest picture of a user’s needs? Which might not help? Why?' Use student responses to assess understanding of bias and clarity in data collection.

Quick Check

During Role-Play User Feedback, listen for students using the specific feedback they received to justify at least one design change in their product, and note which students struggle to connect feedback to action.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge: Ask early finishers to design a second version of their product based on new feedback gathered during the role-play.
• Scaffolding: Provide picture cards of users (e.g., a toddler, a grandparent) to help students identify specific needs during the empathy map activity.
• Deeper exploration: Invite students to create a 'user persona' poster with drawing and labels, summarizing what they learned about their user’s routines and preferences.

Key Vocabulary

User	A person who uses or operates a product, service, or system.
User Needs	The requirements, desires, and preferences of the people who will use a product or solution.
User-centered design	A design process that focuses on the people who will use the product, ensuring it meets their needs and is easy to use.
Survey	A set of questions used to collect information from a group of people about their opinions or behaviors.
Preference	A greater liking for one alternative over another or others.