Two methods for Experience Design based on the Needs Empathy Map: Persona with Needs and Needs Persona

Abstract

Designing for psychological needs is an essential approach to designing for a positive experience in the context of interactive products and services. However, psychological needs are often perceived as rather abstract and there is a need for methods that support the design team to use them systematically in the experience-centered design process for creative ideation. In this paper, two methods are presented that support the designers in developing personas with the help of a specifically designed Needs Empathy Map, which systematically integrates the psychological needs model: The Persona with Needs and the Needs Persona methods. With the help of the Persona with Needs method, a hypothetical persona or a persona based on user research data is developed and the relevant psychological needs of the persona are derived based on this cognitive process. The Needs Persona method, on the other hand, starts from one or a set of psychological needs per se and makes it tangible and concrete with the help of the development of the persona on the empathy map. Both methods are suitable to sensitize for and for finding a common point of view in the design team on the perspective of potential users and psychological needs. At the same time, both methods can be used as a starting point for creative brainstorming in the context of experience-oriented design - either together or independently of each other.