Michigan State University

Understanding User Needs

Designing effective interactive systems requires understanding the needs and capabilities of the people who will be using them.
View Course →
Length 1 to 3 months
Effort 4-8 hours per week
Price Free
Subject Design
Level Beginner
Languages English
Video Transcripts English
About this Course

In this UX course we will focus on how to interact with users (or potential users) to understand what they need, what they currently do, what they love and hate, and examine human capabilities and behavior as they relate to UX design.

Learners will be introduced to numerous techniques to gather data from and about users.

This course is part of the User Experience (UX) Research and Design specialization offered on Coursera.

What you'll learn

What to learn:

  • Find out what user needs assessments are, what qualitative research is, and how the two are related.

  • Learn an end-to-end methodology for qualitative research that is suited for understanding user needs. The methodology includes knowledge of semi-structured interviews, in-situ observation, and affinity walls.

  • Be exposed to good practices for conducting semi-structured interviews, in-situ observation, and affinity walls.

  • Gain some experience with semi-structured interviews, in-situ observations, and affinity walls.

Course syllabus

Week 1: Lesson 1: Introduction and Qualitative Research Overview

Week 2: Lesson 2: Interview Protocols

Week 3: Lesson 3: Interviews, Observation, and Data Extraction

Week 4: Lesson 4: Affinity Walls and Analysis

Week 5: Lesson 5: Conclusion

Meet the instructors

Kentaro Toyama

W K Kellogg Professor of Community Information and Associate Professor of Information

School of Information