Thought I might expand on the idea of wants and needs using a “situation” @Helge
Thoughts?
Situation
A user is trying to pay a credit card bill before it’s late.
Needs (what must be true)
The payment must go through correctly
Motivations (why it matters right now)
Avoid late fees
Wants (what the user asks for)
“I want this to be fast.”
Behaviors (what the user does or tries to do)
You can see how variable this could be based on the person:
- Logs in and immediately looks for a “Pay now” button
- Checks the due date before doing anything else
- Skims the page to confirm the amount feels right
- Clicks into transaction history to reassure themselves
- Hesitates, backs out, then returns later
- Uses autofill and submits quickly without reading
- Takes screenshots of confirmation for peace of mind
- Tries to pay early “just in case”
All of these behaviors are valid attempts to move forward toward the same need.
If we understand the situation, we can see that many behaviors are coping strategies for the same underlying risk.