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Year 11

User needs and wants considerations

I can select the appropriate strategy to gather data from users regarding needs and wants.

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New
New
Year 11

User needs and wants considerations

I can select the appropriate strategy to gather data from users regarding needs and wants.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

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These resources were created for remote use during the pandemic and are not designed for classroom teaching.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. I can identify the differences between a primary user/stakeholder/client/target market/customer.
  2. A user's needs and wants can be researched in a variety of ways and inform design requirements.

Keywords

  • Primary user - the main person that you are designing for

  • Stakeholder - a person, group or organisation with an interest in a project

  • Needs - the essential requirements of the person

  • Wants - something desired but not essential

  • Design requirements - something which is needed or wanted to make a product successful

Common misconception

Pupils will know who their primary user is and will want to start designing.

Pupils need to find out more about the primary user and stakeholders so that they can define suitable and researched design requirements. This subsequently leads to successful design solutions.


To help you plan your year 11 design and technology lesson on: User needs and wants considerations, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Encourage pupils to get out and ask questions rather than stay behind a computer screen as they are more likely to find out interesting research that will help them in their iterative design journey. Encourage them to identify real primary users/stakeholders.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Content guidance

  • Risk assessment required - equipment
  • Risk assessment required - outdoor learning

Supervision

Adult supervision required

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What does a designer do?
Correct answer: creates and develops ideas for products
only makes art for decoration
sells products in a shop
only works with computers
Q2.
Who is the primary user of a product?
the person who sells the product
the company that makes the product
Correct answer: the main person that the product is designed for
anyone who buys the product
Q3.
What is a stakeholder in a design project?
only the customer who buys the product
Correct answer: a person, group, or organisation with an interest in the project
a designer working on the project
someone who dislikes the product
Q4.
What is the purpose of market research?
Correct answer: to find out what users need and want
to guess what people might like
to make a product without testing it
to copy another company's idea
Q5.
What is the difference between needs and wants?
Needs are things people like, while wants are things people don’t like.
Needs are for young people, and wants are for adults.
Needs are expensive, and wants are cheap.
Correct answer: Needs are essential, while wants are desirable but not necessary.
Q6.
How can a designer find out what customers think about a new product?
by ignoring opinions and designing whatever they like
by copying an old product and changing the colour
by deciding without any user input
Correct answer: by asking customers for feedback through surveys and testing

Exit quiz

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4 Questions

Q1.
Why is it important to define the primary user before designing a product?
to create a design that works for everyone
Correct answer: to make sure the product meets the needs of the main user
to make the design process easier for the designer
to focus only on making the product look good
Q2.
How can user feedback improve a design?
Correct answer: by identifying problems and making necessary improvements
by ignoring what users say and focusing on the designer’s ideas
by making the product more expensive
by keeping the product exactly the same
Q3.
If a stakeholder does not use the product themselves, why are they still important?
Correct answer: They might have an interest in how the product is made or sold.
They are not important at all.
They always use the product, just less often.
They only matter if they help with designing the product.
Q4.
Which of these is an example of a well-researched design requirement?
a backpack must be bright pink because the designer likes that colour
a backpack should be bigger than any other backpack
a backpack should have the most expensive materials possible
Correct answer: a backpack must be lightweight and waterproof for easy carrying in all weather