← QCE Digital Solutions Unit 1

Human needs, wants and opportunities

A need is something a user must have to complete a task, a want is only a preference, and an opportunity is a chance to improve things.

Part of: QCE Digital Solutions Unit 1 — Understanding Digital Problems — Module 12

Understanding Human needs, wants and opportunities in QCE Digital Solutions Unit 1

What it does: An opportunity is a chance to improve things, and a gap in current solutions is a typical example of one. Step-free entry is required for the task of getting into the building, so it is a need, not just a preference. Choosing food is essential to placing an order (need). A custom background is only a preference (want). Needs are found by asking and observing users and stakeholders. Developer opinion alone can miss what people must have. Needs depend on the user and the task, so different users can rate the same feature differently. The snippet defines a want as optional, so it matches the meaning of a preference rather than a requirement.

Common mistakes: A need is something the user must have to complete the task. The test is whether the task FAILS without the feature. If the task still works without it, the feature is only a want. Dark mode is a preference. Users can complete their tasks without it, so required should be false, which makes it a want.

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This module's key terms are also in a printable crossword (Modules 1–58) and word search (Modules 1–81).

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Learning
Duo
A student must submit an assignment online by Friday. Which is a NEED for their digital solution?
A reliable way to upload the fileA dark mode colour theme
Matches
want = "login that works with a screen reader" # for a blind user
↓
This is a need, not a want. A blind user cannot complete the login task without screen reader support, so it is essential.
Applying
Meanings
Term
need vs want
Meaning
A need is something a user must have to complete a task, a want is only a preference, and an opportunity is a chance to improve things.
Practice
NEED: Student must log in to submit work
Testing
Gaps
IF task cannot be done without it THEN
Check Answer
Spots
2task <- "submit homework"
3IF task works without feature

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Quick Questions

1. A student must submit an assignment online by Friday. Which is a NEED for their digital solution?
A. A dark mode colour theme
B. A reliable way to upload the file ✓
A need is something the user must have to complete the task. Uploading is essential, while dark mode is only a preference (a want).
2. Which statement defines a want?
A. A preference that would be nice to have but is not essential to finish the task ✓
B. A feature the user must have to complete the task
A want is a preference. The task can still be completed without it. A need is essential.
3. A canteen app lets students order lunch. Which is a WANT?
A. Choosing a custom background image for the app ✓
B. Selecting the food items to order
Choosing food is essential to placing an order (need). A custom background is only a preference (want).
4. Which best describes an opportunity?
A. A chance to improve things, such as a gap in what current systems offer ✓
B. A feature that every user must have to finish a task
An opportunity is a chance to improve a situation or fill a gap. It is different from a need, which is essential for a task.
5. Students at your school lose track of homework deadlines, and no existing app suits Queensland school timetables. What is this?
A. A want, because it is just a preference
B. An opportunity, because there is a gap an app could fill ✓
A gap where existing solutions do not meet users' situation is an opportunity to create or improve a digital solution.

Match the Pairs

need = "must have to finish the task" → A need is essential: without it the user cannot complete their task.
want = "nice to have, a preference" → A want is a preference that makes things nicer, but the task can still be done without it.
An opportunity is a chance to improve things, such as filling a gap where no current solution exists. → opportunity = "gap in what exists today"
A student in a wheelchair cannot use stairs, so a ramp is a need because they cannot enter the building without it. → need = "step-free entry"
want = "login that works with a screen reader" # for a blind user → This is a need, not a want. A blind user cannot complete the login task without screen reader support, so it is essential.
need = "a dark mode theme" # for a school timetable app → Dark mode is a preference, so it is a want. Students can still read their timetable without it.

Key Term

need vs want
A need is something a user must have to complete a task, a want is only a preference, and an opportunity is a chance to improve things.

Fill in the Blanks

1. IF task cannot be done without it THEN need
Hint: Type the word for something a user must have to finish a task
2. IF user only prefers it THEN want
Hint: Type the word for a preference that is not essential
3. IF it could improve things THEN opportunity
Hint: Type the word for a chance to make things better
4. IF need is not met by any app THEN gap
Hint: Type the word for an unmet need in the market
5. WHO decides what counts as a need? ANSWER: the user doing the task
Hint: Type the person who knows what the task requires

Spot the Error

Question 1
A feature <- "upload button"
B task <- "submit homework"
C IF task works without feature
D type <- "need"
E ELSE type <- "want"
Line C — A need is something the user must have to complete the task. The test is whether the task FAILS without the feature. If the task still works without it, the feature is only a want.
Question 2
A feature <- "dark mode"
B required <- true
C IF required = false
D type <- "want"
Line B — Dark mode is a preference. Users can complete their tasks without it, so required should be false, which makes it a want.
Question 3
A gap <- "no app shows bus times"
B competitors <- 0
C IF gap = true
D type <- "need"
Line D — A gap that nothing currently fills is a chance to improve things. That makes it an opportunity, not a need.
Question 4
A need <- "animated wallpaper"
B want <- "custom theme colours"
C OUTPUT need
D OUTPUT want
Line A — An animated wallpaper is a preference, so it is a want. A need is something the user must have to complete the task, such as a password to log in.
Question 5
A user <- "low vision student"
B task <- "read the timetable"
C judge <- "developer taste"
D need <- "text-to-speech"
Line C — What counts as a need is decided by what the user must have to complete their task, not by the developer's taste. It should be judge <- "the user's task".

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