BUILD Labs

2

Needs Identification

Adapted from Daniel Mahatlane

• Week 1: Believe (Introduction)

• Week 2: Believe/Understand (Observation)

• Week 3: Understand (Interviews)

• Week 4: Understand/Invent (Interview

2.0)

• Week 5: Invent (Prototyping)

• Week 6: Listen/Deliver (Prototyping)

• Week 7: Deliver (Product Testing/Delivery)

• Week 8: Deliver (Impact Assessment)

Needs Identification

Human Centered Entrepreneurship: The BUILD Process

Understand:

Before designing solutions to meet needs of

the community, entrepreneurs must build

deep empathy to UNDERSTAND both

individuals they are designing for and the

system in which they reside.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Theory in psychology that Abraham Maslow proposed in 1943 still holds relevance today. He identified that there

are a range of human needs that extend from most basic physical needs to safety to love/belonging to esteem to

self-actualization. Once one level is fulfilled, it enables people to seek the next level of fulfillment. Levels are:

Physiological, Safety, Love/Belonging, Esteem, Self-actualization.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow's_hierarchy_of_needs

What is a need?

Needs can be objective and physical, such as food,

or they can be subjective and psychological, such

as the need for self-esteem.

Needs are something that would improve one’s

experience that can be relate to physiology, safety,

love/belonging, esteem or self-actualization

A need is NOT a solution. A need is a general

phrasing from which MANY solutions can come.

What is a want?

Wants are tangible or intangible desires that are

inherently unnecessary, but seemingly fulfilling.

Wants are usually very narrow and often

misguided; as such, truly satisfying a want is

difficult. While needs can be met and satiated,

wants are typically unquenchable.

A want is a solution, though, if may not be the

best solution available.

Needs versus Wants

If Henry Ford asked:

Needs versus Wants

What People Wanted

What People Needed

"If I had asked people what they

wanted, they would have said faster

horses."

If Henry Ford had approached the

challenge with a solution based mindset

he would have found a way to make

horses faster.

But because he approached it with a needs

based mindset, he delivered a better

way to get from point A to B.

The Well Wishers

What is the need?

Needs Wants

Need based mindset

• The need leads to multiple

solutions.

• Does not assume a single

solution.

• Provides “stickiest”

solutions and highest

demand

Solution (Wants) based

• Working within defined

parameters.

• Limited opportunities and

narrow solutions.

• Must adapt existing solutions

to the need.

• Solution is often a luxury,

limiting adoption

Approaches to Delivering Solutions

Girl Effect?

Copyright © African Leadership Academy, 2012