Creating Better Digital Products Starts by Focussing on Human Needs
What If We Placed Human Needs at the Heart of Innovation?
As a child, I was captivated by science fiction, especially Isaac Asimov’s vision of machines improving our lives. Today, as technology advances rapidly, that question feels more relevant than ever. With the rise of AI and robots, the real challenge is whether they help us become the best versions of ourselves. As businesses transform, the focus must shift from mere efficiency to creating meaningful digital experiences through Human-Centered Design.
Human needs and technology
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs offers a helpful framework for understanding how technology influences the fulfillment of human needs. Technology plays an increasingly significant role in helping us meet these needs, from providing security and comfort to fostering connections and self-expression. Ultimately, the question is how technology can empower individuals to achieve their fullest potential.
Basic needs
The basic needs of people are food, water, warmth, and rest. Technology plays an increasingly important role in these areas. The question is whether we can meet our basic needs without technology, now and in the future.
During the Corona period, we bought our daily bread primarily online. Replacing physical channels with e-commerce leaped by ten years in just three months. We keep a digital eye on what is most precious and vulnerable to us, our children, with all kinds of connected gadgets. During our sleep, our watch watches us. In the morning, we get comprehensive insights into our sleep patterns. It doesn’t stop there. More and more digital gadgets are our coaches and perhaps even our conscience to improve our lives.
We depend on technology to feel secure. Science fiction has become a reality with mass surveillance and the social credit system in China. Also, testing for COVID-19 should be considered to give people access to events. Every step we take here significantly impacts our freedom and privacy.
Psychological needs
Psychological needs are about relationships, love, and the need for affirmation. Designers and inventors have always been interested in how to create products that can fulfill this need.
Research shows that demented older people bond just as quickly to a robot dog as a living dog. Dating sites deliver tailor-made love when it suits you. The mobile phone ensures that we are always online with friends, acquaintances, and completely unknown people.
Business communication also changed drastically by necessity during Corina. We learned to meet online with tools like Teams and Zoom. I am still learning how to decipher body language and mood online. What is the involvement of the people? Are they still participating? Facial expressions play a vital role in judging this. That is why staring at your screen at tiny thumbnails with faces is so exhausting. In the future, virtual and augmented reality in meetings and events will probably solve this.
Digitisation continuously responds to our need for confirmation. The thumbs up on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn are an example of this. Business applications are also increasingly making use of this. With dashboards and funny animations, the human reptilian brain is continuously being rewarded and confirmed.
Hierarchy of User Needs
Based on Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, I created a model to see how a digital product matches human needs. The goal is to meet all the levels and create digital experiences that eventually stimulate people to reach their full potential.
Basic user needs
Naturally, your solution should help users to perform their tasks efficiently. Good information architecture, straightforward navigation, and a consistent UI are crucial for this. Optimal performance is an essential requirement to prevent stress.
The user should experience safety while using the product or service. Consider design patterns that give full transparency on protecting the user from any misusage of their data. Also, prevent unsolicited transactions by providing the user with the correct information at the right time.
Psychological needs
When designing the customer experience, think about how you can stimulate social interaction. Promote sharing, add community aspects, and facilitate communication throughout the customer journey. The right appliance of conversational interfacing can help to make your digital solution more ‘human’.
When a user completes a task or reaches a goal, the system should give positive feedback. A simple checkmark, funny animation, or praising text will make your whole solution more pleasant and worthwhile.
Self-fulfilment needs
Technology should go beyond functionality and help people achieve their fullest potential. A great example of this is Duolingo. Not only does it provide users with the tools to learn a new skill, but it also fosters a sense of accomplishment and self-improvement. By integrating gamification elements, personalized learning paths, and constant feedback, the app supports users in achieving their long-term goals while making the process engaging and rewarding. This technology enhances self-realization, turning the learning experience into something significant and enriching.
When you design solutions that help people grow — whether by developing new skills or gaining confidence — you transform the digital experience into truly impactful and fulfilling.
How to start
Hiring a digital human-centered design studio is not the whole solution to this problem. Your organization needs a human-centric culture. Start breaking down silos to create the best possible user experiences.
In the design process, these considerations are helpful:
- Always start with the user, not the specs;
- Integrate user, business, competitor, and technological research to prevent a confirmation bias;
- Consider the whole customer journey, not only the component you are working on;
- Give your products a personality by great visual branding;
- Create prototypes and test, refine, and repeat.
Find ways how to add to the need for self-realization of your customer. Ask yourself:
- Does my solution help to be more spontaneous?
- Does it make people more autonomous?
- Does it improve the ability to form deeper bonds?
- Does it help to lead a more creative life?
When innovating, asking these questions helps to create a Human-Centric solution.
Shift away from survival mode
Now is the time to move beyond survival mode. While competition, growth, and technology have traditionally driven change, what if we placed human needs at the heart of innovation? By focusing on creating meaningful, fulfilling experiences, we can do more than meet user demands — we can enhance their lives. A Human-Centered approach ensures that we’re not just building functional products but delivering real value, avoiding the trap of developing solutions that don’t resonate. We can move from simply surviving to truly thriving in a more connected, fulfilling world by addressing human needs at every level.
Further reading
Innovation during Corona: https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/coronavirus-incredible-hack-turning-scuba-21746459
Impact of Corona on digitalization: https://www.pwc.nl/en/insights-and-publications/themes/digitalization/pwc-covid-19-cio-pulse-survey.html
China’s social credit system: https://fortune.com/2020/11/03/china-surveillance-system-backlash-worlds-largest/
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Need: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow's_hierarchy_of_needs#Physiological_needs
Design Maturity: https://www.invisionapp.com/design-better/design-maturity-model/
