Behovskarta

Behovskarta is a structured mapping technique used primarily in Norway to capture and visualise the needs of stakeholders in projects ranging from public service design to product development. The term, which translates literally to “needs map,” is analogous to concepts in Human‑Centred Design such as empathy maps and user journey maps but focuses specifically on the capture of user requirements and priorities.

In practice a behovskarta is created in a collaborative workshop setting. Stakeholders, designers, and service providers place sticky notes or digital tokens on a two‑dimensional grid that typically places user groups or personas on one axis and need categories (functional, emotional, social, economic, etc.) on the other. The resulting visual field shows clusters of needs, gaps where no need has been identified, and potential overlap between different user groups. The format can be adapted to finer granularity by adding additional axes for severity, urgency or potential solution space.

The method supports a number of organisational goals. First, it creates a shared vocabulary for discussing requirements, reducing miscommunication between teams. Second, it surfaces pain points that may be overlooked by traditional requirement lists. Third, it can be used to prioritize work by highlighting needs that are both critical and unaddressed, thus informing backlog grooming or investment decisions. Many Norwegian municipalities, universities and private consultancies employ behovskarta to structure the early stages of digital public service delivery, ensuring that solutions remain aligned with real user demands.

Related tools include benefit sheets, opportunity canvases and the classic journey map, but behovskarta distinguishes itself by its emphasis on stakeholder‑centric need aggregation rather than narrative storytelling. The technique is recognised as a low‑tech, participatory approach that scales from local neighbourhood projects to national policy initiatives.