designbehoven

designbehoven is a concept used in design discourse to denote the set of design needs that guide a project. It is not a rigid standard but a conceptual lens for understanding what a design should achieve for users, stakeholders, and the system as a whole. The term is most commonly encountered in Scandinavian design literature, where it reflects a focus on identifying and prioritizing needs early in the design process.

Etymology and usage: the term blends design with the Danish or Norwegian word for needs (behov). In practice, designbehoven are gathered through user research, stakeholder interviews, and context analysis, and are used to frame goals, requirements, and constraints. The concept supports an integrated view of usability, usefulness, aesthetics, ethics, and sustainability, rather than treating these aspects as separate deliverables.

Scope and components: designbehoven typically cover multiple dimensions, including user needs (tasks, goals, frustrations), business goals (revenue, brand, market fit), technical feasibility (systems, platforms, maintainability), and social or ethical considerations (accessibility, privacy, environmental impact). Prioritization of designbehoven helps determine which design decisions will have the greatest impact on outcomes.

Process and methods: identifying designbehoven involves qualitative and quantitative methods such as user interviews, journeys, surveys, and usability testing, followed by mapping these needs to design features or specifications. Prioritization frameworks (for example, MoSCoW or impact-effort matrices) may be used to align teams and allocate resources.

Impact and critique: designbehoven can focus collaboration and ensure alignment among stakeholders, but may become vague if not anchored to measurable outcomes. Clear linkage to design decisions and evaluation criteria is essential to maintain accountability.

Domains: the concept is applicable across product design, service design, and urban or experience design, where a coherent understanding of needs guides successful outcomes. See also: design thinking, user research, requirements engineering.