Aglet

Prioritize Evidence-Backed User Needs

A long list of needs does not tell a team where to learn or act next. Prioritize needs that block meaningful outcomes or expose a consequential gap in current service. Keep evidence quality visible so a vivid story does not outrank a recurring but less dramatic barrier.

Decide where the work belongs

  1. Compare outcome consequence

    Describe the result when each need is unmet: a task stops, a workaround adds effort, a person is excluded, or a downstream decision becomes unreliable. Identify who bears the cost and whether the need occurs at a critical journey moment.

  2. Assess evidence coverage

    Compare the number and variety of supporting observations with the uncertainty around each need. Look for different contexts, successful paths, and counterexamples. Do not turn repeated wording into a frequency claim unless the study design can support that comparison.

  3. Choose a learning or action queue

    Select a need for immediate research, solution exploration, or an explicit evidence request. Assign an owner and review date. Defer needs with a reason and trigger, especially when a neighboring need may explain the same symptom.

What to carry forward

The priority output is an ordered need set showing consequence, evidence coverage, affected context, and next decision. Lead with the need whose clarification or support matters most now. Mark rankings provisional when the evidence omits important user groups or circumstances.

Technical background: GOV.UK user research guidance.

Keep the decision with the work.

Use a Work Item in Aglet to record the problem, the evidence you have, and the next decision. Add an owner and priority, then keep updates in the discussion so the next person can follow the reasoning.

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