Learning Targets
- Identify stakeholders connected to a design problem.
- Collect user needs through research, observation, or interview-style prompts.
- Translate stakeholder information into design insights and possible requirements.
IED Unit 5 • Lesson 5.2
Stakeholder Research and User Needs
Focus question: How can understanding the user help engineers design a better solution?
Your lesson guide
Objective
Identify stakeholders connected to a design problem. Collect user needs through research, observation, or interview-style prompts. Translate stakeholder information into design insights and possible requirements.
Materials
For the online work: a browser and your engineering notebook. Follow the activity’s materials list for any physical build, and get teacher approval before using equipment.
Plan your time
Suggested work block: 45–60 minutes. Physical builds and projects may span several classes; follow your teacher’s schedule.
Mission Briefing
Today’s Plan
Use this page with the lesson presentation, your engineering notebook, and the tools or evidence assigned for Investigate Stakeholders and User Needs.
Success Looks Like
You can identify stakeholders, collect user needs, and translate research into design insights.
LaunchLearnApplyCheckSubmit
Opening Prompt
How can understanding the user help engineers design a better solution?
Connect your response to the decision, evidence, or quality standard required for Investigate Stakeholders and User Needs.
Reveal: useful engineering move
This lesson is ready to move forward when the evidence meets this standard: Each proposed user need is supported by research evidence rather than team assumptions.
Core Skill
What We Are Practicing
Stakeholders are people affected by the design, not just people who use it directly.
User needs describe what people must accomplish, avoid, understand, or experience.
Better research leads to better criteria and more meaningful design decisions.
Your Task
Investigate Stakeholders and User Needs
Gather and organize information about the people affected by the design before defining the final problem.
- Identify primary and secondary stakeholders.
- Collect observations, interview responses, survey information, or credible secondary research.
- Separate stated wants from underlying needs.
- Summarize the most important needs and barriers.
Quality check: Each proposed user need is supported by research evidence rather than team assumptions.
Lesson Interactive
Turn Stakeholder Quotes into Design Evidence
Classify each interview statement so the team can separate user pain points, context, goals, and preferences.
| Stakeholder statement | Evidence type |
|---|---|
| “My fingers hurt after opening the latch several times.” | |
| “I usually operate it outside while wearing thick gloves.” | |
| “I need to finish the inspection in under two minutes.” | |
| “I would rather feel a click than rely only on a light.” |
Use open questions to learn about real experiences rather than confirm a solution idea.
What You Will Submit
Stakeholder Research Summary
Submission standard: Each proposed user need is supported by research evidence rather than team assumptions.
Resources
Lesson Resources
Lesson 5.2 PowerPoint
Use the lesson slides for guided practice, interactive checks, and the exit ticket.
Introduction to Engineering Design
Return to the IED course hub for units, resources, certifications, and current course information.
Build your lesson report
Checkpoint: is your evidence ready?
- Check calculations, units, labels, and measurements against the activity requirements.
- Record what actually happened, including unexpected results.
- Explain what you changed and why; attach required drawings, photos, CAD, or code in your classroom assignment.
Submit the evidence specified in the activity and your classroom assignment. The report below collects your notes, calculations, observations, and reflections; attach any required drawings, photos, CAD, or code separately.
A PDF download is not a submission. Review it, then upload it and any required attachments through your classroom assignment system.