Beyond Functionality: Designing for the "Want," Not Just the "Need"
I used to grapple with a simple, yet frustrating, question in my own life. I’d look at my messy room and think, "I need to clean this to have a clean space." The "need" felt like a heavy obligation, and the task itself was a chore I always put off. I wanted the result, but I didn't want the work.
The answer, I eventually discovered, wasn't to force myself to clean. It was to reframe my thinking. Instead of "I need to clean my room," I began asking, "What if I just tried to enjoy the process of cleaning my room?" This subtle shift was profound. The chore became a challenge, and the obligation became a choice.
I soon realized this same dilemma is at the heart of product design. We often build for a user’s "need," but fail to consider their "want." The most successful products are those that transform the user's journey from a burdensome "need" into a source of genuine enjoyment.
The Problem: Relying on Extrinsic Motivation
In product design, we often rely on extrinsic motivation—a reward, a punishment, or a specific outcome. We build products that users have to use to solve a problem. The motivation is purely transactional: the user completes a task (data entry, a long form, etc.) to achieve an external goal (a processed payment, a submitted application).
This approach creates a burden. The brain perceives the interaction as a chore, and the user’s experience is one of obligation rather than engagement. A simple, functional interface may get the job done, but it won’t build loyalty or foster a genuine love for the product.
The Solution: Tapping into Intrinsic Motivation
The goal is to design a product so that the act of using it becomes its own reward. We shift the motivation from an external outcome to an internal one. When a product is intrinsically motivating, it appeals to a user’s innate desires for competence, autonomy, and delight.
This is where the concept of reframing becomes our most powerful tool. By changing a user’s perception of a task from a "need" to a "want," we can make their journey not just functional, but genuinely enjoyable.
Practical Applications for Your Design
Here’s how to apply this shift in mindset to your work:
Design for the Joy of Process: Don't just make a path to the end goal; make the journey enjoyable. Incorporate delightful micro-interactions, smooth animations, and satisfying sounds. A simple, satisfying "click" or a fluid transition can provide immediate, intrinsic rewards that encourage continued use.
Gamification as a Reframe: Reframe tedious tasks into a game. We can turn a user’s "need" to complete a profile into a "want" to fill in all the progress bar segments. This taps into the intrinsic satisfaction of achievement and mastery.
Aesthetics as an Emotional Gateway: The visual appeal of a product is a powerful first step in creating a "want." When something is beautiful, we are intrinsically drawn to it. A pleasing aesthetic can make a user more willing to engage with the functionality, giving them time to discover the intrinsic rewards of the process.
Connect to Deeper Values: Understand the true, human purpose behind the user’s task. The user who is "extrinsically motivated" to track their spending may actually "intrinsically want" to feel a sense of security and control. Design your product to resonate with that deeper emotional desire.
My personal quest to understand the difference between a want and a need taught me that my job as a product designer is not just to build a functional product, but to make the process of using it so rewarding and enjoyable that the user’s "need" becomes a "want." By appealing to intrinsic motivation, we create not just users, but enthusiasts.
