Who - Personas
Use persona characteristics to identify your target user group and their key traits.
Goal Statements
Create Goal Statements
Section titled “Create Goal Statements”Transitioning from Problem to Solution
Section titled “Transitioning from Problem to Solution”At this point in the design process, we’re transitioning from the problem the user is facing to the solution we’re providing as UX designers. To focus the scope of your designs, we’ll create a product goal statement, which is one or two sentences that describe a product and its benefits for the user.
In other words, the goal statement provides the ideal solution for the design. The problem is defined in the problem statement and the solution is listed in the goal statement.
Components of Goal Statements
Section titled “Components of Goal Statements”Goal statements cover:
- What the product lets users do
- Who the action affects
- Why the action positively affects users
- How the effectiveness of a product is measured
To answer the who, what, why, and how, you should lean on the user research you’ve already conducted.
Goal Statement Template
Section titled “Goal Statement Template”Our [product] will let users [perform specific actions] which will affect [describe who the action will affect] by [describe how the action will positively affect them]. We will measure effectiveness by [describe how you will measure the impact].Template Breakdown
Section titled “Template Breakdown”- Product: What you’re creating (app, website, service)
- Specific Actions: What users can do with your product
- Who It Affects: The target audience or user group
- Positive Impact: How it improves their situation
- Measurement Criteria: How you’ll track success
Step-by-Step Goal Statement Creation
Section titled “Step-by-Step Goal Statement Creation”Step 1: Start with Your Problem Statement
Section titled “Step 1: Start with Your Problem Statement”The easiest way to find out the who, what, why, and how is to refer back to your problem statement. Remember the problem statement formula:
[User] is a/an [user characteristics] who needs [user need] because [insight].Step 2: Extract Key Components
Section titled “Step 2: Extract Key Components”Let’s work through an example using this problem statement: “Drew is a pet owner in a small town who needs to find and schedule a dog walker because they work the night shift.”
From Problem Statement to Goal Statement:
- Who: Pet owners (from “Drew is a pet owner”)
- What: Schedule dog walkers quickly and easily
- Why: Choose convenient times and dates (from “because they work the night shift”)
- How: Analyzing number of daily and weekly appointments
Complete Example: Dog Walking App
Section titled “Complete Example: Dog Walking App”Problem Statement
Section titled “Problem Statement”“Drew is a pet owner in a small town who needs to find and schedule a dog walker because they work the night shift.”
Goal Statement
Section titled “Goal Statement”“Our dog walking app will let users schedule dog walkers quickly and easily, which will affect users who are pet owners by allowing them to choose the most convenient times and dates to have their pets walked. We will measure effectiveness by analyzing the number of daily and weekly appointments.”
Alternative Sources for Goal Statement Components
Section titled “Alternative Sources for Goal Statement Components”If you didn’t create a problem statement, you can pull information from other research tools:
What - User Stories
Extract the main action or need from your user story scenarios.
Why - Empathy Maps & Journey Maps
Understand underlying motivations and pain points from user research.
How - Brainstorming
Determine measurable success criteria through team discussions.
The Importance of Measurable Goals
Section titled “The Importance of Measurable Goals”The how component is critical because it helps make sure the goal is measurable and realistic. Spend time considering concrete ways you can evaluate how well the product is doing.
Example Measurement Approaches
Section titled “Example Measurement Approaches”- Usage metrics: Number of daily/weekly actions taken
- User satisfaction: Survey ratings or feedback scores
- Efficiency metrics: Time to complete key tasks
- Business metrics: Conversion rates or revenue impact
- Engagement metrics: Return usage or feature adoption
Review Example: CoffeeHouse App
Section titled “Review Example: CoffeeHouse App”Problem Statement
Section titled “Problem Statement”“Anika is a busy marketing intern who needs a faster, more collaborative way to take many coffee orders at once because taking individual orders takes too long and isn’t a good use of Anika’s time.”
Goal Statement
Section titled “Goal Statement”“The CoffeeHouse app will let users place group orders in advance, which will affect users who have to make and pick up large orders by letting users skip the in-store order line and saving them time. We will measure effectiveness by tracking orders of 5+ items placed through the app.”
This goal statement succeeds because it:
- Identifies the product: an app that will be created
- Defines the action: placing group orders in advance
- Indicates who: people who need to make and pick up large orders
- Describes impact: letting them skip the line and save time
- Defines measurement: tracking orders placed through the app
Quality Checklist for Goal Statements
Section titled “Quality Checklist for Goal Statements”Review your goal statements to ensure they meet these criteria:
- Clear product identification - What are you building?
- Specific user actions - What can users do?
- Defined target audience - Who benefits from this?
- Positive impact described - How does it help them?
- Measurable success criteria - How will you know it’s working?
Goal statements are an essential step in the creation phase of your design process. Strong goal statements help you create the ideal solution for your designs and provide clear direction for the development process ahead.