Mobile App Need Taxonomy: Research Methods and Prioritization by Need Type

You are a product manager for a mobile app. How would you find out the different kinds of needs its users have, and how would you decide how to address each kind? ```hint Said versus done Some needs users will describe in an interview, some only show up in how they use the app on the go, and some they cannot name until they see a solution. Plan how you would surface each kind before choosing what to build. ``` ### Clarifying Questions - Should I anchor on one specific app, for example one of Microsoft's mobile apps such as Outlook or Teams, or answer for mobile apps in general? - Is the app already live with usage data, or is it a new app before launch? - Are the users consumers, people using the app for their job, or both? - By "needs", do you mean user needs only, or should business goals and platform limits such as app store rules and battery budgets count too? ### What a Strong Answer Covers - A clear way to classify needs, and why each type calls for different treatment - Research methods matched to each type, combining what users say with what they do on the device - Mobile context: short interrupted sessions, small screens, unreliable connectivity, notifications and permissions - A prioritization approach that weighs need type, segment size, severity and effort - How success is measured for each type of need, with guardrails ### Follow-up Questions - Pick one Microsoft mobile app and walk through one need of each type you would expect its users to have. - A feature that delighted users last year is now simply expected. How does that change your roadmap? - What do you do when the need users ask for most loudly conflicts with what the usage data shows?