This week really showed me how to assess individual and situational needs. My understanding of needs coming into the lecture was that needs should be assessed based on observations. However, one thing that I learned from this lecture was that observations should be coupled with literature reviews and interviews for a well-rounded needs assessment model.

            I think that when conducting any type of needs assessment, one must balance one’s own ideas and the ideas of those whom the assessment is being conducted. The person conducting the study is the expert and his/her ideas must be included in the final assessment. However, the person conducting the assessment must respect and not disregard the ideas of the community/individual for whom the assessment is being conducted because, at the end of the day, it is those people who will use the final product.

            I still believe that observation is the best way to perform a needs assessment, as opposed to a remote interview and reading literature. While the latter two methods prepare the observer, it is difficult to get a full idea of the situation without being placed in the situation itself. The idea is the same as driving a car: you do not learn to drive a car by watching videos and talking to someone; you learn by driving the car itself. Similarly, to get a complete feel of the needs of a community, one must be placed within the community.

            At the end of the day, identifying the needs of an individual/community is the first step towards designing an effective solution. It must be done, primaril,y through live observation, with the ideas of both the designer and designee in mind.