Putting Users’ Needs at the Heart of Innovation

By Julia Mc-Addy

One of the first times I encountered the importance of understanding users’ need was during my first and second years at Ashesi University, in the Foundations of Design and Entrepreneurship (FDE) courses. We learned to approach problems by digging into their causes and root causes and identifying key stakeholders. It wasn’t just about coming up with a good idea, we had to make sure our solutions served the needs of the people facing the problem.

This meant spending time understanding the users: what challenges they faced, what mattered to them, and where they felt stuck. We were encouraged to ask questions, test assumptions, and focus on real pain points. I learned that innovation isn't about what I, as a designer, think is best, it’s about what users actually need. I had to set aside my own preferences to focus on the needs of those I was supporting. This principle didn’t remain confined to the FDE courses. It was reinforced across other computer science courses in my Ashesi undergraduate experience, where user-centered design, feedback and revision are essential to building meaningful and effective systems.

When creating AI-powered solutions, it’s important to remember the people who will use them. Does the tool reduce their struggles? Does it make everyday tasks simpler? Do they even find it useful or meaningful?

For example, when I participated in the Ashesi Developers In Vogue Own It Tech Challenge with my UI/UX team, we designed a task management application for students at Ashesi University. The first task we performed was user research by interviewing some students at Ashesi of varying majors and levels. Their input was valuable in defining user requirements and creating a low-fidelity prototype. One suggestion came from a student who struggles with prioritizing tasks effectively. That insight led us to include a feature that enabled users to create tasks and assign priority levels accordingly. Although, due to time constraints, we couldn’t test our prototype with our users, we learnt the

Julia Addy

significance of working closely with users. This helped us design an application they could actually see themselves using.

If we don’t take the time to understand and design for real human needs, we risk building something that no one truly wants or values.

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Julia Mc-Addy is a final-year Computer Science student at Ashesi University, set to graduate in just a few weeks. She has a strong interest in Artificial Intelligence and mathematics, particularly where they intersect with health and biology. Passionate about research, Julia recently defended her undergraduate thesis on using AI to predict pain crises in individuals with Sickle Cell Disease.