Designing for real users

The best apps are built around the people who use them. Designers find out what users need, sketch ideas, test them with real people and improve them again and again.

Practise this lesson free (6 questions)

Know your users

Start by finding out who the users are and what they need. Ask them with interviews or a short survey, or watch how they do the task now.
Write down clear user requirements, for example: "A Year 7 pupil can find their next lesson in under 10 seconds."
Good requirements are specific, so you can test whether you met them.

Prototype, test, improve

Going round this cycle again and again is called iterative design.
StageWhat happens
Designsketch screens on paper or make a simple wireframe showing where things go
Prototypebuild a quick early version, without every feature
User testingwatch real users try it. Note where they get stuck; do not help them
Improvefix the problems, then test again

Usability and accessibility

Usability: users can do what they want easily, with clear buttons, simple menus and consistent layout.
Accessibility: as many people as possible can use it, including people with a disability. For example: text that contrasts with the background, text that can be made bigger, captions on videos, alt text on images, and not using colour alone to show meaning.
A project that combines tools, such as a survey, a spreadsheet and an app builder, is judged by how well it meets its users' needs.
Worked example

A school wants an app to help Year 7s find their way around. Plan how to design it for real users.

  1. Ask some Year 7s what they find hard about getting around.
  2. Write requirements, for example: find any room in under 30 seconds.
  3. Sketch a wireframe, build a simple prototype and watch Year 7s use it.
  4. Fix what confuses them and test again.

Answer: Find out users' needs, write testable requirements, prototype, test with real users and improve in cycles.

Key idea

Design starts with the users: find out what they need, write testable requirements, build a prototype, watch real users test it, then improve and test again (iterative design). Make it usable and accessible.

Key words
AND
A Boolean operator that gives True (1) only when both inputs are True.
NOT
A Boolean operator that flips its input: True becomes False and False becomes True.
Spreadsheet
A program that stores data in a grid of cells and calculates with formulas, such as =SUM(B2:B6).

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Extra practice

2 more questions

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  1. What should a designer do before sketching an app?

    1. Pick the colours
    2. Write the code
    3. Publish the app
    4. Find out what the users need
    Show the answer

    Answer: Find out what the users need

    Users' needs come first.

  2. Which is a wireframe?

    1. A rough layout showing where buttons and text will go
    2. A finished app
    3. A network cable
    4. A computer case
    Show the answer

    Answer: A rough layout showing where buttons and text will go

    A wireframe is a basic layout sketch.

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Sources and references

Last updated 2 October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us and we will fix it.

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