Start from the basics and find a new, more logical way of doing things.
Protect your emotional boundaries.
Gather comprehensive information and provide clarity in various situations.
A creativity technique designed to generate a large number of ideas.
Allows you to handle challenges with clarity, whether you need to see the big picture or focus on the details.
Developed from human psychology, it help us understand how the conscious and unconscious mind interacts.
Move beyond information overload and make truly wise decisions.
Discover the real problem before solving it.
Gives teams a clear way to observe, classify, and interpret user behavior.
Gives teams a clear way to observe, classify, and interpret user behavior.
We always want to capture insights to shape the product via user research, but sometimes we fall into the same trap.
You record everything they see or hear, then realize that most of the notes are irrelevant. Or they pay attention only to what stands out, and miss the small behaviors that reveal real needs. This happens because raw observation is messy and overwhelming.
A structured lens can turn scattered clues into meaningful patterns. That is where the POEMS Framework comes in.
The POEMS Framework was developed by Patrick Whitney and Vijay Kumar at the IIT Institute of Design. Today, it is widely used in design thinking and qualitative research.
POEMS stands for:
Each element is a clue. Together, they form a complete picture of what users are doing, thinking, and feeling.
It guides researchers to focus on the elements that shape user behavior during real interactions with a product or service.
The individuals who are being observed. Their actions, reactions, and habits provide the foundation of user research.
Key questions:
The physical items or digital elements that users interact with. These may include tools, devices, products, or environmental objects that influence behavior.
Key questions:
The physical or digital space in which interactions occur. The environment may shape how users act, think, or decide.
Key questions:
All forms of information present during the observation, such as screen prompts, sounds, instructions, gestures, or emotional signals.
Key questions:
The broader support system surrounding the experience, such as onboarding, assistance, guidance, or customer service.
Key questions: