Universal Principles of Design, Updated and Expanded Third Edition

090 Hierarchy of Needs

A hierarchy of user-centered goals that a design must satisfy to achieve optimal success.

The hierarchy of needs specifies that a design must serve low-level needs (e.g., it must function) before the higher-level needs, such as creativity, can begin to be addressed. Good designs follow the hierarchy of needs principle and are generally most successful in the marketplace. Designs that attempt to meet needs from the various levels without building on the lower levels of the hierarchy first are generally unsuccessful.1

The five key levels of needs in the hierarchy from lowest to highest are:

1. Functionality — The design meets basic functional needs, fostering satisfaction. For example, a video recorder must, at minimum, be ...