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Carnegie Mellon University · 18-658 SRID

Software Requirements & Interaction Design

Five tasks covering the full UX/RE process — from needs elicitation and conceptual design through prototyping, backlog specification, and dual-track agile delivery.

Needs Elicitation

INTERVIEW TYPESStructuredfixed questions · comparableSemi-structuredguided topics · flexible follow-upUnstructuredopen dialogue · rich contextAFFINITY DIAGRAMPAIN POINTSGOALSCONTEXTKEY NEEDSEfficiencyreduce friction in tasksClarityclear status & feedbackControluser agency & undoTrustreliable & secure system
  • Conducted user interviews using structured, semi-structured, and unstructured formats — selecting semi-structured as the primary technique to balance consistency with flexibility for follow-up questions
  • Synthesized raw notes through affinity diagramming, grouping observations into clusters of pain points, goals, and contextual factors, then distilling higher-level user needs (efficiency, clarity, control, trust)
  • Documented elicitation findings as need statements and problem framings, forming the foundation for subsequent conceptual design activities
Needs ElicitationInterviewsAffinity DiagramUser NeedsContextual InquiryQualitative Research