Week 3: Validating Needs Through User Interviews

This week, we focused on understanding our potential users more deeply. Through insightful interviews with individuals from our target audience, we explored their personal relationships with family memories, the challenges they face in preserving them, and the emotional significance these memories hold.

Here are the main themes that stood out from our conversations:

• The Emotional Value of Memories - Family memories are deeply meaningful. They bring feelings of connection, belonging, and comfort, especially after losing a loved one. Many people use memories to feel closer to those who are no longer with them.

• Challenges in Keeping Memories - It’s hard to organize and access memories. Physical items like photo albums are often stored away and forgotten, while digital photos and videos can feel messy and overwhelming. Many people want to preserve memories but don’t know where to start.

• Stories vs. Documentation - A lot of memories are shared through family stories, not written down or recorded. This makes them harder to keep over time, and some people regret not documenting more while older relatives were still around.

• The Impact of Loss - Losing a loved one often makes people reflect on family memories more deeply. It can also inspire them to preserve traditions and share stories so they aren’t lost for future generations.

These insights give us a clearer picture of our users’ needs and challenges, helping us design solutions that truly matter to them.