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User need statement generator

Converts raw user research notes into structured need statements across three frameworks — Point-of-View statements, How Might We questions, and Jobs-to-Be-Done — plus prioritized synthesis and a recommended framing to…

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Purpose

Turn messy interview transcripts, field notes, and observation logs into a structured set of user need statements — Point-of-View statements, How Might We questions, and Jobs-to-Be-Done — so a design or product team can move from raw research to a shared, actionable problem framing without losing the user's actual voice.

When to Use

Invoke this skill when the user asks to:

  • Synthesize interview notes or user research into problem statements
  • Write How Might We (HMW) questions from research findings
  • Generate Jobs-to-Be-Done statements for a user segment
  • Frame a design challenge before an ideation or brainstorming session
  • Translate raw observations into a Point-of-View statement for a persona
  • Reframe a vague product problem into user-centered need statements

Inputs Required

Before starting, collect:

  • Research notes: Raw interview quotes, observation logs, or session summaries (pasted text)
  • User/segment: Who was studied — role, context, or persona name
  • Product context: What product, feature, or domain the research relates to
  • Research goal: The question the research set out to answer
  • Framing preference: HMW / Point-of-View / Jobs-to-Be-Done / all three (default: all three)
  • Number of statements: How many of each type to produce (default: 5 per framework)

If framing preference or count is missing, generate all three frameworks with 5 statements each and note the default.

Instructions

Step 1: Extract Signal from the Raw Notes

Read the research notes and pull out four categories of signal before writing any statements:

  • Observed behaviors: What the user actually did or does (not what they said they want)
  • Pain points & frustrations: Moments of friction, workarounds, or emotional charge — flag direct quotes
  • Unmet goals: What the user was trying to accomplish and couldn't
  • Contextual constraints: Environment, time pressure, tools, or social factors shaping the behavior

For each extracted item, retain the underlying quote or observation so statements stay grounded in evidence. Discard solutions the user proposed — capture the need behind them instead.

Step 2: Cluster into Themes

Group the extracted signals into 3–5 named themes. Each theme is a recurring tension or job that appears across multiple observations. Name each theme in plain language (e.g., "Trusting data they can't verify"). Note how many distinct observations support each theme — themes with more evidence get prioritized in Step 6.

Step 3: Write Point-of-View Statements

For each priority theme, produce a POV statement using the format: [User] needs to [need] because [surprising insight].

  • The need must be a verb-based goal, not a feature ("needs to feel confident the numbers are right," not "needs a dashboard")
  • The insight must reveal something non-obvious from the research — the "because" earns its place
  • Anchor each POV to a specific supporting quote or observation

Step 4: Write How Might We Questions

Reframe each POV as an HMW question. For each theme, generate HMWs at three scopes:

  • Narrow (solution-adjacent): "How might we help X do Y at moment Z?"
  • Broad (goal-level): "How might we make X feel Y throughout their workflow?"
  • Reframe (challenge the premise): "How might we remove the need for X entirely?" Each HMW must be open enough to invite multiple solutions and specific enough to constrain the problem space. Avoid HMWs with a solution baked in.

Step 5: Write Jobs-to-Be-Done Statements

For each theme, write a JTBD statement using the format: When [situation], I want to [motivation], so I can [expected outcome].

  • The situation is a triggering context, not a demographic
  • The motivation is functional, emotional, or social — label which
  • The outcome is the progress the user is trying to make Include at least one emotional or social job alongside the functional jobs — teams over-index on functional jobs and miss the deeper driver.

Step 6: Prioritize and Recommend a Framing

Rank the themes by two factors: strength of evidence (how many observations support it) and strategic leverage (how central it is to the research goal). Recommend one theme as the primary problem to pursue into ideation, name the single strongest HMW or JTBD to lead with, and give a two-sentence rationale. Be decisive.

Output Format

  • Structure: Extracted signal summary → named themes with evidence counts → POV statements → HMW questions → JTBD statements → prioritized recommendation
  • Length: 800–1,200 words
  • Format: Structured document with labeled sections and bulleted statement lists
  • Sections: Research Signal Summary → Themes → Point-of-View Statements → How Might We Questions → Jobs-to-Be-Done Statements → Recommended Framing
  • Tone: Research-grounded and precise — user's voice preserved, no jargon inflation, opinionated in the final recommendation

Quality Checklist

Before delivering output, verify:

  • [ ] Every POV and JTBD statement is traceable to a specific quote or observation from the notes
  • [ ] The requested count of statements per framework is met (default 5 each)
  • [ ] No statement contains a pre-baked solution — needs and jobs only
  • [ ] Each HMW theme includes all three scopes (narrow, broad, reframe)
  • [ ] At least one JTBD statement is emotional or social, not purely functional
  • [ ] A single primary theme and lead statement are recommended with rationale — no hedging

Notes

  • The most common failure in synthesis is smuggling a solution into a need statement ("needs a filter") — always ask what the filter would let them accomplish and frame that instead
  • If the raw notes are thin or contain only one interview, say so and flag which statements are hypotheses versus evidence-backed findings
  • POV statements are strongest for persona work; HMWs are strongest immediately before ideation; JTBD is strongest for roadmap and positioning decisions — match the framing to where the team is headed next

How to use this skill

This file is a Claude Code skill in Anthropic's standard format — markdown with YAML frontmatter at the top.

Installing in Claude Code:

  • ~/.claude/skills/<folder-name>/SKILL.md — auto-loads in every session anywhere on your machine (recommended for skills you'll use across multiple projects)
  • <your-project>/.claude/skills/<folder-name>/SKILL.md — auto-loads only when working in that project (recommended for project-specific skills)

Restart Claude Code or open a new session to register.

Using in Claude.ai, ChatGPT, Gemini, or other AI tools:

  1. Drag this file into a new chat, or copy and paste its contents
  2. Send your task or request as your next message — the AI will apply the skill where it fits

For Claude Code skill details: https://docs.anthropic.com/en/docs/claude-code/skills