{"id":1229,"date":"2026-05-22T13:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-22T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/computercoursesonline.com\/?p=1229"},"modified":"2026-05-28T21:06:22","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T21:06:22","slug":"four-levels-of-customer-understanding","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/computercoursesonline.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/22\/four-levels-of-customer-understanding\/","title":{"rendered":"Four Levels Of Customer Understanding"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>              <title>Four Levels Of Customer Understanding<\/title><\/p>\n<article>\n<header>\n<h1>Four Levels Of Customer Understanding<\/h1>\n<address>Vitaly Friedman<\/address>\n<p>                  2026-05-22T13:00:00+00:00<br \/>\n                  2026-05-28T20:50:06+00:00<br \/>\n                <\/header>\n<p>Many companies think they know fairly well what their users want and need, and how they make their decisions. Yet most of the time these are merely big assumptions and big hunches &mdash; with little real evidence to support them. In practice, <strong>obvious reasons<\/strong> might be true, but they rarely paint the full picture.<\/p>\n<p>To understand our customers, we must triangulate across <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/hannahshamji_8-months-ago-i-posted-an-original-framework-share-7307469501229420544-t19q\/\">four levels of customer understanding<\/a> by Hannah Shamji. It\u2019s a useful way to think about the <strong>underlying reasons<\/strong> for user behavior, hidden motivations, and the complex layers of messy and noisy reality that are often overlooked. Let\u2019s see how it works.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"\n  \n  \n  \"><\/p>\n<p>    <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/hannahshamji_8-months-ago-i-posted-an-original-framework-share-7307469501229420544-t19q\/\"><\/p>\n<p>    <img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"800\" height=\"706\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" alt=\"A diagram titled Understanding Customers: Four levels of customer understanding, showing four nested pink circles, each representing a level of understanding, with descriptions beside. From outermost to innermost: Level 1 (What they say), Level 2 (What they think or feel), Level 3 (What they do), and Level 4 (Why they do it).\" class=\"lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/indysigner\/image\/fetch\/f_auto,q_80\/w_400\/https:\/\/files.smashing.media\/articles\/four-levels-customer-understanding\/1-four-levels-customer-understanding.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p>    <\/a><figcaption class=\"op-vertical-bottom\">\n      Four levels of customer understanding: what people say, think or feel, do, and why they do it. By <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/hannahshamji_8-months-ago-i-posted-an-original-framework-share-7307469501229420544-t19q\/\">Hannah Shamji<\/a>. (<a href=\"https:\/\/files.smashing.media\/articles\/four-levels-customer-understanding\/1-four-levels-customer-understanding.jpg\">Large preview<\/a>)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"don-t-ask-users-your-burning-questions\">Don\u2019t Ask Users Your Burning Questions<\/h2>\n<p>To learn about customers, it might seem reasonable to <strong>ask people<\/strong> what they think and draw conclusions from it. But it\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/pulse\/research-questions-interview-erika-hall\/\">rarely an effective way<\/a> to get actionable answers. In fact, as it turns out, what people <em>think<\/em>, <em>feel<\/em>, <em>say<\/em>, and <em>do<\/em> are often <a href=\"https:\/\/uxdesign.cc\/dont-ask-users-your-burning-questions-34abedd92a0?sk=v2%2F8aba2177-2a6a-49f9-b9f7-6b173f2b92f8\">very different things<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"\n  \n  \n  \"><\/p>\n<p>    <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/feed\/update\/urn:li:activity:7140680577552117760\/\"><\/p>\n<p>    <img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"800\" height=\"1001\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" alt=\"A list detailing six reasons people cancel subscriptions, categorized into voluntary and involuntary churn, with explanations for each.\" class=\"lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/indysigner\/image\/fetch\/f_auto,q_80\/w_400\/https:\/\/files.smashing.media\/articles\/four-levels-customer-understanding\/2-reasons-people-cancel-subscriptions.jpeg\"><\/p>\n<p>    <\/a><figcaption class=\"op-vertical-bottom\">\n      People don\u2019t always cancel because they want to. Reasons for voluntary and involuntary customer churn. By <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/feed\/update\/urn:li:activity:7140680577552117760\/\">Emily Anderson<\/a>. (<a href=\"https:\/\/files.smashing.media\/articles\/four-levels-customer-understanding\/2-reasons-people-cancel-subscriptions.jpeg\">Large preview<\/a>)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>As Erika Hall <a href=\"https:\/\/medium.com\/mule-design\/on-surveys-5a73dda5e9a0\">wrote<\/a>, asking a question directly is the <strong>worst way<\/strong> to get a true and useful answer to that question. We don\u2019t always understand or are aware of our <strong>true motivations<\/strong>. We often apply our own context and interpretations to questions.<\/p>\n<p>We also exaggerate (<em>a lot!<\/em>). We focus on <strong>edge cases<\/strong> and unrealistic scenarios, and we favor <strong>short-term goals<\/strong> over long-term goals. So if users say that they absolutely need to <em>compare products in a table<\/em>, it doesn\u2019t mean that they couldn\u2019t get to their underlying goal <a href=\"https:\/\/www.productchart.com\/monitors\/\">without it<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"possible-vs-probable\">\u201cPossible\u201d vs. \u201cProbable\u201d<\/h2>\n<p>Just to indicate how tricky listening to <em>words<\/em> alone is: even little <strong>nuances in words chosen<\/strong> matter. In practice, users are rarely precise in expressing their thoughts, and a good example is the distinction between <em>possible<\/em>, <em>plausible<\/em>, and <em>probable<\/em>, as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/feed\/update\/urn:li:activity:7447580258918100992\/\">discovered by Thomas D&rsquo;hooge<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"\n  \n  \n  \"><\/p>\n<p>    <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/feed\/update\/urn:li:activity:7447580258918100992\/\"><\/p>\n<p>    <img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"800\" height=\"1000\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" alt=\"A chart showing overlaid density plots (ridge plots) that illustrate the numerical interpretation of various probability phrases\" class=\"lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/indysigner\/image\/fetch\/f_auto,q_80\/w_400\/https:\/\/files.smashing.media\/articles\/four-levels-customer-understanding\/3-numerical-interpretation-various-probability-phrases.jpeg\"><\/p>\n<p>    <\/a><figcaption class=\"op-vertical-bottom\">\n      Numerical interpretation of probability phrases and their ranges. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/feed\/update\/urn:li:activity:7447580258918100992\/\">Source<\/a>. (<a href=\"https:\/\/files.smashing.media\/articles\/four-levels-customer-understanding\/3-numerical-interpretation-various-probability-phrases.jpeg\">Large preview<\/a>)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/jcom.sissa.it\/article\/pubid\/JCOM_1902_2020_A03\/\">study on Dutch verbal probability terms<\/a> shows how unreliable the choice of words is. While extreme words have some agreement, terms like \u201cpossible,\u201d \u201cmaybe,\u201d \u201cuncertain,\u201d or \u201clikely\u201d lead to a wide spread of <strong>interpretations<\/strong>. So we shouldn\u2019t rely on what people say, but rather try to go deeper.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"the-levels-of-understanding\">The Levels Of Understanding<\/h2>\n<p>To get a <strong>more realistic and less biased<\/strong> view of customers\u2019 needs, we need to understand a broader picture across 4 levels:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"\n  \n  \n  \"><\/p>\n<p>    <a href=\"https:\/\/files.smashing.media\/articles\/four-levels-customer-understanding\/4-four-levels-customer-understanding.jpeg\"><\/p>\n<p>    <img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" alt=\"A diagram titled Understanding Customers: Four levels of customer understanding, showing four nested pink circles, each representing a level of understanding, with descriptions beside. From outermost to innermost: Level 1 (What they say), Level 2 (What they think or feel), Level 3 (What they do), and Level 4 (Why they do it).\" class=\"lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/indysigner\/image\/fetch\/f_auto,q_80\/w_400\/https:\/\/files.smashing.media\/articles\/four-levels-customer-understanding\/4-four-levels-customer-understanding.jpeg\"><\/p>\n<p>    <\/a><figcaption class=\"op-vertical-bottom\">\n      Four levels of customer understanding: what people say, think or feel, do, and why they do it. By Hannah Shamji, visualized by Helio. (<a href=\"https:\/\/files.smashing.media\/articles\/four-levels-customer-understanding\/4-four-levels-customer-understanding.jpeg\">Large preview<\/a>)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Level 1: \u201cWhat they say\u201d<\/strong><br \/>\nEasier to collect, but mostly opinions, and most unreliable. People often explain their behavior through the lens of how they <em>perceive<\/em> it, or how they <em>want it to be perceived<\/em>, which isn\u2019t always accurate. We shouldn\u2019t rely too much on CRM data, surveys, or polls.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Level 2: \u201cWhat they think and feel\u201d<\/strong><br \/>\nGives more context, but is still heavily shaped by memory and personal preferences. Good user research and interviews help us understand expectations and experiences.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Level 3: \u201cWhat they do\u201d<\/strong><br \/>\nWe study actual behavior, actions taken or skipped, usage data, and analytics. We run <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/pulse\/breaking-down-complexity-task-analysis-ux-vitaly-friedman-sjt4f\/\">task analysis and workflow analysis<\/a> to understand how people use the product.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Level 4: \u201cWhy they do it\u201d<\/strong><br \/>\nWe study <strong>underlying motivations<\/strong> and root causes, through observations of real workflows and in-depth interviews. Typically, it requires a trustworthy relationship with the user, repeat interviews, and task walkthroughs.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Personally, I wouldn\u2019t recommend <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/vitalyfriedman_ux-design-metrics-share-7072585934147371008-XWXu\">NPS<\/a> (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/vitalyfriedman_measure-ux-in-b2b-an-alternative-to-nps-share-7396872383355256833-eZQQ\">alternative<\/a>). It\u2019s worth noting that different levels might reveal conflicting or contradictory data. To get a better understanding, we need to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/vitalyfriedman_how-to-resolve-conflicting-data-and-ux-share-7340729861457534979-enqH\">triangulate and reconcile data<\/a> with mixed-method research.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"capturing-emotions-and-nuance\">Capturing Emotions And Nuance<\/h2>\n<p>Emotions are always difficult to capture, but they are easier to spot once you observe people doing what they need to do <strong>without external influence<\/strong> or interruptions. The ability to positively impact users grows by moving <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nngroup.com\/articles\/sympathy-vs-empathy-ux\/\">from sympathy to empathy<\/a> or even compassion, as articulated by Sarah Gibbons.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"\n  \n  \n  \"><\/p>\n<p>    <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nngroup.com\/articles\/sympathy-vs-empathy-ux\/\"><\/p>\n<p>    <img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"800\" height=\"643\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" alt=\"A diagram titled \u2018Spectrum of Empathy\u2019 with a vertical \u2018Effort\u2019 axis and a horizontal \u2018Understanding &amp; Engagement\u2019 axis. Four overlapping circles, increasing in size from left to right, represent Pity, Sympathy, Empathy, and Compassion, each with a corresponding phrase.\" class=\"lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/indysigner\/image\/fetch\/f_auto,q_80\/w_400\/https:\/\/files.smashing.media\/articles\/four-levels-customer-understanding\/5-spectrum-empathy.png\"><\/p>\n<p>    <\/a><figcaption class=\"op-vertical-bottom\">\n      Spectrum of Empathy: from pity to sympathy to empathy to compassion. By <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nngroup.com\/articles\/sympathy-vs-empathy-ux\/\">Sarah Gibbons<\/a>. (<a href=\"https:\/\/files.smashing.media\/articles\/four-levels-customer-understanding\/5-spectrum-empathy.png\">Large preview<\/a>)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>In the past, I was using <em>\u201cspeak-aloud\u201d protocol<\/em> and asked users to walk me through their thought process as they were completing tasks. But it actually turns out to be quite disruptive. Because people are focused on speaking at the same time while solving a task, many <strong>emotions remain hidden<\/strong> or obscured by their language.<\/p>\n<p>So, when conducting usability testing, <strong>I don\u2019t ask users to speak<\/strong> through their experience. Instead, I observe where they tap or hover with the mouse, where their mouse circles without an action, where they scroll, and how long. Eventually, when a user confirms that they are done or that they are stuck, I ask questions.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"\n  \n  \n  \"><\/p>\n<p>    <a href=\"https:\/\/uca.edu\/bewell\/files\/2020\/11\/Feelings-Wheel-Learn-How-to-Label-Your-Feelings.pdf\"><\/p>\n<p>    <img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"800\" height=\"800\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" alt=\"A colorful circular chart of emotions, starting with Happy, Sad, Angry, Fearful, Bad, Surprised, and Disgusted at the inner ring, branching out to more specific feelings in the outer rings.\" class=\"lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/indysigner\/image\/fetch\/f_auto,q_80\/w_400\/https:\/\/files.smashing.media\/articles\/four-levels-customer-understanding\/6-circular-chart-emotions.jpeg\"><\/p>\n<p>    <\/a><figcaption class=\"op-vertical-bottom\">\n      The Wheel of Emotions helps articulate emotions more precisely. (<a href=\"https:\/\/files.smashing.media\/articles\/four-levels-customer-understanding\/6-circular-chart-emotions.jpeg\">Large preview<\/a>)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/uca.edu\/bewell\/files\/2020\/11\/Feelings-Wheel-Learn-How-to-Label-Your-Feelings.pdf\">Emotion Wheel<\/a> (<a href=\"https:\/\/feelingswheel.com\">website<\/a>) by Geoffrey Roberts is a helpful little tool for better describing a range of emotions during user interviews or design sessions. It certainly needs refinement for <strong>product design needs<\/strong>, but it helps us get more precise about <strong>the sentiment<\/strong> customers or colleagues might be experiencing, moving beyond just \u201cgood\u201d or \u201cbad\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>One helpful trick is to use <strong>mirroring<\/strong> &mdash; repeating what a user has said, or ask the same question twice, just paraphrasing it. Or navigating the emotions wheel (see above) to better capture and understand the emotion.<\/p>\n<p>These strategies help uncover some of the issues that perhaps didn\u2019t come up in the first answer. That\u2019s also when a user tends to add more useful context and details as they explain their confusion.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"emotions-aren-t-everything\">Emotions Aren\u2019t Everything<\/h2>\n<p>Some people <a href=\"https:\/\/alinbuda.com\/my-case-against-empathy\/\">strongly disagree<\/a>:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cOur work is about others &mdash; their problems, their pain, their mess. Our job is to make sense of it and then do something about it. Not to emote or perform but to act on and solve it. There is a <strong>flawed belief<\/strong> that to build great things, you first need to emotionally fully absorb someone else\u2019s experience.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Alin Buda<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<figure class=\"\n  \n  \n  \"><\/p>\n<p>    <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/indiyoung_uxresearch-designresearch-inclusivedesign-share-7047371089408081920-qEsG\/\"><\/p>\n<p>    <img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"800\" height=\"549\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" alt=\"A diagram categorizing potential harms of solutions into mild, serious, lasting, and systemic, with corresponding examples.\" class=\"lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/indysigner\/image\/fetch\/f_auto,q_80\/w_400\/https:\/\/files.smashing.media\/articles\/four-levels-customer-understanding\/7-diagram-categorizing-potential-harms-solutions.jpeg\"><\/p>\n<p>    <\/a><figcaption class=\"op-vertical-bottom\">\n      Different solutions can cause different levels of harm, which can be way more severe and impactful than emotional response. By <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/indiyoung_uxresearch-designresearch-inclusivedesign-share-7047371089408081920-qEsG\/\">Indi Young<\/a>. (<a href=\"https:\/\/files.smashing.media\/articles\/four-levels-customer-understanding\/7-diagram-categorizing-potential-harms-solutions.jpeg\">Large preview<\/a>)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>I think that Alin brings up a very strong argument, and personally, I find it difficult to disagree with. However, I do see user\u2019s emotional response as a <strong>signal<\/strong> of how well the product is working for them. How engaged or detached they are in their journey, how they react to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.chrbutler.com\/the-art-secret-behind-all-great-design\">aesthetics<\/a>, how confused or confident they are.<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately, these are signals. To make a difference, we must go <strong>beyond emotions<\/strong> and explore what people actually do. Usually, this means relentlessly observing, diagnosing, and focusing on underlying user needs.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"observe-and-diagnose-don-t-validate\">Observe And Diagnose, Don\u2019t Validate<\/h2>\n<p>Instead of asking, we need to <strong>observe<\/strong>. Usually, I focus on small things that make or break an experience. I see where users <strong>lose time<\/strong>, repeat actions, hover without clicking, or click and then go back. Pay attention to subtle cues like scratching their neck, raising eyebrows, or expressions of worry, joy, or confusion.<\/p>\n<p>Many companies talk about \u201cvalidation\u201d through user testing, but often that means simply confirming existing assumptions. But we should instead <strong>diagnose existing behavior<\/strong> without preconceived notions or affiliations. We don\u2019t validate &mdash; we actually research instead.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"\n  \n  \n  \"><\/p>\n<p>    <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/nikkianderson-ux_the-moment-someone-says-lets-validate-this-share-7371206500830199809-nvB0\/\"><\/p>\n<p>    <img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"800\" height=\"1002\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" alt=\"A diagram categorizing potential harms of solutions into mild, serious, lasting, and systemic, with corresponding examples.\" class=\"lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/res.cloudinary.com\/indysigner\/image\/fetch\/f_auto,q_80\/w_400\/https:\/\/files.smashing.media\/articles\/four-levels-customer-understanding\/8-words-instead-validate.jpg\"><\/p>\n<p>    <\/a><figcaption class=\"op-vertical-bottom\">\n      Words to use instead of \u201cvalidate\u201d: research, understand, investigate, assess, evaluate, examine, learn. By <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/nikkianderson-ux_the-moment-someone-says-lets-validate-this-share-7371206500830199809-nvB0\/\">Nikki Anderson<\/a>. (<a href=\"https:\/\/files.smashing.media\/articles\/four-levels-customer-understanding\/8-words-instead-validate.jpg\">Large preview<\/a>)<br \/>\n    <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>That research means not just understanding <strong>customers\u2019 real motivations<\/strong>, but also risks, doubts, concerns, worries, and perhaps even <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/indiyoung_uxresearch-designresearch-inclusivedesign-share-7047371089408081920-qEsG\/\">harms<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The only way to get there is by building a sincere, honest, and <strong>trustworthy relationship<\/strong> &mdash; one that feels right and resonates deeply. When customers truly care and want to help, getting to a real understanding becomes much, much easier.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"practical-ways-to-uncover-user-needs\">Practical Ways To Uncover User Needs<\/h2>\n<p>We don\u2019t need expensive tools to uncover user needs. David Travis provides a <a href=\"https:\/\/medium.com\/@userfocus\/60-ways-to-understand-user-needs-that-arent-focus-groups-or-surveys-8510e13b3408\">fantastic overview<\/a> of helpful strategies to do just that. Here are some initiatives to spread the word about real user\u2019s struggles or gain a <strong>deeper understanding<\/strong> of user needs:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Exposure hours<\/strong>, when every employee must be <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.uie.com\/brainsparks\/2011\/12\/19\/exposure-hours-drive-ux-innovation\/\">exposed to their customers<\/a> for at least 2 hours every 6&ndash;12 weeks.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Live UX testing<\/strong>, where we invite everyone in the company to join and observe.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Co-design with users<\/strong>, where we show new features and ask users to rank them.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Helpdesk insights<\/strong>, where we ask for frequent complaints and questions from the support every 3&ndash;6 months.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Listening in<\/strong>, where we tune in on a customer service call, web chat, or eavesdrop where users hang out.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The core idea here is that you don\u2019t need extensive and expensive tools to uncover user needs. You need to create spaces where <strong>customers\u2019 struggles can be exposed<\/strong> and make these struggles visible across the entire company.<\/p>\n<p>It can be <strong>short video clips<\/strong> of user sessions or a monthly newsletter with what we learned this month. Making these pain points visible can rally everyone from marketing to engineering to keep users\u2019 struggles at the back of their minds.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"wrapping-up\">Wrapping Up<\/h2>\n<p>To make an impact, we must go way <strong>beyond user feedback<\/strong>. It\u2019s never enough to listen to surveys &mdash; we must <strong>observe customers\u2019 actual behaviors<\/strong> and build relationships to truly understand their goals and their motivations.<\/p>\n<p>And most importantly, we need to understand <strong>what questions<\/strong> we actually want to have answered. Not what \u201cvalidation\u201d we need to move on with the project, but what we don\u2019t know and what we need to <strong>research<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Without it, everything else is merely hunches and assumptions &mdash; and often wrong and expensive ones.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"meet-measure-ux-amp-design-impact\">Meet \u201cMeasure UX &amp; Design Impact\u201d<\/h2>\n<p>Meet <a href=\"https:\/\/measure-ux.com\"><strong>Measure UX &amp; Design Impact<\/strong><\/a>, Vitaly\u2019s practical guide <strong>for designers and UX leads<\/strong> on how to track and visualize the incredible <strong>impact<\/strong> of your UX work on business &mdash; with a <a href=\"https:\/\/smashingconf.com\/online-workshops\/workshops\/vitaly-friedman-impact-design\/\">live UX training<\/a> later this year. <a href=\"https:\/\/measure-ux.com\/\">Jump to details<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"break-out\" style=\"margin-bottom:0;padding-bottom:0\">\n    <a href=\"https:\/\/measure-ux.com\/\" title=\"How To Measure UX and Design Impact, with Vitaly Friedman\"><br \/>\n    <img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"900\" height=\"466\" style=\"border-radius: 11px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" alt=\"How to Measure UX and Design Impact, with Vitaly Friedman.\" class=\"lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/computercoursesonline.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/measure-ux-and-design-impact-course.png\"><br \/>\n    <\/a><figcaption class=\"op-vertical-bottom\">Meet <a href=\"https:\/\/measure-ux.com\/\">Measure UX and Design Impact<\/a>, a practical video course for designers and UX leads.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"book-cta__inverted\">\n<div class=\"book-cta\" data-handler=\"ContentTabs\" data-mq=\"(max-width: 480px)\">\n<nav class=\"content-tabs content-tabs--books\">\n<ul>\n<li class=\"content-tab\"><a href=\"#\"><button class=\"btn btn--small btn--white btn--white--bordered\"><br \/>\nVideo + UX Training<\/button><\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"content-tab\"><a href=\"#\"><button class=\"btn btn--small btn--white btn--white--bordered\">Video only<\/button><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/nav>\n<div class=\"book-cta__col book-cta__hardcover content-tab--content\">\n<h3 class=\"book-cta__title\"><span>Video + UX Training<\/span><\/h3>\n<p><span class=\"book-cta__price\"><span><span class=\"\"><span class=\"currency-sign\">$<\/span>&nbsp;<span>495<sup class=\"sup\">.00<\/sup><\/span><\/span> <span class=\"book-cta__price--old\"><span class=\"currency-sign\">$<\/span>&nbsp;<span>799<sup class=\"sup\">.00<\/sup><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/smart-interface-design-patterns.thinkific.com\/enroll\/3081832?price_id=3951439\" class=\"btn btn--full btn--medium btn--text-shadow\"><br \/>\nGet Video + UX Training<\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"book-cta__desc\">25 video lessons (8h) + <a href=\"https:\/\/smashingconf.com\/online-workshops\/workshops\/vitaly-friedman-impact-design\/\">Live UX Training<\/a>.<br \/>100 days money-back-guarantee.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"book-cta__col book-cta__ebook content-tab--content\">\n<h3 class=\"book-cta__title\"><span>Video only<\/span><\/h3>\n<div data-audience=\"anonymous free supporter\" data-remove=\"true\"><span class=\"book-cta__price\" data-handler=\"PriceTag\"><span><span class=\"\"><span class=\"currency-sign\">$<\/span>&nbsp;<span>250<sup class=\"sup\">.00<\/sup><\/span><\/span><span class=\"book-cta__price--old\"><span class=\"currency-sign\">$<\/span>&nbsp;<span>350<sup class=\"sup\">.00<\/sup><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/smart-interface-design-patterns.thinkific.com\/enroll\/3081832?price_id=3950630\" class=\"btn btn--full btn--medium btn--text-shadow\"><br \/>\nGet the video course<\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"book-cta__desc\" data-audience=\"anonymous free supporter\" data-remove=\"true\">25 video lessons (8h). Updated yearly.<br \/>Also available as a <a href=\"https:\/\/smart-interface-design-patterns.thinkific.com\/enroll\/3570306?price_id=4503439\">UX Bundle with 3 video courses.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 id=\"useful-resources\">Useful Resources<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/hannahshamji_8-months-ago-i-posted-an-original-framework-share-7307469501229420544-t19q\/\">Four Levels of Customer Understanding<\/a>, by Hannah Shamji<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/medium.com\/@userfocus\/60-ways-to-understand-user-needs-that-arent-focus-groups-or-surveys-8510e13b3408\">60 Ways To Understand User Needs<\/a>, by David Travis<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/uca.edu\/bewell\/files\/2020\/11\/Feelings-Wheel-Learn-How-to-Label-Your-Feelings.pdf\">Emotion Wheel Toolkit (PNG)<\/a>, by Geoffrey Roberts<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/uca.edu\/bewell\/files\/2020\/11\/Feelings-Wheel-Learn-How-to-Label-Your-Feelings.pdf\">Feelings Wheel PDF<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/feelingswheel.com\">Feelings Wheel Online<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/alinbuda.com\/my-case-against-empathy\/\">My Case Against Empathy<\/a>, by Alin Buda<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/feed\/update\/urn:li:activity:7447580258918100992\/\">Possible vs. Probable<\/a>, by Thomas D\u2019hooge<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/jcom.sissa.it\/article\/pubid\/JCOM_1902_2020_A03\/\">Communicating probability: a multinational study of the interpretation of verbal probability terms<\/a>, by Maarten C. de Vries, Marjolijn L. de Boer, and Martine Bouman.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 id=\"useful-books\">Useful Books<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><em>Deploy Empathy: A practical guide to interviewing customers<\/em>, by Michele Hansen<\/li>\n<li><em>Humankind<\/em>, by Rutger Bregman<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"signature\">\n  <img src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" alt=\"Smashing Editorial\" width=\"35\" height=\"46\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"lazyload\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.smashingmagazine.com\/images\/logo\/logo--red.png\"><br \/>\n  <span>(yk)<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Four Levels Of Customer Understanding Four Levels Of Customer Understanding Vitaly Friedman 2026-05-22T13:00:00+00:00 2026-05-28T20:50:06+00:00 Many companies think they know fairly well what their users want and need, and how they make their decisions. Yet most of the time these are merely big assumptions and big hunches &mdash; with little real evidence to support them. In&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":495,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[13],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/computercoursesonline.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1229"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/computercoursesonline.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/computercoursesonline.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/computercoursesonline.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/computercoursesonline.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1229"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/computercoursesonline.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1229\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1231,"href":"https:\/\/computercoursesonline.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1229\/revisions\/1231"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/computercoursesonline.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/495"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/computercoursesonline.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1229"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/computercoursesonline.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1229"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/computercoursesonline.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1229"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}