Stop Asking What Users Want—Start Designing What They Can’t Imagine

Imagine this: You’re a designer, and every day, you ask, “What do you, as the user, want?”

And every day, you deliver exactly what they ask for. But what if I told you that this mindset is holding you back and keeping your company stuck in a sea of competitors?

In my recent talk at Fusecon, I challenged designers to stop playing it safe and start imagining the future that users can’t yet picture. Read on, and you might discover how to make that leap—and find a special bonus to get RM3,000 off! The link to download the slide deck is all the way at the end of this post.

Designers: It’s Time to Reclaim Your Role as Visionaries

At Fusecon, I addressed a packed room of nearly 300 designers, leaders, and innovators. My message was clear: a designer's role has shifted—and not always for the better. A decade ago, designers were seen as visionaries capable of crafting experiences and solutions that users didn’t know they needed.

But today, many of us have become reactive problem-solvers, asking users what they want and building precisely that. It’s time to change this narrative.

Remember the often-misquoted line from Henry Ford:

The point isn’t the quote’s accuracy—it’s the insight behind it. People couldn’t imagine a world with cars, so they defaulted to what they knew. It was up to innovators to design beyond that vision. And that’s exactly what designers need to do today.

The Trap of the Red Ocean

Right now, many companies are caught in what’s known as a “Red Ocean”—a crowded space where everyone is competing for the same market, offering similar solutions. It’s a race to the bottom, with little room for true differentiation. And designers, when they only focus on fixing problems users point out, reinforce this status quo.

But in my experience working with some of the world’s best innovators, I’ve seen a different approach—a way to create a “Blue Ocean” where new opportunities and market spaces are defined. Instead of asking, “What do users want?” these innovators focus on what could be. They look for inspiration beyond their industries, push boundaries, and always start by asking the right questions.

Start Asking the Right Questions

In my talk, I shared four critical questions that can help designers unlock new perspectives and imagine what users can’t:

Who else does this well? – Look beyond your industry to find inspiration.
What behaviors do you want to foster? – Think about the change you want to inspire in your users.
What is important to end users? – Dig deeper than their immediate needs—explore their underlying motivations.
Who are the extremes? – Focus on edge cases and outliers; they often reveal needs that others miss.

Starting with these questions will lead you away from simply responding to today’s needs and toward creating tomorrow's solutions. It’s not only about fixing—it’s about exploring new possibilities. When you shift your mindset this way, you move from competing to creating, from following to leading.

Designers as Future-Shapers, Not Just Problem Solvers

My message at Fusecon was straightforward but critical:

Designers have the power to define the future

But for this to happen, organizations need to give designers the space to experiment, explore, and challenge the status quo. Without this freedom, we’re left with products and services that blend into a saturated market.

Empowering designers to push boundaries is no longer optional for companies looking to stay ahead—it’s essential. As markets become more homogeneous, the only way to stand out is to create something new.

A Special Offer to Take the Leap

As a token of appreciation for your continued support, I am pleased to offer a special discount on all my workshops. Despite HRDC raising its daily rate to RM10,500, I am maintaining my rates at RM7,500 per day until the end of the year, which is a discount of RM3,000. Simply drop me a message with the following code to redeem it.

INSPIRATION2024

If you secure your booking with a deposit, this offer is available until the end of 2024, even for sessions scheduled for 2025. Take advantage of this opportunity to introduce this mindset to your organization and motivate your team to think beyond the obvious. By the way, If you want the slide deck from the conference, you can download it here

What Inspires You?

I’d love to hear from you: How do you find inspiration outside your industry?

Let’s keep the conversation going and explore what’s possible when we stop asking what users want and start designing what they can’t imagine.

[About the Author]

Jentz has a deep background in innovation and design across Europe and Malaysia. Committed to enhancing design practices, Jentz aims to help position Malaysia as a hub for creative and impactful solutions. Join him in exploring the potential of design thinking to tackle immediate challenges and inspire transformative change and innovation.