--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Begin with that need—the user’s need to…" description: "\"“Begin with that need—the user’s need to feel in control of some part of his life—then try to dig deeper by asking, “So what?”\" — Giles Colborne" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf8/giles-colborne-23036_dig-deep_begin-with-that-need-the-user-s-need-to_268786.jpg" --- # Begin with that need—the user’s need to feel in control of… ![“Begin with that need—the user’s need to feel in control of some part of his life—then try to dig deeper by asking, “So what?” quote by Giles Colborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf8/giles-colborne-23036_dig-deep_begin-with-that-need-the-user-s-need-to_268786.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf8/giles-colborne-23036_dig-deep_begin-with-that-need-the-user-s-need-to_268786.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf8/giles-colborne-23036_dig-deep_begin-with-that-need-the-user-s-need-to_268786.jpg) > ““Begin with that need—the user’s need to feel in control of some part of his life—then try to dig deeper by asking, “So what?”” [Giles Colborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-colborne/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Begin by identifying the user's need for control, then probe deeper with “So what?” to uncover underlying motivations. **In simple terms:** Start with user control need, then ask why. Key Takeaway Use layered questioning to reveal deeper user motivations. Themes user experience control questioning Mood analytical curious Type methodological inspirational When to use this quote - product design - UX research - customer interviews - feature prioritization Key Concepts human‑centered design psychology needs analysis Questions to Reflect On - What hidden needs might users have? - How does “So what?” change design decisions? A Different Perspective May miss needs if not empathetic. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Begin Need](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/begin-need-365168/) [Control Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/control-life/) [Deeper Asking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deeper-asking-2632274/) [Dig deep](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dig-deep/) [Feel Control](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feel-control/) [Need Feel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/need-feel/) ## Related quotes > [Getting paperwork under control makes me feel more in control of my life generally.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-rubin/getting-paperwork-under-control-makes-me-feel-more-in-control-of-my/) [Gretchen Rubin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-rubin/) > [“I'm a working parent and I understand that sometimes you want to have a very productive Saturday to feel that you are in control…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tina-fey/i-m-a-working-parent-and-i-understand-that-sometimes-you-want-to-have/) [Tina Fey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tina-fey/) > [What does it mean to feel "in control" of your life? What I mean by control is the ability to make a choice. Personal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/polly-young-eisendrath/what-does-it-mean-to-feel-in-control-of-your-life-what-i-mean-by/) [Polly Young-Eisendrath](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/polly-young-eisendrath/) > [“While we must always begin from where we are, we need not stay where we are.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-a-maxwell/while-we-must-always-begin-from-where-we-are-we-need-not-stay-where/) [Neal A. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-a-maxwell/) > [We should notice that we are already supported at every moment. There is the earth below our feet and there is the air, filling…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-goldberg/we-should-notice-that-we-are-already-supported-at-every-moment-there/) [Natalie Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-goldberg/) > [“As writers we are always seeking support. First we should notice that we are already supported every moment. There is the earth below our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/natalie-goldberg/as-writers-we-are-always-seeking-support-first-we-should-notice-that/) [Natalie Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/natalie-goldberg/) > [“ Begin again as often as you need to in order to stay on track spiritually...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-funderbirk/begin-again-as-often-as-you-need-to-in-order-to-stay-on-track/) [Elizabeth Funderbirk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-funderbirk/) > [“Your design shouldn’t interfere with this sense of control. It should extend it. Simple experiences make users confident that they’re making good choices. Simple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-colborne/your-design-shouldn-t-interfere-with-this-sense-of-control-it-should/) [Giles Colborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-colborne/) > [“Fortunately, when it comes to designing for simplicity, the key emotional need is for users to feel that they’re in control.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-colborne/fortunately-when-it-comes-to-designing-for-simplicity-the-key/) [Giles Colborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-colborne/) > [I just really am trying, trying, all the time. But I like to be scared. I love to suddenly feel out of control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kristen-stewart/i-just-really-am-trying-trying-all-the-time-but-i-like-to-be-scared-i/) [Kristen Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kristen-stewart/) > [One thing I'm recognizing more and more in myself - and looking to change - is going down more of a self-destructive path when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-blackburn/one-thing-i-m-recognizing-more-and-more-in-myself-and-looking-to/) [Tyler Blackburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-blackburn/) > [“Love makes you feel out of control. I think that's how you know it's right.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jillian-dodd/love-makes-you-feel-out-of-control-i-think-that-s-how-you-know-it-s/) [Jillian Dodd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jillian-dodd/) > [I think, as an actor, theater is like one of the things that you feel most in control of and in charge of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-siff/i-think-as-an-actor-theater-is-like-one-of-the-things-that-you-feel/) [Maggie Siff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-siff/) > [Somehow, when we no longer feel in control, we become available to deeper aliveness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-moss/somehow-when-we-no-longer-feel-in-control-we-become-available-to/) [Richard Moss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-moss/) > [It is only through having a stable loving partnership that I began to feel in control enough to attempt a strict writing discipline, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-zambreno/it-is-only-through-having-a-stable-loving-partnership-that-i-began-to/) [Kate Zambreno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-zambreno/) ## More by Giles Colborne > [“Simplicity does not mean want or poverty. It does not mean the absence of any decor, or absolute nudity. It only means that the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-colborne/simplicity-does-not-mean-want-or-poverty-it-does-not-mean-the-absence/) [Giles Colborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-colborne/) > [“It’s been pointed out that products that start out simple often end up getting so complex they cease to be useful. But if you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-colborne/it-s-been-pointed-out-that-products-that-start-out-simple-often-end/) [Giles Colborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-colborne/) > [“Continually adding features to software turns out to be equally unsustainable.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-colborne/continually-adding-features-to-software-turns-out-to-be-equally/) [Giles Colborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-colborne/) > [“At home, at work, and outdoors, you must design for constant interruptions.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-colborne/at-home-at-work-and-outdoors-you-must-design-for-constant/) [Giles Colborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-colborne/) > [“Mainstreamers are interested in getting the job done now; experts are interested in customizing their settings first. • Mainstreamers value ease of control; experts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-colborne/mainstreamers-are-interested-in-getting-the-job-done-now-experts-are/) [Giles Colborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-colborne/) > [“Simple user experiences need to work for a novice, or a mainstreamer who’s under pressure.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-colborne/simple-user-experiences-need-to-work-for-a-novice-or-a-mainstreamer/) [Giles Colborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-colborne/) > [“Visiting users in their workplaces was vital—if we’d simply imagined the manager at his desk we would have missed the crucial aspects. Watching people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-colborne/visiting-users-in-their-workplaces-was-vital-if-we-d-simply-imagined/) [Giles Colborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-colborne/) > [“Increasing complexity is unsustainable”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-colborne/increasing-complexity-is-unsustainable/) [Giles Colborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-colborne/) > [“Wizards promise to make things simple by breaking them down into steps. The problem is they take control away from the user. Because of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-colborne/wizards-promise-to-make-things-simple-by-breaking-them-down-into/) [Giles Colborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-colborne/) > [“The quick and dirty way is to write down a one-line description, in the simplest terms possible, of what I’m creating, along with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-colborne/the-quick-and-dirty-way-is-to-write-down-a-one-line-description-in/) [Giles Colborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-colborne/) > [“The thing to do, then, is to describe what the user does from the beginning to the end of their experience, remembering that it’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-colborne/the-thing-to-do-then-is-to-describe-what-the-user-does-from-the/) [Giles Colborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-colborne/) > [“Your design shouldn’t interfere with this sense of control. It should extend it. Simple experiences make users confident that they’re making good choices. Simple…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-colborne/your-design-shouldn-t-interfere-with-this-sense-of-control-it-should/) [Giles Colborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-colborne/) > [“The better and longer way is to describe the experience I want the users to have. That means describing the users’ world and how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-colborne/the-better-and-longer-way-is-to-describe-the-experience-i-want-the/) [Giles Colborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-colborne/) > [“People love simple, dependable, adaptable products.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-colborne/people-love-simple-dependable-adaptable-products/) [Giles Colborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-colborne/) > [“Repeatedly asking “so what” eventually throws up an emotional need, a rational need, and a solution. It also helps you arrive at a deeper…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-colborne/repeatedly-asking-so-what-eventually-throws-up-an-emotional-need-a/) [Giles Colborne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-colborne/) [Explore all 26 Giles Colborne quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-colborne/) ## More Dig deep quotes > [“Personally, I’m a mess of conflicting impulses—I’m independent and greedy and I also want to belong and share and be a part of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-siken/personally-i-m-a-mess-of-conflicting-impulses-i-m-independent-and/) [Richard Siken](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-siken/) > [Go get your shovel and we'll dig a deep hole. To bury the castle, bury the castle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paramore/go-get-your-shovel-and-we-ll-dig-a-deep-hole-to-bury-the-castle-bury/) [Paramore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paramore/) > [Folks may not be familiar with Pharmacy Benefit Managers, or PBMs, but they live with the effects of PBMs almost every time they go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-tuberville/folks-may-not-be-familiar-with-pharmacy-benefit-managers-or-pbms-but/) [Tommy Tuberville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-tuberville/) > [I like characters with problems. I like to understand them... To play alcoholics, fetishists, strange girls, you have to dig deep within yourself. It's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-trintignant/i-like-characters-with-problems-i-like-to-understand-them-to-play/) [Marie Trintignant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marie-trintignant/) > [You dig deeper and it gets more and more complicated, and you get confused, and it's tricky and it's hard, but... It is beautiful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-cox/you-dig-deeper-and-it-gets-more-and-more-complicated-and-you-get/) [Brian Cox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-cox/) > [“Through my willingness to train every day and to dig deep in the after-class ukemi sessions, over time I earned the respect and friendship…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-holiday/through-my-willingness-to-train-every-day-and-to-dig-deep-in-the/) [Linda Holiday](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-holiday/) > [To mend a broken heart sometimes you gotta be a archaeologist, you have to dig deep and search for what still remains](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-degroff/to-mend-a-broken-heart-sometimes-you-gotta-be-a-archaeologist-you/) [Brian DeGroff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-degroff/) > [“From this point forward, you don’t even know how to quit in life.” ~ Aaron Lauritsen, ‘100 Days Drive”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-lauritsen/from-this-point-forward-you-don-t-even-know-how-to-quit-in-life-aaron/) [Aaron Lauritsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-lauritsen/) > [You know, the benefit in life is to say, 'Maybe you made a mistake, let's dig deep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-dimon/you-know-the-benefit-in-life-is-to-say-maybe-you-made-a-mistake-let-s/) [Jamie Dimon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-dimon/) > [In this digital world, web shows are a total game changer. Compared to films, they allow you to have far more choices to collaborate…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anupriya-goenka/in-this-digital-world-web-shows-are-a-total-game-changer-compared-to/) [Anupriya Goenka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anupriya-goenka/) > [“There was a time when men were gods. But they abused their divine powers so much that Lord Brahma, the master of all gods,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virend-singh/there-was-a-time-when-men-were-gods-but-they-abused-their-divine/) [Virend Singh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virend-singh/) > [“Dig deep for you to discover the misery of success – success has miseries that are hidden in failure and those miseries cannot befriend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anikor-daniel/dig-deep-for-you-to-discover-the-misery-of-success-success-has/) [ANIKOR Daniel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anikor-daniel/) > [“I'm about to as you a favor." And I'm about to tell you no." "It's not a make-out scene. Though I'd be willing to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-b-jones/i-m-about-to-as-you-a-favor-and-i-m-about-to-tell-you-no-it-s-not-a/) [Jenny B. Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-b-jones/) > [I need to have people doubting me, because that's when you dig deep and find out what you're made of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-peavy/i-need-to-have-people-doubting-me-because-that-s-when-you-dig-deep/) [Jake Peavy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-peavy/) > [“I struggle with enormous discrepancies: between the reality of motherhood and the image of it, between my love for my home and the need…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sally-mann/i-struggle-with-enormous-discrepancies-between-the-reality-of/) [Sally Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sally-mann/) [Browse all 322 Dig deep quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dig-deep/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Begin with that need—the user’s need to feel in control of some part of his life—then try to dig deeper by asking, “So what?”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Giles Colborne" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-colborne/begin-with-that-need-the-user-s-need-to-feel-in-control-of-some-part/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Dig deep" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-colborne/begin-with-that-need-the-user-s-need-to-feel-in-control-of-some-part/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf8/giles-colborne-23036_dig-deep_begin-with-that-need-the-user-s-need-to_268786.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf8/giles-colborne-23036_dig-deep_begin-with-that-need-the-user-s-need-to_268786.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bf8/giles-colborne-23036_dig-deep_begin-with-that-need-the-user-s-need-to_268786.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Begin with that need—the user’s need to feel in control of some part of his life—then try to dig deeper by…” — Giles Colborne", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Giles Colborne", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/giles-colborne/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Begin with that need—the user’s need...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-colborne/begin-with-that-need-the-user-s-need-to-feel-in-control-of-some-part/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/giles-colborne/begin-with-that-need-the-user-s-need-to-feel-in-control-of-some-part/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```