Desirability

Desirability addresses whether people actually want an offering — not whether they might need it or whether it is technically feasible. In innovation development, Desirability is one of three central filters alongside Feasibility and Viability. Many products fail not because of technology but because nobody wants them.

Testing for Desirability starts earlier than most teams think. Even before a prototype exists, interviews, observation, and simple experiments can reveal whether a genuine need exists. For example, a company plans an appointment booking app. Instead of building immediately, it first tests whether customers actually perceive the existing booking system as a problem — or whether the need is merely assumed internally.

The concept originates from the work of IDEO and, together with Viability and Feasibility, forms the foundation of user-centered innovation. The critical point: Desirability cannot be answered through market research alone. What people say in surveys and what they actually do often diverge considerably.