A Lookup Layer for Understanding User Needs
The Reference section provides structured definitions, heuristics, behavioral signals, and UX metrics for each of the 20 user needs inside the Glare framework. Where Techniques covers how to interpret behavior and the Playbook covers how to organize outputs, References is the layer teams return to when they need to understand a specific need more precisely — during research synthesis, concept reviews, usability evaluations, stakeholder discussions, or AI-assisted workflows.
Each need has its own page containing a definition, usefulness heuristics, common failure patterns, behavioral signals, UX metric guidance, and recommended next steps.
The Five Layers
User needs are organized into five layers that build on each other. Foundational needs usually need to be addressed before higher-level needs can fully emerge, but the layers are not a rigid sequence, most experiences contain several overlapping needs at once.
<table xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" style="min-width: 537px;"><colgroup><col style="min-width: 25px;"><col style="width: 293px;"><col style="width: 219px;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p><strong>Category</strong></p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="293"><p><strong>Core Focus</strong></p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="219"><p><strong>User Needs</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>Basics</p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="293"><p>Foundational usability and access</p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="219"><p>Useful, Usable, Findable, Accessible</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>Trust</p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="293"><p>Reliability and confidence</p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="219"><p>Credible, Secure, Reliable, Intuitive</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>Personal</p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="293"><p>Relevance and contextual understanding</p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="219"><p>Inclusive, Adaptable, Connected, Insightful</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>Impact</p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="293"><p>Progress and meaningful outcomes</p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="219"><p>Valuable, Sustainable, Efficient, Scalable</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p>Feelings</p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="293"><p>Emotion and long-term connection</p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="219"><p>Desirable, Delightful, Engaging, Empowering</p></td></tr></tbody></table>
What Each Reference Page Contains
Each of the 20 need pages follows the same structure so teams can use them consistently across workflows.
<table xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" style="min-width: 459px;"><colgroup><col style="min-width: 25px;"><col style="width: 434px;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p><strong>Section</strong></p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="434"><p><strong>What It Contains</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p><strong>Definition</strong></p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="434"><p>What the need means, why it matters, and what strong and weak versions of it look like in practice</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p><strong>Where It Fits in Glare</strong></p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="434"><p>How the need connects to other needs and where it sits inside the Decision Map</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p><strong>Why It Matters</strong></p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="434"><p>The operational, user, and business impact when the need is unmet</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p><strong>Common UX Metrics</strong></p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="434"><p>Behavioral and attitudinal metrics most useful for evaluating and tracking this need</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p><strong>Heuristics</strong></p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="434"><p>Specific evaluation criteria teams can use to assess how well the experience is meeting the need</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p><strong>Summary Insight</strong></p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="434"><p>A concise synthesis of what strong performance on this need looks and feels like</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p><strong>What to Do Next</strong></p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="434"><p>Recommended starting points for measurement, evaluation, or improvement</p></td></tr></tbody></table>
How to Use the References
Reference pages are most useful when a need has already been identified, through Techniques, the Playbook, or an AI Skill output, and a team needs to understand it more precisely before deciding how to evaluate or address it.
During research synthesis:use the behavioral signals and failure patterns to check whether observations map to a specific need or point to something adjacent.
During concept reviews: use the heuristics to evaluate whether a concept addresses the underlying need or only the surface symptom.
During UX metric selection:use the metric guidance to choose signals that will actually reflect whether the need is improving over time.
During stakeholder discussions:use the definition and why it matters sections to ground conversations in shared language rather than opinion.
Inside AI Skills:reference pages provide the definitional layer that helps skills classify needs consistently and produce outputs in the right structure.
Needs at a Glance
A quick reference for all 20 needs, organized by layer, with the core behavioral signal teams should watch for and the primary UX metrics most likely to reveal whether the need is being met.
Basics
The foundation every experience has to get right before anything else matters. Basics needs determine whether users can accomplish what they came to do, whether the product is worth using, easy enough to use, possible to navigate, and accessible to everyone who needs it.
<table xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" style="min-width: 538px;"><colgroup><col style="min-width: 25px;"><col style="width: 263px;"><col style="width: 250px;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p><strong>Need</strong></p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="263"><p><strong>Core Behavioral Signal</strong></p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="250"><p><strong>Primary UX Metrics</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p><strong>Useful</strong></p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="263"><p>Users complete tasks but question whether the outcome was worth the effort</p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="250"><p>Completion Rate, Comprehension, Satisfaction</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p><strong>Usable</strong></p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="263"><p>Users hesitate, retry, or abandon steps they should be able to complete</p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="250"><p>Success Rate, Error Rate, Time on Task</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p><strong>Findable</strong></p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="263"><p>Users search, scroll, or ask for help locating things they expect to be obvious</p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="250"><p>Time on Task, Comprehension, Abandonment Rate</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p><strong>Accessible</strong></p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="263"><p>Users with different abilities, devices, or contexts cannot complete workflows others can</p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="250"><p>Completion Rate, Error Rate, Satisfaction</p></td></tr></tbody></table>
Trust
The layer that determines whether users believe the experience will work for them. Trust needs emerge when users question the accuracy of information, the security of their data, the consistency of the system, or whether the product will behave the way they expect.
<table xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" style="min-width: 534px;"><colgroup><col style="min-width: 25px;"><col style="width: 262px;"><col style="width: 247px;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p><strong>Need</strong></p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="262"><p><strong>Core Behavioral Signal</strong></p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="247"><p><strong>Primary UX Metrics</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p><strong>Credible</strong></p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="262"><p>Users verify information from external sources before trusting what the product shows</p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="247"><p>Trust, Comprehension, Satisfaction</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p><strong>Secure</strong></p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="262"><p>Users hesitate to share information or complete transactions because of uncertainty about safety</p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="247"><p>Trust, Abandonment Rate, Sentiment</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p><strong>Reliable</strong></p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="262"><p>Users encounter inconsistent behavior, errors, or unexpected outcomes across sessions</p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="247"><p>Trust, Error Rate, Completion Rate</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p><strong>Intuitive</strong></p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="262"><p>Users can complete workflows but cannot explain how the system works or predict what comes next</p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="247"><p>Comprehension, Success Rate, Satisfaction</p></td></tr></tbody></table>
Personal
The layer that determines whether the experience feels relevant to the individual user. Personal needs surface when the product works in general but fails to account for a user's specific context, role, goals, or situation.
<table xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" style="min-width: 535px;"><colgroup><col style="min-width: 25px;"><col style="width: 266px;"><col style="width: 244px;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p><strong>Need</strong></p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="266"><p><strong>Core Behavioral Signal</strong></p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="244"><p><strong>Primary UX Metrics</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p><strong>Inclusive</strong></p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="266"><p>Users from different backgrounds, roles, or contexts find the experience misaligned with their situation</p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="244"><p>Satisfaction, Completion Rate, Sentiment</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p><strong>Adaptable</strong></p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="266"><p>Users repeatedly adjust settings, create workarounds, or abandon workflows that do not fit their context</p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="244"><p>Effort, Completion Rate, Satisfaction</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p><strong>Connected</strong></p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="266"><p>Users engage with individual features but do not see how they relate to each other or to their goals</p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="244"><p>Engagement, Comprehension, Satisfaction</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p><strong>Insightful</strong></p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="266"><p>Users receive information but cannot interpret what it means or what they should do with it</p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="244"><p>Comprehension, Trust, Engagement</p></td></tr></tbody></table>
Impact
The layer that determines whether the experience creates meaningful progress over time. Impact needs emerge when users can complete tasks but question whether the outcomes are worth the effort, or when workflows that work at small scale begin breaking down as demands increase.
<table xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" style="min-width: 536px;"><colgroup><col style="min-width: 25px;"><col style="width: 269px;"><col style="width: 242px;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p><strong>Need</strong></p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="269"><p><strong>Core Behavioral Signal</strong></p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="242"><p><strong>Primary UX Metrics</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p><strong>Valuable</strong></p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="269"><p>Users complete workflows but do not feel the outcome was worth the time or effort invested</p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="242"><p>Satisfaction, Completion Rate, Sentiment</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p><strong>Sustainable</strong></p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="269"><p>Users experience fatigue, repetition, or increasing effort over time rather than improving efficiency</p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="242"><p>Effort, Retention Rate, Satisfaction</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p><strong>Efficient</strong></p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="269"><p>Users accomplish goals but require more steps, time, or effort than the task should demand</p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="242"><p>Time on Task, Effort, Completion Rate</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p><strong>Scalable</strong></p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="269"><p>Workflows that work for individual users break down as volume, complexity, or team size increases</p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="242"><p>Completion Rate, Error Rate, Effort</p></td></tr></tbody></table>
Feelings
The layer that determines whether users develop a lasting connection to the experience. Feelings needs are rarely the source of foundational friction, but they are what separates products users tolerate from products users prefer, return to, and recommend.
<table xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" style="min-width: 535px;"><colgroup><col style="min-width: 25px;"><col style="width: 274px;"><col style="width: 236px;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p><strong>Need</strong></p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="274"><p><strong>Core Behavioral Signal</strong></p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="236"><p><strong>Primary UX Metrics</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p><strong>Desirable</strong></p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="274"><p>Users find the experience functional but not one they prefer, recommend, or return to by choice</p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="236"><p>Desirability, Sentiment, Retention Rate</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p><strong>Delightful</strong></p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="274"><p>Users complete tasks without any moment of unexpected pleasure, surprise, or positive emotion</p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="236"><p>Sentiment, Desirability, Satisfaction</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p><strong>Engaging</strong></p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="274"><p>Users complete tasks but disengage quickly, return infrequently, or describe the experience as forgettable</p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="236"><p>Engagement, Retention Rate, Sentiment</p></td></tr><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1"><p><strong>Empowering</strong></p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="274"><p>Users feel dependent on the product rather than more capable because of it</p></td><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" colwidth="236"><p>Satisfaction, Comprehension, Sentiment</p></td></tr></tbody></table>
How the Needs Work Together
Individual needs rarely exist in isolation. Addressing one need often reveals or amplifies another. Some combinations appear frequently enough across workflows that they are worth knowing before opening individual pages.
Basics failures cascade upward. When Useful, Usable, Findable, or Accessible needs are unmet, higher-layer needs cannot fully emerge. A user who cannot complete a workflow will not develop trust, feel a sense of personal relevance, or experience emotional connection. Resolving Basics needs first usually has the highest leverage.
Trust and Personal needs interact closely. An experience that does not feel credible or reliable will rarely feel personally relevant. Users do not engage deeply with systems they do not trust. When both Trust and Personal needs are flagged, Trust is usually the right starting point.
Impact and Feelings needs depend on earlier layers. Users rarely feel that an experience is valuable, empowering, or delightful if foundational usability or trust problems still exist. Optimizing Feelings needs before resolving Basics or Trust needs is one of the most common prioritization mistakes teams make.
Contradictory signals often point to layer mismatches. High satisfaction paired with low completion, or strong engagement paired with low conversion, usually means a lower-layer need is unresolved while a higher-layer need is being addressed. The Recognizing Patterns table in Techniques is the right tool for diagnosing these situations.
Connecting References to the Rest of the Framework
References is a lookup layer, not a starting point. Teams typically arrive here after identifying a need through Techniques or receiving a structured output from the Playbook or an AI Skill.
Once a specific need is understood more precisely, the natural next steps are selecting UX metrics in Measure, forming hypotheses in Hunches, or designing evaluation criteria for concept reviews. The individual need pages each include a What to Do Next section that points teams toward the most relevant next step based on what the evidence is showing.