The article discusses the “Four Levels of Customer Understanding” framework by Hannah Shamji, emphasizing that to truly understand user behavior, designers and researchers must look beyond what customers say to also examine what they think or feel, what they do, and why they do it. It argues that relying solely on direct user feedback or surveys is insufficient due to biases and inaccuracies, advocating instead for observation, triangulation of data, and building trustworthy relationships with users to uncover deeper motivations and real needs.
https://smashingmagazine.com/2026/05/four-levels-customer-understanding/