Need and desire

Need and desire are both driving ideation. But whereas need is perceived as a positive thing, something basic and necessary, and therefore often easy to recognise, desire might be seen in a negative light, as a craving, or greed, a bad rather than a good thing. Yet design agendas, and notably in the consumer field, are often driven by desire and customer satisfaction for new products and services that go beyond basic need. Dalai Lama holds that self-satisfaction alone cannot determine if a desire is positive or negative, but whether it ultimately results in positive or negative consequences. Desire then, may be seen as a positive thing if it helps generate ideas that go beyond immediate self-satisfaction resulting in outcomes that are sustainable and good for everyone. Such outcomes, however, suggest that designers prioritise the real needs of customers and users, that is, for products or services that are really necessary rather than desirable. In modern consumer societies, however, such a distinction is difficult to make.