Ideation and Simulation Roles in Identifying Functional Requirements of a Multi-Organizational Digital Library Platform

New innovations in systems often pose challenges in identifying users' functional needs, particularly when system analyses fall short. The rise in focus on user experience further complicates this process. The concept of a multi-organization digital library platform—integrating multiple organizations into one system—exemplifies this challenge. This study employs an ideation approach to gather user perspectives on functional needs, focusing on understanding users' needs, desires, and challenges with new features. The research follows a three-stage ideation process: Empathize, Define, and Ideate. The Empathize stage involves creating user personas and simulating system features to capture user challenges and expectations. The Define stage synthesizes these insights into specific problems, and the Ideate stage generates potential solutions to address them. The findings demonstrate that ideation effectively refines functional requirements by identifying challenges and user needs that may not be apparent in existing systems. Key challenges, such as managing a large number of members and libraries, are addressed through solutions like CSV uploads, data management checklists, and hierarchical admin structures. The study also highlights the value of simulation in helping users conceptualize new system features. Future research should explore further applications of simulation in identifying user needs for innovative systems.