What Information It Needs

The software now has a purpose, people, and a desired feel. The next question is what information it needs to do its job well.

Why This Matters

If software does not know the right information, it cannot help people well. It may ask for too much, miss something important, or keep the wrong data.

Good software is clear about what it must remember, protect, update, and find later.

Core Idea

The software should keep the information it needs to do the job, support the user, and protect what matters.

That means deciding what is required, what is optional, and what should not be stored at all.

What It Needs To Know

The software should only keep information that helps it do its job.

Must be remembered: the core facts needed to complete the task.
Must be protected: anything private, sensitive, or risky.
Must be easy to find: information people need later to make decisions or take action.
Must be updated: information that changes and must stay current.
Should not be stored: anything that adds risk or confusion without helping the user.

Comparison

Weak storage	Strong storage
Collect everything	Collect only what is needed
Unclear purpose	Clear reason for each field
Duplicate information	One clear source of truth
Hard to update later	Information stays manageable

Worked Example

Imagine a clinic booking system.

It needs the patient’s name, contact information, appointment time, and status. It may also need a reminder preference. It probably does not need unrelated personal details.

The clinic can then send reminders, avoid duplicate bookings, and update the appointment when plans change. The software is only collecting what it needs to do that job well.

The same idea applies to orders in a store, tickets in a support system, or documents in a shared workspace.

Common Mistakes

Collecting too much information.
Storing data before knowing why it is needed.
Forgetting how the information will be found later.
Keeping duplicates that can drift apart.
Ignoring which information must stay private.

These mistakes usually happen when teams jump from idea to database too quickly.

Checklist

Do you know what information the software must keep?
Do you know what must be protected?
Can you tell what must be easy to find later?
Have you left out anything the software does not need?
Is it clear what will change over time?

Small Exercise

Pick one software idea and list:

information it must remember
information it must protect
information it must find later
information it should not store

If the list is unclear, the software needs more thinking before it is built.

Summary and Next Step

This lesson is about deciding what information software needs, not just where to store it.

If the software keeps the wrong information, the rest of the design will struggle.

Next, learn how software should feel to use.

How Software Should Feel To Use