Target group
The specific user segments this core is designed for. Who is the typical user? What situation and state of mind are they in when they arrive? Beware groups defined too broadly — “all adults” is not a target group.
The core sheet
Six elements
Every core sheet answers six questions. Start from the inside — “What is the answer the user needs?” — before deciding how anything should look or be built.
User tasks
The key tasks and goals the core must solve, in real user language, prioritised by importance and frequency. Task importance follows a long-tail distribution — a handful of top tasks matter far more than the rest.
Business objectives
What the organisation should get out of the core. Make goals concrete and measurable, and keep goals (what) apart from means (how) — “increase customer satisfaction” is a goal, “implement a chatbot” is a means.
Inward paths
How users find and arrive at the core — search terms, channels, campaigns, links, and the physical and mental context they arrive from.
Forward paths
What should happen after the user has their answer. Clear calls to action and ethical behavioural design — never dark patterns.
Core content
The essential content and functionality that solves the user task and fulfils the business objective. Just enough complexity, and not one feature more.
Core pairs
Two people per core
Each core is worked on by a pair: one subject-matter expert, and one person with a fresh perspective who is free to ask the naive questions. Simple to coordinate, naturally cross-disciplinary, and a solid guard against groupthink.
Workshop formats
From half a day to a two-day sprint
The Core Model works on paper, on a whiteboard, and in Miro, Mural or FigJam — analog, digital or hybrid.
Prioritisation workshop · ½ day
Decision-makers, experts and department reps agree on what matters: user insight, strategy, goals, target groups, user tasks — and which cores to work on first.
Core workshop · 1 day
Cross-functional core pairs fill in core sheets — about 45–60 minutes per core — and turn them into concrete action cards with owners and deadlines.
Core sprint · 2 days
Day one: prioritisation workshop in the morning, core workshop in the afternoon. Day two: a fix day, implementing the low-hanging fruit while it is still warm.
Want to run this in your organisation?
Get the book, grab the free templates — or get trained and certified as a Core Model facilitator.