“Can you add a dashboard?” sounds like a clear task until I ask what the person needs to do there.
They might need unfinished work in one place. They might need an export. Or they might be unable to find information that is already on the site.
I want to understand that problem before turning the request into a feature promise.
Ask about the last attempt
I ask what they were trying to finish, where they got stuck and what they did instead. A real example gives me something to investigate.
For an imaginary directory, “add favourites” could mean someone loses listings between visits. It could also mean they want to compare a few providers. Those are related needs, but they may need different solutions.
Keep the request and the evidence
I record the task, obstacle, workaround and suggested feature separately. That keeps the person's request intact without making it the only possible answer.
I look for similar reports, but I also consider severity. One blocked important task can matter more than several requests to change a color. I avoid collecting personal details the investigation does not need.
Choose the next thing to learn
Sometimes a clearer label or a small prototype is enough to investigate. Sometimes watching someone try the current journey shows where the difficulty is.
I decide what would count as improvement. In the directory example, can the visitor return to a chosen listing and finish the comparison without help?
I want that question before I build a large dashboard. Otherwise I can finish the requested screen and still leave the original problem in place.
Keep the scope useful
This connects with cutting an overloaded product idea down to one useful first version. A smaller change can be easier to test and maintain, as long as it addresses the actual need.
When appropriate, I return to the person who raised the issue and explain what I learned and what I plan to do. Their request still matters if the final solution takes a different shape.
The goal is to remove the obstacle they showed me. The feature is one possible way to do that.