Needs assessment is one of the important procedures of instructional design. Nevertheless, most generic instructional design models are weak in this part. In this article, needs was defined as gaps between what is and what should be; and needs assessment was a series of processes involved in identifying needs, ranking these needs and writing their statements. Furthermore, four views of needs was reviewed, seven steps of needs assessment was then discussed. Evaluation criteria for needs assessment procedures were also presented. To ensure the success of instructional activities, needs assessment should be examined thoroughly.