What is Human-Centered Design? And Why is it Important?
What is Human-Centered Design?
Human-Centered Design (HCD) is a design framework that focuses on the needs of the user/human. HCD begins with anthropology and is married into the worlds of design, engineering, and a business model. At the core of HCD is empathy. Empathy and direct engagement with users lead to a solution tailored to users’ needs. This is why personas are often created in design, to help us empathize with the user. What makes HCD so special is the obsessive need to put humans at the center of the design process, almost making them a part of the design team.
There’s a quote from Don Norman’s book The Design of Everyday Things that sums it up well “(Human-Centered Design (HCD) is the process of ensuring that people’s needs are met, that the resulting product is understandable and usable, that it accomplishes the desired tasks, and that the experience of use is positive and enjoyable.
Effective design needs to satisfy a large number of constraints and concerns, including shape and form, cost and efficiency, reliability and effectiveness, understandability and usability, the pleasure of the appearance, the pride of ownership, and the joy of actual use. HCD is a procedure for addressing these requirements, but with an emphasis on two things: solving the right problem, and doing so in a way that meets human needs and capabilities.”
The term Human-Centered Design and User-Centered Design were used interchangeably in the ’90s, but they’re now two different things. Most people prefer to say Human-Centered Design because saying User-Centered dehumanizes the people we’re designing for by referring to them as if they’re just another component of the system. User-Centered Design focuses more on individual users, whereas Human-Centered Design focuses more on social problem-solving.
History of Human-Centered Design
The origins of HCD trace back to Horst Rittel, a design theorist who coined the term “wicked problems” to urge that problems are not simple, that they are multidimensional, and that designers should look at problems as things that are more complex and ever-evolving. He said that these “wicked problems” require a carefully crafted system of thinking and problem-solving that’s centered on human behavior.
Years later, in 1958, HCD began to be taught at Stanford University’s design program. Professor John E. Arnold started to propose that engineering should always be human-centered. The concept was then championed by the design firm IDEO and Nobel Prize laureate, Herbert Simon.
How To Practice Human-Centered Design
Practicing human-centered design should be a common practice for all designers and firms. There are a few steps you can take to start…
1. Identify the Right Problem
The first step of Human Centered design is to step into the shoes of the people you’re designing for and examine their problems. This can be done through ethnography, observation, studies, interviews, questionnaires, evaluations, and research. Oftentimes we design for people thinking that they’re in an environment like ours: a nice, warm, sheltered office space instead of a factory, or hut. Having a team of people from different backgrounds and cultures is a great step to practicing HCD, the more unique the viewpoints the better the results.
Engage with your user! Follow them throughout their day, ask them what bothers them or delights them, record it, and observe the trends in their responses. There are two types of problems or pain points people have that you need to look out for:
Explicit: Explicit pain points are very obvious to both you and the user. They’re able to describe what about it frustrates them.
Latent: These pain points are harder to spot. The user might not know how to describe them and might be completely unaware that they exist.
2. Ideate
Brainstorming is key here! Generate as many ideas as possible! If you don’t, you may get stuck in a state of cognitive fix-ness, which means you get so caught up on one idea or approach that you limit yourself from coming up with better solutions. Encourage wacky solutions, and have fun with it, but keep the goal and needs of the user in mind.
When brainstorming, aim for quantity first. You can narrow down and improve your ideas later for quality. One strategy people use, and I remember using first semester of design school, is to set a time limit and try to come up with a certain number of ideas. The pressure of time forces you to sketch out whatever comes to mind.
Studies have shown that we’re the most creative in the middle of being barely awake and asleep. If you ever feel you’d like to do some late-night brainstorming go for it, although this may not be practical for office settings. My best ideas have often come from moments when I feel completely relaxed. Remember that no matter what brainstorming tactic you use, keep in mind the goal and needs of your user. Once you have a good number of ideas, evaluate all of them together, as a group, and select those that you feel meet the user’s needs the best. Once you’ve done that you’re ready to move on to the next step….
3. Develop
This stage is all about refining your ideas and making sure they meet specific criteria. Ask yourself these questions: Is there a market for this product? Does it meet the user’s needs? Does the organization have the means to produce this product? Are there any barriers to production? Is this sustainable? and will this produce a profit for the company in the short and long run? Buzzkill I know, but it’s important.
Here’s where rapid prototyping and case studies kick in. IDEO has a saying “Fail often, and fail fast.” The earlier you get your prototypes implemented into a community, the more time you’ll have to gain feedback and improve your design.
Use this feedback to refine your design until it’s ready to be on the market.
4. Implement
You’ve reached the final step! Here is where you prepare your product for the market. Communication between all company levels is key to bringing the product to market successfully.
Take the time to figure out branding and team dynamics. Be aware that your work isn’t over as the needs of your user will continue to change and evolve. You must be ready to adapt and implement new solutions when that happens.
Keep in mind during this that the design process is not linear, you might have a revelation during prototyping that might take you back to the ideation stage, and that’s okay. Doing what needs to be done for your user will guarantee good results no matter the path you take. Stay fluid, yet grounded in the needs of your user.
What Does Human-Centered Design Look Like?
Here’s a solid example of HCD done by IDEO for a Prada store. This was done in 2002, so it’s a bit dated, but a classic example.
You can see throughout every aspect how they put themselves in the shoes of the user. The “Magic Mirror” is my favorite example of this because it delays the image on the mirror by three seconds so that when you turn around it gives you a chance to see what the clothing looks like from the back and how it flows in motion.
Why is Human-Centered Design so Important?
Human-Centered Design is so important!! It helps us come up with the best possible solutions, enhances our cultural and social awareness, helps us practice empathy, motivates us to adopt a learner mindset, makes the design process more flexible, and leads to better business outcomes.
Benefits of Human-Centered Design
Increases Customer Loyalty
When your customers feel like you value them, they value you. Making your customers feel heard and showing them the effort you’re putting into meeting their needs creates a strong relationship with the consumer. They will expect you to produce good quality work each time and remain loyal to your firm or brand.
Cuts Waste
When you adamantly follow the steps of the HCD process you’re making sure that you come up with the best solution. No waste of time, no faulty production runs, and no chance of putting something on the market that will get negative results (although this can’t be guaranteed.)
Debunks Assumptions
It can sometimes be difficult to put ourselves in someone else’s shoes when we’ve lived a life so different from theirs. Our assumptions can oftentimes be completely wrong, so engaging with our users debunks these which leads to better-fitting products. Empathy is now more important than ever and HCD helps us practice that.
Creates Strong Partnerships
The Human Centered Design process as a whole combines people with different skill sets, cultural understandings, and creative voices. The interdisciplinary approach allows us to learn from one another and creates a better team experience overall.
Human-Centered Design Vs. Design Thinking
Since we know what Human-Centered Design is, let’s define Design thinking. Design Thinking is a non-linear, iterative approach to solving problems focused on innovation and creation. Sounds very similar to Human-Centered Design, right? That’s because Human-Centered Design is a type of Design Thinking. Design Thinking is a lot wider than HCD. Although, not all design thinking is human-centered.