{"id":9486,"date":"2023-11-21T11:18:44","date_gmt":"2023-11-21T11:18:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/?p=9486"},"modified":"2024-06-26T09:56:35","modified_gmt":"2024-06-26T09:56:35","slug":"what-is-human-centered-design","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/what-is-human-centered-design\/","title":{"rendered":"What is human-centered design? Everything you need to know"},"content":{"rendered":"

Taking a successful product to market requires crafting a solution to an under-served user need. But how do you know what needs are under-served or what products need designing? Ask your customers!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Using human-centred design principles, such as talking to your customers, will help you level up when designing products and solutions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In this guide, we\u2019ll explore what human-centred design is and why it\u2019s important. We\u2019ll outline the principles and processes of human centered design, and then explore the differences\u2014and similarities\u2014between human-centred design and design thinking. Finally, we\u2019ll look at some examples of human-centred design in action.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n

What is human-centered design? A definition<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Human-centered design (HCD) is an approach to design that places real people at the center of problem-solving. At every phase of the <\/span>design process<\/span><\/a>, consideration of your customers and their context comes first. This is a step above user-centered design, which tends to focus on the way people use things, not their psychological and emotional needs.<\/span><\/p>\n

A brief history of human-centered design<\/span><\/h3>\n

HCD as an approach to creative problem-solving is often traced back to the beginning of the Stanford University design program in 1958. There, Professor John E. Arnold first proposed that engineering design should be human-centered.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In the mid-1960s, design theorist Horst Rittel introduced the term \u201cwicked problems\u201d to describe problems that are difficult to solve, such as homelessness and social injustice, because they consist of requirements that are incomplete or contradictory. Also, solving one wicked problem often reveals another.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Consequently, wicked problems require a problem-solving approach that is adaptable and centered on human behavior. Thus, HCD emerged to fulfill this need and took off from there.<\/span><\/p>\n

HCD isn\u2019t just a method; it\u2019s a mindset with people at its center. The process champions new solutions that come from cultivating deep empathy and are built to suit human needs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Why is human-centered design important?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

When you cultivate empathy for your customers, as you do in HCD, you can think of products that will really improve people\u2019s lives. Also, you can follow your customers\u2019 needs as they evolve. This can open up new opportunities to diversify for you and to try new products for them.<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition, HCD gives the people you\u2019re designing for the sense that they\u2019re understood. Not only can this increase customer loyalty, but because they\u2019re part of the process that brought the product to market, they\u2019re likely to feel more invested in using it.<\/span><\/p>\n

What are the 4 principles of human-centered design?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

HCD has four principles:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Be people-centered<\/span><\/h3>\n

Whatever you create, focus on the people who use the product and their context. These are real human beings with real needs, and your product is a tool to help them reach their goals more efficiently.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Find the right problem<\/span><\/h3>\n

Don Norman<\/span><\/a>, a user experience expert and co-founder of the Nielsen-Norman Group, says that usually when people come to him with a problem, it\u2019s not the right one. Instead, he\u2019s approached with symptoms of the problem. But he wants to solve the fundamental problem, the one that will solve the root cause of all the other problems. Solving the fundamental problem is the real goal that companies come to designers with. Otherwise the symptoms will continue to come up.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Think of everything as a system<\/span><\/h3>\n

Always keep the big picture of the user journey in mind, even if you\u2019re only working on a small part of it. Don Norman observes that because optimization at the local level doesn\u2019t mean optimization for the global level, we should keep the whole experience in mind for a smoother system.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Small and simple interventions<\/span><\/h3>\n

Don\u2019t rush into big design solutions. Instead, do iterative work with simple interventions that you can learn from. Slowly, your results will get better and bigger. Also, continuously <\/span>prototype<\/span><\/a> and test your solutions to make sure they meet the needs of the people you\u2019re designing for.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is the human-centered design process? The 6 phases of HCD<\/strong><\/h2>\n

According to design firm IDEO, these are the <\/span>six phases<\/span><\/a> of the HCD process.<\/span><\/p>\n

Phase 1: Observation<\/span><\/h3>\n

From the first phase we foster deep empathy with people. In this phase, our goal is to understand the people we\u2019re designing for by observing and learning about them. We\u2019ll put our assumptions aside and look at pain points and patterns of behaviour to understand how people feel about a given product.<\/span><\/p>\n

Phase 2: Ideation<\/span><\/h3>\n

Here you and your team will come up with ideas based on what you learned in the previous phase. You\u2019ll want to come up with as many ideas as you can. Even bad ideas can make it to the table as they can always have the root of a good idea in it. Eventually your team\u2019s ideas will evolve in the right direction.<\/span><\/p>\n

Phase 3: Rapid prototyping<\/span><\/h3>\n

In this phase, you\u2019ll create a simple prototype that will give you something to test with your users. This shouldn\u2019t be a high fidelity prototype but one that has just enough of the idea that people can understand and comment on it.<\/span><\/p>\n

Phase 4: User feedback<\/span><\/h3>\n

Get your prototype in the hands of the people you\u2019re designing for in this phase. This is the most critical phase of the design process because, without feedback from people, you won\u2019t know if your solution needs to be adjusted and in which directions. <\/span><\/p>\n

Learn more about <\/span>how to incorporate user feedback in product design (and why it matters) here<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Phase 5: Iteration<\/span><\/h3>\n

In this phase, use the insights you\u2019ve gained from users to fuel changes to your design. Iterate, test, and iterate some more until your solution is fine-tuned and ready to be used.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Phase 6: Implementation<\/span><\/h3>\n

Here, your design is ready to be put into action and used in the real world. While the design seems finished, though, keep in mind that design is never truly done. Keep learning, keep iterating, and keep testing whenever possible to continue to improve the design.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Human-centered design vs. design thinking\u2014what\u2019s the difference?<\/span><\/h2>\n

HCD and design thinking are similar concepts. Some people even think of them as synonymous. There are some key differences, though.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While design thinking is at the root of HCD, it zooms out to look at the problem with a larger scope. That\u2019s because design thinking involves designing solutions and products that are created to solve a problem. With design thinking, you\u2019ll empathize with customers\u2019 needs before coming up with solutions that can immediately be put into use.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

HCD, on the other hand, wants to ensure that the product will enhance consumers\u2019 lives. With HCD, you\u2019ll get to know the objectives of your customers to ensure you and your team are creating products that will improve their lives, not just interest or amuse them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Still the two methods do have their similarities. Empathy for people is at the heart of both HCD and design thinking. Both methods are iterative and, since your user base is constantly evolving, your designs will evolve too.<\/span><\/p>\n

You can learn more about design thinking in this guide: What is design thinking? A definition and examples.<\/span><\/p>\n

What are some examples of human-centered design?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Here are some examples of HCD:<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Colgate Electric Toothbrush<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\"Colgate<\/p>\n

Source: <\/span>Hubspot<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

While Colgate\u2019s electric toothbrush was innovative in the 1990s, it\u2019s since been surpassed by other competitors, so Colgate hired HCD firm Altitude to design a new toothbrush for them. The team at Altitude extensively researched the audience, asking questions and seeing how people use toothbrushes in their daily lives.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Then they developed the Motion, a slimmer toothbrush with oscillating heads and an arcing neck. The goal was to serve the user\u2019s needs and, fortunately, this toothbrush solved a problem the industry hadn\u2019t addressed yet: needing a slender electronic toothbrush that still delivered on performance.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Samsung FreeStyle Bluetooth Projector\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span>\"Photo<\/h3>\n

Source: <\/span>UserGuiding<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Samsung FreeStyle, a Bluetooth projector, isn\u2019t designed for everyone. The company is very specific that it is designed specifically for Gen Z and Millenials. That\u2019s because different generations want different things, and while older generations may not be so keen to have a projector that can project on any surface, no matter what the colour, Gen Z and Millenials express a much greater need for this portable device.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Though Gen Z and Millenials won\u2019t necessarily have thought of this product before, they\u2019ll want it when they see it. Especially because people now work from home and are educated online more than ever today, these individuals will see the value of a tiny device that they can bring with them anywhere and can be used to project anything.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. HelloFresh<\/strong><\/h3>\n

When HelloFresh was founded in 2011 by Dominik Richter, Tobias Griesel, and Jessica Nilsson with the intention of providing healthy, fresh recipes to everyone, they were meeting a real need. The founders wondered what consumers were having trouble with and what they wanted to change about their own experience acquiring food.<\/span><\/p>\n

What they found was that people had difficulty finding the time to shop for groceries and creating healthy and affordable meals. They came up with a solution that addressed those very needs\u2014delivering boxes of ingredients that are already measured out, along with healthy recipes the user can follow\u2014 and have had a thriving business ever since.<\/span><\/p>\n

Key takeaways<\/span><\/h2>\n

That\u2019s human-centered design in a nutshell. To summarise: human-centered design (HCD) puts real people at the center of any design solution. It emerged as an approach to problem-solving, encouraging designers to cultivate empathy and define the root problem before seeking solutions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As a UX designer, there are many different tools and techniques you can use to step into your users\u2019 shoes and make sure you\u2019re designing with their needs in mind. Check out the following:<\/span><\/p>\n