Human-centered design
Human-centered design, as used in ISO standards, is an approach to problem-solving commonly used in process, product, service and system design, management, and engineering frameworks that develops solutions to problems by involving the human perspective in all steps of the problem-solving process. Human involvement typically takes place in initially observing the problem within context, brainstorming, conceptualizing, developing concepts and implementing the solution.
Human-centered design builds upon participatory action research by moving beyond participants' involvement and producing solutions to problems rather than solely documenting them. Initial stages usually revolve around immersion, observing, and contextual framing— in which innovators immerse themselves in the problem and community. Subsequent stages may then focus on community brainstorming, modeling and prototyping and implementation in community spaces. Human-centered design can be seen as a philosophy that focuses on analyzing the needs of the user through extensive research. User-oriented design is capable of driving innovation and encourages the practice of iterative design, which can create small improvements in existing products and newer products, thus giving room for the potential to transform markets.
Development
Human-centered design has its origins at the intersection of numerous fields including engineering, psychology, anthropology and the arts. As an approach to creative problem-solving in technical and business fields, its origins are often traced to the founding of the Stanford University design program in 1958 by Professor John E. Arnold who first proposed the idea that engineering design should be human-centered. This work coincided with the rise of creativity techniques and the subsequent design methods movement in the 1960s. Since then, as creative design processes and methods have been increasingly popularized for business purposes, the standardized and defined human-centered design is mistakenly equated with the vaguely outlined design thinking.In Architect or Bee?, Mike Cooley coined the term human-centered systems in the context of the transition in his profession from traditional drafting at a drawing board to computer-aided design. Human-centered systems, as used in economics, computing and design, aim to preserve or enhance human skills, in both manual and office work, in environments in which technology tends to undermine the skills that people use in their work.
User participation
The user-oriented framework relies heavily on user participation and user feedback in the planning process. Users are able to provide new perspective and ideas, which can be considered in a new round of improvements and changes. It is said that increased user participation in the design process can garner a more comprehensive understanding of the design issues, due to more contextual and emotional transparency between researcher and participant. A key element of human-centered design is applied ethnography, which is a research method adopted from cultural anthropology. This research method requires researchers to be fully immersed in the observation so that implicit details are also recorded.Rationale for adoption
Even after decades of thought on human-centered design, management and finance systems still believe that "another's liability is one's asset" could be true of porous human bodies, embedded in nature and inseparable from each other. On the contrary, biological and ecological interconnections ensure that "another's liability is our liability". Sustainable business systems can only emerge if these biological and ecological interconnections are accepted and accounted for.Using a human-centered approach to design and development has substantial economic and social benefits for users, employers and suppliers. Highly usable systems and products tend to be more successful both technically and commercially. In some areas, such as consumer products, purchasers will pay a premium for well-designed products and systems. Support and help-desk costs are reduced when users can understand and use products without additional assistance. In most countries, employers and suppliers have legal obligations to protect users from risks to their health, and safety and human-centered methods can reduce these risks. Systems designed using human-centered methods improve quality, for example, by:
- increasing the productivity of users and the operational efficiency of organizations
- being easier to understand and use, thus reducing training and support costs
- increasing usability for people with a wider range of capabilities and thus increasing accessibility
- improving user experience
- reducing discomfort and stress
- providing a competitive advantage, for example by improving brand image
- contributing towards sustainability objectives
Human-centered design arises from underlying principles of human factors. Human factors are about discovering the attributes of human cognition and behavior that are important for making technology work for people. It is what allows humans as a species to innovate over time. Human-centered design was used to discover that Blackberries have less human usability than an iPhone and that important controls on a panel that look too similar will be easily confused and may cause an increased risk of human error.
An important distinction between human-centered design and any other form of design is that human-centered design is not just about aesthetics, and is not always designing for interfaces. It could be designing for controls in the world, tasks in the world, hardware, decision-making, or cognition. For instance, if a nurse is too tired from a long shift, they might confuse the pumps through which might be administered a bag of penicillin to a patient. In this case, the human-centered design would encompass a task redesign, a possible institute policy redesign, and an equipment redesign.
Typically, human-centered design is more focused on "methodologies and techniques for interacting with people in such a manner as to facilitate the detection of meanings, desires and needs, either by verbal or non-verbal means." In contrast, user-centered design is another approach and framework of processes which considers the human role in product use, but focuses largely on the production of interactive technology designed around the user's physical attributes rather than social problem-solving.
In health
In the context of health-seeking behaviors, human-centered design can be used to understand why people do or do not seek out health services, even when those services are available and affordable. Human-centered design is a powerful tool for improving health-seeking behaviors. This understanding can then be used to develop interventions to address the barriers and promote desired behaviors. Demand-related challenges associated with the acceptability, responsiveness, and quality of services can be addressed by working directly with users to understand their needs and perspectives. Human-centered design can help in designing interventions that are more likely to be effective. The integration of the principle of human-centered design and anti-racism practices can help in addressing existing health disparities present in the healthcare system, and can help to center the needs of people who being to marginalized communities. This type of design can create fair and equitable health outcomes for marginalized communities, who are often left out due to unmet needs. Researchers who apply human-centered design are thoughtfully approaching the needs of populations who are traditionally excluded, therefore dismantling oppressive systems which previously or have continued to reinforce structural racism.Critiques
Human-centered design has been praised for promoting user participation in the design process, but scholars and practitioners have also identified potential limitations. One critique is that human-centered design may focus primarily on a limited group of users, which can produce sampling bias and may not fully capture the diversity of perspectives needed for robust design outcomes.Additionally, relying chiefly on input from current users may constrain the exploration of innovative or future-focused solutions, because participants may struggle to articulate needs for technologies or contexts that do not yet exist.
Research has also highlighted organizational and contextual barriers that can limit the effectiveness of human-centered design methods, including time constraints, competing priorities, and practical limitations within design teams that hinder sustained user engagement.
Finally, some commentators emphasize that focusing on immediate user needs may overlook systems-level, ethical, or long-term considerations, suggesting that human-centered design can be extended with approaches that integrate broader societal and environmental factors.
Modern advances
Application in business and change management
In the business and organisational change domain, human-centred design methods are increasingly applied to transformation, change management and culture-shifts rather than just product or service design. Organisations embed human-centered design tools such as empathy mapping, stakeholder journey mapping, co-creation workshops and rapid prototyping of change initiatives in order to engage employees and other stakeholders early, foster ownership, reduce resistance and align change solutions with human needs.The incorporation of human-centered design in organisational change reflects a shift from top-down implementation models to more iterative, participatory frameworks, as businesses operate in rapidly evolving digital, hybrid and agile environments and seek to align technology, culture and human behavior more effectively.