Why Human Centered Design Matters

It all starts with people. Humans are the center of design thinking and the key to solving a problem. There is also a difference that a designer must focus on and that is designing for the client’s needs while also thinking about the people who will be using the product or service you are designing for. After that step, this is where customer journey’s come in. “Improving the local experience doesn’t mean that you’ll have a good overall user experience. Always think about the big picture — what you want to achieve with your experience, what is the final result you care about.” (UX Planet, 2013). The user’s experience should be positive at all aspects of the design. The goal is to have the consumer want to keep coming back to purchase the product or service you are selling. Again, it comes down to people and how they experience your product.

• Observing user behavior: Try to understand people by observing them. For example, if you’re designing a vacuum cleaner, watch people vacuum.
• Putting yourself in the situation of the end-user: IDEO does this to understand what the user experience is really like; to feel what their users feel.

(User Testing, 2018).

These 2 steps are key in human centered design and this is how to ensure the customer experience is a positive one. While observing behaviors and thinking like the end user, the product design will only get better over time. Adapting to new behaviors is also something to look out for so the product or service can be updated and customized for the user’s new habits.

“Most of the time, when you allow people to constructively criticize or even rip apart your article or product design, especially when your work is intended to help these people, your final result will be better than you could’ve ever imagined.” (Hubspot, 2018). During my Undergrad, critiques in design class could be so intimidating. Getting through the challenge of explaining your work to people and putting it on display just to be picked apart is tough, but well worth it in the end. Hearing other opinions about my work and process led me to adjust and create a better product overall.

Have you learned something from a usability tester that influenced you to make a big change in a project?