Human-centred design is an approach to solutions development that puts the user’s needs first when tackling an issue. Using a human centred design approach requires you to involve the end-user in every step of the design and development cycle: from the initial requirements analysis all the way through to the release of the final solution. You must learn to deeply understand the final product user, empathizing with the real life problems they face in order to produce an ergonomic solution they will embrace.

Human-Centred Design Process

The Human-Centred design can be broken down into 3 main processes.

Phase One: Inspiration & Understand the User and their Needs


The first step is to develop a real understanding of your target audience that truly reflects the issues they face and problems they routinely encounter. (What makes your consumer happy? What frustrates them? What are their common practices/routine structure? How do they consume content? What takes up a large amount of their time?). In essence, you want to see the world from their point of view.

There are a number of differing techniques for extracting this information and researching your target audience. For example, you could conduct surveys, interviews or facilitate focus groups; ultimately this research needs to be conducted in a manor that makes the end-user feel understood and valued, allowing the most honest and self-reflective data to be extracted.

Once this consumer data is extracted it is important to analyse the data in such a way that you an clearly identify and priorities issues faced; from trivial inconveniences to major problems. This will help to inform your requirements analysis and solution design.

Phase Two: Solution Design


The next step is to culminate this understanding to develop a solution that remedies the significant issues a consumer faces, while also not disturbing existing, tried and tested, implementations they currently hold (the solution doe not generate new problems when implemented).

This is the time to sit down and brainstorm ideas, exploring a vast number of options that may be completing unrelated to one another or worlds apart. Once a number of proposals have been outlined and tweaked it’s time to settle on a realistic and human-centred idea that could solve the consumer’s problem.

As soon as an idea is selected it is important to create a prototype as soon as possible (be it paper-based, static walk-throughs or core-functionality demos). These prototypes need to then be tested with the consumer to ensure the viability of a solution and identify areas of improvement with a ‘Fail Fast’ approach. You must repeat this step until a solution is produced that the consumer agrees improves their routines and solves their problems.

Phase Two: Implementation


The final step, after a product is produced, is to release the solution to the wider audience. Ultimately, you must picture yourself in the final consumers shoes and market the product from their point of view. You must ask yourself: How would I like to hear about this product?

As the product revolves around solving your consumer’s struggles, you will need to construct an effective marketing strategy that informs end-users of the long-term solution you have produced to a real-world struggle that they face!