Stewart Bailey gave a very interesting and relevant talk about how we tackle human centered design in the product design engineering world. All the points discussed were very relatable to current projects I am undertaking and as well I know this information will be extremely useful as I enter my final year of university.
So, What is human centered design?
‘Designing products, services, systems and experiences that address the core needs of the people who encounter that very problem’.
Stewart talked about the 4 key principles within HCD:
People – Understand who is involved
System – Everything is interconnected
Problem – Discover the route of the problem
Continuous iteration – Repeat, Repeat, Repeat
What HCD can bring to the design process is how it solely focuses on the person in need. It doesn’t get distracted with other considerations. If we want to solve a problem and create a product that will help people then this is the best way to design. We want to make the world a happy place for everyone despite any struggles.
As shown in the figure below, we don’t stop working after finishing the double diamond. We continue to evolve and improve the existing design. We are forever in βeta, always developing and adapting.