Human-Centered Design: An Interdependent Relationship
Doesn’t it seem as though every designer should strive to create work that is human-centered? Designers and communities should create amazing work and find the best solutions to shared problems together. When you get down to the nitty-gritty of the design world, however, you find out that this interdependence isn’t as prevalent as it should be. Business, time, money, and (unfortunately) nepotism are all reasons why creators sometimes shy away from delving too far into the needs and ideas of a populace. Designers and creators frequently believe they already know what the best solution to a problem is because they have experience and knowledge. Sometimes this may be true. However, this belief is often a symptom of white knight syndrome, an unproductive condition where these designers believe they know what’s best for the people who they are trying to create for without actually acknowledging them as a part of the solution. Human-centered designers, on the other hand, appreciate and utilize communities as part of their creative process because who would understand the problem more than the people experiencing it themselves? These makers survey, study, and even immerse themselves in communities in order to gain as much understanding of who they are creating for and why. Prototypes and early concepts are shared with user groups and audiences because feedback is incredibly important to human-centered designers. Rolling critique encourages constant revisions which will eventually lead to the best solution possible.
One of the reasons human-centered design interests me so much is because of the many stages adopted into the process. The Field Guide to Human-Centered Design by IDEO explains that there are seven mindsets used within the field of human-centered design: empathy, optimism, iteration, creative confidence, making, embracing ambiguity, and learning from failure. These are all extremely important steps to creating work not only for the community but with the community. The countless iterations and unrestrained brainstorming may seem excessive and unnecessary to some, but human-centered designers know that the more options that are explored early on means there will be less back-tracking later. Exhausting all avenues of consideration guarantees that the best possible solution will be found in the end. Experimentation is encouraged in this field and the subsequent failures that are undeniably attached to that venture are accepted as an important part of a creator’s growth.
Human-centered design is a facet of design that is inspired by the story; the final product may not even be the most valuable modicum of the design process but rather a thoughtful conclusion to a thorough exploration of problem-solving. It is clear that the relationship between creators and users should not be one of hierarchy, but rather one of interdependence.
Source: Field Guide to Human-Centered Design by IDEO