The Root of It 🌱

Creating a better brand for your community 🔎 Magnify Series

May 17, 2024

Human-Centric Design (HCD) is a way of thinking that puts people first in design and problem-solving. It's about making things that work well, are easy to use, engaging, inclusive, and tailored to what people need and like. It takes into account things like how people use digital tools, their values around diversity and fairness, and their wish for things to be personalized. 🤯

HCD lets you see the world through someone else's eyes. 👀 You're solving problems. You're not just making things—you're making things that matter to people. It's about getting into the nitty-gritty of what people want and need, and then taking that knowledge and turning it into something useful and well done. Here are 3 examples of HCD:

🤖 Easy-to-Use Interfaces: Digital platforms often use tools to change interfaces based on how a user behaves. This makes it easier to navigate and search.

🖇️ Ergonomic Office Furniture: Ergonomic furniture is made for people. It helps you sit up straight and feel comfortable, which can make you work better and feel better.

🛜 Accessible Websites: HCD web designers make sure websites are easy to use for everyone. They add features like text-to-speech for people who have trouble seeing, and make navigation simple for people with cognitive impairments.

Or you can think of these products:

🌡️ Smart Thermostats: Nest-like devices adjust your home's temperature based on your habits and surrounding conditions, controllable via phone.

👟 Fitness Trackers: Items like Fitbit or Apple Watch don't just monitor exercise. They also give custom tips and targets, helping people improve their health habits.

📝 Digital Personal Assistants: Google Assistant and Amazon's Alexa can understand and reply to everyday language, which makes them simple and user-friendly for many people–including kids.

Thinking HCD:

✅ Easy

Listen to your customers' suggestions/criticisms/feedback and incorporate it
Always be looking for ways to improve your brand based around the client/customer

🟠 Medium

Invite people from your audience to try your brand and provide feedback
Cut or readjust things that have potential but aren’t designed with human-centric-ness in mind

💥 Hard

Invest in user research to understand your customers' needs, experiences, and pain points in-depth. Use these insights to inform your design and decision-making processes.
Invite an expert, or team of experts, to help you improve
Implement regular check-ins that can help to consistently take stock and improve the brand