The Importance of Human-Centered Design
The purpose of design is rooted in problem solving. Human-centered design is believing that every problem has a solution, and the ones most capable of finding a solution are the ones who are currently suffering from the problem. Human-centered design is important because the process emphasizes the human experience, brings attention to underrepresented communities, and calls for overall growth as human beings in the design field.
The human-centered design process is similar to the process used in class. It starts with heavy research, and with human-centered design, research must include developing a sense of compassion and empathy for the people who are dealing with problem you are solving. In The Field Guide to Human-Centered Design by the designers at IDEO, their process of inspiration, ideation, and implementation is interwoven with empathy, optimism, iteration, creative confidence, making, embracing ambiguity, and learning from failure. All of these are foundations of the human experience a designer must experience to effectively solve a problem. These experiences remind us that no who we are or what problems we face, we’re all human and we can come together for positive change.
Sela Lewis, a graphic designer, said “(Design) serves as a call to action, preserve history and culture, make the invisible visible…” In an interview about the Black In Design project design student Diamond James stated “What is best in a studio or laboratory may not even translate well without cultural literacy of the population in need of better design for better lives.” For IDEO, this cultural literacy is evident when their design process is used to improve the lives of marginalized communities such as bringing sexual heath education to at-risk teens, or bringing clean water solutions to tribes in impoverished countries. Human-centered design makes the invisible visible by using empathy and compassion in the design process.
With compassion and empathy being at the forefront of human-centered design, designers can become agents of social change. Former AIGA president Doug Powell believes that people with the right skills and creativity have a responsibility to be a positive influence to the world around us. Making connections with people who may be different than us through design makes not only the field of design grow stronger, it makes the designer grow as a human being. Part of the Black In Design project focuses on meshing together the white and black student experience against the backdrop of urban Baltimore, to provide new perspective on how everyone can be agents of social change though design. Fresh perspectives and new ideas play a pivotal role in problem solving that designers need to embrace.
As you can see, human-centered design is important for problem solving and improving the world around us. The process of human-centered design and the development of empathy puts emphasis on the human experience to help us understand that we are all the same, bringing attention to marginalized communities make the invisible visible, and everyone throughout the design community can experience growth through social change.
Resources:
The Field Guide to Human-Centered Design, IDEO
Sela Lewis, Black in Design http://www.inherentdesignbyselalewis.com/black-in-design-mica/
Making Change a Priority, Doug Powell https://www.aiga.org/aiga/content/about-aiga/insight/making-change-a-priority/
