Human-centered design has its own way of breaking down problems. It is a powerful problem-solving tool that involves interdisciplinary teams. Designs are created with the people rather than for the people. Also known as user thinking, it puts people at the core of its projects. The people, who will directly be impacted, play a role during the designing process. It taps in on the aspects of empathy, openness, and optimism. Importantly, the human-centred design is something that works in every situation, by aiming to meet the needs of customers, stakeholders and other beneficiaries.

Why does human-centered design work?

1. Empathy
In human-centered design, designers listen to people. They put themselves in other's shoes. Effectively, you are going to spend a lot of time with the community. Eventually, the results will be something they love because they are inter-grown creating it. When designers don't take the time to gel with people, things can end up in disaster. When you spend even an hour with the people you are going to impact, you might learn a thing or two on things they don't need. In order to save time and money, knowing things to avoid is more important than knowing what's needed.
2. Iterative
All the designs are tested numerous times. Typically, it's tested and failed, and eventually improved again. The solutions thrive on incorporating feedback from all parties. It ensures that the solutions truly align with their needs. More often than not, you end up making a ton of improvements in design.
3. Interdisciplinary

People from different backgrounds collaborate in human-centered projects. There are heterogeneous forces at work in the designing process. Human-centered design provides a common link for everyone to come together. You got a huge advisory board to assess different stages of the project.

Human-centered design or user thinking has its origins in the private sector. It is a fusion of human-computer interaction and user interface design. Design and development fraternities have long acknowledged the need for participatory design approaches. Rather than designing for problems, the goal is to design for people.

What it's like to design for the people?

Firstly, designers need to understand the problem at hand thoroughly. It can be done only by engaging with communities and individuals involved. One has to spend the time with them, listen to their concerns and understand the specifics in their lives. Secondly, the focus should be on collecting qualitative data. The idea is to generate deep insights on the targeted audience, in order to present workable, personalized and data-driven solutions. Thirdly, focus shifts to prototype and iterative solutions. Organizations can introduce a raw prototype into the community and receive feedback. Eventually, the favourable prototype turns into a pilot program. Needless to say, the lengthy process is worth the wait and expenses.

International organizations like UNICEF, Chemonics, Bill & Melinda Gates foundation, etc... are already harnessing this approach. The favouritism of private sector companies towards this approach, speaks volumes about its profitability. There are quite some added benefits to the approach. Human-centered approach checks assumptions, which is instrumental while building on fresh and new ideas. In addition, it cuts waste by drastically changing the way we spend resources. Another sneaky benefit it offers is you can forge new partnerships at ease, by bringing think-tanks from multiple disciplines.

Now, why human-centered design is important? It's because when you are dealing with people, you can't overlook the emotional connection. It is what shapes up how people perceive design. Think deeply about how your end-users, customers or stakeholders feel about design. The bottom line is that human-centred design is instrumental towards creating your own impact.

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