Introduction to human-centered design
HCD principles
Reading time: 2 minutes
The guiding principles of human-centered design include:
- Empathy
- No wrong ideas
- Yes, and
- Collaboration
- Inclusion
- Innovation
- Iteration
When engaging in HCD research:
- Listen deeply for what people say they want and need, and how they may be creating workarounds to meet their needs.
- Listen for the root causes that inform the attitudes, behaviors, and beliefs of the people you’re interviewing.
- Be aware of your own internal biases or judgments.
- Fail early; fail fast; fail small. Know that iteration is learning.
- Learn first, don’t jump to solutions.
- Be inclusive and seek out multiple perspectives from both researchers and research subjects.
- Be flexible in your thinking and plans. Adapt to changing conditions. Sometimes unexpected events or even kinks in the process can open the door to key insights.
HCD in practice
HCD allows us to understand the types of experiences customers want from a system, product, or service. We refer to the customers’ desired experience as the “frontstage” of the design effort. HCD helps us craft the processes that create those desired experiences. We refer to this behind-the-scenes work as “the backstage’’ of the design effort. By tending to both the front and back stages, HCD allows us to put the customer at the center of our design development.
Case in point
An example of HCD in practice involves rethinking USDA’s application process for free and reduced lunch for low-income students. By leveraging HCD techniques to identify issues and simplify the form from five pages to one, USDA anticipated a system-wide savings of $600M over five years. USDA used rapid iteration through a challenge platform to create a digital prototype that school districts nationwide tested to create even greater cost savings and efficiency, as well as a better experience for parents and program administrators.The HCD approach has already created immense value for agencies. For example, a redesign of USAJOBS (the hub for federal hiring with nearly 1 billion job searches annually by over 180 million people) resulted in a 30% reduction in help desk tickets after the first round of improvements. This reflects an easier experience for users, and creates savings in support costs.
