.. relies on a human understanding that goes deeper than understanding user needs.
User needs – or problems – are of course an important part of defining the solution but a user need is also very often very simple – we define a space where users come in with a need or a task that need to be solved, and if designed ‘properly’, their need will be met and they can carry on with their day. Cause and effect, simple engineering.
The problem is though, that users – humans – are not perfect. We’re flawed, led by a lot of biases and irrational decision making that is part of our nature. However if we embrace these factors and let them guide us, we’ll design with a broader and more facetted mindset.
If we truly want to work human centric we need to remove ourselves completely from our solution, zoom out and focus on the world that our customers/users, operate in. What’s the domain that we exist in? How do people act & behave in this domain? What are their (spoken) needs, worries and consideration? What’s their current options and behaviour?
A true human understanding can be hard to achieve without taking a proper look – to look deeper, beneath the surface, behind the words and actions that we observe. Underneath it all lays the reason behind, the why.
How I work Human centric
I always start by talking to people. Both the people that will use the solution (the target group), customer service agents, stakeholders and industry through leaders. Sometimes I use more explorative or antropological methods like observation or design artefacts that can help discover insights.
This proces can take two days or two months (I’ve done both). There’s no right answer, the importance is that the team acknowledge the value and necessity of gaining human insights because that will be carried through the whole proces.
It can be tempting to jump right into designing the solution, because design is often though of as the act of putting ink to paper – make something visual. But if we don’t truly understand who we’re designing for, there will be turbulence down the road.