What is Human-Centered Design?
Human-centered design is an approach to problem solving that develops solutions to problems by involving the human perspective in all steps of the problem-solving process.
Human involvement typically takes place in observing the problem within context, brainstorming, conceptualizing, developing, and implementing the solution.
This approach to problem-solving emerged mainly in product system industries from an exploration of theory and practice in a range of disciplines and sciences. Its purpose is to address the human, technological, and strategic innovation needs of our time.
Because of its intentional focus on people’s experiences, HCD has been able to shift its focus away from creating artifacts or “things” towards solving complex problems. We now know that it is as useful for improving social challenges, designing interfaces, systems, and services as it is for consumer products.
Learn more about human-centered design and access many other great practical resources at www.designkit.org
Why does CCWB use human-centered design?
Health and well-being are determined by a number of complex, interrelated factors. The application of design thinking to questions around health is taking place in a a number of public health projects around the world.
From reducing infant mortality to increasing adherence to treatment programs, human-centered design is making progress in the areas of product development, the introduction of new interventions, and complex system-level interventions.
Human-centered design can be used to adapt and improve evidence-based interventions, adapt programs and services to accommodate new technologies, and develop solutions in places under-resourced by local, state, national, or international economic systems.
Read more research here:
Adam, M., et al. (2019). “Human-Centered Design of Video-Based Health Education: An Iterative, Collaborative, Community-Based Approach.” Journal of Medical Internet Research. 21(1): e12128: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6372941/
Bazzano, A., et al. (2017). “Human-centered design in global health: A scoping review of applications and contexts.” PLoS One. 12(11): e0186744. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29091935/
Beres, L., et al. (2019). “Human-Centered Design Lessons for Implementation Science: Improving the Implementation of a Patient-Centered Care Intervention.” Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.” 82: 230-243: https://journals.lww.com/jaids/Fulltext/2019/12003/Human_Centered_Design_Lessons_for_Implementation.10.aspx
Huang, T., et al. (2018). “Design Thinking to Improve Implementation of Public Health Interventions: An Exploratory Case Study on Enhancing Park Use.” Design Health (Abingdon). 2(2): 236-252. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6879094/
Kim, S. et al. (2019). “Using a Human-Centered Design Approach to Determine Consumer Preferences for Long-Lasting Insecticidal Nets in Ghana.” Glob Health Sci Pract. 7(2): 160-170. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6641816/
Laidlaw, R. (2017). “Using participatory methods to design an mHealth intervention for a low income country, a case study in Chikwawa, Malawi.” BMC Medical Informatics and Decision-Making. 17:98. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5498888/
Lyon, A., et at. (2020). “Use of Human-Centered Design to Improve Implementation of Evidence-Based Psychotherapies in Low-Resource Communities: Protocol for Studies Applying a Framework to Assess Usability.” Research Protocols. https://www.researchprotocols.org/2019/10/e14990/
How is HCD similar to other approaches to qualitative research?
When compared to recognized research methodologies in health and the social sciences, HCD is closely connected to Grounded Theory. Grounded theory creates a bridge between our understanding of how systems and society ought to work, compared to the reality we observe and experience in daily life.
There are eight research practices that are used to enhance rigor in the use of grounded theory:
Let participants guide the inquiry process
Check the theoretical construction generated against participants’ meanings of the phenomenon
Use participants’ actual words in the theory
Articulate the researcher’s personal views and insights about the phenomenon explored
Specify the criteria built into the researcher’s thinking
Specify how and why participants in the study were selected
Delineate the scope of the research;
Describe how the literature relates to each category which emerged in the theory
See: Chiovitti, R., and Piran, N. (2003). “Rigour and Grounded Theory Research.” Journal of Advanced Nursing. 44(4): 427-435. https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/9fd6/33d576a5abb8554a825d710753ab784f5c43.pdf