Christine Marvin is Chief Marketing + Experience Officer at Marvina leading manufacturer of high quality window solutions.
What exactly is people-centered design? Harvard Business School defines the concept as a “problem-solving technique that puts real people at the center of the development process.”
This can help us create products and services that resonate and are tailored to the needs of a specific audience. Furthermore, according to McKinsey, by using human-centered designwe fundamentally put “empathy and understanding at the center of design research,” enabling companies “both to reduce risk in the idea generation stage and to ensure that people are at the center of the process.”
As our world embraces a new phase of conscious living, this approach to product and service design is so important to how we experience and interact with the world and make a difference to people – inspired by people and design for people. We are embracing new ways of living at home and in the workplace, making it imperative that these spaces serve multiple aspects of our desire for a better indoor climate. Be it a light filled atrium with mental health benefits like this or a cozy cabin retreat like the one made by this beautiful DIY transformation, I believe that our environments create our experiences and that we no longer settle for mediocre spaces. We want them to feel specifically attuned to our routines with access to light, air, views, how we want to live and reflect our values and aspirations, colors and design motifs that feel timeless and nostalgic at the same time.
This ongoing shift is sparking discussions about the benefits of human-centered design, which my team has focused on for several years. It’s worth seeing this practice gain more recognition as I believe it really has the power to change the way we live. If you’re curious about human-centered design and how the practice can benefit your business, here are three key steps that worked for me.
1. Observe people.
A crucial part of human-centered design is simply observing how people live. For example, according to the EPA, we spend approx 90% of our time indoors. That’s a lot of time. With this kind of insight and subsequent observation, you can uncover pain points that people aren’t aware of and proactively provide solutions to those needs.
Whenever possible, you should also ask your audience what exactly they want and need from your industry. Done right, this research can yield differentiated and lasting ideas backed by genuine insights from the audience you’re ultimately trying to address. This is also supported by a cross-functional team working together to bring the idea to life. Everyone hears and sees something different, which contributes to a stronger final solution.
2. Practice with prototypes.
Human-centered design may initially seem like a time-consuming process. It requires extensive trial and error. Therefore, you must give yourself the space and resources to envision the possibilities of the solutions you are trying to achieve through prototyping.
When you create a visual representation of the product or service you hope to create, you can identify gaps early on and use that knowledge to improve and refine the model. Give yourself and your team the grace to make mistakes and try new solutions. I notice that there is a solution for every challenge and that the best solutions are not always discovered immediately. You will realize successful solutions more quickly if you ask for feedback from those you are designing for during the prototyping phase. In my experience, people often learn the most during the early failures, and insights from this stage can ultimately keep solution discovery on track for the long haul.
Whether your industry is premium windows or modular furniture, you play a role in human-centered design. It starts with a shared goal to create solutions that don’t just tick a box or fill a temporary need, but rather positively impact users over the long term in ways they never thought were possible, but intuitively. make sense once they experience it.
3. Open your mind.
What I like about human-centered design is that it’s fluid. There will always be room to build on existing ideas with new innovations that reflect our way of life as they evolve.
Take open-concept homes, which have been popular years as an example. The pandemic has changed the way we value this type of layout. Suddenly we needed privacy as much as connection. This has opened up new opportunities to think about what could happen if a movable glass wall-sized door moved in, playing a refreshed role as the perfect tool to separate spaces and create new functionality in open concept homes, while house remains an open space. and collaboration space at the right times. Reimagine how an existing product can better meet your customers’ needs by opening yourself and your team up to flexibility, seamlessness, and fluidity.
Looking ahead, I am fascinated by simplicity. How can products be easier to use? Easier to operate? More intuitive?
Human-centered design remains a guiding principle for me as a leader and innovator, and I look forward to seeing the practice continue to find its place across industries and disciplines as we all make room for what matters most in our homes and lives.
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Janice has been with businesskinda for 5 years, writing copy for client websites, blog posts, EDMs and other mediums to engage readers and encourage action. By collaborating with clients, our SEO manager and the wider businesskinda team, Janice seeks to understand an audience before creating memorable, persuasive copy.