Human-centered design explained with examples
In this article, I will show you what actually is Human-centered design.
And how it has made drastic changes in our daily life.
What is Human-centered Design?
It is an approach of problem-solving mostly used in design and management sectors by defining human perspectives in all steps of problem-solving.
Of course the above is just a definition. In simple terms, it is the approach for designing solutions for human problems that will not distract the cognitive bias of our brain.
For every product, there are 100 ways(based on its different functional aspects) it can be used by humans. But the majority of humans use it in the same way and it only covers 20 % of its functionality.
Human-centered design is to identify in this 20 % functionality and design the product around that.
Okay, I know there are certain limits a technical explanation can be simplified. The only way to understand a concept completely is by explaining it with an example.
So let’s cut the crap. Straight to real-life examples.
1. Push/Pull door
We all have encountered a problem when you see push/pull doors. It is called the Norman door. The solution for this kind of doors was found by a UX researcher called Don Norman.
What is the problem here?
The design had interrupted human brain cognitive bias. For our brain, seeing a handle triggers an action to pull it. In this case the Push and Pull part of the door are fitted with a handle, this creates confusion in your brain.
What is the solution?
The push part of the door doesn’t need a handle. Design a door with handles only in the Pull side of the door. Leave the push side with a plain pad. We all will push the door automatically if we don’t see a handle.
2. Kids toothbrush
Have you checked your kid’s toothbrush?
It is quite different from yours. right?
How kids hold toothbrushes is totally different from an adult. So it is hard for them to use a toothbrush that are designed for adults
What is the problem?
Kids’ hands are small and they hold the toothbrush inside their fist. So small handled toothbrushes that we use will not be a good fit for their small hands. And they need to be motivated to brush their teeth.
What is the solution?
Make the handles fat and squishy. So the kids can hold it easily. Adding rubber grips to the handle gives more grip when brushing the teeth.
To encourage kids to brush every day the designers included comic characters and in the toothbrush and brush holder.
This kind of toothbrush is designed by IDEO designers when Oral-B approached them to create a unique toothbrush for kids. In olden days the kids were using the same toothbrush of adults.
3. Portable Music player — iPod Shuffle
Portable music players are introduced in 1997 from that time manufacturers tried to include more and more functionalities to music players. This results in abandoning the user experience of these devices.
What is the problem?
Too much of functionalities and complicated design. The control buttons are too close and accessibility was an issue. Most people use portable music players when they are outside(jogging, gym, gardening etc). And it was difficult to hold it during activities.
What is the solution?
Design a compact design with easily accessible control buttons. Add a clipper to the device so that people can easily use it while engaging in other activities
4. Ketchup bottle
Getting full ketchup out of a ketchup bottle was a pain in the ass. The ketchup was thick and it takes more time to squeeze out till the last drop from that bottle and that’s why HEINZ introduced an inverted bottle design.
What was the problem?
Difficulty in getting full ketchup out of the bottle. People feel difficulty in handling and squeezing the bottle with one hand.
What is the solution?
Heinz purchased the inverted bottle design from an American designer named Paul Brown. They redesigned the bottle to have a hand grip and holding space. And because of its inverted design, the user will get the last drop from the bottle.
5. Modern TV remote
We all have that one TV remote with lot of buttons which I have no idea about what some of those buttons will do.
What was the problem?
The main usage of TV remote is to change channels and adjust the volume. With the current design, senior citizens feel difficulty in finding the exact buttons. And holding the remote straight to the TV on every use is also makes the task more difficult to complete.
What is the solution?
Designed frequently used buttons more visible and bigger. Introduced IR sensing for easy operation. a slider cap to hide buttons that are not frequently used and an additional voice search button is added to the remote were introduced.
6. Ring pull cap
Finding a beer opener is the hardest thing when you are in part mood. Ring pull bottle cap was a boon for me because it saved a lot of last-minute hustle to find a bottle opener.
What was the problem?
Concealed bottles are hard to open. It needs an external bottle opener to open the bottle cap.
What is the solution?
Designed a bottle cap with a ring pull functionality. So the cap can be removed easily by just pulling the ring attached to the cap.
Ring pull cap designed was designed by Finn-Korkki a bottle cap manufacturer from Finland. And they have been producing many different kinds of bottle caps around the world over the past 35 years.
7. Lay’s Stax packaging
The famous snack and beverage brand PepsiCo recently introduce a new type of packaging for Lays. Indra Nooyi, PepsiCo’s previous CEO introduced the Human-centered design approach in the company which had changed the future of PepsiCo.
What is the problem?
Pepsico’s design team analyzed how people are using their products. And they find out most of the women prefer to eat neat and clean. They want to have the last chip in that packet but they are not ready to dump all that small cracked chip into their mouth.
What is the solution?
They created a vertical and round bottom can with a tray, so the user can take out the tray whenever they need a snack and put it back in after use. The package also comes with a reusable cap. So the user can store it anywhere.
I believe that you have got a small idea about what human-centered design is and how it works well in our daily life. In short, the design that makes our lives easier are mostly human-centered designs. The main goal of this approach is to create a better user experience and reduce the gap between user and product.
