Along with production of buy products, the question of practicality comes into question. Human-centered design thinking considers the product in terms of how the consumer, or “human”, will use the product throughout. Whether it be food, appliances, and/or technology, human-centered design thinking is considered throughout almost all objects requiring a use.
Consider breakfast cereal and how the food came into production. W.K. Kellogg, the inventor of Kellogg cereal, got fed up with the unappetizing food being consumed at different hospitals, particularly the one his brother was bedridden in. “Seeking a more digestible breakfast alternative to baked bread for his brother’s hospital patients, the bespectacled former broom salesman accidentally left a pot of boiled wheat out overnight. The wheat became softened and when he rolled it out and baked it, each grain became a crispy flake.” (DAVE THOMSEN, WANDERFUL MEDIA). Because of this, cereal came into the world and has stayed continuously since 1894 as one of the most popular breakfast meals worldwide, with a cup of milk of course.
To be able to innovate such products, however, it is needed to know the consumer(s) and the buy-products they would usually gravitate towards. IDEO, a design company specializing in different branches of design, discusses this process in different categories to further elaborate how to successfully create a useful design. “When you understand the people you’re trying to reach—and then design from their perspective—not only will you arrive at unexpected answers, but you’ll come up with ideas that they’ll embrace.” (IDEO, Field Guide to Human Centered Design).
When considering design for different consumers, it is also majorly important to engage and put yourself in the consumers shoes. In order to develop a product which is both practical and contemporary, it is urgent to specify which needs exactly need to be acquired by your consumer. Fiona Kanagasingam, a journalist working for the Stanford Innovation Review, further brings this to attention by incorporating the concept of civil engagement, the act of engaging one-on-one with the one who is consuming the products. “The answer is human-centered design (HCD)—the process of walking in our constituents’ shoes and drawing from their lived experience as inspiration for product or service design. In particular, the answer is in journey mapping, a process that deepens empathy for, and immersion in, the experiences of an organization’s constituents. For many nonprofits, journey mapping is an ideal starting point for beginning to implement HCD for civic engagement, because it allows organizations to see with different eyes.” (Using Human-Centered Design to Advance Civic Engagement in Nonprofits, Fiona Kanagasingam).
Overall, human-centered design is considered throughout any buy products consumers can consider. In order to sell a product people will buy, the initiative is to make sure the “human” will find practicality in the products. Anywhere from cereal to toaster ovens back to automobiles and laptops, human-centered design is an important part of the innovation process. Without this process, consideration of the consumer would be dismissed and practicality would be thrown out the window.
https://www.wired.com/insights/2013/12/human-centered-design-matters/
https://www.usertesting.com/blog/how-ideo-uses-customer-insights-to-design-innovative-products-users-love/
https://ssir.org/articles/entry/using_human_centered_design_to_advance_civic_engagement_in_nonprofits
