A process of discovery that forefronts human perspective.

Reference

*Mike Cooley, Architect or Bee? The Human/Technology Relationship (South End Press, 1982).

Further Reading

IDEO.org, The Field Guide to Human-Centered Design (IDEO.org, 2015). www.designkit.org.

Human-centered design, first developed by Irish engineer Mike Cooley in 1989, began as an exploration of “human-centered systems, as used in economics, computing and design, that aim to preserve or enhance human skills, in both manual and office work, and in environments in which technology tends to undermine the skills that people use in their work.”*

In interior design, it can be simply defined as the process of implementing a design solution through the inclusion and emphasis of human perspective at all phases of the design process.

The goals of human-centered design are to increase productivity, improve user experiences, reduce discomfort and stress, increase the usability of a space for people with a wide range of capabilities, and contribute to sustainability standards. This process leads to empathic design, which is an emotional and subjective approach to design solutions, rather than an overreliance on empirical data.

While the participatory focus of human-centered design is often lauded, it has also been criticized as an ineffective approach, that is too focused on present needs, that future and long-term design solutions are not taken into consideration. Others have criticized that the process may be dominated by one user or small group, or too broadly so that no specific group needs are fully addressed.