More Problems=More Human-Centered Design

More Problems=More Human-Centered Design

Marcos Navas for the Princeton Hive Human-Centered Design Hive and HCD4EDU

With all that is occurring with COVID 19 and the current global pandemic, it seems that the problems and challenges that COVID 19 brought along with it is creating roars and stirs everywhere.  The idea of "social distancing" is creating disturbing challenges all around us, especially in education!  The idea of transitional schools, staff, students, and communities back into normalcy and maintaining a rule of social distancing is creating a list of questions starting to pile sky high!

I would hate to drop another cliche of let's think "cup is half full" about adopting the correct mindset during these times but nothing is further than the truth! Through the application of Human-Centered Design mindsets, toolsets, and methods, one can see all of the problems and challenges COVID 19 swept in and opportunities for design with students, staff, schools, and communities. Through the adoption of a Human-Centered Design model, one cannot help but think positively that there is a possible solution in the middle of empathetic research, ideation, and prototype testing. The moment we become aware that we will be designing a solution for someone other than ourselves, the HCD mindset kicks in and eventually can put the toolset of Design Thinking into motion. Once that HCD mindset kicks into a passionate designer, focusing on designing a solution with people at the center of it all becomes a driving force of work.

“Design Thinking is the process that leads to the effective development of solutions/products that will be adopted by a user.  Human-Centered Design is the mindset and tool to be applied along with DT to create a positive and adequate design for the user of the solution.”

Once you have the Human-Centered Design mindset running through your system with full intention of developing a solution, now you can unpack your designer tools and start applying the Design Think process.  In education, Design Thinking is quickly becoming a buzz word that can help foster innovative thinking with students, staff, and communities.  However, because HCD and DT business models are found by some influential companies and organizations, teachers are strictly focusing on the process of Design Thinking and leaving out the Human-Centered side.  Even though this can make our students well diverse in a solution-seeking process, it leaves out the most important human experience, to help others through good design and ideas.  

With social distancing creating disruptions in methods and long relied systems of operating, it also gives educators the opportunity to allow students to design solutions to social distancing.  Students, educators, administrators, schools, districts, and communities can apply the Human-Centered Design Mindset and the Design Thinking Toolset to design adequate solutions that can assist people with coping with this pandemic.  Students can be empowered to seek out and ideate solutions for individuals or entire systems that are currently hindering “normal” living and share them with solutions.  These ideas can be taken further and be applied to real-world scenarios and situations.  

The Princeton Hive Human-Centered Design Hive is getting ready to help deliver Human-Centered Design to educators worldwide, stay tuned for more from our Hive Team, Influencers, and Affiliates, including IDEO Teacher Guild Fellows and experts.