User Centered Design

1797 Words4 Pages

To suggest that design by definition is simply the practice of creating something, be it physical or otherwise, would be to disregard the most important element of the process. As stated in the aforementioned quote by Todd Johnston (Forbes, What Is Design? Unlocking The Genius Within, 2014), a successful designer regardless of his or her field, must value the targeted individuals needs equally to the aesthetic component of the piece. It would be foolish to suggest however, that a sole designer would be knowledgeable enough to consider each individual’s needs as well as to empathise to an extent that allows him or her to produce an exemplar design solution to the problem at hand. Due to this, strong emphasis must be placed in both the practice of working within a multidisciplinary team, and exploring the problem through the application of user centred design. Dependent on the task, this might involve the use of empathy suits and subsequently appropriated personas and a working knowledge of the seven principles of universal design.

User Centred Design

User Centred Design is a term used to encompass the process of applying an understood knowledge of a user’s limitations, requirements and desires to solve a proposed problem. This often includes approaching a design with an empathetic manner, to produce a solution that is both creative and analytically based. Through the very nature of the practice, the concept of a sole designer being knowledgeable enough to make informed decisions about the requirements of the targeted audience is challenged. The application of such may be brought about due to; a poorly defined problem, a lack of information and understanding or the desire to identify the core problem on a more engaged and persona...

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...the possibilities continue onwards. Through the nature of digital interfaces, a much broader audience can be reached. Empathising and considering all of the different users needs may cater towards a maximum audience, which is extremely important. When working on potentially the most adaptive creative platform available, it would be foolish to not provide the absolute best experience for all user types.

Conclusion

The importance of empathy suits in design is one of great importance, be it a physical creation of one or simply integrating what can be learnt from empathy suits from a conceptual standpoint into a design process. As stated by the Designing With People organisation, nothing can replace speaking to real people with real disabilities, but by crafting and testing concepts with an empathetic human experience in mind, better solutions will always be reached.

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