Human-centered design: 4 essential principles to bring into your web designs (plus tips and examples)

Human-centered design (HCD) is a design approach that emphasizes understanding and prioritizing the needs, emotions, and contexts of users to create products that are not only functional but also have positive impacts on users' lives and communities. Unlike user-centered design (UCD), which focuses on usability and direct user-product interactions, HCD takes a broader perspective by considering the systemic and environmental factors influencing users' experiences and decisions. This approach was exemplified by designer Stephanie Ng, who used HCD principles to create an interactive media management course that addressed the concerns of international students through personas, user journeys, and accessibility testing. HCD is characterized by its empathetic, iterative process involving user feedback and testing to solve root issues and is driven by the principles of solving core problems, focusing on people, understanding systems, and iterative testing. It unfolds in three phases: inspiration, ideation, and implementation, ensuring that the final product not only meets user needs but also enriches their lives and communities.