Why its crucial for your product and business.
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Human-centred design is more than just a trendy catchphrase; it’s a radical shift in how we design and create products. By stepping into the users’ world, we can better understand their needs at every turn. In this post, I’ll share why aligning your product with human experiences is more than just good practice—it can actually be transformative for you, your business, and your users.
At the heart of human-centred design is empathy and understanding. It’s not just about what people do, but why they do it. You need to take a step back from your assumptions and focus on real user interactions. This means asking the hard questions: What do they actually want? What are their struggles? What excites them? When you build from this foundation, you’re not just creating products that technically work—you’re crafting experiences that matter.
Why should your business care about Human Centred Design?:
Now, if that hasn’t convinced you, let’s talk about why you or your business should care about human-centred design. Apart from the obvious reason of caring about your fellow humans, it also just makes good business sense. When people feel heard, they’re more likely to invest their time, money, and loyalty in your product.
Take Apple, for example. Although you might argue their pricing is rather agains’t the human-centred principles, their relentless focus on the user has helped them build products that not only work well but are loved by millions. By constantly iterating based on user feedback, they ensure that their devices and services remain intuitive and user-friendly.
The Business Value of Human Centred Design:
In a world full of options, a genuine connection can set your product apart and lead to long-term, sustainable growth. Getting human insight is a strategic business decision.
McKinsey’s report, The Business Value of Design, showed that companies with strong design capabilities outperform their peers by 32% in revenue growth and 56% in total shareholder return over a five-year period.
This isn’t just about short-term returns or pushing features that look good on paper. It’s about addressing user pain points early, avoiding costly redesigns, and building features that are worth the investment. By doing this, you ensure that your digital product is not only functional but also meaningful to the people using it.
Research also shows that companies that invest in user experience see significant boosts in customer loyalty. According to a study by Watermark Consulting, businesses that excel in customer experience enjoy nearly 400% greater returns than those that lag behind. This underscores the connection between user-centred design, customer satisfaction, and long-term profitability.
Common Misconceptions:
The key takeaway here is that human well-being and business success are not opposing forces. Contrary to common misconceptions, success doesn’t require products to choose between business and user needs.
It’s about alignment and healthy compromise. Like any good relationship, the value created for users is recognised and appreciated—especially compared to competitors who haven’t taken the time to listen. In essence, user happiness and business success feed into each other, creating a cycle of growth that’s sustainable.
Another common misconception is that human-centred design is expensive or time-consuming. While it may involve some up-front investment in research, the long-term savings from avoiding costly redesigns and customer churn make it worthwhile.
How to get started with human-centred design in your organisation:
- Conduct user research early and as often as your team and deadline allows.
- This includes:
- Sentiment surveys with your customers or online sites such as YouX or SurveyMonkey
- Online usability tests of existing products and new designs on platforms such as YouX or UserTesting
- Looking at yours or your competitors reviews and customer feedback.
- This includes:
- Create user personas
- To empathise with real users, and get your whole team to align on who you are solving for.
- Test prototypes with actual users
- Before committing to large-scale development, either in-person or online.
- Read more in the Intro to User Testing here
- Keep a feedback loop open after product release.
- There are plenty of metrics that you can use to get feedback and measure Return On Investment (ROI) such as:
- Conversion rates,
- Time spent on tasks,
- Rates of error,
- Churn,
- Completion rates,
- Phone calls,
- Number of user complaints,
- and much more…
- There are plenty of metrics that you can use to get feedback and measure Return On Investment (ROI) such as:
- Build a team that has a diverse background
- To include different perspectives while designing.
To wrap up:
Human-centred design bridges the gap between assumptions and people’s real-world needs. In a world where we are constantly overwhelmed, it’s the most powerful way to make products that resonate. Here’s to designing with empathy and impact.
