Human Centred Design: Video Reflection

David Kelley considers design to be shifting in its focus; now designers are concerned with human centred design. He refers to the huge influence on technological advancement in the past, which correlates with the technological revolution, however he gives several examples of how consumers and therefore designers demand more user-focused products. It can be seen then that perhaps the explosion of technological advancement over the last 30 years has led to products that were not user-friendly, and rather concentrated on new technologies.

He gives examples of how designers have focused on user-interaction in the conception of their products (the Prada store), and the success that the products achieve in doing so. Designers not only ask “what do consumers want?” but go the extra step and ask “how do consumers want to interact with the product physically and emotionally and how can we make this happen?”.

It becomes evident that to be at the forefront of design then, we as designers must incorporate this emphasis into the early conception of a product: products must be geared to the user and their interaction with it. The possibilities this then presents is a resulting increase in the importance people place on products because by humanizing products we relate to them in a stronger way.

This video has changed my opinion of design in two, somewhat conflicting, ways. The main message that I get from it is that human centred design is becoming more and more significant, and this is good because products that are more personal, and easier to relate with and use are surely superior. This has then influenced me in thinking about what I should focus on as a designer.

On the other hand, and perhaps not with any direct reference to the products Kelley talks about, I find the concept of human centred design sometimes over the top. Some products that would be classed as having a focus on human centred design seem to focus on minimal human thought and input. An example is a car equipped with lane keeping technology or GPS that seem to stand for an almost de-evolution of human consciousness; submitting to the machine. Thus I think it is important, as designers, to ask ourselves what our products want to achieve and then focus on why.