Human Centered Design (HCD) combines advanced design thinking with a focus on end-user adoption and excellence. Rachel Powers, Global Head of Digital Consulting Solutions at HCL Technologies, explains the underlying mechanism in her blog.

HCD is a process centered on human needs

"It all starts with changing the belief that there’s a solution waiting to be discovered for the human problem you’re trying to resolve — and for the people dealing with that problem. HCD is a framework central to any innovation process. Optimistic, empathy-based, and holistic, a human centered design ensures that regardless of the tools or processes used (like design thinking) the result will be purposeful, useful ideas that solve problems for people they are intended to serve," writes Rachel.

Rachel explains that HCD is purposefully nonlinear. It requires cross-functional teams to discover, explore, and resolve problems through iteration and radical collaboration.

"An HCD approach can not only solve problems but also help avoid them in the first place. Grounded in a deep understanding of the user, aligning around their shared problems, HCD guides idea generation based on factors like desirability and so on," she adds.

DT and HCD - two different concepts

HCD is often confused with design thinking, writes Rachel, but they are not the same thing. Design thinking (DT) is a collaborative process based on co-creation that works to identify and create desirable and adaptable products and services through iterative steps. HCD is the litmus test which guarantees that, in the end, the product actually solves real human and business problems.

"Without HCD, the idea may have worked technically but not been adopted by the end user. People tend to adopt things that they find useful," Rachel adds. "An HCD mindset also has the power to forge alignment across organizations. It establishes a common purpose of the effort. This is why we believe in creating value propositions on the basis of a people-first design process at an engagement’s outset and focus on using HCD throughout."

End-to-end HCD solutions at HCL

Rachel's blog offers insight into HCL’s end-to-end HCD solutions:

• learning and understanding user needs and business goals
• innovation, design, and technology enablers and accelerators
• creating and considering experiences for both the customers and the business
• building and deploying solutions with measurable outcomes

Read Rachel's full blog post and delve into the exciting area of HCD - whilst also gaining a glimpse into Rachel's important technology work.

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