In an age of digital transformation where the temperature of machine learning, GAI, LLMs and AGI is more than rising, social media platforms regulate our social, cultural and economic pulse, and hardware can now replace the need to physically interact with reality, it’s easy to get carried away and forget about what actually lies at the centre of it all.
Possibly once thought of as just another marketing ploy or buzzword, human-centred design is far from it. Design has evolved beyond mere aesthetics or functionality; it’s precisely this human element that distinguishes great design from the merely trend-based or hard functional solutions. Human-centred design goes beyond just usability.
At its core, human-centred design is empathetic. It’s about understanding and placing the needs, desires, and behaviours at the forefront of the design process. Whether it’s an identity, a website, mobile app, or digital product, brands that consistently prioritise the human experience across all channels create a cohesive brand identity that resonates with consumers on a profound level. How well you can connect with people is the lynchpin to its success. To consider human emotions, aspirations, motivations, and pain points brings the human experience to the forefront, providing the opportunity to deliver more meaning.
In today’s digital age, where attention spans are fleeting and competition is fierce, human-centred design is no longer optional — it’s imperative. It’s easy to mistakenly think that no one will pay attention to a message that isn't ultra-quick. And if you believe that, you likely won’t be including the kind of content, emotion, story or meaning that can get your audience to care about your message in the first place. Similarly, those aiming for 8-second scraps of attention today have to lean on punchy, flashy, superficial messaging. But what they sacrifice in doing so is a connection with an audience. Something with genuine relevance.
Why shouldn’t we be surrounded by things that have more relevance, meaning and that simply matter more? Why shouldn't people want to experience more or derive more meaning in their actions? It's surely not really a lot to ask for since they’re the ones paying for it? Prioritising the human experience helps brands stand out and build lasting connections in a crowded marketplace. From start-ups to Fortune 500 companies, organisations that embrace human-centred design are better positioned to succeed in an increasingly digital world, regardless of the current or next digital trend or technological advancement.
Martin Heidegger, considered by some to be the highest charlatan ever to claim the title of ‘philosopher’, by some others as an acknowledged leader in continental philosophy, is probably the most divisive thinker of the twentieth century. For Heidegger — who wrote about lofty concepts such as ‘Being and Time’ and its major themes of existence in the world, inauthenticity, guilt, destiny, truth, time, and the nature of technology — simply put, technology is the key to understanding our current time and our relationship with it. His analysis of technology in his book ‘The Question Concerning Technology’ consists of three main thoughts:
Add to the above the fact that the world is, at present, all agasp with the current and developing abilities of artificial intelligence and it’s understandable why it would prompt a little fear and generate images of the T-800 in James Cameron’s Terminator rising from the flames, poised, ready to take our jobs.
Though if we were to think that technology is an instrument of some sort, it might seem in contrast to Heidegger’s initial thought, but if it is consciously, as he mentions, used as a way of understanding the world, Sad Kanye, SaltBae and Stanley cup memes included, then it does in fact act as a lens, a frame, a mirror, or tool of some sort. It’s good at this point to remind ourselves that technology isn’t anything really without people. It is true that current technology is capable of awe-inspiring things, but in itself, it doesn’t want to do great things. It doesn’t actually want anything. The real concern is people thinking like computers.
What, I think, Heidegger meant when he said that technology is “the highest danger”, was that it is a risk to us if we only see the world through technological thinking. Thinking and doing without values or compassion, creating without concern for consequences, designing the world that surrounds us without a human-centred point of view is surely the real concern, regardless of whether it is being made from pixels, Comic Sans, voxels, or the physical world. After all, if a human-centred approach had only been taken in the use of Comic Sans, I’m pretty certain it would have saved the poor font from the stigma it has today.
One way of looking at it all is to liken it to fire, arguably humankind’s first technology, invented approximately 1.5 million years ago. It is thought that early humans were in fact scared of the dangers of fire, although they also clearly understood that fire could help improve their lives which, I think it’s fair to say, was pretty sound thinking; Fire consequently changed the course of human evolution. With fire we (as a species that is, you and I can’t take any credit) have created incredible things, from warmth to lighting, protection to medicine, science to arts, exquisite foods, to name just a few, all of which have made us a more social species and brought about humanity. But it can also burn. One thing is certain, technology and the current evolving digital age will illuminate the things we ultimately truly value.
To click back, human-centred design is not just a methodology; it's a mindset—a commitment to putting people at the heart of the design process. It’s with this thinking we approach all our work, regardless of the project. It underpins our strategic minds; it leads our creativity. Taking this approach means we actually get to the centre of a problem or to the heart of the user rather than simply making something that is superficial and subjective.
By understanding and empathising, we can create content and experiences, both digital and in the real world, that are not only usable but truly meaningful. In a world where technology continues to advance at breakneck speeds, the human touch remains as relevant as ever, reminding us that behind every brand is a community of people seeking genuine connections and experiences. Technology will always continue to twist, turn, and evolve but approaching it from a constant could just keep our feet on the proverbial ground. Whether that ground is made of pixels or another future technology shouldn’t matter.
