Human Centered Design

The reading for today, Human Centered Design, was  pretty fascinating.  The concept of designing products around people, for the betterment of people seems like it should be the first thought designers have when creating new pieces. But, most likely, the thought of creating the most economical product- getting the most "bang for your buck" and turning a profit is the goal. It is nice to know that there is a whole school of thought dedicated to understanding how the product helps people. 

I thought it was pretty cool how the author separated the concepts into books; Hear, Create and Deliver booklets (interesting how the acronym HCD for Human Centered Design and HCD for Hear, Create, Design match up). The three stages are well organized and cover the bases in terms of creating a product from start to finish and staying in line with the goal; creating a product for the person.  I really liked how in the Hear stage, there is an element of inspiration through human interaction that occurs. Taking the time to spend a while in the environment for which you are designing a product will likely have a profound effect on the Creation process, because of that experience. 

The qualities that an HCD product must have are simple, but crucial. The three qualities are desirability, feasibility and viability. It is noted that for the product to be successful, all three qualities must be present.  

As a side note, I also enjoyed the funky tips and warnings that advised the designer to use power wisely - I thought that was clever to stage this personal piece of advice with the universal warning sign symbol.

I researched Human Centered Design and found this bike which was designed by a company 

called Giant, it says:

Boston, MA - - The Giant Revive was included in a display at the opening of the Institute for Human Centered Design in Boston, MA. The International Exhibit and Showroom had it’s grand opening on March 19, 2007. The Revive was included for it’s comfortable ergonomic design and ability to be easily adjusted to fit riders from 5’ tall to over 6’. The ground breaking seat and pedal position relationship pioneered the safety and security of being able to touch the ground while still providing an efficient pedaling position.