Human-Centered Design

A problem-solving approach that focuses on the people who will be using the product, service, or system being designed.

I took a moment to appreciate the Esplanade of Iligan City, Philippines

More about Human-Centered Design or HCD

This means that designers prioritize understanding the needs, wants, and motivations of the people they are designing for, and then use that understanding to create solutions that are both usable and desirable.

Desirable

So tell me, What do you really desire? Companies seek my advice and guidance in designing and launching the next big thing. My go-to methodologies are Design Thinking and Design Sprint. Depending on the situation, one methodology can be more ideal than the other.

TJ Resabal with Alex Grots at HIFI Building.

Design Thinking

A broader, more flexible approach that can be applied to a wide range of challenges. It emphasizes empathy, experimentation, and iteration. There are no specific steps or phases, but rather a cyclical process of understanding the user, brainstorming ideas, prototyping, and testing. This allows for exploration and adaptation as the team learns more about the problem and potential solutions.

I had the opportunity to be trained as a Design Thinking trainer and coach by the former managing director of Ideo, Alex Grots. He is one of the brains behind Design Thinking, which Stanford University and Ideo popularized.

TJ Resabal at Google Mountain View California in 2016.

Design Sprint

On the other hand, is a more focused and time-boxed process. They typically last for five days and follow a specific set of phases.

Day 1: Map the challenge - Define the problem you're trying to solve and gather relevant information.

Day 2: Sketch ideas - Come up with a variety of solutions without judgment.

Day 3: Decide on a direction - Choose the most promising idea to prototype.

Day 4: Prototype and test - Create a low-fidelity prototype to test with real users.

Day 5: Share and learn - Analyze the test results and decide what to do next.

Design sprints are ideal for situations where you need to quickly validate an idea or make a decision. They're also helpful for getting cross-functional teams aligned and moving in the same direction.

I had the opportunity to be exposed early to Design Sprints by Google Ventures when I served as a Google Ambassador in the years 2012 and 2013. I had a front row seat in learning how to launch products of tech unicorns.