Building Human-First Products
2024.02.09
Conor Christie
Human-Centred Design (HCD) is the cornerstone of our approach at Grassland Ventures, inspired by the pioneering work of Don Norman, a renowned cognitive scientist and user-experience expert. HCD prioritises the needs and experiences of the individuals interacting with our products and systems, shifting away from the traditional focus solely on business goals.
Read more about Human-Centred Design on the Interaction Design Foundations website here: https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/topics/human-centered-design
In our HCD process, we concentrate on four key areas: people, problems, systems, and iterations. This process aims to provide our development team with a comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing the success of a product.
People
People are central to our development efforts, whether they are customers using a mobile app or administrators navigating a financial system. Understanding their goals and experiences requires empathy and extensive engagement with diverse user groups.
Problems
Identifying the underlying problems to be solved is crucial for the success of the final product. This involves thorough research, questioning assumptions, and delving into organisational structures until the root cause is understood.
Systems
Viewing everything as a system is fundamental to HCD. Understanding the interconnections and limitations of each system component enables us to develop a more holistic understanding of the product.
Iterations
At Grassland Ventures, we excel in iteration. Our culture embraces continuous improvement, recognizing that the product today may not be the final version. Iterative development allows us to showcase progress to clients early on and facilitates meaningful discussions that traditional requirements documents often cannot achieve.
Overall, HCD guides our product development at Grassland Ventures, enabling us to create solutions that better meet client needs and serve end-users more effectively.