What User-Centered Design Means to PinPoint Performance Solutions

User-Centered Design (UCD) is a philosophy of investigating the needs, expectations and barriers to which a user must overcome in order for a product or solution to be usable.  Typically, UCD is directed toward interface design in software or web applications.  It is the initial stage of design that takes a holistic approach to developing a quality, usable product or solution focused on the user and their tasks to overcome barriers to performance.

At PinPoint Performance Solutions, we prefer to look at UCD primarily from a workplace performance improvement standpoint.  If it is determined that a solution of some kind, once implemented, will improve performance in an organization and solve a performance problem we begin the process of developing said solution with UCD.

A great book on this topic, although it does not directly refer directly to UCD, is What Customers Want: Using Outcome-Driven Innovation to Create Breakthrough Products and Services by Anthony Ulwick.  Ulwick's premise is that organizations should take an outcome-driven approach to building innovative solutions.  If it’s performance that we intend to improve, then a statement of what that desired performance should look like in the end-user (and its results) should be the basis of design when creating a solution to solve a problem.

In addition to Ulwick’s book,  here's an article I found that takes and in-depth look at UCD.  Although it is in the context of software or application design, the article describes what UCD is, why it is important and how it is different from other design methodologies.  After reading the article, I think you'll find UCD methods have contributed to many of the advances in technology we see today.  Industries that have applied UCD methodologies have created solutions that bridge the gap between human capabilities and technological advances all in the name of improving performance.

At the end of the day this is what we want - to create usable solutions that leverage our capabilities and make work and life easier.