Article: Where are the humans in human centred design? Intentionally representing people during idea generation deepens consideration of needs Journal: Journal of Design Research (JDR) 2025 Vol.22 No.5 pp.1 - 26 Abstract: Human centred design approaches aim to generate better solutions through understanding people's social, emotional, and physical needs. But how can designers 'centre humans' in their design thinking? We propose a method for centring people during early idea generation: When creating design ideas and sketches, explicitly representing people may help designers think more deeply about how their designs impact people. We tested this method in two empirical studies using a short, solo idea generation task. Using a think-aloud protocol, student designers generated ideas for a presented problem both without instructions and then with an instruction to depict people in sketches. When people were represented in sketches, student designers reflected more about how people were impacted by their designs. These findings were replicated in a between-subjects experiment with mechanical engineering students. Results showed that representing people within design ideas led to considering more physical interactions, emotions, contexts, and stakeholder roles. Inderscience Publishers - linking academia, business and industry through research

Title: Where are the humans in human centred design? Intentionally representing people during idea generation deepens consideration of needs

Authors: Laura R. Murphy; Thanina Makhlouf; Shanna R. Daly; Colleen M. Seifert

Addresses: Design Science, University of Michigan, 1075 Beal Ave, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA ' Systems Engineering + Design, University of Michigan, 1075 Beal Ave, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA ' Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, 2350 Hayward St., Ann Abor, MI, 48109, USA ' Psychology, University of Michigan, 530 Church St, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA

Abstract: Human centred design approaches aim to generate better solutions through understanding people's social, emotional, and physical needs. But how can designers 'centre humans' in their design thinking? We propose a method for centring people during early idea generation: When creating design ideas and sketches, explicitly representing people may help designers think more deeply about how their designs impact people. We tested this method in two empirical studies using a short, solo idea generation task. Using a think-aloud protocol, student designers generated ideas for a presented problem both without instructions and then with an instruction to depict people in sketches. When people were represented in sketches, student designers reflected more about how people were impacted by their designs. These findings were replicated in a between-subjects experiment with mechanical engineering students. Results showed that representing people within design ideas led to considering more physical interactions, emotions, contexts, and stakeholder roles.

Keywords: human-centred design; concept generation; conceptual sketching; idea generation; interdisciplinary design; mechanical engineering design; user needs; empathic design; user-centred design.

DOI: 10.1504/JDR.2025.145837

Journal of Design Research, 2025 Vol.22 No.5, pp.1 - 26

Received: 17 Nov 2023
Accepted: 24 Dec 2024
Published online: 29 Apr 2025 *

Title: Where are the humans in human centred design? Intentionally representing people during idea generation deepens consideration of needs

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