Human-Centered Design in Everyday Life
This post comes from RELI Group’s exceptional Customer Experience team, dedicated to collaborating with our federal clients to guarantee optimal outcomes for customers in every interaction, whether large or small. It continues our most recent post in the series, Defining the Customer.
If you’ve been keeping up with our latest posts, then you know that we are not shy about approaching our work from a customer experience, or CX, perspective. By now you may be wondering – why should I care about CX, and how does it apply to my role? And that’s a perfectly human place to be in! Speaking of which, let’s break this down by looking at it from a Human-Centered Design (HCD) perspective.
What is Human Centered Design (HCD)?
According to digital.gov, HCD, a related concept to CX, is an approach to problem-solving that intentionally involves the human perspective within every step of design. It prioritizes the customer and their dynamic needs, rather than the system the customer may be interacting with. As designers of processes, systems, products and services, it’s imperative we consider the unique needs of our customers. To better understand how significant this is within our roles and teams, let’s consider how it currently exists in areas of everyday life.
HCD Examples in Daily Life
No matter your lifestyle, everyone can relate to interacting with common places of service at one point or another – banks, restaurants, grocery stores, gas stations, doctor’s offices and more. At each of these places, you will experience a certain level of HCD.
Drive-throughs are a perfect human centered design examples because we are humans with jobs, children, pets, hobbies and whatever else consumes us. There isn’t always time to physically stand in line at a bank, especially for the most basic of transactions, like deposits. Drive-throughs, websites, direct deposit and mobile banking may seem like amenities from a bank, but each of these are touchpoints and services created with customers’ dynamic needs in mind.
HCD as a Government Contractor
It’s common to become so accustomed to these experiences in daily life that we forget they are elements of an intentionally designed customer experience. Let’s take that same level of intention and apply it to the role of a government contractor.
While you are developing a relationship with a new client team and learning about their preferences, you are unknowingly accomplishing the first step in HCD: connecting and empathizing with the customer. Using the knowledge gained from these discussions, you can begin to develop custom solutions to meet their needs. Let’s consider how this may apply to one of the most common deliverables in the consulting world – a PowerPoint deck.
Incorporating HCD into a PowerPoint Deck
Incorporating HCD principles into a PowerPoint deck can significantly enhance its impact and effectiveness. Just like any other area of our work, understanding and addressing the needs of the audience is crucial. By focusing on HCD from the beginning, we can transform a standard presentation into a powerful tool that resonates with the audience and achieves the desired outcomes.
Personalized Interaction
Creating a PowerPoint deck with HCD principles means starting with a deep understanding of your client’s needs and preferences. This involves gathering information about their goals, challenges and expectations. By personalizing the interaction, you ensure that the presentation is tailored specifically to your client, making it more engaging and relevant.
Clear and Effective Communication
A well-designed PowerPoint deck grounded in HCD prioritizes clear and effective communication. This means organizing content logically, using bullet points to break down complex information, and incorporating graphics and charts to visually represent data. The goal is to make the presentation easy to follow and understand. HCD emphasizes the importance of clarity, making sure the audience can quickly grasp the key messages without feeling overwhelmed.
Attention to Detail and Commitment to Quality
Every element of the PowerPoint deck should reflect a commitment to quality, no matter the perceived level of importance or size of contract. This means not only making sure that content is delivered in a strategic way, but also considering details like fonts, colors, graphic quality and readability while developing the deck. Using HCD in your design process means creating a polished presentation that demonstrates respect for the audience’s time and attention. This approach builds trust and shows that you value delivering high-quality work.
Reliability and Trust
Even something as “simple” as a PowerPoint deck can demonstrate that you are reliable and trustworthy, especially when making a first impression with a new client. When a presentation is executed well, it conveys a sense of competence and professionalism, and the audience can rely on accuracy and thoughtful creation moving forward. Consistent use of HCD principles, and the resulting high-quality deliverables, reinforces your client’s confidence in your capabilities. This trust is key to building long-term relationships and ensuring successful collaborations.
HCD and CX aren’t just buzzwords – they are the foundation of how we approach our work and demonstrate a high level of commitment to our customers. From the everyday interactions we have as we utilize businesses and services, to supporting the unique needs of our clients as government contractors, prioritizing HCD and CX allow us to design solutions that are not only functional, but deeply resonate with those we serve. Embracing these methods is not just about meeting expectations but exceeding them, consistently delivering thoughtful, innovative and custom-tailored solutions to each customer. Through this approach, we proudly contribute to the nationwide goal of creating more human-centered and effective public services.
Want to learn more about RELI Group’s approach to HCD, customer experience, and all things customer-centric? Check out our other blog post, “Crafting the Customer Experience: A Crucial Imperative in Government Contracting” to learn more about CX, or reach out to us to start the conversation!