Human-Centric Design: The Intersection of Anthropology and Design
Designing products and services for humans often requires a deep understanding of cultures and societies that interact with those products and services. But few designers initiate the kind of research that is required to uncover what motivates users and what environments lead to successful design outcomes. That’s why human-centric design must integrate design with anthropology.
What is Anthropology?
Anthropology is the study of societies and cultures: it is a holistic approach that studies behaviors, customs, habits, and beliefs in order to better understand how people interact with the world around them. Anthropological research has traditionally allowed researchers to gain insight into the relationships between product, environment, purpose, and experience, which can inform designs that are more likely to be used and accepted by consumers.
How Does Anthropology Influence Design?
Though designing products and services is often thought of as a tasking undertaking rooted primarily in science and technology, in order to capture the impact of anthropology, human-centred design must also be rooted in empathy. Empathy must be the starting point for design in order to fully understand the nuances of how a product or service can benefit a user. By understanding the cultures, habits, and beliefs of the user, designers can create a more human-centric product, one that is intuitive and relevant to the user's needs and preferences.
Anthropology has also helped to create new design fields such as service design, user experience design, and user research. By focusing on the user’s needs and experiences, these design fields enable designers to create more human-centric and contextual designs.
How Can Designers Incorporate Anthropology?
For designers who are looking to focus on user-centric design, it is important to think about the researcher’s role in anthropology. For example, try conducting user interviews and questionnaire surveys, observing how people interact with current products and services – all this can help designers to build empathy.
Additionally, designers should look into non-traditional sources of data. Consider cultural narratives, art, or even existing products or services that are similar to the one you are designing. By considering these sources, designers can gain valuable insights into user behavior and culture that inform intelligent design decisions.
