Human-Centered Technology: three good reads

This is the second in a 2-part series, following-up on my presentation at the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing in 2015, titled "Human-Centered Technology." In this post I share a few resources for folks who would like to learn more about the philosophy, methodology, and ROI (return on investment) of employing Design Thinking, and embracing Human-Centered approaches. Part 1 can be found here.

In Design and Product Development, success is insured by deeply knowing and involving your users (a.k.a people) in the process. This is how you create value that matters, craft emotional experiences that resonate, and build loyalty. Remember - as great as you are, it's not about you.

For folks getting into the notion of Human-Centered Design, or already into it and looking for more to read, here are three books I've found perennially useful and share enthusiastically. In fact, I purchase these in bulk and regularly hand them out to people who express interest in the field!

Philosophy.

The Design of Everyday Things - Don Norman. A true classic, profoundly influential. Outlines the fundamentals of Design Thinking. Spells out, in very easy-to-understand language, why we should all care about, and think deeply about exactly how we design and build objects (whether physical or digital) and bring them into the world. Makes the case for Research as a fundamentally integrated component of Design.

"All artificial things are designed."

"Design is concerned with how things work, how they are controlled, and the nature of the interaction between people and technology. When done well, the results are brilliant, pleasurable products. When done badly, the products are unusable, leading to great frustration and irritation."

"Human-centered design is a design philosophy. It means starting with a good understanding of people, and the needs that the design is intended to meet. This understanding comes about primarily through observation, for people themselves are often unaware of their true needs, even unaware of the difficulties they are encountering."

Methods.

101 Design Methods - Vijay Kumar. A primer for approaches and a toolkit of methods to bring Design Thinking onto your team and into your organization as a way to reliably foster innovation. Chock-full of specific information that willI guide you across the product development lifecycle, from the earliest formative stages through realization.

"Practitioners on the ground are most often the source of breakthrough ideas, but they need structures and processes to help them plan and define innovation. Practitioners need an encyclopedia of tools and activities; they also need a guidebook that integrates these tools and activities into the theory and strategy of innovation."

ROI.

The Design of Business - Roger Martin. A comprehensive, but fun to read, story-based treatise on the value of Design Thinking to businesses. Published in 2009, some of the case studies - particularly RIM (Research in Motion) - read differently now than they did back then. No matter. The book's principles and point-of-view hold up just fine.

"The most successful businesses in the years to come will balance analytical mastery and intuitive originality in a dynamic interplay that I call design thinking. Design thinking is the form of thought that enables movement along the knowledge funnel."

"Such a way of thinking appears fuzzy, dreamy, and more suited to an idealistic undergraduate than a seasoned veteran of the real world. But if a corporation is to bring anything new into the world, it will have to cultivate respect for the sort of logical leap that brought the [Herman Miller] Aeron [chair] into a world that had never seen anything like it."

Join the conversation!

Please share your go-to books, articles, and other resources in Comments. As a User Experience Researcher, I'm always on the lookout. Inspire me!