HUMAN CENTERED DESIGN (HCD) DISCOVERY STAGE FIELD …

1 HUMAN . CENTERED . DESIGN (HCD). D I S C O V E R Y S TA G E. F I E L D G U I D E V. 1. 2 HUMAN - CENTERED DESIGN : DISCOVERY STAGE FIELD Guide 3. Purpose of This Guide Table of Contents This HUMAN - CENTERED DESIGN DISCOVERY STAGE FIELD HUMAN - CENTERED DESIGN .. 4. Guide is a teaching tool and a reference guide. It was originally created for Veterans Experience Office Working With HCD .. 6. (VEO) by Insight & DESIGN , a team within VEO that DISCOVERY Cycle .. 9. has expertise in HUMAN - CENTERED DESIGN (HCD). This guide was later adapted for use across other agencies How Might .. 10. through a partnership between GSA's Office of Customer Experience and The Lab at OPM. Recruitment .. 12. HCD is a qualitative research method that helps Plan the Interview .. 14. groups solve problems and seek solutions in a way Visualizing the Interview .. 16. that prioritizes customer needs over a system's needs. During the Interview .. 18. HCD involves four key phases of work. This guide solely focuses on the first phase, called the DISCOVERY Synthesis.

2 20. phase, or simply DISCOVERY . Finding Insights .. 22. DISCOVERY provides an opportunity to carry out an ongoing and high-priority assignment by using Insights to Opportunities .. 24. the teams best equipped to conduct on-the-ground Present Opportunities .. 26. qualitative research. What's Next .. 28. This guide offers step-by-step guidance on how to conduct HCD DISCOVERY and then synthesize the Glossary .. 30. research findings, towards the goal of helping your agencies identify opportunities to improve service. Notes .. 32. The qualitative data can also help provide a more Sample Consent Form .. 33. nuanced perspective of the quantitative data that is collected and interpreted. In a broader sense, this guide also enhances the understanding and practice of HCD throughout the Federal Government. Use the tools and techniques within this guide to build a better understanding the problems your agency is facing, whether through mastering the process individually or identifying the right internal or external partners who can help deliver your agency's mission.

3 4 HUMAN - CENTERED DESIGN : DISCOVERY STAGE FIELD Guide Introduction / HCD 5. HUMAN - CENTERED DESIGN What is HCD? HCD in Practice HUMAN - CENTERED DESIGN (HCD) is a problem- solving framework that Another example involves rethinking USDA's application process for free and reduced lunch for low-in- helps make systems and products more responsive to the people, or come students. By leveraging HCD techniques to identify issues and simplify the form from 5 pages to 1. the customers, who use those systems and products. It requires rigorous page, USDA anticipates a system-wide savings of $600M over 5 years. Following that initial effort, USDA. qualitative research and it directs that research towards the goal of utilized rapid iteration through a challenge platform to create a digital prototype available to districts deeply understanding the needs, insights, and emotions of customers. nationwide in order to create greater cost savings and efficiency as well as a better experience for parents By using HUMAN - CENTERED DESIGN , we can focus our time, resources, and program administrators in the future.

4 And energy on solutions and innovations that make service delivery effective, easy, and in tune with the emotions of our customers. HCD involves four phases of sequential work: DISCOVERY , DESIGN , delivery, Guiding Principles Keywords and measurement. HCD is also cyclical. Once a DESIGN solution is When engaging in HUMAN - CENTERED DESIGN (HCD) These keywords embody the Guiding Principles of launched, we measure its effectiveness against initial and intended Research: HUMAN - CENTERED DESIGN : aims, and then we continually tweak it, thus improving the solution over time. HCD recognizes that people and their needs are dynamic and changing and so our solutions are dynamic and changing. 1. Listen deeply for what people say they want and need and how they may be creating Empathy DESIRABILITY LENS. The Desirability Lens, popularized by the workarounds to meet their needs. No wrong ideas DESIGN consultancy, IDEO, illustrates that 2. Listen for the root causes that inform the HUMAN - CENTERED DESIGN should focus at the intersection between of what DISCOVERY DESIGN DELIVER MEASURE attitudes, behaviors, and beliefs of the Yes, and customers want (DESIRABLE), what is people you're interviewing.

5 Possible with current means (FEASIBLE), Collaboration and what is capable of working within 3. Be aware of your own internal biases constraints (VIABLE). or judgments. Inclusion HCD allows us to understand the types of experiences customers want 4. Fail early; fail fast; fail small. Know that iteration is learning. Innovation from a system, product or service. We refer to the customers' desired DESIRABLE. experience as the front STAGE of the DESIGN effort. HCD also helps us 5. Learn first, don't jump to solutions. Iteration craft the processes that creates those desired experiences. We refer to this behind-the-scenes work as the back STAGE of the DESIGN effort. 6. Be inclusive and make sure you're always Throughout this guide, you may encounter words By tending to the front STAGE and the back STAGE , HCD allows us to put hearing multiple perspectives. This goes or concepts that are unfamiliar to you. Definitions VIABLE FEASIBLE. the customer at the center of our DESIGN development.

6 For researchers and research subjects. and explanations can be found in the glossary on pages 30-31. The HCD approach has already created immense value in advancing 7. Be flexible in your thinking and plans. Adapt to agency missions. For example, redesigning USAJOBS, the hub for changing conditions. Sometimes unexpected federal hiring where nearly 1 billion job searches are done annually events or even kinks in the process can open by over 180 million people, has resulted in a 30% reduction in help the door to key insights or findings. desk tickets after the first round of improvements. Not only does this reflect an easier experience for those involved in the hiring process, this change also creates savings in support costs. 6 HUMAN - CENTERED DESIGN : DISCOVERY STAGE FIELD Guide Introduction / HCD 7. Working With HCD. PURPOSE Basics of the HCD Approach This section provides a brief concep- HUMAN - CENTERED DESIGN is grounded in empathy and understanding. DISCOVERY DESIGN DELIVER MEASURE.

7 Tual background for HUMAN - CENTERED It begins with observation and research. We hear from people in their RESEARCH IDEATE REFINE FEEDBACK. DESIGN (HCD). While not exhaustive, this summary explains that HCD is a rigorous own words, in order to gain an understanding of what they want, SYNTHESIZE PROTOT YPE BUILD ANALYZE. social science methodology used by expect, and need from a system, product, or experience. DEFINE TEST IMPLEMENT IMPROVE. groups in the public and private sectors to understand complex, interrelated problems and then craft dynamic HCD and LEAN. solutions. HCD and LEAN complement each other. HCD is based heavily on qualitative research, while LEAN is quantitative. LEAN enacts the first Checklist two Es of customer experience: Ease and Effectiveness, very well. HCD. Review the HCD DISCOVERY Guide. also enacts Ease and Effectiveness, but adds the third E, Emotion, Ensure your team and leadership is HCD Process DISCOVERY aware that your team is using HCD.

8 Into the process, through an understanding of HUMAN needs, and HCD is a cyclical process that moves from the In the first phase, the focus of this guide, you will Review any other references you identification of the desired experience. DISCOVERY phase, through a detailed DESIGN phase, become an expert in the context for your DESIGN may have read in the past that seem applicable to this project. flows into the deliver phase for evaluation and project. You will build a problem frame. You will The two methods LEAN HCD. Review and take stock of past iteration before finally entering the measurement observe situations and talk to people. You will complement each other. efforts that are relevant to your challenge your assumptions and bias by going to the HCD helps to define phase. It begins with empathetic or sympathetic current project. What previous work EASE. engagement and research. We hear from people in source and being open to what you see and hear. has been done in this area?

9 Can you the desired customer measure the effectiveness or validity experience front- STAGE , their own words, so we may gain an understanding DESIGN of these past efforts? If you find pre- E F F EC T I V E N E S S of what they want and need from the agency. and then LEAN can be With your insights gathered and opportunities vious work to be effective and valid, how will you integrate those findings used to architect the defined, you will start to build prototypes and work By using HCD in our work to improve agency into your current project? backstage to deliver on EMOTION through DESIGN ideas. You won't try to perfect these services for our customers, we can identify inno- that desired experience. too soon. Instead, you will prioritize iteration, vations or solutions that are desirable, feasible, and REFERENCES viable. Then, we DESIGN the solution, launch it, and testing with customers, and making incremental measure its effectiveness against our initial goals. refinements.

10 Build, test and repeat. Additional Research Methods If the solution falls short of those goals, we make Deliver Additional social science research meth- What people say, and what people do, and what people say they revisions based on further feedback from users After prototyping and testing, you'll be ready to ods are abound. They all drive towards do are entirely different things. and test it again. This dynamism is inherent to finding the truth of situations or the core finalize your DESIGN , bring it to life, and share it out -Dr. Margaret Mead, Anthropologist the HCD process. HCD solutions are for people and causes of problems. You can find more into the world. You will work with stakeholders to on social science research methods via: situations who are dynamic and changing, so the plan the logistics around the launch. You'll also set solutions are also dynamic and changing. goals and expectations for the DESIGN . HUMAN - CENTERED DESIGN and other qualitative research methodologies Measure investigate and help sort out the root causes of conflicts like the one In the Measure phase you will learn about how your above by Dr.