Why you need to LOOK UP in Human-centred Design
As a Human-centred Designer (and generally the way I’m wired), I am curious about people and how the world works. My work revolves around understanding why people do what they do and designing solutions through a creative process. One morning on my morning commute, I noticed this new billboard out the window:
It got me curious because there was no brand on it. Look up at what? What’s up there? Is it the name of a new product? Weeks later, all was revealed: it was a campaign by lookup.org.au, a social movement led by neuroscientist Dr Fiona Kerr and experiential agency founder Lekki Maze. Their publication, The Art and Science of Looking Up confirms how the basic act of looking up and out can bring about physical, psychological and social benefits. Kerr and Maze explains in simple terms that looking up activates electrochemical cocktails in our brains which improves our cognitive development, creativity, productivity, connection and relationship with others. Since LOOK UP has sparked such a great social conversation, I take elements from the art and science of looking up and extend it to core traits of human-centred design: observation, empathy and creativity.
LOOK UP to observe
Human-centred design is a creative process that puts the human perspective in all steps of the problem-solving process to understand what they think, feel and do. To begin to understand people, we must observe people in the context of their environments or “listening with your eyes” as IDEO calls it. In designing a Customer Experience Strategy with the Lott, we ventured to local news agencies to observe who the customers were and what they did the moment they entered the store. We observed the physical environment such as where they stood and had an interaction, where there was congestion and how people accessed the counter. We also looked at people’s behaviour and reactions such as how quickly or slowly they were able to find what they wanted, how long they waited in the queue and the staff-customer interactions. Some topped-up their public transport travel cards with their lotto, others just looked at last week’s lotto results. This observation exercise helps us define moments that actually matter to the customer and design a solution to the real pain points, rather than be purely based on assumptions or hypothesis. Observational research is also a way of obtaining insights for the initial hypothesis and giving context to design workshops and interviews where these hypothesis are tested. This is particularly important when the subject matter is not familiar to the designers and where it’s not possible or practical to experience it in first-person. Observing behaviour allows us, in a sense, to walk with someone on their journey to build empathy.
LOOK UP to empathise
The goal of the first stage of human-centred design is to empathise so that we can set aside our own assumptions and start to understand the perspective of those we are designing for. Empathy is being able to identify feelings in others, become emotionally sensitive and develop connection with others. Science says that making eye contact is the beginning of empathy and trust so it’s important that we have plenty of real face time with the people we’re collaborating with and designing for.
When we recruit real customers to participate in workshops and in-depth interviews, it is crucial to build rapport early and create an environment that gives a sense of openness, comfort and safety. People often have a preconceived idea of “market research” so we want to avoid making participants feel judged, unappreciated or criticised. By being more personal and empathetic in our approach, we build connection, creativity, collaboration and trust.
Besides observation mentioned above, there are many other ways of building empathy. During a workshop, we need to be mindful of non-verbal cues like body language, tone of voice, posture, eye contact, nodding and smiling to show that we are present and interested in what they have to say. Having at least two team members conduct a workshop, one to be facilitator and the other to observe and take notes, will make efforts more focused to maximise the valuable time you have with your participants. So, what happens when you don’t look up? Well, you will miss small yet crucial details! For instance, in a workshop there will be participants who are more dominant and others more reserved. Great facilitators (who look up and around often!) will will notice the micro expressions and body language of the group so that they can manage the conversation and give everyone a chance to speak. Empathy requires that we increase our awareness of our surroundings because everyone is leaving clues to what they care about.
How many clues are we missing when we’re not looking up?
LOOK UP to be more creative
Creativity is not only a trait that makes us uniquely human, it is also essential in the design process. In school, our teachers probably snapped at us for daydreaming or when we look like we’re off with the fairies. However, daydreaming, or being in the state of abstraction, is our natural cognitive state that is essential for forming abstract connections and creative concept building.
“Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn’t really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while” — Steve Jobs
Contrary to what most believe, creativity can be learned. Psychologists have identified that our creative process depends on our associative thinking, that is, your cognitive ability to automatically link up or see patterns in ideas, thoughts, observations, memory of existing knowledge and your subconscious. In other words, when you look up and allow your mind to wander and observe, you are adding information to your memory bank, helping it build neurons that spark connections. This is what happens in our brains in the ideation phase of the process where the goal is to encourage divergent thinking. It is not about coming up with the best solution to the problem. Rather, it is letting ideas flow freely without being concerned about how realistic, feasible, desirable or viable the idea might be. When designing workshops in Human-centred design, we are conscious of how the physical environment might affect the way people think and feel. We ensure the space is open and without pillars or corners that obstruct views to encourage people to think creatively and, for collaboration and discussions to flow. Having ample natural light through windows not only lets our brains spontaneously wander, it also keeps us alert and productive. Pretty sure Isaac Newton had to be looking up when he had his “aha moment” after seeing an apple drop from a tree!
The LOOK UP movement sends a critical message to all of us that we didn’t even realise we needed and all to our own benefit. It is quite bizarre that we now literally need to be told to look up or otherwise continue to bow down to our digital devices that quite often wins in the competition for our attention. As more individuals and companies adopt Human-centred design methodologies in problem-solving, the LOOK UP movement served as a great reminder that it’s often the smallest details that make the greatest impact. All we need to do is look up and notice them.