Resource Human-Centered Design User Experience + Product (UX)

A Review of Human-Centered Design in Human Services

In this brief, they present a definition of HCD that is applicable to the context of human services delivery, differentiate HCD from similar design and problem-solving approaches, and describe how HCD is being used in human services.

Organizations: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families (ACF), Office of Planning, Research & Evaluation (OPRE), Child Trends

Authors: Kristina Rosinsky, Desiree Murray, Kerensa Nagle, Suzanne Boyd, Sara Shaw, Lauren Supplee, Marisa Putnam

Published Year: 2022

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The document reviews the use of Human-Centered Design (HCD) in human services, defining it as a process and mindset focused on designing solutions with and for end users to address complex problems.

It describes HCD’s key principles and phases, notes its growing but still novel application in the field, and highlights both its promise for fostering empathy and innovation and the challenges of limited evaluation and sustainability due to resource constraints.