MKTG90041 Chap.2 Human-Centred Design Decisions
Human-Centred Design Decisions
Human-centred design combines a mindset with a sequence of methods. The course emphasises empathy, co-creation, iteration, context and holistic thinking, then locates work across Align, Discover, Define, Develop and Deliver.
This chapter explains how divergence creates evidence or options, convergence makes a transparent choice, and the desirability, viability and feasibility framework exposes different reasons to revise a concept. You will use these ideas to identify process theatre, select the next learning decision and keep customer progress connected to organisational delivery.
What this chapter covers
- 01
Empathy, co-creation, iteration, context and holistic HCD principles
- 02
Align, Discover, Define, Develop and Deliver in the Double Diamond
- 03
Divergent creation versus convergent evaluation and selection
- 04
Desirability as the human need and experience lens
- 05
Viability and feasibility as sustainability and delivery constraints
- 06
Iteration as a response to evidence rather than repeated polishing
Worked example · free
AskSia practice weighting: screen an evening library kiosk
- 1Separate desirable routine wayfinding from the need for reassurance and interpretation.
- 1Limit feasibility claims to stable location content and retain escalation for exceptions.
- 1Include maintenance, remote support and workload when judging viability.
- 1Test a hybrid prototype through confidence, completion, escalation and staff workload.
Key terms
- Human-centred design
- A mindset and approach that grounds innovation in people, context, collaboration, iteration and whole-system effects.
- Double Diamond
- A structure that opens and narrows the problem space, then opens and narrows the solution space.
- Divergence
- The deliberate creation of varied evidence, interpretations or options before evaluation.
- Convergence
- Transparent selection against the problem, evidence, constraints and learning objective.
- Desirability
- The extent to which a concept addresses a real human need and creates valued progress.
- Feasibility
- The organisation's practical ability to build and deliver the concept with available capability and resources.
- Viability
- The ability of the proposition and its operating model to remain sustainable for the organisation.
Human-Centred Design Decisions FAQ
What makes a process genuinely human-centred?
The team must allow evidence from people and context to change the problem, concept or priority. Completing a persona, workshop or prototype is not sufficient when the preferred solution remains protected from challenge.
Where does Align fit in the Double Diamond?
Align establishes a shared goal, genuine customer need and success direction before the team opens the problem space. It reduces the risk that several stakeholders use the same design process while pursuing incompatible outcomes.
How are divergence and convergence different?
Divergence broadens the evidence or option set and postpones early judgement. Convergence evaluates alternatives against explicit criteria and commits to a next move. Mixing the modes can cause premature closure or endless exploration.
How should DVF be used in an answer?
State what the available evidence supports under desirability, viability and feasibility, then identify the uncertainty that needs testing. The framework is a decision screen, not a reason to assign invented numerical scores.
Exam move
Reproduce the Double Diamond from memory and write the uncertainty reduced in each phase. For every HCD principle, create one observable behaviour and one common imitation. Practise DVF on ordinary service concepts, using a qualified sentence for each lens and a next test that could reverse the decision. When reading a scenario, name the phase, the decision being made and the evidence that should exist.
Audit verbs such as empathise, co-create and iterate by asking what people actually influenced and what changed. Finish each response with the smallest learning move capable of reducing the important uncertainty. Use one concept across the exercise so the changes remain comparable. Record what would make it desirable but not viable, viable but not feasible, or feasible but not desirable.
This prevents the three lenses from becoming generic approval labels and makes the next evidence-gathering decision precise.
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