We hear the word "design" frequently, but how often do we stop to consider what it actually means? In most cases, we associate the field with aesthetics—the art of making things visually pleasing. This is a natural perspective for outsiders because we primarily interact with the finished outcomes: the sleek interfaces, the striking graphics, or the elegant products created by professionals like user interface or graphic designers.
But is there more to the story than just beautiful stuff? To explore this, let’s watch the following video and challenge our assumptions about what design is.
[Source: https://twitter.com/theaxali/status/1217162327318904832]
🤔 So, What is Design?
→ Design is not merely about making things pretty but it is about solving real-world problems. While it is true that aesthetically pleasing products are often perceived as more useful than unattractive ones (the aesthetic-usability effect), the essence of design, especially within our human-AI Interaction context, is building AI-driven products that are both functional and usable for people.
🧐 So, what then is Human-Centered Design?
The concept is straightforward: it means placing humans at the absolute center of the design process. We aim to focus on people to ensure we are solving the right problems—addressing actual needs and desires that benefit users, rather than developing solutions for problems that nobody cares about.
Looking at the examples below, consider what specific problem the designer was trying to solve and how they attempted to solve it. Does the final solution actually resolve the original problem?
[Source: https://www.nydailynews.com/2012/02/22/company-makes-jeans-with-keyboard-built-in-to-fabric/]
[Source: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/221450506657300962/]
The problems addressed in these examples are well-defined. The first case involving the wearable keyboard attempts to solve the challenge of mobile productivity, while the fake hand tackles the issue of physical safety during food preparation. However, the final solutions may not be ideal. The integrated keyboard possesses several practical flaws in a real-world sense, such as poor ergonomics and social awkwardness, while the fake hand might suffer from a lack of necessary tactile feedback for the user.