HUMANITY-CENTERED design, a prevailing trend in the 21st century, focuses on developing systems, services and processes that address pressing global challenges, transcending the traditional creation of iconic structures or user-friendly products.
Aligned with this is the Design Center of the Philippines’ priority to “make design thinking a national competency,” says Design Center Executive Director Rita Matute. “It is … a 21st-century skill … and critical in the quest to future-proof the Philippines and address some of our systemic and generational challenges and unjust systems.”
To support this goal, the Center seeks to establish a design-thinking academy and a policy lab and incorporate both in the National Design Policy.
Another step was the DT/UX summit, “Sustainable Futures: Designing for Tomorrow through Humanity-Centered Design,” at the Ateneo de Manila University (AdMU). The keynote speaker, 90-year-old Don Norman, is recognized as the originator of user experience and the author of “Design for a Better World: Meaningful, Sustainable, Humanity-Centered.”
Co-sponsored by Singapore Polytechnic (SP) and AdMU, the summit underscored the urgent need for sustainable planning in the Philippines. The core message for professional designers is to perceive humans not merely as consumers of a mall or a hotel but as integral parts of a living, breathing community.
For example, Norman studied the spaghetti wires dangling ubiquitously along the streets of Binondo. His seemingly bizarre rumination on the convoluted cords associated with Manila’s urban blight turned out to be the object lesson of his design philosophy. While many people view these wires as an eyesore to be eliminated, Norman encouraged urban planners to reconsider whether they are addressing the “right” problem.
One of the summit’s main messages is that design transcends “prettifying” buildings or products. Design thinking should focus on solving core issues rather than just their symptoms.
According to Norman, the spaghetti wires serve as a metaphor for deeper systemic challenges. Engineers often tackle such problems without considering the human element.
He said a true designer must incorporate empathy and systemic thinking, asking questions that resonate with the human experience, such as cultural implications and legal considerations.
Don Norman at the AdMU workshop. PHOTO FROM DESIGN CENTER OF THE PHILIPPINES
To bring home this design philosophy, before the summit, over 20 designers, planning officers, administration and management committee members of Design Center participated in a design thinking workshop facilitated by SP and Norman.
Design Center Supervising Industrial Design Specialist Stephanie Padilla recounted the Web of Life exercise: “We were asked to think about the interactions at play in a certain group of people or community to identify gaps or opportunities for designing solutions.”
She was pleasantly surprised to sense a definite shift in mindsets. Traditionally, human-centered design focuses on tangible features that enhance usability. Today, humanity-centered design prioritizes relationships and connections among users and communities. This approach emphasizes creating spaces and livable environments rather than solely pursuing architectural innovation.
When assessing design, the evaluation must go beyond aesthetics and smart features. At stake is whether design ensures a sustainable future for one’s organization or the whole ecosystem. This means that gone are the days when people looked up to an individual genius designer or architect. Instead, humanity-centered design requires community-driven design.
Another key insight from the summit was that good design can influence behavioral change.
Padilla explains: “For instance, if we are to reimagine design solutions to plastic pollution, we should consider how to nudge the user’s behavior toward change. If we want consumers to practice recycling, stores must have readily available recycling bins for old items or parts. We could create an option for a service that promotes recycling and makes it accessible to the user or community.”
The summit concluded that 21st-century design is more than aesthetics; it is a call to action for designers to create systems that consider the interconnectedness of human experience. By adopting humanity-centered design principles, we can effectively confront the most significant challenges of our time and pave the way for a sustainable future.
Be the first to comment