“Human-centered design is a philosophy, not a precise set of methods, but one that assumes that innovation should start by getting close to users and observing their activities.”
– Donald A. Norman, Co – founder of Nielsen Norman Group
I was listening to stories of the escalating refugee crisis around the globe and thought there must be some creative people who are thinking about how they (and we) can do something to help these people beyond donating so I started with looking for UNHCR quotes because I had an email about donating (which I have). There were some really great quotes on the link below, I chose this one because it just makes sense, but is so darn hard, because it is the opposite of thinking that we know best for what people need and how to help them.
I recently read an article titled “Design is more than perfume, aesthetics and trends” written by Richard van der Laken, founder of What Design Can Do. I was surprised not only by his honesty on the potential impact of design but the real need for new ideas from designers in addressing the growing refugee crisis.
His feature also highlights the increasing role of general civilians who are improving the dignity of refugees in their host countries. These people may not have a typical “design for good background” but they’re making a difference. Van der Laken refers to this as the “Do It Yourself or Do It Together approach.”
And if you follow IDEO‘s methdology, they champion the idea that anyone can be a “designer” or “creative” with the right type of thinking.
Looking at the article as a whole, one passage particularly stuck with me after reading it. In light of the Syria crisis van der Laken explains, “words like “social”, “humanity” and “engagement” no longer concern just a few international relief agencies. They concern all of us. The refugee problem is too large and too urgent to leave to just a few.”
And who could argue against him? This isn’t one person’s or one sector’s job. There is a role for everyone in helping to solve one of the most heartbreaking situations our world has faced.
The role of external partners in finding human-centered solutions for humanitarian crises can often be overlooked. We need the world to come to the realization that the current state of the refugee crisis is a human problem. A global, human problem that needs solutions focused on the end-users – ie. refugees and persons of concern- so we can gather their voices and improve their quality of life. See link for quotes etc.
Then I google Donald Norman, watched and loved his Ted talk, checked out some of the websites of organizations he is involved in and ...
Here's a bit about Don Norman from jnd.org
I live several lives:
- University Professor
- Company advisor and board member;
- Keynote speaker;
- Author of books and columns.
I am Director of the newly established (2014) Design Lab at the University of California, San Diego. See http://designlab.ucsd.edu.
My formal education is in Electrical Engineering and Psychology. I've served as a faculty member at Harvard, University of California, San Diego, Northwestern, and KAIST (South Korea). I've also worked in industry as a VP at Apple and an executive at HP and a startup). Today my emphasis is on helping technology companies structure their product lines and business. My major emphasis is design strategy: how designers and design thinking can help drive both incremental and radical innovation within the company.
I've retired twice, once from the University of California, San Diego (where I was founder and chair of the department of Cognitive Science) and once from Northwestern University, where i was a professor of Computer Science and Design, co-directing the MMM dual degree program between the School of Engineering and the Kellogg School of Management, a program that gave students both an MBA and engineering degree, with the focus on design and operation. And, as the opening sentence of this biography suggests, I'm back at UC San Diego.
I am co-founder and principal of the User Experience/Usability consulting firm, the Nielsen Norman group, which is the home for my consulting and keynote talks. I'm an IDEO fellow and a member of the Board of Trustees of IIT's Institute of Design in Chicago. My latest books are "Living with Complexity" and "The Design of Everyday Things: Revised and Expanded."
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