Why Human Centric is Key for UX Design

Six people in an office meet in a conference, two people in the center shake hands while smiling.

Excellent UX design is not seen by the user. It allows for such a natural experience that the user does not have to think to find what they are looking for. This is because the best UX design is human-centric or focused on how humans interact with elements and the human perspective overall. 

Users Personas Guide Design

Establishing a clear idea of who the potential users will be can help with a human-centric focus. One way to do this is through the creation of personas. This process involves making up characters that might be interested in using the product that is being designed. Typically a name and age are given to the character, and a short description is written about them. Their current problems/needs are listed, and their goals are written down. For example, if a donut shop is designing a website, one of the personas might be a mom looking to cater for a birthday party. Her goal might be to order donuts that fit the party’s theme and can be delivered at a time of her choosing. 

The designer can take the personas’ goals when designing the final product. So, in this case, the designer would ensure there was a way to select the date and time of delivery. Personas can also help with choosing colors that might be attractive to users, finding the correct voice for the company, and how to make the design as flawless as possible. The personas are based on data and statistics that help UX/UI developers create with accuracy. We can consider e-commerce websites when thinking about personas. These websites need to be human-focused so that people can find the products they are looking for easily and come back to shop again. Creating personas for different types of customers can help designers understand the placement of different products on the site.

Understanding Why People Do What They Do

Studying people and knowing a little about psychology might also be helpful for human-centric design. Understanding how human brains work can allow designers to choose the most appropriate and simplified versions of their designs. For instance, when designing a door that says push, there should not be a handle on the door. When the human brain sees a handle, we automatically assume that we will be pulling the door open so the push sign would be confusing in this case. The same applies to UI/UX design. Designers should ensure their designs are as usable and accessible to their users. Small daily human functions can be studied, and data can be collected for designers to ensure their designs are invisible. 

When beginning to design, it can be easy to get caught up in the process and forget who you are designing for. Testing design prototypes can help the designer focus on the user. There are always multiple versions in the design process, and each should be tested by potential consumers. This will allow for feedback to be given to the creative team to ensure the best final version is optimized. For instance, if there is a button on a website that is supposed to lead to an inner page but is not actionable or usable, the designers can easily make changes after hearing the problem from users. Testing can be done through focus groups, surveys, and even just by asking acquaintances for feedback. 

Testing allows design elements to be generalized to many different consumers. If multiple people who have tested the product are asking the same questions or confused about the same features, designers can assume many more people will feel similarly. Ensuring that the designs can be generalized to a large audience is crucial for a company that is looking to grow. When designers make changes that benefit many individuals that have been a part of the testing process, it is likely that the changes will continue to benefit any additional consumers the brand picks up along the way.

Humanizing Design

Consumers tend to enjoy and are attracted to things that feel personal. Human-centric design can give consumers this feeling because they feel the design was made exactly for them. When you know your typical consumer well enough, design elements can be tailored to them. 


People are at the center of creative design, so it only makes sense that designers tailor what they do specifically to the people they are doing it for. With some knowledge about the target audience and how human behavior typically works, designs can be specifically focused on the goals of users and easily understood. Designs stand out when they are not smooth and straightforward. The magic of creation lies within the ability to make designs invisible.