HCD Resources
At the Siebel Center for Design, we believe that designing innovative solutions starts with empathy, grows through iteration, thrives on collaboration, and leads to real-world impact. Whether you're brand new to HCD or looking to deepen your practice, this page is your launchpad. Start with a solid foundation, find or frame the right challenge, explore tools to support each stage of the process, and dig deeper with our favorite go-to resources. Wherever you are in your design journey, we’re here to help you make meaningful change, one meaningful design at a time.
Step 1 - Learn about HCD
Watch each of the following videos to get a brief introduction to the concepts of Human-Centered Design, our Taxonomy, and each of the spaces:
Introduction to Human-Centered Design
Understand
Ideate
Implement
Introduction to the Human-Centered Design Taxonomy
Synthesize
Prototype
Wrapping Up
Step 2 - Choose a Challenge
Characteristics of Effective Challenges
HCD challenges are characterized by being driven by a human-need. They address an actual real world need and fully engage stakeholders to respond to this need. They include divergent structures. This means, they don’t presuppose one solution; on the contrary, they allow for multiple paths towards viable solutions. Finally, they promote collaboration between team members and team members and stakeholders.
Challenge Checklist
Creating HCD Challenges Worksheet
Does my Challenge support Human-centeredness and Divergent thinking?
Does my challenge support collaboration?
Step 3 - Try some HCD Tools
Step 4 - Dig Deeper
Here’s a list of our favorite external resources on Human-Centered Design.
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Change by Design - Links to an external site.
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Tim Brown (Book)
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Creative Confidence - Links to an external site.
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by Tom & David Kelley (Book)
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IDEO's Field Guide to Human-Centered Design (pdf) - Links to an external site.
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The Field Guide to Human-Centered Design reveals IDEO's process with the key mindsets that underpin how and why they think about design for the social sector, 57 clear-to-use design methods for new and experienced practitioners, and from-the-field case studies of human-centered design in action. The Field Guide has everything you need to understand the people you're designing for, to have more effective brainstorms, to prototype your ideas, and to ultimately arrive at more creative solutions.
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Step 5 – Keep Going: Connect, Learn, and Apply
You’ve explored the fundamentals—now take your next step with us.
Whether you're ready to deepen your HCD skills, apply what you've learned to a real-world challenge, or bring design thinking to your team, SCD offers a variety of ways to go further: