Turning Collaboration into Prototypes

The Human-Centered Design Outcomes Collaborative (HCDOC) is an international, interdisciplinary group of design-focused researchers, practitioners, healthcare providers, and educators with a shared ambition to: 

• Articulate the return on investment of human-centered design (HCD) in research and practice; 
• Create a set of tools and resources to support key interest groups interested in integrating HCD into projects and programs; 
• Improve and operationalize standards and quality in the application of HCD in research and practice; and 
• Disseminate findings and engage critical interest groups through proactive communication strategies to elevate HCD.

The initiative is led by Innovate Carolina at UNC-Chapel Hill as part of its Design & Innovation for the Public Good portfolio. You can learn more about the initiative and complete the inquiry form here. 

Collaborative members convening at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, March 2025

Over the past year, the Siebel Center for Design (SCD) has been an active driver of HCDOC’s growth. Dr. Saad Shehab, SCD’s Associate Director of Assessment and Research, has co-led an HCDOC working group that convened colleagues across institutions to build a shared language, articulate the value of HCD, and strengthen standards for practice. Together, the group has defined relevant HCD terms to support harmonization and rigor across projects, developed guidance for knowing when HCD is an appropriate approach, and demonstrated clear pathways for embedding HCD methods into diverse initiatives

Our efforts have produced early prototypes that respond directly to community needs:

Methods Matchmaker: a tool that helps practitioners and researchers align HCD tools with research tools, making method selection more intentional and context-driven. Feedback from retreats noted its value, describing it as “an HCD-specific ChatGPT” that quickly tailors results while prompting critical reflection.

Early Prototype of Methods Matchmaker

Project Journey Map – a visual and interactive guide that documents the iterative nature of HCD projects, encourages storytelling, and helps teams recognize blind spots, promote accountability, and value process as much as outcomes

Early Prototype of Project Journey Map

The journey of this collaboration included critical moments that built consensus and strengthened community. These included defining objectives, developing terminology, synthesizing data, ideation, and prototyping. Along the way, we learned that flexible templates, shared digital spaces, and facilitation systems are key to maintaining connections and collaborations. 

Our outcomes have been disseminated through scholarly and practitioner venues, including Design Forge 2025 at Elon University and the IDEA Lab HCD Brown Bag Series at the University of Pittsburgh, and we are now preparing a joint publication with the group. These collective efforts position SCD not just as a participant, but as a leader in shaping tools, standards, and conversations that advance human-centered design for the public good.