This process is vital because it asks us to: • Use participatory methods. No expert has more knowledge than a caregiver, nurse, or community health worker about solving their most pressing challenges. The methodologies that comprise HCD and related approaches acknowledge this by focusing on collaboration and designing with —not for —the people we seek to serve. Problems are defined locally, and solutions are developed locally. • Be inclusive.
We cannot design sustainable solutions without considering the full complex, dynamic and interconnected system. Observing and interviewing, not only with those who fall within the average set of circumstances but also outliers who represent a more diverse set of circumstances, forces us to reexamine existing assumptions and include the perspective of all genders and belief systems, social circumstances, and family dynamics. • Think critically.
Putting people at the center of the process means that we uncover needs that service providers and program recipients may not know they have —even though these needs influence actions and decisions. After honing listening and observing skills, we see more than what is visible and hear more than what is said. This allows the unexpected to reveal itself and points us toward new solutions. • Design to hand-off.
From the beginning, solutions are tested in the real world with real stakeholders, not with consultants in an office. Solutions that make it past this "prototype" step lend themselves to local ownership because the community and health workers have been involved in their development from the beginning. The outcome is action-oriented, implementation-ready examples—not static reports.