David Kelley - Human Centred Design

The year is 2002 where the phone tooth, wireless headset and colour therapy lamps (Really? Colour therapy lamps?) are the inventions of the year making headlines and reaching technological milestones. However in the city of Monterey a conference called TED (Technology, Entertainment, and Design) is in progress where the founder of IDEO gives a talk about how design’s direction has been shifted towards human behaviour and personality.

David Kelley presents a few projects that he believes are evidence of how design is becoming more “human centred”. Each project displays how each designer including David Kelley, created their project with a focus on human experience and interaction.

What interested me the most was the design of a Prada store. I believe the tags and scanning devices were novelty and unneccessary in their attempts to create a store with a cultural role. The liquid-crystal glass although not first used in the store, proves to be one the most innovative designs throughout the project. Bringing privacy control technology into retail removes a lot of factors that hinder the customer from enjoying their shopping experience whether it is walking in and out of the change rooms or questioning if each change room is occupied.

The focus on human experience is also clearly evident in the project of the Spyfish. The idea behind the project is to give the user a scuba diving experience without actually scuba diving. This device I believe, would be more suited towards research purposes rather than retail. Although I don’t think it was intentional, this design has shown me how each step is important in finding the most suitable conclusion in the design process…including marketing.

And finally, we have Approtec. This company/project gave me a really different perspective and insight on the importance and relevance Industrial Design has in the world. Approtec manufacture very basic products that allow Kenyans to grow crops in the off-season. In doing so this provides tens of thousands of Kenyans with new jobs, crops to grow and sell, and the best thing about it is that Approtec is a non-profit organisation. From designers creating basic tools, poorer countries like Kenya can now provide work and food.

I strongly suggest anyone to watch this video, not just designers. The video provides much insight into what, why and how designers are moving towards human centred designs and it presents a different perspective on the importance of Industrial Design.

‘easy.