Difference between design thinking vs human-centered design

“Everything is designed. Few things are designed well”. If you agree with this statement, you’ve come to the right place. 

This isn't another dry design tutorial. We’re about to learn why some products spark joy while others collect dust. Because in product creation, human-centered design is a survival strategy. But is it the same as design thinking? And how do these frameworks compare to user-centric design? To answer this question, we will deconstruct these three approaches, highlight their similarities and differences, and look at specific use cases.

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Principles and examples of human-centered design

Ever wonder why some products and services just feel right while others leave you frustrated? The secret often lies in human-centered design (HCD) and several other approaches. Let's break down this strategy and see why it's changing how we solve problems and adding value for your business.

At its core, human-centered design (HCD) is a radical philosophy that flips traditional problem-solving upside down. It's not just about creating products — it's about understanding the human behind every challenge. Unlike conventional approaches that start with technology or business constraints, HCD begins with understanding what users actually need, no matter how far-fetched these assumptions seem.

Here are the 5 principles of human-centered design that make it special:

1. Empathy first — getting into people's shoes and understanding their worldview to create an inclusive and sustainable UX.
2. Solutions emerge from real human insights, not just technical possibilities.
3. Everything is tested with actual users, not just theorized in meeting rooms.
4. The process is flexible and iterative — if something's not working, we adapt and try again.
5. Collaboration is key — diverse perspectives lead to better solutions.

The beauty of human-centered design is that it combines analytical thinking with creative problem-solving. The principles of human-centered design are about making products work brilliantly for the people who will use them.

HCD design process step-by-step

Let's dive into how the human-centered design process works in practice. Rather than considering it a straight line, imagine a dynamic loop where each phase can inform and reshape the others. 

Here's how the stages of the HCD process work together in what we call the "innovation loop":

• Discovery & empathy phase.

Dive into understanding human needs through HCD methods – ethnographic research and contextual inquiry. Create journey maps to visualize user experiences and document explicit needs and unspoken motivations. And sure, loop back to this phase whenever new questions arise. This step is what makes human-centered engineering different and efficient.

• Problem definition phase.

This is where human-centered design thinking shines. Synthesize all your research insights into clear, actionable problem statements. Question initial assumptions and build clear product discovery frameworks. Create user personas, identify opportunity areas, and define clear problem statements. This stage is crucial for both human-centered digital transformation and traditional product development, as it ensures we're solving the right problems for the right people.

• Ideation & innovation phase.

Time to unleash creativity and generate solutions using design thinking principles. Mix analytical and creative reasoning, and use frameworks like SCAMPER to spark human-centered innovation and see multiple perspectives. This phase is particularly important in human-centered engineering design, where technical constraints meet human needs.

• Prototyping phase.

Get those ideas out of your head and into the real world with quick, rough prototypes. Use sketching and wireframing to make concepts tangible. Build multiple versions to explore different approaches, focusing on core functionality. Keep those prototypes simple enough, and don't be afraid to jump back to ideation if you discover new challenges along the way.

• Testing & iteration phase.

Put your solutions in front of real users to understand the effect of human-centered design thinking. Gather both qualitative and quantitative feedback about what's working and what isn't. Watch how people actually interact with your solution and document those unexpected uses and pain points. Use all these insights to refine your solution, and remember — you can always circle back to any previous phase based on what you learn.

Unlike traditional product development approaches, you're encouraged to move back and forth between phases as needed. Found something surprising during testing? Loop back to discovery. Hit a wall during ideation? Return to the problem definition. This iterative design process ensures we're always learning and improving.

Real-world human-centered design examples

Let's look at how human-centered design is transforming different industries. These aren't just theoretical examples of human-centered design — they're real success stories that show the power of putting people first.

Design thinking has infiltrated sectors far beyond traditional design:

• Technology (Silicon Valley's not-so-secret weapon)
• Healthcare (reimagining patient experiences)
• Education (transforming learning environments)
• Government (citizen-centric service design)
• Social Innovation (solving complex societal challenges)

The power of human-centered digital transformation shines through in real-world examples like IDEO's school lunch program redesign. For instance, when IDEO tackled San Francisco school lunches, they discovered that lunch was primarily a social experience for students, leading to the creation of family-style seating. And students actually ate more fruits and vegetables because the new system served them first when kids were hungriest.

Philips shows us how human-centered engineering design can change entire industries. By observing how doctors and patients interact with medical equipment, they identified a crucial need for better data sharing and collaboration. This resulted in a cloud-based healthcare platform with Salesforce, enabling real-time collaboration between clinicians and patients. Their approach demonstrates the efficiency of human-centered digital transformation in medicine.

Many banks have also transformed their digital services using HCD. They've stopped using banking jargon and started speaking human language. Capital One's cafés came from watching how Gen Z handles their money and prefers to bank.

These human-centered design examples show how focusing on empathy for real people with real problems makes a difference. How do you do it right?

Applying human-centered innovation to solve problems

While traditional approaches ask, "What can we build?" design thinking shifts the focus to, "What do people truly need?" It's not just about solving problems. Creating human-centered technology starts with immersing yourself in users' worlds – not just through surveys or focus groups, but through real observation and interaction. For example, when designing healthcare solutions, teams might shadow nurses during their shifts or observe patients navigating hospital corridors.

At COAX, we applied this approach in our work with Carezapp, a healthcare solution that revolutionized how communities support independent living for elder people. By diving into the daily routines and challenges of caregivers, family members, and residents, we uncovered critical pain points and unmet needs. This deep understanding helped us build a platform that improved the quality of care and interaction, demonstrating the transformative power of human-centered design.

Here’s another example of human-centered design. When our team worked with a company developing bus ticket booking software, we discovered something unusual through observation. Their users have often been interrupted while buying tickets. This insight resulted in the auto-save feature and a simpler interface that requires fewer steps – solutions that directly address real-life human needs.

To measure success, companies should track metrics that reflect impact:

• User satisfaction scores
• Adoption rates
• Task completion rates
• Support ticket reduction
• Customer retention
• Net Promoter Score (NPS)

The goal of human-centered design and engineering isn't to create perfect solutions, but to create solutions that perfectly fit into people's lives. Sometimes, the most impactful innovations aren't the most technically advanced – they're the ones that best understand and serve human needs.

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Design thinking as a strategic innovation approach

While human-centered design vs design thinking share some DNA, design thinking stands distinct as a strategic problem-solving methodology that extends beyond pure user focus to consider broader considerations. Design thinking is a powerful framework for tackling complex challenges, combining human-centered innovation with business strategy and technical feasibility.

Design thinking is the master key that unlocks innovation — it's more than just focusing on users (though that's definitely part of it!). While human-centered digital transformation often focuses on the end-user experience, design thinking takes a broader, more strategic view.

The 5 core principles of design thinking include:

1. Strategic empathy – understand users AND stakeholders, balance user needs with business goals, and integrate human-centered technology considerations.
2. Holistic problem framing – look at challenges systemically, connect seemingly unrelated elements, and consider ripple effects across organizations.
3. Rapid experimentation – embrace the "fail fast, learn faster" mentality, focus on quick, meaningful iterations, keep learning through doing, and support human-centered automation initiatives.
4. Cross-disciplinary collaboration – break down departmental silos, bring diverse expertise together, and encourage unexpected connections.
5. Business viability focus – ensure solutions are marketable, consider implementation costs, align with organizational strategy, and support sustainable innovation.

What makes design thinking powerful in user-centered design vs human-centered design contexts is its broader scope and more flexible framework. It's like having a secret hack for problem-solving — versatile, practical, and always ready to tackle new challenges. Now let’s see what the typical process of implementing the design thinking strategy looks like.

The five-stage design thinking process

Unlike traditional problem-solving methods or pure user-centered design, think of it as a comprehensive framework that balances human needs, business goals, and technical possibilities. This strategic innovation process creates solutions that drive real business value.

• Strategic empathy phase.

Unlike basic user research, design thinking starts with a 360-degree view. Use user-centric design techniques to gather data, conduct stakeholder interviews across all levels, and map complex business ecosystems. This approach ensures we understand not just user needs, but also market dynamics, technical constraints, and business opportunities. This foundation makes the human-centered approach more effective and commercially viable.

• Problem framing phase.

This is where design thinking differentiates itself from traditional HCD meaning. Instead of focusing solely on user pain points, synthesize insights to identify opportunities at the intersection of user needs, business objectives, and technical feasibility. Create problem statements that consider scalability, market potential, and organizational capacity. This approach ensures human-centered design principles have a real strategic impact.

• Solution exploration phase.

Design thinking takes ideation beyond simple brainstorming. Bring together cross-functional teams to explore solutions through multiple lenses — user desirability, technical feasibility, and business viability. Use structured techniques that combine the human-centered design major insights with business model innovation. This comprehensive approach helps create solutions that work for everyone involved.

• Rapid experimentation phase.

Unlike traditional prototyping, design thinking emphasizes quick, strategic experiments. Create minimum viable products that test not just user experience, but also business assumptions and technical feasibility. This approach to performing human-centered design jobs and processes ensures we're building solutions that can scale and succeed in the real world.

• Holistic testing phase.

The final phase goes beyond typical user testing. Evaluate solutions against both user satisfaction and key business metrics. Test technical performance, assess market viability, and measure organizational impact. This comprehensive validation ensures solutions deliver value across all dimensions.

This integrated approach makes design thinking particularly powerful for complex challenges where success depends on more than just user satisfaction. How does it work for real companies?

Design thinking approach examples 

Let's look at how some of the world's most successful companies use design thinking not just to solve problems, but to create competitive advantage and boost their bottom line. What makes these examples special is how they blend human-centered innovation with solid business strategy.

When Toyota embraced design thinking, they didn't just improve their factories — they transformed the entire manufacturing industry. Their "Go and See" philosophy (what they call "Genchi Genbutsu") is design thinking at its finest:

• Leaders spend real time on the factory floor observing actual problems
• Workers at every level are empowered to stop production if they spot issues
• The company actually encourages employees to share ideas and uses them in improvements
• Solutions come from the people doing the work, not just managers

The business impact? With the 70% program adoption rate of the "Creative Idea Suggestion System", the company generated $474.29 billion in annual revenue. This is a great example of the design thinking approach: involving multiple views and stakeholders, focusing both on efficiency and business value, and an iterative process bringing growth.

Another well-known example is Apple. For example, when Apple developed the iPhone, they didn't just focus on user interface design. Their design thinking approach considered the entire ecosystem — from user experience to technical innovation, business model (App Store), and market disruption potential. The result? Apple became the first trillion-dollar company, with the iPhone generating $390.8 billion in revenue in 2023. Their design thinking approach turned phones into lifestyle essentials.

How can your company use design thinking to solve real problems and actually bring value to your company?

Applying design thinking to solve problems

Implementing design is like planting a garden — you need the right environment, the right tools, and, most importantly, the right mindset. The goal isn't to copy other companies' processes exactly but to create an approach that works for your unique organizational culture and challenges.

First, you'll want to build what we call "innovation ecosystems." This means creating spaces — both physical and mental — where the innovation of your design solutions can thrive. It's not just about having a cool innovation lab (though that helps!). It's about fostering an environment where people feel safe to experiment, fail, and learn. Have a least obvious decision? Focus on it rather than the most evident one to discover the path less trodden.

This isn't just about hiring designers — it's about creating diverse teams that bring different perspectives to the table. Design thinking works best when you have engineers talking to marketers, designers collaborating with business analysts, and frontline staff sharing insights with executives.

• Create dedicated innovation spaces and resources. Train key team members in human-centered design methods. Establish clear processes for idea generation and evaluation. Most importantly, ensure leadership buy-in and visible support for the initiative. Remember, cultural change starts at the top.
• Set up regular two-week sprint cycles where teams can work on specific challenges. Use human-centered research techniques to gather insights quickly. Build rapid prototyping capabilities — this could be as simple as cardboard mockups or as complex as digital simulations. The key is speed and learning.
• Track quantitative metrics (user adoption, revenue impact, efficiency gains) and qualitative outcomes (customer feedback, employee engagement). Document success stories and share them widely. Create internal communities of practice around human-centered design principles. Build a library of tools and templates that others can use.
• Develop internal design thinking facilitators who can lead workshops and coach teams. Create regular opportunities for cross-functional collaboration through human-centered innovation events.

For example, a retail company can start with a single store, testing new customer service ideas using design thinking. Within six months, they might have clear evidence of improved customer satisfaction and sales. The key is finding the ratio between structure and flexibility that works for your context.

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What are the user-centered design definition and principles?

What is UCD? User-centered design (UCD) is a way of creating products where we focus on the people who will use them. We keep asking ourselves, 'What do users need?' and 'How can we make this easier for them?' throughout the design process. UCD is all about developing products that consider your real users (not just who you think they might be!).

Here are the 6 principles that separate human-centered from user-centered design:

1. Early and continuous integration – bring users into the process from day one, maintain regular feedback sessions throughout, transform users into active design participants, and drive human-centered digital transformation.
2. Evidence-based decision-making – back every design choice with solid research, replace assumptions with data insights, integrate technology thoughtfully based on user capabilities, and track meaningful engagement metrics.
3. Iterative refinement – embrace continuous improvement through user feedback, implement rapid prototype-test cycles, enable human-centered innovation, and allow agile course corrections.
4. Contextual intelligence – observe users in their natural environment, design for real-world scenarios, implement automation that truly serves users, and adapt to diverse skill levels.
5. Holistic experience design – consider the complete user journey, prioritize accessibility from inception, balance user needs with technical constraints, and create intuitive solutions.
6. Quality assurance focus – collaborate with QA engineers to implement rigorous testing protocols, maintain consistent performance standards, ensure security compliance, and deliver reliable user experiences.

When comparing user-centered design to human-centered design, UCD emerges as a focused approach that puts specific users at the heart of the development process. Unlike broader design thinking vs human-centered design approaches, UCD zeros in on your target users with laser precision.

User-centered design process

The user-centric design process is a systematic approach that puts users at the core of development. Moving beyond traditional approaches, UCD represents a focused methodology that prioritizes end-users, offering a distinct perspective. 

• Understanding phase.

You'll observe users in their natural environment, conduct detailed interviews, and map their journeys – going far beyond basic surveys. This foundation of the human-centred design ensures you truly grasp not just what users say, but what they do and need.

• Specification phase.

Here's where you transform raw insights into actionable requirements. Rather than making assumptions, you'll create clear, measurable goals based on real user needs. You'll prioritize features through the lens of user value to ensure solutions are both useful and usable.

• Design phase.

This is where insights become solutions. You'll craft user flows, build prototypes, and consider where you can genuinely improve the experience. The focus stays firmly on creating interfaces that feel natural and intuitive while ensuring accessibility for all users.

• Evaluation phase.

This phase puts your designs through real-world validation. You'll watch actual users interact with your solutions, gather their feedback, and measure against your defined success metrics. This hands-on approach ensures your efforts deliver value.

• Iteration phase.

Rather than treating refinement as optional, this phase makes continuous improvement central to the process. You'll regularly incorporate user feedback, validate changes, and ensure your solution keeps evolving to meet user needs effectively.

Based on UCD principles that emphasize continuous user involvement from initial concept through final implementation, you create solutions that truly serve their intended users. 

User-centered design examples

In 2024, we're seeing how UCD isn't just improving products – it's fundamentally reshaping entire industries. 

Monzo Bank started by shadowing users through their daily banking struggles and developed features directly addressing common pain points like instant purchase notifications and smart budgeting. They also integrated human-centered automation for real-time fraud detection. As an outcome reached 9.7 million users in 2024 by consistently prioritizing their needs.

Spotify shows how deep user understanding can create new business models. They transformed music access by addressing the core user need for affordable, convenient listening. The company replaced per-song purchases with a subscription model based on user behavior analysis and integrated personalized recommendations. 

They also created features like collaborative playlists based on observed social sharing patterns. As a result, they achieved 574 million active users in 2024 through consistent user-centric innovation.

UCD isn't just about interface design – it's about fundamentally understanding and solving user problems in ways that create sustainable business value. How can your company do it successfully?

Applying UCD to solve problems

According to the Interaction Design Foundation, UCD requires companies to integrate user feedback at every development stage, making it distinctly different from traditional approaches. Involving a user-centric design reduces the cost of rework by 50% since issues are caught early in the design phase rather than after launch.

Check these implementation strategies:

• Start with robust user research through interviews, focus groups, and observation
• Create detailed personas representing core user segments
• Map user scenarios and use cases before beginning development
• Integrate regular usability testing throughout the development cycle
• Implement feedback loops that capture user insights continuously
• Align UCD processes with Agile methodologies for faster iteration
• Document user requirements through actual behavior, not assumptions
• Focus on legibility and accessibility in all design decisions
• Measure success through user satisfaction metrics

The most successful UCD implementations happen when companies fully commit to putting users first in their development process. This means moving beyond surface-level user research to deeply understanding user contexts, scenarios, and use cases.

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HCD vs user-centered design vs design thinking: What’s the difference?

When diving into the world of design methodologies, three frameworks often spark confusion. While they might sound similar (and they are in many ways!), each has its unique flavor and focus.

How are they similar?

The goal isn't to rigidly follow one framework but to create solutions that work for people. Despite their differences, these methodologies share deep empathy for user needs, emphasize continuous learning and improvement, and commit to solving real-world problems.

All three frameworks share core principles that make them more alike than different:

• Problem-solving focus: Whether using design thinking, human-centered design, or user-centered design, you're essentially trying to solve problems by understanding people's needs first.
• Iterative nature: All three approaches believe in the "try, test, improve" cycle. Nothing is set in stone – you keep refining until you get it right.
• Research-based: Each framework emphasizes the importance of gathering real insights rather than making assumptions.

But with design, it’s easier to explain with matter-of-fact examples. Imagine you're designing a finance app. Here is how the similarities of these approaches are visible through your process. 

Design thinking would focus on innovative solutions by understanding user needs and business constraints. Human-centered design would ensure the app works for everyone, including elderly users and those with disabilities. And user-centered design would zoom in on making the specific target user group's experience seamless.

But these approaches also have a lot of differences, so let’s break them down as well.

Differences between design thinking vs HCD vs user-centric design

Picture this: You're standing at the intersection of creativity, technology, and human needs. Each design methodology is like a different lens, offering a unique perspective on creating products, services, and experiences that resonate with people. Here are the major differences:

Here’s what defines design thinking:

• Broadest approach balancing human needs with technical feasibility and business viability.
• The goal is to drive innovation through creative problem-solving.
• It’s best for complex, undefined problems requiring holistic solutions.
• It caters to organizations seeking breakthrough solutions that align user needs with business strategy.

These make the human-centered design different:

• A universal approach focusing on making solutions accessible to all potential users
• The main objective is to ensure inclusivity and designing for diverse human capabilities
• Ideal for solutions that must work across different contexts and populations
• Suitable for social innovations, public services, and products targeting diverse user groups

User-centered design stands out due to these aspects:

• Narrowly focused scope on specific target user groups with precise needs.
• It’s aimed at creating optimal experiences for well-defined user segments.
• It’s best for products with clear, identifiable user characteristics.
• Perfect to use for specialized products, niche markets, and targeted digital experiences.

Whether you're thinking about your specific users, everyone in general, or innovative solutions to implement, keeping people at the center of your design process is what matters most. How is it better to apply in real-world situations?

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Choose one or combine?

These approaches aren't just passing trends – they're robust methodologies that have revolutionized how we approach design across industries, from digital technology to social innovation. 

When to choose each approach:

• Choose design thinking when you need creative solutions to complex problems and want to balance user needs with business goals.
• Opt for human-centered design when creating solutions that must work for diverse populations or have a broad social impact.
• Use user-centered design when you have a specific user group and must create highly tailored experiences.

The magic isn't in choosing one methodology but understanding how to blend their strengths. Modern design is about flexibility, empathy, and a relentless commitment to solving human problems. How to combine these approaches to ensure your product’s success?

How to use design thinking vs HCD vs UCD together

While these frameworks have distinct characteristics, they're not mutually exclusive. Many successful projects combine elements from all three approaches. Imagine a project to redesign a healthcare service to improve patient experiences.

Start with design thinking to explore the problem space broadly. Engage stakeholders, including patients, doctors, and administrators, to identify unmet needs and generate creative solutions.

Transition to HCD to ensure the solutions address patients with different medical conditions, languages, or accessibility needs. Finally, use user-centered design (UCD) methods to refine the solution for a specific user group — for example, senior patients who may be less tech-savvy.

Advantages of mixing frameworks:

• Combine HCD and UCD to develop systems where automation enhances user experiences without compromising human oversight.
• Use design thinking to find unmet needs and HCD to prioritize usability and accessibility in engineered solutions.
• Integrate UX’s focus on user interactions with service design’s emphasis on holistic experiences.

By blending these approaches, you can harness the strengths of each methodology to deliver impactful solutions. However, successfully implementing one strategy is complex enough — how do you mix them right, at the right time, and for the right user group? Product discovery mistakes are costly, but the good news is you can turn to experts.

How COAX takes the burden off your shoulders

At COAX, we specialize in turning your ideas into user-accepted digital products. Our team combines design thinking, human-centered design, and user-centered design to create digital products that balance creativity, functionality, and user satisfaction. Through our digital product design services, our cross-functional teams deeply analyze your vision, market trends, and customer needs.

As a part of our mobile app design service, we create visual concepts aligned with your brand identity and solve challenges of real user groups, not just some theoretical people. By integrating these methodologies, we deliver products that not only meet functional goals but drive your success.

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Design it real, design it great

Good product design thrives when you prioritize people. Whether it’s human-centered design, design thinking, or user-centered design, each framework focuses on understanding and solving human problems. While they share similarities — like empathy and iteration — each offers a unique approach to solving problems. 

What’s the difference? Design thinking vs human-centered design share empathy and iterative processes, yet design thinking emphasizes broader innovation, while HCD centers deeply on user context. User-centered design vs human-centered design reveals a more granular focus on individual user interactions within UCD compared to HCD’s holistic view of the entire human ecosystem. 

Choosing the right one (or blending them) depends on your goals, industry, and challenges you trying to tackle. Need help? Reach out for a free consultation and project estimate, and we will choose the approach that suits you best.

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FAQ

What does HCD mean, and why is human-centered design important?

HCD stands for human-centered design, a creative approach that focuses on understanding user needs to develop meaningful solutions. It’s important because it ensures that products, services, or systems solve real problems, leading to better user satisfaction and innovative outcomes.

What is UCD, and how is it different from HCD?

UCD, or user-centered design, is a subset of HCD that emphasizes designing specifically for the end user. While both approaches prioritize people, HCD often considers a broader range of stakeholders and context, making it more holistic. In short, human-centered design vs user-centered design is about scope — HCD looks at the bigger picture, while UCD zooms in on the individual user.

Which of the following is not an advantage of human-centered design thinking?

While human-centered design thinking promotes empathy, innovation, and collaboration, it may not always guarantee quick results or be suitable for projects with rigid deadlines. Flexibility and iterative processes are key, which can be a challenge in fast-paced environments.

What is the effect of human-centered design thinking?

Human-centered design thinking leads to user-friendly, impactful solutions by putting empathy at the forefront. It drives innovation and ensures that the final product truly meets the needs of those it serves, making it a game-changer in industries from healthcare to technology.

What’s the difference between UX vs service design, and how do they relate?

UX (user experience) design concentrates on constructing seamless digital or physical interactions for users, while service design looks at the entire experience, including behind-the-scenes processes. In the debate of service design vs UX, the two often complement each other — UX handles the "what," and service design addresses the "how."