Annual Trend Report 2023

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The Human-Centered Design Center of Excellence (HCD CoE) recently conducted a survey among the CCSQ community to gain insights into attitudes, activities, and barriers in practicing customer research, as well as past experiences and preferences for engaging with HCD CoE services. The survey aimed to deepen understanding of opportunities to improve HCD operations and leverage available resources for better customer understanding. In this article, we will highlight key themes that emerged from the survey, including insights on HCD in practice and HCD CoE services. We will also discuss next steps based on the feedback received from the community. Your input and feedback are valuable, and we encourage you to continue the conversation with us. Thank you to all those who participated in our survey as we strive towards continuous improvement. 

Key Themes 

Community Themes 

Insights from Strategic Design Practitioners: 

1. Enthusiasm for Human-Centered Design (HCD) Methods: A majority of respondents strongly agreed with the statement "My team values and prioritizes end-user research to balance decision-making with customer input." This highlights the importance of incorporating customer input through HCD methods in the decision-making process.
2. Qualitative Research Preference: Respondents were slightly more likely to lead qualitative research activities compared to quantitative research. This suggests that qualitative research methods are commonly and confidently used by respondents in their HCD efforts. This also suggests that challenges with securing Information Collection Request (ICR) for the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) persist.
3. Success Factors in HCD Methods: Respondents attributed their success in HCD methods to three factors: leadership buy-in, resourcing, and clear expectations for research output. This emphasizes the significance of supportive leadership, adequate resources, and clear research goals in achieving successful HCD outcomes.
4. Setbacks in HCD Activities: Respondents identified two main factors as setbacks in their HCD activities: participant recruitment (including finding participants and managing workflow) and policy restrictions such as the PRA. This indicates that challenges related to participant recruitment and policy compliance are areas of concern for HCD practitioners.
5. HCD Areas of Focus in the Upcoming Year: Respondents expressed interest in leveraging research workflow tools, building design systems, and increasing the use of survey methods as key areas of focus in the upcoming year. This suggests a growing emphasis on utilizing technological tools and methodologies to enhance HCD practices.
6. Satisfaction with Figma as a Design Tool: Many respondents reported satisfaction with using Figma as a design tool, which is consistent with previous reports across the enterprise. This underscores the popularity and effectiveness of Figma as a tool for designing and prototyping in HCD activities.