Foundations of Human-Centered Design (part 1): Discovery

Human-centered design (HCD) is a powerful approach because it places human experiences and needs at the forefront of the design process, ensuring that the solutions created are not only innovative but also impactful, sustainable, and deeply connected to the real world. By combining empathy, creativity, and continuous feedback, HCD fosters designs that are both meaningful and highly effective.

In this workshop, you'll get a taste of the HCD research process, which includes framing a problem, setting up your research, conducting interviews, and synthesizing (making sense) of your research data. This is a hands-on workshop, so come ready to dive in!

Whether you're someone new to HCD, curious about what it is, or if you're a professional design practitioner, looking for fresh perspectives and experiences on HCD, this workshop will provide solid practice and should be a memorable experience!

What is the HCD Lab?

The HCD Lab is a vibrant community of professionals who learn together, support one another, and have a positive impact on our communities. We host hands-on workshops, led by members of the community, to share skills and perspectives on design and innovation, while coming together to solve real world problems in our local communities.

Members of our community come from any and all spaces where thoughtful design is needed. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Design (e.g. service design, UX design, architecture)
• Community engagement / activism
• Government
• Non-profits
• Healthcare
• Social impact start-ups

About the facilitator:

Evan Chan is a civic designer, researcher, and facilitator who is passionate about improving government services and fostering equitable outcomes. He has worked as a public servant and as a consultant, navigating complex bureaucracies and centering the voices of residents and frontline workers at all levels of government. Before coming to design, he worked as a Christian youth minister with a university student organization, mentoring students and fostering a vibrant community. The values of compassion and care that he developed then still ground the work he does today.

Host or Publisher Human-Centered Design Lab