A Review of Human-Centered Design in Human Services

There has been little empirical work to-date on how HCD might be used to improve outcomes of interest to ACF programs. Given the structural complexity of human services organizations and the complexity of social issues they address, it is unclear how well HCD may translate to the human services context, and the extent to which the approach may be both feasible and effective. To help address this gap, this brief defines HCD and summarizes how it has been used and evaluated within human services.

• HCD can be characterized by six key principles that highlight the importance of centering the end user (i.e., those who will ultimately utilize the solution):
  • Understand end users and stakeholders
  • Engage with end users and stakeholders throughout
  • Test and revise solutions based on end user and stakeholder feedback
  • Iterate
  • Consider entire experience
  • Collaborate across disciplines
• HCD implementation involves five iterative phases:
  • Research and discover
  • Synthesize and generate solutions
  • Conceptualize and prototype
  • Test and iterate
  • Implement and refine
• HCD is a process to follow and a mindset for solving problems.
• HCD is unique from other approaches in its emphasis on engaging end users and stakeholders at all stages of the design process.
• HCD is being used across a variety of human services programs to address a wide range of problems at the local, state, and national levels, with varying types of HCD training and consultation support.
• Organizational changes attributed to HCD include increased empathy, innovation, community engagement, and collaboration. However, much remains to be learned about if and how HCD improves the challenges being addressed.
• Evaluations of HCD identified were largely descriptive; focused on measurement of HCD activities, implementation quality, and organizational outcomes. Lack of validated measures of the HCD process has limited progress in this area.
• Important facilitators of HCD include 1) strong leadership support; 2) buy-in from stakeholders; 3) a design team with a strong facilitator, diversity of perspectives, and shared language; and 4) ongoing coaching. Successful implementation also requires time, effort, and collaboration.
• The sustained practice of HCD in human services organizations is unclear.

To define HCD and the current state of the field as it is relevant for human service programs, we undertook two complementary activities: (1) a literature review, and (2) an in-depth review of three human services programs that have used HCD to solve a problem. To inform this work, we engaged seven consultants with expertise in HCD implementation and evaluation.

The project team took a broad approach to the literature review to capture knowledge from research as well as practice. We identified resources in several ways, including a literature search with key terms, reviewing resources referenced within identified literature, and reviewing resources identified by ACF staff and expert consultants. The project team primarily targeted resources within the areas of human services, education, health, and government. Overall, over 200 resources were reviewed.

To learn more about HCD implementation within human services, the project team identified three human service programs with HCD experience and conducted a document review and interviews with their key staff. This information is summarized as case examples throughout this brief.

Rosinsky, K., Murray, D.W., Nagle, K., Boyd, S., Shaw, S., Supplee, L., & Putnam, M. (2022). Human-Centered Design in Human Services: State of the Field, OPRE Report 2022-78, Washington, DC: Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.