Human-centred design essential in software development

Alex Avery, Managing Director and Founder of the data and digital transformation firm Notitia, has highlighted the importance of human-centred design in software development to ensure software solutions are built around the needs of users rather than just technology itself.

Mr Avery emphasises that software development should focus on usability alongside features. "Technology should serve people, not the other way around," Mr Avery comments. "Real people drive business outcomes—which means that those who use the technology, need to be able to use it effectively to achieve their goals. It's critical in the software development process to balance what the end product does on paper, against how it will actually be used, and who will use it."

He asserts that human-centred design is essential in achieving this balance. "Instead of forcing users to adapt to software, human-centred design ensures that the software is built around them," Mr Avery says. "Human-centred design shifts the focus back to the user, ensuring that digital tools align seamlessly with business needs and workflows. Notitia has embedded this approach in every single software development project, ensuring that the end solution is not only functional but genuinely useful."

Research from McKinsey & Company indicates that approximately 70% of organisational transformations fail to meet their objectives. This statistic is rooted in "people issues" when transformations succeed, a concept mirrored in software development, suggests Mr Avery, as these projects are often part of larger organisational changes.

"Human-centred design involves people—the technology users, from the outset, ensuring that the final product aligns with their needs and workflows," says Mr Avery.

Carolina Perez-Dilsizian, Lead Designer at Notitia, supports this view. "Without end-user input, assumptions drive development, leading to usability issues, inefficiencies, and reworks," she remarks. "Software should always fit into the way that people work. When we prioritise user behaviour, needs, and workflows, we create solutions that people actually want to use. That's what human-centred design is all about."

Ms Perez-Dilsizian outlines Notitia's human-centred design framework, which centres on six steps: engaging stakeholders in interviews, contextual research, creating detailed user personas, conducting analysis and recommendations, tailoring development, and end-user training.

Describing a recent project, Ms Perez-Dilsizian notes, "We worked on a project where users had been struggling with an outdated reporting tool for years. After conducting user interviews, we found the issue wasn't solely with the data—it was also how it was presented. Our team designed a number of dashboards to match exactly how their internal teams consume and use organisational information."

The use of user persona maps is crucial in aligning software with user needs, explains Ms Perez-Dilsizian. "When we really get to understand each of the users—their assumptions, needs, intersections with other roles, and their contribution to business goals—we can develop something that is uniquely tailored to their specific organisational problem."

Mr Avery clarifies a common misconception about human-centred design, stating, "The biggest misconception about human-centred design is that it's an optional add-on. If we're building software that people rely on, we will get it right—which means designing with them, not just for them. As more businesses recognise the value of user-first development, the shift to human-centred design is inevitable. For Notitia, it's already the standard."

Ms Perez-Dilsizian points out that the effectiveness of human-centred design extends beyond aesthetic appeal. "This boils down to a number of factors, including reduced training and support costs and fewer redesigns and post-launch fixes," she says. "Ultimately, organisations benefit from better alignment between business needs and user expectations. A product that looks great but frustrates users, is a failure. A well-designed software product is one that disappears into the background and lets users focus on their goals. That's the real measure of success."