{"id":3236,"date":"2026-03-20T16:40:56","date_gmt":"2026-03-20T20:40:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/yci.org\/herstart\/?post_type=blog&p=3236"},"modified":"2026-07-23T14:13:09","modified_gmt":"2026-07-23T18:13:09","slug":"how-human-centred-design-is-changing-the-game","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/yci.org\/herstart\/story\/how-human-centred-design-is-changing-the-game\/","title":{"rendered":"How Human-Centred Design is Changing the Game"},"content":{"rendered":"
Written by: YCI Staff in Canada & Ghana<\/h5>\n

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Have you heard of human-centred design (HCD) or design thinking?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In simple terms, human-centred design is about creating solutions with<\/em> people, not just for<\/em> them. Whether it’s a product, a business or an idea, the mission is simple: talk to people you\u2019re trying to help, understand their needs and build off that. Don’t just create a product or service based on what you think is best — understand the humans that are at the center of it.<\/p>\n

In this blog, we explore how YCIs HerStart: Innovate the Future program uses human-centred design to support women entrepreneurs with reimagining and refining their businesses.<\/p>\n

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Photo: HerStart Fellow Georgia collaborating with entrepreneurs on business development and the use of human centred design in Ghana.<\/p><\/div>\n

What\u2019s all the Hype About?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Trying to run a business without listening to your customers? That\u2019s a recipe for disaster. You could end up building something no one wants, wasting time and energy and still <\/em>not solving the problem.<\/p>\n

At YCI, we use HCD in our HerStart training sessions to help women entrepreneurs avoid these common mistakes. They learn to build real connections with their customers, understand their community\u2019s needs and design business solutions that actually<\/em> work. It\u2019s about hitting the triple bottom line (3Ps): people, planet and profit<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Common problems when HCD is ignored:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Creating products no one needs<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Solving the wrong problem<\/p>\n

\u2022\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Burning resources on ideas that don\u2019t work<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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Real Talk: How Martha Turned Her Business Around Using HCD<\/strong><\/h3>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>Meet Martha, a driven entrepreneur from Bolgatanga, Ghana. She had been running a small business making a locally popular breakfast mix called Tom Brown using ingredients like soya beans, corn, wheat and rice. But over time, sales started dropping very quickly. She wasn\u2019t sure why, and she wasn\u2019t asking her customers either. Her business was beginning to sink.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s when she joined HerStart, eager to learn and find a better path forward. The next sections explore how HCD helped her bounce back.<\/strong><\/p>\n

So, What Is HCD Anyway?<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Tim Brown from IDEO describes HCD as \u201ca creative approach to problem solving.\u201d (<\/em>source<\/em><\/a>). <\/em><\/p>\n

HCD has three main phases:<\/p>\n