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How can we experience the magic of experimental learning from users in one day?
Human Centered Design Intro Workshop
Human-Centered Design methods are still only starting to be recognized and used in research for development. The 1000farms project is an Africa-wide network for on-farm variety testing that is digitally supported to provide vital performance data and farmer feedback. During a longer team retreat, the scientists were eager to get a first idea about Human-Centered Design, understand its assumptions and processes, and engage in some fun activities. Around longer strategic meetings, the goal was to get to know the method in a playful way and spark curiosity about opportunities to apply it in the project.
In our hands-on Human-Centered Design (HCD) workshop, participants didn’t just learn about Design Thinking - they practiced it. Over one intensive day, we guided them through a fast-paced design sprint: starting with mapping user assumptions and reframing problem statements around a every day product: Flashlight use! One group explored the topic via user interviews with their team members to uncover needs and mental models around choosing and using flashlights. Another team tested existing products to understand pain points, decision factors and use cases. Along the way, they learned to identify biases, formulate effective research questions, and use simple templates to structure their ideas. The workshop created a dynamic space where professionals from diverse backgrounds explored how HCD can be applied in their own work - whether in development, agriculture, or innovation. It’s an energizing and practical introduction to user-centered thinking that makes the value of HCD tangible from the start.
1. How can we adapt Human-Centered Design in a way that feels relevant and empowering for people working in international development?
2. What does it take to shift from expert-driven to user-driven thinking in day-to-day work?
3. How can local actors be meaningfully involved in early-stage design processes?
15+ researchers gained hands-on experience with key stages of Human-Centered Design - from framing user challenges to prototyping and testing, in just one day!
The agenda emphasized collective play, peer learning, and improvisation, strengthening group trust and sparking enthusiasm for more adaptive, bottom-up project culture. Through interactive formats like “Crazy 8s” and rapid testing, participants learned to embrace iteration, ambiguity, and feedback as part of a collaborative innovation process - challenging linear planning mindsets common in development projects. The structure of the workshop - combining theory, tools, and practice - helped demystify Human-Centered Design and made it approachable for researchers without a design background.
HCD is a way to quickly unlock new perspectives.
Although best applied with real users, you can practice these rapid prototyping and testing approach within your team to get in the mood to discover new angles at old topics.
The low-fi prototyping session helped participants let go of perfectionism and focus on testing ideas quickly and iteratively. Rapid and iterative testing can be both fun and rigorous learning!
We also surfaced tensions between design and reality: In the reflection phase, the group explored structural barriers to applying human-centered insights within large-scale projects - laying the groundwork for more realistic integration of participatory methods in future planning cycles.
Fostered trust and excitement through collective play, peer learning, and creative practices. Promoted agile thinking with rapid prototyping and feedback - challenging rigid, linear planning
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