Episode released on: 14. August 2023
Decoding Human-Centered Design: Your Pathway to Unprecedented Success with Stefan Leuthold – THE CX GOALKEEPER – Transformation, Customer Experience, and Leadership Goals
Introduction
In the latest episode of the CX Goalkeeper Podcast, our host Gregorio Uglioni had an insightful discussion with Stefan Leuthold, a renowned expert in the field of human-centered design. Stefan, who hails from Stimmt, a Swiss consulting company specializing in customer experience, shared his wealth of knowledge and experience spanning over two decades.
Today’s Top Player: Stefan Leuthold
Stefan Leuthold is a man of many hats – a father, husband, entrepreneur, consultant, and a scholar with a master’s degree in theoretical physics and a PhD in cognitive psychology. His passion lies in understanding human behavior and applying this knowledge to create better, more intuitive systems and processes. Stefan’s expertise in human-centered design has made him a sought-after figure in the industry.
Stefan Leuthold delves into the importance of understanding and designing for the end user. Stefan emphasizes the need for a three-step process: understanding the user, designing for the user, and validating the design with the user. He shares a successful implementation of this approach in an online banking redesign project, highlighting the importance of focusing on the user’s primary task. Stefan also provides advice for companies considering human-centered design, urging them to start small and scale up based on results. The discussion concludes with Stefan’s golden nugget: “A successful company maintains a close relationship with its customers. But a truly successful company also fosters a strong connection with its employees. Because when these relationships are in place, purpose, strategy, and profits naturally follow.”
The Episode
In this episode, Stefan Leuthold took us through the journey of understanding, designing, and validating in the context of human-centered design. He emphasized the importance of understanding the actual humans who will use a system before designing it. Stefan also highlighted the need to test the design solution on a conceptual level before investing time and money into building it.
Stefan shared an example of a successful implementation of human-centered design in an online banking redesign project. The project focused on understanding the user’s primary task – checking their account balance before paying bills – and designing the system to optimize this task.
One of the key takeaways from the discussion was Stefan’s advice for companies considering embracing human-centered design. He advised starting small, using low-fidelity prototypes, and gradually scaling up based on the results.
Stefan also shared a personal failure, which was not recognizing the warning signs when consultants were struggling in a new role or complex project. He emphasized the importance of support and guidance in such situations.
This episode was a deep dive into the world of human-centered design, providing valuable insights. It emphasized the importance of understanding the user, designing for the user, and validating the design with the user, ultimately leading to better products and services.
One of the most impactful statements from Stefan during the interview was,
“Users are not designers.”
Stefan Leuthold
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
00:43 Greeting and Introduction of Guest
01:10 Introduction of Today’s Top Player
01:24 Guest’s Self-Introduction and Sharing of Values
02:19 Discussion on Behavioral Science
03:08 Explanation of Human Centered Design
04:00 Elaboration on Human Centered Design
05:19 Discussion on the Relevance of Human Centered Design
07:19 Deep Dive into the Understand Phase of Human Centered Design
09:23 Discussion on the Number of Interviews Required for Understanding
11:48 Discussion on the Willingness of Customers to Participate in Interviews
13:01 Explanation of the Design Phase of Human Centered Design
15:20 Discussion on the Validate Phase of Human Centered Design
17:20 Discussion on the Cycle of Understand, Design, and Validate
19:26 Sharing of a Successful Implementation Example
21:39 Advice for Companies Considering Human Centered Design
24:15 Discussion on Leadership and Sharing of Personal Experience
26:19 Sharing of Biggest Failure and Lessons Learned
27:23 The Question About the Future
30:44 Guest Contact Details
31:28 Golden Nugget
Stefan’s Contact Details
For more insights from Stefan Leuthold, you can reach out to him through:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/stefanleuthold/
https://www.stimmt.ch (German Page)
Golden Nugget
“A successful company maintains a close relationship with its customers. But a truly successful company also fosters a strong connection with its employees. Because when these relationships are in place, purpose, strategy, and profits naturally follow.”
Stefan Leuthold
What Did We Discuss?
In this comprehensive episode of the CX Goalkeeper Podcast, we delved into the fascinating world of human-centered design with Stefan Leuthold, an expert in the field. The discussion was rich and insightful, covering a range of topics that are crucial for any organization aiming to improve its customer experience.
Stefan began by explaining the concept of human-centered design, emphasizing the importance of understanding the user before designing any system or process. He highlighted the three-step process: understanding the user, designing for the user, and validating the design with the user. This approach ensures that the end product or service truly meets the needs of the user, enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty.
One of the key points Stefan made was about the ‘Understand’ phase of human-centered design. He stressed the importance of conducting interviews with users to gain a deep understanding of their needs and behaviors. “The number of interviews required for understanding is not fixed,” Stefan said, “It depends on the complexity of the problem and the diversity of the users.”
Moving on to the ‘Design’ phase, Stefan shared an insightful quote: “Users are not designers.” This statement underscores the importance of not assuming what users want or need, but rather designing based on the insights gained from the ‘Understand’ phase.
The ‘Validate’ phase was another crucial part of the discussion. Stefan emphasized the need to test the design solution on a conceptual level before investing time and money into building it. This approach minimizes the risk of failure and ensures that the final product or service truly meets the needs of the users.
Stefan also shared a successful implementation of human-centered design in an online banking redesign project. The project focused on understanding the user’s primary task – checking their account balance before paying bills – and designing the system to optimize this task.
Towards the end of the discussion, Stefan shared his advice for companies considering embracing human-centered design. He advised starting small, using low-fidelity prototypes, and gradually scaling up based on the results. This approach allows companies to test the waters without making a significant upfront investment.
The discussion concluded with Stefan sharing his biggest failure and the lessons he learned from it. He emphasized the importance of recognizing when team members are struggling and providing the necessary support and guidance.
Finally, Stefan shared his golden nugget: “A successful company maintains a close relationship with its customers. But a truly successful company also fosters a strong connection with its employees. Because when these relationships are in place, purpose, strategy, and profits naturally follow.”
This episode was a treasure trove of insights and practical advice for anyone interested in human-centered design and improving customer experience. It emphasized the importance of understanding the user, designing for the user, and validating the design with the user, ultimately leading to better products and services.
#customerexperience #leadership #cxgoalkeeper #transformation #podcast #DigitalTransformation #CustomerExperience #Leadership #Innovation #LifelongLearning #Networking #ChangeManagement #BusinessStrategy #humancetereddesign
👍 Do you like the CX Goalkeeper Podcast?
Please help support the CX Goalkeeper Podcast by telling 3 friends, colleagues, or family members about it. Your support allows me to continue sharing amazing discussions!
PLEASE 🙏 don’t forget to ✅ follow my podcast.
Please rate and review the podcast if you are an Apple User
THE CX GOALKEEPER 