Originally developed at Intel in the 1970s and later popularized by John Doerr in Measure What Matters, OKRs have become a cornerstone of goal management for companies like Google, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

But what happens when we analyze OKRs through the lens of human-centered design (HCD)? Let’s dive into how this approach transforms OKRs into a tool that not only drives organizational success but also ensures meaningful, inclusive, and impactful progress.

What is User Research?

User research is the process of analyzing, studying, and understanding the needs, desires, challenges, behaviors, and motivations of the people who use a product or service.

It’s typically conducted to inform the design of new products or features or to improve an existing product. By uncovering how real users interact with a product, user research ensures that your designs are grounded in reality rather than assumptions.

IDEO’s Human-Centered Design (HCD) methodology has revolutionized how solutions are created for real-world problems, spanning products, services, environments, organizations, and interactions.

By prioritizing the end-user, HCD ensures innovative and tailored solutions that resonate with those they are designed for. In this blog post, we’ll explore IDEO’s HCD process in detail, including its phases, steps, and real-world applications.