Episode 179 - Human-Centered Experiences with Gerry Scullion
I have some pretty exciting news to announce, and I’m glad to be doing it here first. I have completed my book manuscript, tentatively titled The Un-WOW: A Guide to Experiences Designs of All Kinds. You will notice the subtitle is taken from Experience by Design podcast, where we explore experience designs of all kinds. In the manuscript, I take a lot from guests I have talked to over the years. One thing that I have learned in that experiences come in different types, shapes, and packages. As experience designers, the world is our palette on which we can make our figurative marks.
One of the key premises of the manuscript is that we don’t have to create grand, well-orchestrated, staged WOW experiences to make a difference. In fact, most of our lives are made up of The Un-WOW, mundane everyday experiences that are more spontaneous than staged. These experiences can’t be completely pre-arranged and programmed, relying on people connecting on a more human (and humane) level. As experience designers, we might create the contours of these moments, but we can’t (and shouldn’t) control them.
So the manuscript is part experience design philosophy, part strategy, part how-to guide, and hopefully all entertaining. I’ll soon be launching some pre-publishing publicity and marketing, so stay tuned for that.
These themes are present on this episode of Experience by Design as well. In fact, I used this conversation in the manuscript! Today I chat with Gerry Scullion, consultant and founder of the agency Humana, keynote speaker, host of This is HCD podcast (the number 1 human-centered design podcast in the world), and organizer of the Human Centered Design Network. With all of that going on, plus with his over 20 years of experience, he has a lot to say about service design, user experience, and more generally human-centered design.
He tells of how he was self-taught in the UX space, embracing a ‘fake it till you make it’ approach. We talk about how it is the little touches that can have the biggest impact on our experiences. We explore doing experience design work in the government and social service sector. He describes the challenges of innovation in bureaucracy. Gerry shares the importance of finding opportunities to create a more humane experience when people are at their most vulnerable. He tells of how he loves being able to help and support people when they are in the greatest need, and how experience design work provides the opportunity to have that impact.
There was plenty more in the conversation. I learned so much I included it in my manuscript!
LEARN MORE:
Gerry Scullion Website: https://gerryscullion.com/
Gerry Scullion on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gerryscullion/
Humana Design: https://humana.design/
This is HCD Podcast: https://www.thisishcd.com/
