Do IDEO, Google and Apple leave enough room for the next generation of Human Centered Designers?

Google’s product line extend so far that they’re able to peak into human the mind like no one ever could. But even more so, they’re able to set design norms by simply flipping the switch on any one of their products, google docs, google sheets or any of the like. Google is so big they can make a design decision without any research and force everyone else to adapt. I don’t believe this is the way Google does things, but it is the power they hold.

My question is if human centered design is at the core, do you need to talk to actual humans in the process? Is simply doing what’s best for someone the point, even if they don’t know what’s best for them?

Apple’s HIG is another example, an over 200 page document that outlines the customs and norms that each app should follow in order to be accepted into Apple’s app store. And I get the premise, that quality outweighs quantity. But for anyone just getting into the design world it is an extremely daunting task. Don’t we all learn by doing? To be fair this isn’t a black and white situation, but it does leave very little room for great ideas without the capital or technical expertise to back them. Rather than create an entirely new design most apps in the Apple’s app store tend to look very similar to one another, creating a homogenized mindset.

What Apple’s HIG does seem to do well is take existing ideas and make them much better. Like the Robinhood app for example which is one of the best designed stock trading apps out on the market, no THE Best.

Tim Brown, IDEO’s CEO, just announced they’ll be joining Kyu, a design collective based out of Japan. And with this announcement Human Centered Design grows not only its sphere of influence, but its way of thinking. A world designed by IDEO would most likely be a pretty great world to live in. But in doing so it eliminates a feeling of ownership. Without that feeling of ownership what is there to aspire to?

Don’t get me wrong as an aspiring designer who would do almost anything to work at IDEO, Apple or Google, I do think they’re doing amazing things for the world. But if you teach a man to fish, he feeds himself for a lifetime and I believe there is too great a barrier of entry in the world of Human Centered Design.

If there isn’t any room for more Human Centered Designers than the industries that need it most will never be able to help themselves. This creates a mentality around Human Centered Design as the one of the savior. A very dangerous mentality to take.

Without a doubt our society is in need of better designed systems, more than ever we need help, but without inclusion there’s a potential for abuse. If Human Centered Design takes over every aspect of our society, IDEO, Apple and Google essentially become the know all of the world. We have a great set of tools to approaching problems, but creates a mentality of problem solvers and those with problems, and that’s dangerous because no matter how great of a society, we all want control over our lives. We want to know we have the potential to help change our communities for the better. And we want to aspire to work for the greats like IDEO, Apple and Google.

So to IDEO, Apple and Google keep expanding and creating collectives, but never forget Human Centered Design requires people to have thoughts, feelings and ownership.