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What An 8-Year-Old Kid Taught Me About The User-Centered Approach
Conclusion after 7 years in education: if you design solutions without involving the end-user, you will fail
As a psychologist, perspective taking is my signature sport. Seeing things from different angles and understanding the wishes and needs of various people, is what I’ve trained for years to master. When I started working in the public school system in Sweden a few years ago, I soon realized that, while this was second nature to me— it was not the default mode for others.
So when teachers came into my office and slumped down on my blue armchair (with one broken armrest) to talk about how they couldn’t get through to this or that particular student, my first question was always the same:
“What does the student say, when you talk to them about this issue?”
Most of the time, I was met by a perplexed look, seemingly conveying: “hey, I’m here for you to pity me, not take sides with my students!”. Noticing how this question not only surprised, but at times even provoked, teachers, I kept asking it, naturally.
And the pattern soon became painstakingly clear: most attempts to “solve” a difficult situation surrounding a student, was doomed to fail if the student was…
