“Don’t design for averages. A ‘typical user’ doesn’t exist; design for variability and adaptability instead.”

 

— Ron Nabarro, Design with Heart: Age-Friendly Design in Practice (2026)

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Overview

Every person experiences and interprets the world differently, and every story offers a unique perspective. Listening deeply to users and experts reveals insights that inspire more inclusive, empathetic, and human-centered design ideas, while challenging our assumptions and reshaping the strategies and decisions that lead to more respectful and thoughtful outcomes.

 

Reading Material

• Buchenau & Suri, 2000 | Experience Prototyping 

• Camburn et al., 2017 | Design prototyping methods

• Crilly et al., 2006 | Graphic elicitation: using research diagrams as interview stimuli 

• Faliu et al., 2019 | Design and Prototyping of an Interactive Virtual Environment to Foster Citizen Participation and Creativity in Urban Design