{"id":13002,"date":"2024-09-16T04:41:08","date_gmt":"2024-09-16T04:41:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/human-centered-design-vs-design-thinking\/"},"modified":"2026-04-14T06:12:51","modified_gmt":"2026-04-14T06:12:51","slug":"human-centered-design-vs-design-thinking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/human-centered-design-vs-design-thinking\/","title":{"rendered":"Human-Centered Design vs Design Thinking Process: Is There a Difference?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>What&#8217;s the difference between human-centered design vs. design thinking? Are there any similarities? Which design approach should<a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/role\/ux-design\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> UX designers<\/a> use during product development?<\/p>\n<p>In this article, we\u2019ll discuss the difference between the two, their similarities, and the steps of each approach.<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s dive right in.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"f6a7a\"><strong>What is human-centered design?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Human-centered design (HCD) is a design approach that prioritizes user needs and experience above everything else. It incorporates<a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/user-feedback-survey-saas\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> user feedback<\/a>, deep empathy for users, user sentiment, and<a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/user-behavior-tracking\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> user behavior<\/a> into product development to design responsive products.<\/p>\n<p>With this approach,<a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/product-designer-vs-ux-designer\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> UX designers and product teams<\/a> are guided toward creating products that meet people&#8217;s needs and expectations.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"a0gcq\"><strong>Is human-centered design the same as user-centered design?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Nuances shouldn&#8217;t matter. The goal is most important.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>\u201cThe challenge is to use the principles of human-centered design to produce positive results, products that enhance lives and add to our pleasure and enjoyment. The goal is to produce a great product, one that is successful, and that customers love. It can be done.&#8221; \u2014 Don Norman, \u201cGrand Old Man of User Experience\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Usually, we define \u201chuman\u201d and &#8220;user&#8221; as one word because they refer to the end-users. In<a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/role\/ux-design\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> UX design<\/a>, however, there is a slight difference.<\/p>\n<p>For instance, human-centered designs are based on human perspective, characteristics, and psychology. In this case, designers classify \u201chumans\u201d as one user.<\/p>\n<p>In comparison, the user-centered design divides users into smaller segments to create user-friendly solutions.<\/p>\n<p>For example, when designing a social media app, the human-centered design would focus on functionality and visuals. Meanwhile, the user-centered design would focus on customizing<a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/feature-adoption-101\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> product features<\/a> to cater to creators and other segments.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"ei3cs\"><strong>What is design thinking?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Design thinking is a problem-solving approach that involves understanding the full context of a problem, applying design solutions, and iterating until you get it right.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s about building products that are not only visually appealing, but also useful, intuitive, and compelling.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"95ep5\"><strong>Human-centered design vs. design thinking<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Although both human-centered design and design thinking focus on the end-user, they do this in slightly different ways.<\/p>\n<p>The differences between human-centered design and design thinking can be found in the approaches taken to create solutions, the tools used, and the outcomes.<\/p>\n<p>But ultimately both have empathy, problem-solving, iteration and collaboration at their core.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"image strchf-type-image regular strchf-size-regular strchf-align-center\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Human-Centered-Design-vs-Design-Thinking_3ce2f912cefe414c8a366d3b89281abf_800.png 1x\" media=\"(max-width: 768px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Human-Centered-Design-vs-Design-Thinking_3ce2f912cefe414c8a366d3b89281abf_800.png 1x\" media=\"(min-width: 769px)\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Human-Centered-Design-vs-Design-Thinking_3ce2f912cefe414c8a366d3b89281abf_800.png\" alt=\"Human-Centered-Design-vs-Design-Thinking\" \/><\/picture><figcaption>The difference between human-centered and design thinking.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"bvnkr\"><strong>Differences between design thinking and human-centered design<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Here are some differences between the two:<\/p>\n<ol type=\"1\">\n<li><strong>Time of use:<\/strong> design thinking begins at the early stage of product development. The human-centered design comes during and after product development, with the aim of fine-tuning the products into a solution that users love.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Key Focus:<\/strong> Human-centered design monitors the emotional engagement of users, while design thinking combines this with the technicality and feasibility of the product.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Level of clarity:<\/strong> design thinking is made up of assumptions, whereas human-centered design is based on real data from users.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Aim:<\/strong> Where design thinking encourages innovative solutions, the human-centered design prioritizes<a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/usability-vs-user-experience\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> good usability<\/a> and a great<a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/saas-personalized-user-experience\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> user experience<\/a>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Process: <\/strong>While the design thinking process is experimental, human-centered design makes decisions based on <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/user-feedback\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">user feedback<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h3 id=\"el488\"><strong>Similarities between design thinking and human-centered design<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Here are the similarities between the two design processes:<\/p>\n<ol type=\"1\">\n<li><strong>They&#8217;re both user-focused:<\/strong> both approaches have the user&#8217;s best interest at heart.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Empathy:<\/strong> they&#8217;re driven by empathy for the user.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Aim:<\/strong> the end goal is to create solutions that are usable, efficient, and engaging for the user.<\/li>\n<li><strong>They\u2019re both iterative:<\/strong> both methods use continuous<a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/ab-testing-product-management\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> A\/B testing<\/a> and<a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/usability-testing-methods-saas\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> usability testing<\/a> to improve the product.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Method:<\/strong> They use research, user testing, and<a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/feedback-ui\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> feedback<\/a> to guide designers when solving problems.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Teams involved:<\/strong> Both methods involve collaboration between designers and users to ensure great output.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2 id=\"9loms\"><strong>Is design thinking a human-centered approach?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Short answer, yes. Both design solutions follow the principles discussed below. Also, you can\u2019t use either without listening to users&#8217; feedback.<\/p>\n<ol type=\"1\">\n<li><strong>User-centric approach:<\/strong> puts the end-user at the heart of the design with a real context of use in mind.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Problem-solving:<\/strong> digs deep to uncover the user&#8217;s problems and recommends an appropriate solution.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Systemized: <\/strong>works in an interconnected series.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Iterative process:<\/strong> undergoes a continuous process of building, refining, and improving to satisfy user needs.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<h2 id=\"bqj3b\"><strong>What are the 4 phases of the human-centered design process<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>There are four phases to carrying out human-centered design:<\/p>\n<ol type=\"1\">\n<li><strong>Inspiration:<\/strong> At this stage, designers determine their ideal audience, observe their behavior, and identify a problem they need to solve.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Ideation:<\/strong> Next, brainstorm ideas to solve the identified problems using various techniques like storyboarding, mind mapping, etc.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Implementation:<\/strong> Next, translate ideas into actual designs. Create <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/prototype-testing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">prototypes<\/a> to test ideas before moving into production.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Validation and testing:<\/strong> Conduct user testing at intervals to improve the product based on <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/customer-feedback-loop\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">feedback<\/a> from users.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<figure class=\"image strchf-type-image regular strchf-size-regular strchf-align-center\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/human-centered-design-process_66a10ae4b85cdca80233dca60711329d_800.png 1x\" media=\"(max-width: 768px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/human-centered-design-process_66a10ae4b85cdca80233dca60711329d_800.png 1x\" media=\"(min-width: 769px)\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/human-centered-design-process_66a10ae4b85cdca80233dca60711329d_800.png\" alt=\"human-centered-design-process\" \/><\/picture><figcaption><a href=\"http:\/\/ideo.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Human-Centered Design Process<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"64orv\"><strong>What are the 6 steps of the design thinking process?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>There are six steps in the design thinking process:<\/p>\n<ol type=\"1\">\n<li><strong>Empathize: <\/strong>Understand the users\u2019 needs, goals, and expectations.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Define: <\/strong>Identify the problem you want to solve by uncovering the user&#8217;s pain points and challenges.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Ideate:<\/strong> Brainstorm multiple ideas for solving the identified problem.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Prototype:<\/strong> Create prototypes of the proposed solution to test the product on users before production.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Test:<\/strong> Test prototypes on real people and collect real data using<a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/usability-testing-methods-saas\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> usability testing<\/a>. Adjust designs based on feedback from testing sessions.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Implement:<\/strong> Bring the ideas to life through development.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<figure class=\"image strchf-type-image regular strchf-size-regular strchf-align-center\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/design-thinking-steps_7f2b4493fb202812da7c2b7c8ee8b59e_800.png 1x, https:\/\/images.storychief.com\/account_6827\/design-thinking-steps_7f2b4493fb202812da7c2b7c8ee8b59e_1600.png 2x\" media=\"(max-width: 768px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/design-thinking-steps_7f2b4493fb202812da7c2b7c8ee8b59e_800.png 1x, https:\/\/images.storychief.com\/account_6827\/design-thinking-steps_7f2b4493fb202812da7c2b7c8ee8b59e_1600.png 2x\" media=\"(min-width: 769px)\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/design-thinking-steps_7f2b4493fb202812da7c2b7c8ee8b59e_800.png\" alt=\"design-thinking-steps\" \/><\/picture><figcaption>Source: nngroup<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"etmni\"><strong>How to build better products with a human-centered design approach<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Use human-centered design to improve an existing product, enhance<a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/saas-personalized-user-experience\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> user experience<\/a>, or gain a competitive edge. The goal is to understand users&#8217; frustrations, identify friction points, and gauge their <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/emotional-design-examples\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">emotions<\/a> when using your product.<\/p>\n<p>In summary, human-centered design reveals<a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/happy-path-ux\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> happy paths<\/a>,<a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/happy-path-ux\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> unhappy paths<\/a>,<a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/good-ux-examples\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> good ux design<\/a>, and<a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/bad-ux-examples\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> bad ux design<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Here&#8217;s how to identify these design opportunities.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"eh7jt\"><strong>Segment users to gather feedback from specific cohorts<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Dividing customers into<a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/product-user-segmentation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> user segments<\/a> helps you understand how different people get value from your product. This granular feedback collection will help with more contextual insights.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"image strchf-type-image regular strchf-size-regular strchf-align-center\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/advanced-segmentation-userpilot-human_-centered-design_20602d9eb678c7da31c7fcdf19dd654a_800.png 1x, https:\/\/images.storychief.com\/account_6827\/advanced-segmentation-userpilot-human_-centered-design_20602d9eb678c7da31c7fcdf19dd654a_1600.png 2x\" media=\"(max-width: 768px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/advanced-segmentation-userpilot-human_-centered-design_20602d9eb678c7da31c7fcdf19dd654a_800.png 1x, https:\/\/images.storychief.com\/account_6827\/advanced-segmentation-userpilot-human_-centered-design_20602d9eb678c7da31c7fcdf19dd654a_1600.png 2x\" media=\"(min-width: 769px)\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/advanced-segmentation-userpilot-human_-centered-design_20602d9eb678c7da31c7fcdf19dd654a_800.png\" \/><\/picture><\/figure>\n<p>For example, you can gather<a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/user-feedback\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> in-app feedback<\/a> to know why one customer segment interacts with a feature and why others aren&#8217;t.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"8lo3j\"><strong>Collect user feedback on-demand from real users<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Make it easy for users to give feedback when they want to. Don\u2019t stress them. A simple<a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/feedback-ui\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> feedback UI<\/a> gives you access to relevant insights and helps you dig deep into what prompts users to leave feedback: frustration or delight.<\/p>\n<p>Whichever it is, adding an<a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/user-feedback\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> always-on feedback widget<\/a> lets you capture the best feedback. It also helps you create better solutions for users&#8217; problems as well as understand what brings value to them.<\/p>\n<p>The feedback<a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/help-center-widget\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> widget<\/a> on Miro is a perfect example. Miro embeds these widgets in multiple places to get<a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/in-app-feedback\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> contextual feedback<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Also, don\u2019t go overboard when collecting feedback. Instead, collect granular feedback at different touchpoints. In this example below, the feedback feature appears when adding details to a card on your board.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"image strchf-type-image regular strchf-size-regular strchf-align-center\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/miro-human-centered-design-vs-design-thinking_b2042fec8d8744cdcf434ef1f6bc2dc9_800.png 1x, https:\/\/images.storychief.com\/account_6827\/miro-human-centered-design-vs-design-thinking_b2042fec8d8744cdcf434ef1f6bc2dc9_1600.png 2x\" media=\"(max-width: 768px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/miro-human-centered-design-vs-design-thinking_b2042fec8d8744cdcf434ef1f6bc2dc9_800.png 1x, https:\/\/images.storychief.com\/account_6827\/miro-human-centered-design-vs-design-thinking_b2042fec8d8744cdcf434ef1f6bc2dc9_1600.png 2x\" media=\"(min-width: 769px)\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/miro-human-centered-design-vs-design-thinking_b2042fec8d8744cdcf434ef1f6bc2dc9_800.png\" alt=\"miro-human-centered-design\" \/><\/picture><figcaption>Source: Miro<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>When you click on the emoji icon, a small survey appears.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"image strchf-type-image regular strchf-size-regular strchf-align-center\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/feedback-widget-human-centered-design-miro_32045f5f117ab737e0a6ccdd9d04535b_800.png 1x\" media=\"(max-width: 768px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/feedback-widget-human-centered-design-miro_32045f5f117ab737e0a6ccdd9d04535b_800.png 1x\" media=\"(min-width: 769px)\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/feedback-widget-human-centered-design-miro_32045f5f117ab737e0a6ccdd9d04535b_800.png\" alt=\"Example of a feedback widget survey\" \/><\/picture><figcaption>Example of a <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/user-feedback-survey-saas\/\">feedback widget survey<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"4vm70\"><strong>Validate ideas with fake door tests<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/fake-door-testing\/\">Fake door testing<\/a> is a technique for testing a product idea before it exists. This can be useful before you build a prototype, a new feature, or a <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/product-improvement-saas\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">product enhancement<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>If in doubt, try a<a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/fake-door-testing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> fake door test<\/a> to confirm if users would want the product. Think of it as idea validation or a<a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/how-to-run-product-experiments-alex-levich-interview\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> product experiment<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The best time to do this is before you build a prototype, so you don\u2019t spend time building products that no one wants. Let\u2019s say you\u2019re considering a potential feature and you need to validate it.<\/p>\n<p>How do you do that? It\u2019s simple.<\/p>\n<p>Launch an<a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/in-app-guidance-saas\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> in-app prompt<\/a>\u2014a<a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/ui-modal-examples\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> modal<\/a> works great\u2014to invite users and test new features. Based on how many people are interested, you can validate if the idea will bring value to the users or not.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, you have to tell users this was a test. But you tested the desire and can use the opportunity to invite people to join a beta test participant waiting list.<\/p>\n<p>This way, you build interest even before you build the product.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Note: Avoid doing these tests too often on the same user segment to avoid frustration.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s take a look at an example to illustrate how it would look if Asana decided to perform a fake door test for their goal feature. Note that this example is purely fictional, and the images are for illustration purposes.<\/p>\n<p>The first step would be to add the feature to the UI and attach a <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/how-to-create-tooltips\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">tooltip<\/a> prompting action.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"image strchf-type-image regular strchf-size-regular strchf-align-center\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/fake-door-test-tooltip-asana-human-centered-design_e85123907dceb7ea8072dccea328d300_800.png 1x, https:\/\/images.storychief.com\/account_6827\/fake-door-test-tooltip-asana-human-centered-design_e85123907dceb7ea8072dccea328d300_1600.png 2x\" media=\"(max-width: 768px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/fake-door-test-tooltip-asana-human-centered-design_e85123907dceb7ea8072dccea328d300_800.png 1x, https:\/\/images.storychief.com\/account_6827\/fake-door-test-tooltip-asana-human-centered-design_e85123907dceb7ea8072dccea328d300_1600.png 2x\" media=\"(min-width: 769px)\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/fake-door-test-tooltip-asana-human-centered-design_e85123907dceb7ea8072dccea328d300_800.png\" alt=\"fake-door-test-tooltip-asana-human-centered-design\" \/><\/picture><figcaption>Create tooltips.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>When users click on the button, tell them it&#8217;s a test and invite them to join a testing group. This way, you have customers ready to test and <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/feedback-management-system\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">give feedback<\/a> once you launch.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"image strchf-type-image regular strchf-size-regular strchf-align-center\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/fake-door-testing-beta-testers-human-centered-design_01641368b06dd0de9e628e5148d508a7_800.png 1x, https:\/\/images.storychief.com\/account_6827\/fake-door-testing-beta-testers-human-centered-design_01641368b06dd0de9e628e5148d508a7_1600.png 2x\" media=\"(max-width: 768px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/fake-door-testing-beta-testers-human-centered-design_01641368b06dd0de9e628e5148d508a7_800.png 1x, https:\/\/images.storychief.com\/account_6827\/fake-door-testing-beta-testers-human-centered-design_01641368b06dd0de9e628e5148d508a7_1600.png 2x\" media=\"(min-width: 769px)\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/fake-door-testing-beta-testers-human-centered-design_01641368b06dd0de9e628e5148d508a7_800.png\" alt=\"An example of a fake door test\" \/><\/picture><figcaption>An example of a fake door test.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h3 id=\"vnla\"><strong>Use A\/B testing to always improve the user experience<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Use<a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/ab-testing-product-management\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> A\/B testing<\/a> to test small changes and their direct impact on the end user&#8217;s experience. Test <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/feature-adoption-101\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">new features<\/a>,<a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/welcome-page-design\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> welcome page design<\/a>,<a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/happy-path\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> happy paths<\/a>,<a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/onboarding-user-flow-examples\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> onboarding flows<\/a>, and different feedback UI.<\/p>\n<p>But don\u2019t leave out smaller elements like the choice of button colors or <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/in-app-messaging\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">in-app messaging<\/a>. Also test for<a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/bad-ux-examples\/\"> bad UX design<\/a> to recognize friction points and remove unnecessary steps in a process, e.g., shortening the<a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/saas-signup-flow\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> signup<\/a> form.<\/p>\n<p>For example, you could test if adding small tooltips could help users find their way around your product\u2019s UI and enhance their<a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/first-time-user-experience-saas\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> first-time user experience<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The best thing is that it\u2019s easy to set up A\/B tests for in-app <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/blog\/in-app-guidance-saas\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">product experiences<\/a>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"image strchf-type-image regular strchf-size-regular strchf-align-center\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ab-testing-userpilot-human-centered-design_1461182939d97d5948f7c14924239946_800.png 1x, https:\/\/images.storychief.com\/account_6827\/ab-testing-userpilot-human-centered-design_1461182939d97d5948f7c14924239946_1600.png 2x\" media=\"(max-width: 768px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ab-testing-userpilot-human-centered-design_1461182939d97d5948f7c14924239946_800.png 1x, https:\/\/images.storychief.com\/account_6827\/ab-testing-userpilot-human-centered-design_1461182939d97d5948f7c14924239946_1600.png 2x\" media=\"(min-width: 769px)\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ab-testing-userpilot-human-centered-design_1461182939d97d5948f7c14924239946_800.png\" alt=\"User segmentation in Userpilot.\" \/><\/picture><figcaption>User segmentation.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>From our little experiment, you can see how one small change impacted the user experience. With this result, it&#8217;s easier to make an informed decision about what users like.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"image strchf-type-image regular strchf-size-regular strchf-align-center\"><picture><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ab-test-userpilot-human-centered-design_77930ac9fd7252ddaab5e7ef5d7b2555_800.png 1x, https:\/\/images.storychief.com\/account_6827\/ab-test-userpilot-human-centered-design_77930ac9fd7252ddaab5e7ef5d7b2555_1600.png 2x\" media=\"(max-width: 768px)\" \/><source srcset=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ab-test-userpilot-human-centered-design_77930ac9fd7252ddaab5e7ef5d7b2555_800.png 1x, https:\/\/images.storychief.com\/account_6827\/ab-test-userpilot-human-centered-design_77930ac9fd7252ddaab5e7ef5d7b2555_1600.png 2x\" media=\"(min-width: 769px)\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/blog-static.userpilot.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ab-test-userpilot-human-centered-design_77930ac9fd7252ddaab5e7ef5d7b2555_800.png\" alt=\"Userpilot makes it easy to conduct A\/B testing for different user segments.\" \/><\/picture><figcaption>Cconduct A\/B testing for different user segments.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"a4u32\"><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Though human-centered design and design thinking have a similar focus, they do so in different ways.<\/p>\n<p>At the initial stages of product development, design thinking works okay. However, if you want to build an exceptional product, then embracing human-centered design is the way to go.<\/p>\n<p>Want to build better human-centered products? <a href=\"https:\/\/userpilot.com\/userpilot-demo\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Book a demo with Userpilot<\/a> today and see how we can help you collect relevant feedback and test ideas!<\/p>\n<div class=\"poptin-embedded\" data-id=\"616a658c4a50a\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Interested in learning the difference between human-centered design vs. design thinking, their similarities, and which approach is better to create user-friendly products?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":51,"featured_media":13004,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[993,994,819,536,864],"class_list":["post-13002","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-good-ux-inspiration","tag-design-thinking","tag-human-centered-design","tag-product-development","tag-ux-design","tag-ux-designer"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.2 (Yoast SEO v27.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Human-Centered Design vs Design Thinking: Is There a Difference?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn the difference between human-centered design vs. design thinking, similarities, and the best way to create user-friendly products.\" 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