Human-Centered Design & Innovation Methods
People at the heart of innovation: Technological innovation only creates real added value when it serves people. Our human-centred design (HCD) approach ensures that digital solutions are useful, usable and meaningful.
Within our Innovation & Value Creation team, we explore how humans interact with technology and design solutions that fit their needs, goals and contexts.
Our approach
We follow a structured and evidence-based process inspired by the Double Diamond model:
Discover – Understand people and their environment
→ Interviews, observations, and data insights reveal real needs and challenges.
Define – Focus on what matters
→ We turn insights into clear problem statements and innovation goals.
Develop – Co-create and prototype
→ Together with users, we ideate, build, and test solutions iteratively.
Deliver – Evaluate and refine
→ Usability tests and field trials ensure that solutions create measurable impact.
Our methods
We use a combination of qualitative and quantitative approaches to understand user needs, design experiences and test solutions:
- User research and personas
- Journey mapping and service blueprints
- Co-Creation-Workshops
- Rapid Prototyping & Usability Testing
- Behavioral analysis & physiological data (biofeedback, emotion, stress)
Our toolbox
We offer a diverse range of methods, covering both traditional and new approaches, from qualitative research to data-driven analyses.
| Category | Typical Methods | Application Examples |
|---|---|---|
| User Research | Interviews, Contextual Inquiry, Diary Studies | Understanding mobility behavior, digital health acceptance |
| Co-Creation | Design Thinking, World Café, Scenario Building | Smart Tourism services, AI use cases in public sector |
| Experience Design | Journey Mapping, Service Blueprints, Storyboarding | Designing hybrid travel experiences |
| Prototyping & Testing | Paper Prototypes, XR Mockups, Usability Labs | Testing VR training systems |
| Behavioral Insights | COM-B Model, Fogg Behavior Model, BCW | Encouraging sustainable mobility choices |
| Physiological & Affective Data | Biofeedback, Emotion Recognition, Adaptive Environments | Measuring engagement and stress in training |
An overview of our methods: https://methodenpool.salzburgresearch.at/
Application Areas
Our human-centered design methods are used in numerous research and innovation projects:
- AI & Data Innovation: Designing explainable and trustworthy systems
- Tourism & Mobility: Creating seamless and inclusive experiences
- Sport & Health: Building adaptive and feedback-driven training systems
- Public Sector Innovation: Co-creating digital services with citizens
Collaboration
We work with research, industry, and public partners to integrate human-centered design into digital transformation.
From short workshops to full-scale research projects, we tailor our methods to each partner’s goals.
