False positives and user-centricity
In my previous post, I talked about the difference between user-centricity in product work and applying a service mindset.
I often think about the signals of user-centricity in terms of false positives. This is where there might be indicators of user-centred design (UCD) in the work, but at the same time, the work isn’t user-centric.
A false positive is often a term used in a medical context. Health professionals will spot false positives by comparing test results with other evidence, including their own observations and judgment. And, this is my interpretation: relying on their professional experience for when something doesn’t feel right.
I think this can apply to other professional contexts, including user-centred design. It’s the difference between teams doing UCD activities, versus user-centricity being more deeply embedded in how they work, prioritise and make decisions.
In typical day-to-day situations, a checklist-type approach to UCD – especially in a context of user stories, product testing and digital delivery – will indicate that a team is being user-centric. However, for experienced designers, things can still feel off, and it’s important to recognise that. I think you can spend time in organisations where all the UCD boxes are being ticked. Research is being done, products are following a service standard, but you can feel a misalignment.
Arguably, this is where the work becomes most interesting and important. It means learning to intuitively act on false positives. When you feel that intuition, it can mean a product doesn’t understand or meet the underlying needs that it should, or that it’s not working within a clearly defined problem space. There might not be clear outcome measures or clarity of hypotheses/assumptions being tested. This is where good design is the structure needed for the work.
I’ve tested products myself after joining teams, and you instinctively know when something is off. You feel it must be misaligned somewhere, sensing false positives at play. And, you know, left unchecked, false positives will play out: from teams seemingly doing all the right things towards a point of failure further down the line.
In these situations, you can also feel when the wider organisation isn’t truly user-centric. Where there are signals in the language, priorities, and behaviours, as well as the broader alignment and understanding of work.
So, are there false positives in the user-centricity of your team, programme, or organisation?
This is my blog where I’ve been writing for 20 years. You can follow all of my posts by subscribing to this RSS feed. You can also find me on Bluesky and LinkedIn.