Human-Centered Design as a Tool for Advancing Culturally Responsive Research

Human-centered design is a participatory approach that centers those encountering a challenge to develop solutions that are desirable, feasible, and contextually grounded. Increasingly, health researchers are adopting HCD to advance equity by elevating lived experience and community knowledge. This brief report explores how HCD can be understood and operationalized as a form of culturally responsive research in participatory research. CRR is characterized by the culturally responsive tenets of transformation, specificity, and expansion. To understand how this has been done, we conducted an exploratory review of peer-reviewed studies applying HCD in qualitative health research to examine how methods such as Conversation Starters, Card Sorts, Rapid Prototyping, Co-Creation, and Journey Mapping reflect these tenets. Through iterative team analysis, we identified illustrative examples and, as a byproduct of the synthesis process, developed a Culturally Responsive Journey Map, a flexible reflexive tool, to help researchers visualize and document transformation, specificity, and expansion in their research projects. Findings suggest that while HCD naturally aligns with culturally responsive principles, intentionality is required in its selection and application. We also identify challenges related to training, time, resources, and participant readiness. We conclude with recommendations for researchers, institutions, and funders to expand access to high-quality HCD training, develop user-friendly tools, and embed iterative, participatory processes into qualitative health research design.