Panel Discussion 24 - Leveraging Human-centered Design - Prototyping, Evaluating, and Usability Testing of Evidence-based Strategies to Improve Behavioral Outcomes

While classic implementation models emphasized the importance of innovation characteristics in their adoption and sustained use, recent research has shifted focus away from these variables. Human-centered design (HCD) is an approach that grounds the development of evidence-based strategies in the lived experiences of the people and settings that will ultimately use the programs, interventions, or tools. Although HCD has strong roots in psychological theory, its use has largely been limited to creating digital technologies, with minimal application in designing psychosocial innovations—whether service-recipient-facing interventions or implementation strategies—within the applied psychological disciplines.
This panel aims to spark a conversation around academic-community HCD, where client experiences are central to shaping contextually driven intervention redesign. Panelists will share their diverse experiences working with youth, communities from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, and marginalized populations to build more inclusive and affirming interventions. They will (a) describe their research and the co-design process with community partners, (b) share insights on community-driven, context-sensitive intervention design, and (c) discuss how they collaborate with communities to evaluate their programs and interventions. Panelists bring expertise in systems science, community-engaged research, and prototyping across various community settings like public health organizations and provider agencies. Attendees will benefit from the panelists' unique backgrounds, learning how to prioritize community and user needs in designing evidence-based strategies and promoting the large-scale impact of behavioral interventions. By highlighting different ways HCD can be applied, they will showcase how it can be adapted to various contexts.