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Design for the 21st Century with Don Norman

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How This Course Will Help Your Career

What You’ll Learn

  • How designers can improve the world and solve global problems

  • Why designers are so special and how we can democratize design

  • How to apply human-centered design principles to solve global problems

  • How to use systems thinking to investigate the entire system

  • How to tackle major problems by muddling through

  • How today's methods for designing and measuring success are wrong

  • How to move up in a company and address bigger design challenges

  • How to communicate clearly and gain interest

  • The critical skills for 21st century designers

In this course, taught by your instructor, Don Norman, you’ll learn how designers can improve the world, how you can apply human-centered design to solve complex global challenges, and what 21st century skills you’ll need to make a difference in the world. Each lesson will build upon another to expand your knowledge of human-centered design and provide you with practical skills to make a difference in the world.

“The 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.”

— Don Norman

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In the first lesson, you’ll learn how designers can improve the world. You’ll also learn how designers can use the principles of human-centered design to solve complex global challenges. We’ll also explore why we evolved from user-centered design to people-centered design on our journey with instructor Don Norman. Don is the co-founder and Principal Emeritus of Nielsen Norman Group. He will explain why designers are so special and how to democratize design.

In the second lesson, you’ll learn how to apply human-centered design insights to the 21st century’s challenges. You’ll also learn how to focus on people when you solve complex global challenges. We’ll also learn how to solve real problems and not just symptoms from your instructor, Don Norman. Don will teach you how you can muddle through by starting out solving just a little part of the root problem.

In the final lesson, you’ll learn about the new skills that designers must develop and how to navigate the journey to mastering those skills. You’ll also learn how to increase your influence as a designer. We’ll also learn how today's methods for designing and measuring success are wrong. Don will teach you how to communicate clearly to gain people’s interest.

Throughout the course, we’ll supply you with templates and step-by-step guides so you can go right out and use what you learn in your everyday practice.

In the “Build Your Portfolio Project: Make A Difference,” you’ll be able to apply the principles of human-centered design to make your local community a better place. If you want to complete these optional exercises, you will get hands-on experience with the methods you learn and in the process you’ll create a case study for your portfolio which you can show your future employer or freelance customers.

You can also learn with your fellow course-takers and use the discussion forums to get feedback and inspire other people who are learning alongside you. You and your fellow course-takers have a huge knowledge and experience base between you, so we think you should take advantage of it whenever possible.

Course Overview: What You'll Master

  • Each week, one lesson becomes available.
  • There's no time limit to finish a course. Lessons have no deadlines.
  • Estimated learning time: 12 hours 39 mins spread over 6 weeks .

Lesson 0: Welcome and Introduction

Available once you start the course. Estimated time to complete: 1 hour 24 mins.

Lesson 1: How Designers Can Improve the World

Available once you start the course. Estimated time to complete: 2 hours 56 mins.

Lesson 2: How You Can Apply Human-Centered Design Insights and Processes When You Aim to Solve Complex Global Problems

Available anytime after Apr 30, 2025. Estimated time to complete: 2 hours 51 mins.

Lesson 3: What Are the Design Skills You Will Need to Make a Difference in the 21st Century?

Available anytime after May 07, 2025. Estimated time to complete: 5 hours 29 mins.

Lesson 4: Course Certificate, Final Networking, and Course Wrap-up

Available anytime after May 14, 2025.

How Others Have Benefited

Nicholas J Schroeder

Nicholas J Schroeder, United States

“It was a marvelous course that challenged me to think about my career and how to define myself in a rapidly changing and complex socio-technical environment.”

Susan Winer

Susan Winer, United States

“Mr. Norman draws on great breadth and depth of knowledge and experience, and although he's describing Big Ideas, he breaks them down in a straightforward, common-sense approach. The material is organized progressively, each lesson building on the previous. His video presentation feels very human and accessible as if we were conversing over dinner.”

Milena Valcheva

Milena Valcheva, Bulgaria

“Don Norman speaks extremely convincingly and with emotion, with which he manages to captivate the listener. This course changed my way of thinking, not just from a design perspective, but completely.”

See other reviews

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Design for the 21st Century with Don Norman
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Design for the 21st Century with Don Norman

1.2 - 21st Century Design: Let’s Use Human-Centered Design to Solve Major Global Challenges

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  1. 00:00:00 --> 00:00:32

    I want to talk about 21st Century Design. So, what do I mean by that? I mean it's a different kind of design. It's not the traditional design where we make beautiful,  wonderful objects and wonderful experiences. It's about thinking about design as *a way of thinking*, a way of addressing the major problems of the world, because designers have a special way of addressing issues.

  2. 00:00:32 --> 00:01:02

    We call it Design Thinking – it comes under many other different names – but it's what designers have been doing for... well, since the beginning of designers! And in other words, it's not new. It's been around for 80... 100 years. So, what is design as a way of thinking? Well, here's how *I* like to talk about it. And I call this *human-centered design*, and we'll come back to describe that term later.

  3. 00:01:02 --> 00:01:30

    But it has four important components. First of all, well, it's *human-centered*. So, we always focus upon the people. And that's very important because it's the only discipline where the major focus is about making things that are appropriate for people. Second, we solve the right problem. You know, there are lots of really good problem-solvers in the world: The economists, the political scientists and especially the engineers

  4. 00:01:30 --> 00:02:00

    – they're trained to solve problems. But engineers, they never stop and say, "Is this the right problem?" They give you a *solution*. But, you know, I have a rule when I do my consulting work, which is: Do not solve the problem that I am asked to solve. That's because usually we discuss a problem by the *symptoms*. And if you solve the symptoms, well, that's all very good... but the problem *comes back*. What you have to do is figure out: "What's the real cause?"

  5. 00:02:00 --> 00:02:33

    So, we have epidemics, especially in cities – not the current epidemic – but just, say, cholera epidemics. And we say, "Well, we should go in and treat them and cure the people!" Yes... but *why* did you have epidemics? Well, it's usually carried by poor sanitation. All right, so let's improve the sanitation. *Why* is there poor sanitation? Well, because the people aren't using appropriate toilets.

  6. 00:02:33 --> 00:03:02

    Well, OK, but why not? Well, because they're homeless. If you want to stop cholera epidemics, you have to solve the homeless problem; the point being: You have to look at what the *fundamental issues* are and address them. And those fundamental issues are much more *difficult* than solving the symptoms. But unless you address them, the symptoms keep coming back and back and back. Well, what can designers do to solve the homeless problem?

  7. 00:03:02 --> 00:03:32

    Well, let's go back. What do we do? We focus on the people. We focus on answering the right problem – the deep underlying causes. Third, we recognize that everything is a *system*. You can't solve one little piece, because everything is *interconnected*. So, you have to really look at the nature of the system. And, finally – and this is *extremely* important – we *don't rush* to a solution.

  8. 00:03:32 --> 00:04:02

    We know that when we're dealing with human beings and societies and different cultures and political forces and economic factors that whatever we do is probably *not* going to be right. So, what we do is we try a *simple, small intervention*. We see what the *results* are. Then we modify it, and we continually experiment, do an intervention, learn from it, change what we're doing,

  9. 00:04:02 --> 00:04:30

    and slowly we'll get bigger and bigger because each one allows us to do even more the next time; and we'll get better and better. So, that's the secret, but it's a *hard secret* because for a problem like the cholera epidemics I mentioned it could take 10 years to solve. But these are big, major problems – they will not be solved overnight. And that's what designers, though, are really well trained to do.

  10. 00:04:30 --> 00:05:02

    Design is an interesting discipline. Designers don't really have any content. The content that designers have and what they learn when they go to a design school and get design degrees they learn the techniques; they learn the problem-solving and problem-defining methods. They have a whole bunch of powerful tools. And then, because we don't know the details of healthcare or even housing, we have to *bring in the experts*.

  11. 00:05:02 --> 00:05:33

    So, we have to have a multidisciplinary team where we work together with people from all types of skills. And we have to learn how to work with them and bring together a solution that is most appropriate for the people. And the most important thing – which I'll come back to in a short time – this has to come *from the people*. If designers come in and look over a problem and say, "Ah! I  understand the problem; here's what you should do...", it doesn't even matter if that's the correct answer. It will *not* work,

  12. 00:05:33 --> 00:06:02

    because unless the people who are being affected understand and believe and accept it, it will not work. So, the people themselves have to be part of the solution. And you know what? Quite often, they've already started. We have seven billion people in the world, and a lot of them are really creative and wonderful. And those people understand the problems they're facing. And a number of those seven billion have already started creative, wonderful solutions.

  13. 00:06:02 --> 00:06:33

    So, instead of trying to come in and say, "Here's what we say, us experts, foreigners (who don't understand your culture and don't understand your resources and don't understand what you're able to do and what you need)," why not let the *people* lead the way? We see what they're doing; we say, "That's really clever! Ah! I wonder... if you need assistance, we can mentor, we can facilitate, we can bring in other resources. You have difficulty – *individuals* have difficulty tackling the whole system

  14. 00:06:33 --> 00:06:59

    or tackling the political issues, but that's where we can come in and help." So, we call that *community-driven design*, which is a subset of human-centered design; which, as far as I am concerned, is really about *designing for humanity*. So, human-centered design is a subset of *humanity-driven design*, *humanity-centered design* – because we're trying to save – well, the planet.

Design for the 21st Century with Don Norman

1.4 - What’s So Special about Designers?

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Design for the 21st Century with Don Norman

3.3 - Don Norman: The Way We Design Today is Wrong!

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