Keying On Human Constants

© HumanCentered 2004, All Rights Reserved!© HumanCentered 2004, All Rights Reserved!

by Michael Eckersley, PhD HumanCentered

Keying On Human Constants

Designing for the constancy-diversity paradox


Things are changing (fast & furiously)



Events push onto and move off of the world stage 24/7



Business trends come and go



Technologies rise and fall



We're born



We age



We die.



What lasts?



What endures?



What's stable or constant over time?



Human Nature



I may be!

male!caucasian!introverted!

politically liberal!dyslexic!

50 years old} you may be

female!latino!outgoing!conservative!gifted musically!20 years old

}Human Nature



we’re different



Our differences are actually very small compared to the core

human factors and qualities we share

But as humans we are far more alike than we are different

we’re different



Human nature is virtually unchanged over the millennia



Human Nature is fundamentally stable



tenderness cowardice

compassionvanity

jealousy love

crueltydishonesty

gluttony

nobility

humor

hatred

foolishness

creativity

The subjects of Shakespeare's plays, will be the subjects of tomorrow’s morning news

avarice



The key differentiator is human culture



Human-centered research and development is an antidote to reliance on business fads and trend forecasting. We key on those human factors that operate significantly within

a target cultural context and don’t change with the season. These we mine for new product and service opportunities, while controlling for subtle cultural variations.

!The innovations range from the incremental and evolutionary to the revolutionary.

human culture



by Michael Eckersley, PhD HumanCentered

Keying On Human Constants


Designing for the constancy-diversity paradox