Design research derives its identity from several larger disciplines, including anthropology, human factors, and sociology. Perhaps lesser-known, and surprising to me, was how embedded psychology is in this discipline. Shortly after I changed careers from clinical psychology to research, a colleague asked me to collaborate on a research activity designed for teens and adults. The exercise invited participants to choose cards labeled with emotions to describe their experience with an at-home medical procedure. Drawing on my background as a psychologist, I realized the emotions initially selected—like frustration or insecurity—were too complex for that age group. I recommended using simpler, primary emotions such as fear, happiness, and anger instead. This collaboration gave me confidence my psychology background could enrich design research in ways I had not imagined.
Psychology adds another layer to our multidisciplinary approach, enriching and deepening our user-centered research. Below are five key principles we regularly use to enrich our research.
1. Listen More, Learn More. In psychology, Carl Rogers’ Person-Centered Therapy emphasizes that people are the experts in their own lives. The therapist’s role is not to steer the conversation, but to listen and create space for the client to share openly.
Design research works the same way. When I interview a user, my job is not to tell them what I think matters. The best insights come when users guide the conversation. This approach can uncover needs that users may not think to share until given the space to do so.
2. Empathy Builds Insight. Empathy is a cornerstone of both psychology and design research. In psychology, empathy allows therapists to understand a client’s perspective without judgment, building trust and deeper insight. In design research, empathy serves a similar role—helping us see products and experiences through the user’s eyes. By setting aside assumptions and genuinely connecting with users, we uncover not just what they do, but how they feel, which leads to more human-centered and meaningful designs.
3. From Insight to Impact. In both psychology and design research, the real value lies not just in understanding people, but in using that understanding to create meaningful change. Psychologists study behaviors and goals to design interventions that improve well-being. Similarly, design researchers uncover what users are trying to achieve, along with the barriers they face, and then translate those insights into design decisions. This process ensures that our research doesn’t stop at knowledge—it shapes products and experiences that truly support people in reaching their goals.
4. What People Do vs. What They Say. Psychology is the study of human behavior and mental processes. In practice, that often means observing how people behave in real settings rather than relying only on what they say. Someone may claim they get plenty of exercise, but observed behavior might show long periods of sitting broken up by short periods of movement. Observation reveals the gap between perception and reality.
Design research depends on observation. Watching how people interact with a device, tool, or environment often uncovers workarounds or struggles they may never mention in an interview. These small details—hesitations, repeated errors, improvised fixes—are often the very clues that point us toward better design solutions.
5. Making the Invisible Visible. Psychologists study concepts like hope, motivation, or attitudes that cannot be observed directly. To understand them, we design questions and experiments that reveal underlying patterns.
Design researchers face a similar challenge when studying products that do not yet exist. How do you understand a user’s reaction to a future product? You construct thoughtful questions, scenarios, and prototypes that invite users to imagine and respond. By treating these unseen elements seriously, we can design not just for what people do now, but for what they might need tomorrow.
Equally important, we dig below the surface of what people say or do to uncover the why—the possible sources of problems and motivations driving behavior. Often the frustrations or workarounds we observe are symptoms of deeper issues. By identifying those underlying drivers, we create solutions that address not only the immediate challenge but also the broader needs shaping user behavior.
WHY IT MATTERS
Blending psychology and design research creates a powerful lens for innovation. It helps us:
- Put users at the center of product development.
- Discover needs and challenges that are not immediately obvious.
- Design products that do not just function but resonate with real human experiences.
At Kaleidoscope, this cross-disciplinary thinking is part of how we approach research and design. Research thrives when we bring multiple disciplines together – psychology included. When we approach design research with a multidisciplinary lens, we create solutions that are more intuitive, empathetic, and impactful.
If you are a designer, researcher, or product developer curious about how psychology can strengthen design, let’s connect. The more we share perspectives across disciplines, the better we can design products that truly serve the people who use them. Let’s start something, together.
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