Danny Hearn – Deeply Human Design Ltd
About me
A curious, empathetic and down to earth passionate design person.
I’ve had a diverse career over 20 years, which has empowered me with a resilient and adaptable approach for the clients I work with.
Career highlights
How experience shaped my approach
An adaptable approach
I’ve learnt that every project & client is different. The dynamics and capability of the team, IT infrastructure, and maturity of the organisation can all impact how I determine the best approach. I draw on several tools with an empathetic, inclusive and practical mindset. I want my work to be open and highly collaborative with my clients. I do my best in conversation, listening with a deeply curious mindset.
A focus on relationships
Most recently, working in the 3rd sector has given me a deep understanding of the role relationships play in creating change. Any work I do will have a relational focus of what roles and relationships bind and people and the organisation together. I feel this is so important when working in the space of change and design.
A focus on user needs
I frame my thinking principally through a Design Thinking methodology, which is embedded in many organisations, from big companies like Google and Facebook to small startups. This applies the basic principle of understanding your customers’ needs, challenges and tasks from their perspective.
Focusing on the user needs (rather than just your organisational needs) allows you to design products and services in a way that creates true value and meaning.
This approach reduces risk by validating key assumptions (rather than subjective opinion) of your new design ideas by testing low-cost interactive prototypes with customers as early as possible rather than betting everything on a new website redesign.
Learn through experimentation
By developing simple prototypes, you can learn fast, early and often. These insights are invaluable and can inform website and service improvements and redesigns. This can also feed into marketing strategies and developing a more effective acquisition journey.
Grounded in methodology
I’m also a big fan of Strategyzer’s Value Proposition Design approach. The book inspired me to develop ideas at John Lewis and give a talk on the topic.
Having designed and shipped software in many organisations, I’m very comfortable working with development teams, using LEAN and Agile frameworks. I’m a new convert to Jobs for research to be done as a useful tool in the bag when looking at qualitative and quantitative research methods.
My Values
I do my best work when I feel in alignment with my values and the people I’m working with.
View My Manual of Me
A ‘manual of me’ aims to help you work with me so we might do great things together. This feels a little vulnerable to share, so I hope you can recognise my desire to build a positive relationship with you.
