10 Questions Before You Tackle Human Centered Design

1. What do users like and dislike about their current machine?
2. What are the current machine operation and maintenance pain points that the user is trying to overcome?
3. If you could fix anything on the machine from operation to service, what would that be?
4. How can the machine be more comfortable or easy to operate?
5. How can the machine be more efficient or provide better productivity, yield, or execution of its functions?
6. Can we make the machine less costly to operate, maintain, and service?
7. What has historically broken down on the machine and why?
8. Are there operations that put users, or the machine itself, in danger that could be prevented?
9. Which machine manufacturer is considered the premier in the market and why?  
10. Of the industry leading machines, what can be done to improve their design?

The questions above are just a start to obtain a better understanding of the user’s preferences for a new or redesigned machine. In some cases, creating a process of getting feedback from the end user can gain trust and appreciation.