Customer, User, or Citizen? A Comparative Analysis of Human-Centered Design Paradigms

Baldini, Luca (2025) Customer, User, or Citizen? A Comparative Analysis of Human-Centered Design Paradigms. In: P/References of Design. Cumulus conference proceedings series, 1 . Cumulus Association, Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design Budapest, Budapest, pp. 2229-2238. ISBN 978-952-7549-03-5

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Abstract

A person is always a human being but not always a user, a citizen, or a customer. These terms bring normative and value models that shape how we think, act, and design. And yet, central to design thinking theory and practice, they are used interchangeably. This short paper explores the point of convergence and contrast between different people-centered paradigms. Through systematic literature review, two distinct clusters are identified: the first connects customer and user centricity and is concerned with situated and solution-driven instances; the second associates citizen and human centricity and refers to undefined and discovery-driven instances. This comparative analysis suggests that more research is needed to frame design thinking better when introduced to the public sector, as different values and tensions might be at play. It is the purpose of our Ph.D. proposal to address the knowledge gap at the boundary cracks between design thinking and complex policy change, where design is confronted with politics, power, and democratic dialectic.

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