James Rudolph, IDSA
Assistant Professor, University of Notre Dame
James Rudolph is an Assistant Professor of Industrial Design at the University of Notre Dame. James’ work occurs at the intersection of advanced technological breakthroughs and pivotal healthcare challenges. Recent research focuses on integrating human-centered design principles and practices into the culture of healthcare corporations and start-ups.
James studied industrial and interaction design at Syracuse University, human factors engineering at Bentley University, and has spent the majority of his career designing for a better healthcare future.
The Nuance of Need
Education Symposium
Academic Paper
Sept 13, 2022
Main Stage
8:30 AM - 9:15 AM
There is a common misconception that human needs exist primarily independent of designed products, services, and systems available in the built environment. A more nuanced examination of need, however, reveals that sometimes the opposite is true—solutions do indeed drive our goals as well as the needs required to fulfill these goals.
In this paper, the author explores the relationship between human need, goals, and the designed world. The author then explores the implications for design practice, reframing the discussion for design professionals through a theoretical framework for integrating need identification, understanding, and validation throughout a holistic design process.