Human-Centered Design: Why We're Missing the Human Core and How to Fix It

The Promise of Human-Centered Design—and Its Hidden Limit

In the world of design, "human-centered" is more than a buzzword—it’s a promise. It vows to place people at the heart of every process, product, or service. But what if the "human" we're centering isn’t the full story? What if we're designing for behaviors, needs, and experiences, while overlooking the deeper core—the soul, the essence that makes us truly alive? At Project Trove, through our lens of Where Systems Meet Souls, we see this oversight as a critical gap. By "soul," we mean an individual’s core essence—purpose, dignity, meaning, and integrity—the unique spark that drives vitality beyond mere function. It’s not woo; it’s the grounding force of human experience. This gap isn’t just a design flaw; it’s a systemic one that limits how far our solutions can go.

Human-centered design (HCD) encompasses service design, CX design, and UX design, each promising to prioritize user needs. Service design maps end-to-end experiences, CX design focuses on customer satisfaction, and UX design optimizes digital interactions—all using tools like journey mapping and prototypes. Think of a banking app that streamlines payments or a healthcare portal that simplifies bookings. These can work well on the surface, addressing what people do. But do they fully embrace the human core—the soul’s need for purpose, dignity, and meaning?

In my work as a systems strategist, I’ve seen these disciplines deliver efficiency—faster workflows, higher satisfaction scores. Yet, people still felt drained. The designs solved for behavior, not essence. This is the Visceral Gap in action: a clash between what the design promises and what the soul craves, a rift we trove a little deeper to address at Project Trove. While HCD approaches often overlap—service design might inform UX, or CX might borrow from service mapping—this integration isn’t always consciously done. Aspects of the human core might sneak in, like empathy in a user interface, but it’s rarely the deliberate focus it could be.

The Systemic Roots: Surface-Level Design in a Soul-Deep World

The challenge lies in how these disciplines are typically applied. Service design, CX, and UX prioritize observable metrics—pain points, touchpoints, emotions—over soul-level needs like purpose or integrity. Why? Systems driving these fields—corporate goals, scalability demands—favor quick wins like ROI over profound change. For instance, a corporate wellness app might track steps and offer mindfulness prompts, but if the work system demands constant availability, it’s a surface fix. It overlooks how overwork erodes meaning and dignity.

Data reflects this gap: 66% of workers report burnout (Gallup, 2025), not from lack of design tools, but from systemic misalignment that drains soul energy. While HCD disciplines may occasionally touch on human essence—e.g., UX considering emotional resonance—the focus remains practical, not deeply intentional. This surface-level approach only takes us so far, easing symptoms without healing the core rift.

A Mini Soul-Audit for Designers and Users

To shift this, audit your designs or experiences for soul alignment. Here’s a simple tool to uncover where the human core is missed:

1. Map the Surface: List key touchpoints (e.g., onboarding, daily use). Note what it addresses—behaviors, emotions?

2. Probe the Core: Ask, "Does this honor dignity, purpose, or integrity?" Rate 1-5 (e.g., does it foster meaning or just efficiency?).

3. Identify the Gap: Highlight low scores—where does the design demand compliance over connection?

4. Shift Forward: Propose one change (e.g., add a prompt: "How does this align with your values?").

In my consulting, this audit showed a client’s UX process ignored team purpose, boosting quiet quitting. Redesigning for integrity lifted engagement 25%. You can apply this, troving a little deeper into what your soul truly needs.

Where Systems Meet Souls: A Deeper Path for Design

At Project Trove, we believe true help comes from designing where systems meet souls—bridging surface efficiency with core vitality. This means consciously embedding purpose, dignity, and meaning into service, CX, and UX design, beyond their current overlaps. Our upcoming book, The Purpose Problem, offers frameworks to realign services for lasting impact. We trove a little deeper to ensure designs don’t just function—they fulfill.

If you’re feeling the limits of surface-level design, it’s not just you—it's systemic. Ready to dive deeper? Book a Realign Session at Project Trove to audit your experiences or designs. Visit https://projecttrove.world/ to learn more.

Together, we can redesign services that honor the full human core, where systems and souls thrive as one.