Humanising IT™: Making sense of IT

The gap between the IT services promised and what users actually experience is a persistent concern. Users often face numerous challenges with IT equipment, software, applications, networks, connectivity, data integrity, support speed, login issues, user training (or the lack of it), and other frustrations. It's no surprise that IT services are frequently described with words like "slow," "complicated," "frustrating," "disconnected," and "outdated." So, what can be done to change this?

To answer this, it helps to understand the historical role of IT departments in organizations. Less than 40 years ago, desktop computers were a novelty, and large companies relied on mainframe installations serviced by specialized technicians. As personal computers became essential business tools, the need for diverse IT expertise grew. However, this expansion often turned IT into an additional cost center, regarded as a support function rather than a core component of the business. The IT department was usually housed in low-cost office spaces, reinforcing the perception that it was secondary to the organization’s main mission.

The challenge arises when IT functions in isolation, disconnected from the business it’s meant to support. In reality, IT is now a central business function, essential for the success of any organization. Unfortunately, this truth is not always acknowledged by those working within IT service departments, leading to continued friction between IT and its users.

Meanwhile, technology has transformed nearly every aspect of work and life, advancing in ways we often take for granted. But despite this progress, many IT departments haven’t kept pace with the rate of change, especially in how they interact with users. The most important aspect of IT service should be the user experience. IT services should be seamlessly aligned with business strategy, designed with the user in mind. Yet, the stereotype persists: IT is for "the geeks," who operate in their own technical bubble, disconnected from the real-world frustrations users face—even with something as simple as password management.

These disconnects lead to behaviors that compromise security, such as users simplifying passwords, reusing them, or writing them down on easily accessible Post-it notes. This happens because the IT services are often not designed with the user in mind.

This brings us to the importance of empathy. By empathizing with users, we gain a clear understanding of their needs, frustrations, and expectations. For over 25 years, design thinking has been helping organizations create innovative, user-centric solutions. A related methodology, Human-Centered Design (HCD), focuses on creating solutions that meet real human needs.

By combining technical expertise with Human-Centered Design, IT services can create user-friendly solutions that support business processes and strategy, making technology truly effective. This is the essence of "Humanising IT™," a concept introduced by Katrina Macdermid, which emphasizes the importance of aligning IT services with the human experience to improve efficiency and usability.