Need a Chicken. Got a Chicken: Why Human-Centered Design Is More Complex Than It Looks

Design-Build Delivers

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How do you bring empathy, listening and iteration into projects built for real people? In this episode of the Design-Build Delivers Podcast, Erin Looney talks with Deb Sheehan and Susan O’Connell about the realities, challenges, and opportunities of applying Human-Centered Design within design-build delivery. Expect stories from healthcare, higher ed, and civic projects where user feedback, prototyping, and adaptability shape outcomes.

Guests:

• Deb Sheehan, ACHE, LEED AP, EDAC, DBIA — Healthcare Core Market Leader at DPR Construction, oversight of $9.5B+ in projects, board roles, evidence-based design leader.
• Susan O’Connell, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, DBIA — Managing Principal at AC Martin, 35+ years in complex projects across civic, aviation, higher ed; skilled in integrating input and leading multidisciplinary teams.

Topics Covered:

• What “human-centered design” really means (vs buzzword)
• Tools and techniques: prototyping, mockups, user feedback, iteration
• Project case stories: real challenges in healthcare, campus, civic spaces
• Balancing cost, schedule and human experience
• The role of awards, standards and industry leadership
• What’s next: housing, AI, cross-discipline integration

Resources & References:

• DBIA Design-Build Done Right® Best Practices
• DBIA Design Excellence Position Statement
• DBIA Project/Team Awards
• DBIA Conference & Expo 2025 (Las Vegas)
• How Design-Build is Shaping the Future of Healthcare, Part 1
• How Design-Build is Shaping the Future of Healthcare, Part 2

Access all our free design-build resources and learn more about Design-Build Done Right® at dbia.org.
DBIA members are shaping the future, one successful collaboration at a time.

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1. Setting the Stage (00:00:00)

2. Defining Human-Centered Design (00:02:10)

3. Inclusive Design in Practice (00:03:51)

4. Designing Beyond the “Average User” (00:06:29)

5. Healthcare Flexibility and Prototyping (00:09:50)

6. Balancing Stakeholders and Values (00:12:26)

7. Human-Centered Design Done Right (00:20:46)

8. Recognition and Awards (00:23:55)

9. Advice for Owners (00:29:33)

10. What’s Next in Human-Centered Design (00:36:43)

11. The Chicken's Out of the Bag (00:44:08)