The people of the Pittsburgh-based LUMA Institute have published an excellent collection of methods for practicing Human-Centered Design—the discipline of developing solutions in the service of people.

The thirty-six methods in this Innovating for People handbook are organized by way of three key design skills: Looking, Understanding, and Making.

Each featured method includes a brief description; a pictorial example; a listing of benefits; a sampling of method combinations; and a quick guide with helpful hints for initial application. The full collection of methods is small enough to digest quickly, yet large enough to address myriad challenges.

The book does not prescribe a formulaic innovation process. Rather, it introduces a versatile set of methods for practicing Human-Centered Design as a daily discipline in order to be more innovative and drive sustainable growth.