Human-Centered design loves – yes, humans.
Human-Centered Design gives us tools to zoom in and out — from individual moments to whole systems. HCD makes hidden drivers visible and points the way toward concrete action steps.
Case 1: Designing the Festival Through Audience Eyes
Case 3: PhD Research | Where design meets neurocience
Case 2: Designing Digital Journeys with a Human-Centered Lens
Case 1
A human-centered lens revealed trust and atmosphere as the core.
The Client: The Irish Festival of Oulu, irkku.fi
Background: The Irish Festival of Oulu had a strong reputation and over 100,000 visitors since 2006.
Highlights
92% would recommend to friends (0% detractors).
100% plans to return.
The Brief
Surveys showed high satisfaction, but the audience journey had never been mapped with design thinking methods.
Net Promoter Score (NPS):
92% of would recommend the festival to a friend
0% detractors.
The Approach & Methods
After going through the previous customer surveys (N = several hundreds), I wanted to go deeper in the audience experience.
Combined qualitative and quantitative tools:
Customer Journey Mapping – 12 touchpoints across before, during, after.
Personas – loyals, culture tourists, first-timers.
Service Safari – walking the festival “as a visitor.”
Semi-structured Interviews – revealing emotional depth.
Value Proposition Canvas (VPC)
Key Findings
Loyalty & WOM: 78% remembered atmosphere over program.
85% rated the festival “excellent” or “very good.”
100% would return; 92% would recommend to friends; 0% detractors.
Critical gaps – signage, digital touchpoints, venue flow.
Digital. 100 % visitors bought their tickets online.
Survey Comments (2022 survey, N=41)
“The whole weekend felt like a little trip to Ireland. The atmosphere was relaxed and communal.”
“The atmosphere is incomparable.”
“The best part was the truly Irish vibe.”
“Relaxed and warm atmosphere.”
The Impact
The research shifted perspective: repeat visits were driven less by program, more by brand trust + atmosphere.
Organisers gained clear design priorities:
strengthen wayfinding,
integrate digital touchpoints,
treat mood as part of program design.
Atmosphere became a strategic design element.
My Role
Listening to audience voices made atmosphere visible as a strategic design element.
Actions
With 100% of tickets sold online, I recommended a seamless digital journey. A dedicated audience engagement plan and digital upgrade were prioritised.
Visitors valued the versatile program and unique atmosphere most — along with highlights like pop-ups, dance, food, and storytelling.
Visitors’ top requests: more music and culture. Interestingly, also more merchandise.
92% would recommend to a friend (0% detractors).
100% planned to return.
85% rated “excellent” or “very good.”
78% remembered the atmosphere, more than program.
100% bought their tickets online (digital touchpoint critical).
Case 2
The Irish Festival of Oulu - Online experience redesign from festival to a family
The Client: The Irish Festival of Oulu, irkku.fi
Background: The Irish Festival of Oulu had a strong reputation and over 100,000 visitors since 2006.
The Context: The festival was already successful. Ticket sales were strong, reputation stronger. But digital touchpoints hadn’t fully caught up what the online experience could be. Research revealed the experience could be made even smoother and more rewarding.
The Challenge
We wanted to raise the bar in three areas:
Program navigation – audiences asked for a direct path from the weekly schedule to detailed event pages.
Ticketing – fans wanted a faster, frictionless checkout.
Fan experience – surveys and interviews showed a loyal base who wanted recognition beyond the event itself.
My Role
I was invited to reframe the digital ecosystem through human-centered design.
Led research to capture how audiences really used the platform.
Mapped the digital journey from discovery to loyalty.
Designed the concept for a VIP Club to serve the most engaged fans.
What We Did
Created a direct link from program to more information, removing unnecessary steps.
Simplified checkout flow to minimize drop-off.
Launched the VIP Club, offering early access and exclusive content for loyal fans.
Impact
+22% lift in direct program-to-ticket conversion.
Checkout abandonment dropped 35%.
VIP Club launch → immediate traction: XX% joined in the first week.
92% of visitors said they would recommend the festival to friends.
Next Steps
Personalised journey + VIP Club 2.0 to deepen loyalty and revenue.
One-tap checkout, mobile speed, WCAG 2.2 AA for a frictionless flow.
Always-on experiments (A/B, bundles) with a clear North Star: repeat-visit rate.
“Being part of the festival should feel like being part of a community. Or, even, a family.”
Case 3
Neurodesign + Human-Centered Design = PhD
Bridging human-centered design and neuroscience can be tricky — and that’s why we need to keep ethics close. Always.
Stanford’s legendary design Professor Emeritus McKim, stated designers always design for people and for need. Always.
Seeing neuroscience and design at a systemic level, I believe they can help solve some of our deepest societal challenges.
That’s where my PhD takes place. My main thesis is: By understanding our neuroresponses in different settings, we can support our wellbeing.