Need a Chicken. Got a Chicken: Why Human-Centered Design Is More Complex Than It Looks
Have thoughts? Text us! 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.