In recent decades human-centred design (HCD) has become a dominant methodology in all design disciplines. HCD's core idea is to study a situation and its problems from the end-user's point of view. In parallel, design has turned from traditional products and graphics to new subject matters, mostly intangible ones, such as services, systems and policies. Within one of the emerging fields, social design, researchers and practitioners are focussing on tackling complex societal challenges. Approaching new terrains has mainly been based on the assumptions of design as a creative problem-solving activity and of design as providing solutions which fit user needs in ways that are attractive and meaningful to users. The new design field may cause new and unexpected challenges to practise and therefore its methodological framework might require enhancement. But the development and analysis of design methodologies for new design subject matters is still very thin.
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