Explanation:

The human-centered design approach is a problem-solving technique that puts real people at the center of the development process, enabling designers to create products and services that resonate and are tailored to the audience’s needs. The human-centered design approach typically involves four stages: clarify, ideate, develop, and implement1.

The first stage, clarify, is dedicated to collecting data and observing the users to clarify the problem and how to solve it. Rather than developing products based on assumptions, designers conduct user research and assess user needs to determine what the users want. The clarify stage requires empathy—the capability of understanding another person’s experiences and emotions. Designers need to consider the users’ perspectives and ask questions to determine what products they’re currently using, why and how they’re using them, and the challenges they’re trying to solve2.

Therefore, the activity that should come first in the human-centered design process is observing the medical staff while they use their existing portal. This activity will help the UX designer to understand the context, the goals, the pain points, and the preferences of the medical staff,as well as to identify the opportunities for improvement and innovation. The other activities, such as estimating the cost, writing technical requirements, and designing a mockup, belong to the later stages of the human-centered design process, after the problem and the user needs have been clearly defined.

References: What is Human-Centered Design? — updated 2023 | IxDF and What Is Human-Centered Design? | HBS Online

The first activity inthe process when using a human-centered design approach to redesign a portal that medical staff use to report on patient demographics should be observing the medical staff while they use their existing portal. This is a critical step in the process, as ithelps to identify user needs, preferences, and behaviors so that the design of the new portal can be tailored to meet their specific needs.

Observing the medical staff while they use the portal will help to identify any existing problems and highlightareas where the portal can be improved. This can include issues with usability, functionality, and accessibility. Additionally, observing how the medical staff interact with the portal can help to identify any potential areas of improvement and uncover anyhidden requirements or user needs.