The Power of Empathy in Design

Everyone, despite race, age, country, belief system, you name it, has been affected with the current pandemic. Each of our experiences have been vastly different, yet somehow we all have the same catalyst. Who knows when, or if, we will be in this position again as a global community. A position where we have another common unifier other than being a human. I don’t want to talk about Covid-19 anymore than I already am, but instead I want to shift the focus to something more positive coming out of everything; a greater understanding of empathy.

Empathy is one of our six core values here at Black Sheep and it comes into play everyday for our clients, for those they serve, our communities and for one another as individuals. It’s something we carry with us when we go/log into work and something we also take home. Recently, I’m seeing this value show up more in unlikely places. I’m seeing relatives be more emphatic towards those they have held prior judgmental opinions about, friends and acquaintances across social media offering their resources to others, people I don’t know finding ways to keep our city close despite having to stay apart. More people being sensitive and understanding of one another. More people having this sudden urge to help. More people feeling comfortable asking for help to begin with.

With all that in mind, I started thinking a lot more about empathy and where else it shows up in our lives. This led my brain to wonder and look at the design thinking process where empathy is the FIRST step.

Design thinking is a common term used throughout the design world. Think of it as a designer’s equivalent to the scientific method. It’s a process designers use to create the most effective end product when faced with a problem.

The term “design thinking” was coined by the organization IDEO and they are also the ones credited to solidifying it into practice. However, it was used decades before it had an official name. It is a six-step, non-linear, fluid process. The steps are: empathize, define, ideate, prototype, test, and implement (there are more detailed explanations about each of these steps at the end of the blog.) Design thinking gives structure when solving a problem, and offers flexibility. This allows a team to go back if a direction isn’t working and start again without entirely starting from scratch.

I wanted to share with you an impactful design thinking case study that starts with empathy, and holds it as top priority throughout. It’s the first example that comes to mind whenever anyone mentions design thinking. That case study is the GE Adventure Series started by Doug Dietz.

When we are done navigating through all this unknown and start establishing a new normal, I hope that it entails continuing to empathize with one another more frequently, it not all the time. This will lead to more inspirational and life-changing innovations such as the GE adventure series and more importantly it’ll make us kinder, more understanding people moving forward.

1. Empathize. You are not your user. You are not your user. Your are not your user. Now say it again 3 times fast and keep saying it. In this step, you develop a deeper understanding for your user and discover their frustrations and needs. An open mind is key here. You are not the expert in this situation, they are.
   
2. Define. After conducting user research, start connecting dots between the information gathered to find the underlying reoccurring problems. Then create a problem statement in a “______ needs_____ to_____.” format. I.E. “Public transit users need access to clear route maps to improve their commuting experience.”
   
3. Ideate. Now that there is a problem to solve, how will you solve it? No idea is a bad idea, seriously, no idea is a bad idea. Something teammate A says might trigger teammate B to say an idea which leads to teammate C coming up with a viable solution. Keep your end user in mind, and use that problem statement to guide you. Another thing is do NOT limit your ideating process by focusing on things such as the budget. Think big at first, then find ways to adjust to fit the constraints.
   
4. Prototype. Woo! You came up with a viable solution. Now start prototyping it. These prototypes don’t have to be beautiful or time-consuming, just make sure all the key components you need are there/represented. This stage is meant to be experimental.
   
5. Test. This stage is an iterative process. Take the prototypes created and do some user -testing. What’s working? What’s not? Is your solution solving the problem? You’ll likely find there’s still some kinks to work out. It’s okay to go back and forth between the prototype and test phase. This process is designed to be fluid.
   
6. Implement. Once the test stage is successful, and your design solves the defined problem statement, it’s time to put it out into the world! This stage can also be used as a time for reflection. Are there still ways to improve this product? Absolutely. Keep going!