How can you build empathy with users during a design thinking session?

In my experience, the research phase is crucial. However, we must avoid being data voyeurs, disconnected from the human experience. True empathy requires genuine connection and immersion. Instead of relying solely on surveys or interviews, try innovative methods like simulations, role plays, or co-creation sessions for deeper understanding. Empathy in design thinking isn't just about identifying needs; it's about feeling the heartbeat of the user experience.

To foster empathy in a design thinking session, actively listen to users, seeking to understand their experiences, challenges & emotions. Conduct immersive research, engage in one-on-one interviews & employ observational techniques to gain insights into their perspectives. Encourage team members to share personal stories related to the user's context. Utilize empathy maps & personas to visualize & internalize user needs. Embrace a non-judgmental mindset, valuing diverse viewpoints. Incorporate storytelling to evoke emotional connections & stimulate empathy. By prioritizing user experiences, empathetic design thinking ensures solutions that genuinely address user concerns, enhancing product or service resonance & overall satisfaction.

We often have blind spots to products or services we are familiar with. Simply by revisiting your product or service as a customer, if you've not recently done so, you can research yourself with fresh eyes. This is where personas can be very insightful. Considering how a user with a visual impairment or colour blindness experiences your online platform for example. Or how about someone who is less in the know about your sector? How much jargon do they have to decode to access your product or service? How searchable is your platform? What key words might you search - and what do these search terms return? Researching yourself as if you were the customer is one good way to empathise with their customer experience.

Keeping them involved throughout the session . Asking their suggestions, the way out appreciating the right way makes the entire journey very empathetic for both the parties . And believe this kind of learning process is life long learning..

Speaking to people will always create more empathy and often surprises. One focus day, I was interviewing a customer whose strong concerns for data sharing among organisations caused me to rethink how I communicate our commitment to GDPR practice. For her, this was vital to creating trust. One approach you could try is observing a real user interaction with your product or service. Let's say you have a new egg poacher that you feel is intuitive, but when you see someone using it for the first time, they are not confident or comfortable because it works differently from the way they're used to. Seeing them interact directly, rather than simply describing their interactions, can create a different understanding of your own design.

Paradoxically, the more general - or higher level of abstraction - the question is, the more powerful it will be. For example, in the above illustration asking about features can still limit the user’s response. The question could be something like, ‘What are you thinking or feeling about your experience so far?’ Simple but effective.

One mistake to avoid is making a statement as if it's a question. This is surprisingly common. An example of this would be "So this feature isn't so valuable to you?" Using Tell me, Explain, Describe or 5 Ws and an H (Who, What, When, Where, Why, How), you could instead ask questions like: - What would be valuable for you about this feature? - Describe what could make this feature more relevant to how you use the product Closed questions do have a place in confirming your understanding of what the user has said. In general I would always err on the side of using an open question. For example, rather than "Do you have any questions?" Instead ask, "What questions do you have?"

Use "Clean language" when you are summarising or paraphrasing. As far as possible, aim to use the exact words that the user has said. It can be tempting to short cut when paraphrasing and use your word - but this risks making the user feel like you haven't quite caught the essence, emphasis or nuance of what they were saying. Using a pause, especially if you're doing this virtually, to make sure they've finished saying everything they have thought of, is very respectful and avoids you jumping in or talking over them. There is a Korean principle I've heard of, which is to listen all the way to the end of a sentence, even if you know what the person is going to say. I find this a helpful plumbline.

Listen to learn - not to respond. Being intentional about really hearing stakeholders is crucial to strengthening empathy throughout the process.

Empathy work takes practice, and we are all bound to have poor interviews along the way. I've worked with many people who had not previously hosted an empathy interview before. In order to help break through the discomfort of that first interview, I'll share both good and bad examples of interviews I've dealt with personally. I'll also invite a friend for my team members to "test" interview with in order to 'break the ice' on their first attempt at this. I'm then able to quickly provide feedback, answer questions, and celebrate successes to quickly make progress and help build confidence in my team members.