Empathy as Design Superpower

One of the pre-requisite of Design Thinking is to be empathetic to user and the environment they live in. Creating User persona and Empathy map are some of the ways to develop empathy towards user.

And being empathetic requires conscious practice. Sometime back I listened to a podcast that explored Empathy as a design superpower. Below is the podcast and sketchnote (visual summary) that takes us through what it is, some real life examples of empathy at work and 3 steps to develop empathy as a skill.

Some of the best Designed products or services are best because of Radical Empathy of designers towards its users

• Anybody can be designer by thinking and being aware of Users needs and more importantly their context
• Empathy is basis for a good User Research which can lead to insights for good product
• Start with yourself first. Be empathetic to yourself before others. Remember oxygen mask announcement in flights