So what is EMPATHY?
Take the EMPATHY CHALLENGE-
The Institute of Design at Stanford writes:
Empathy is when you can feel what another person is feeling. Empathy is the foundation of a human-centered design process; by deeply understanding people we are better able to design for them.
To empathize, we:
Immerse: Experience what your user experiences
Observe: View users and their behavior in the context of their lives.
Engage: Interact with and interview users through both scheduled and short 'intercept' encounters.
Empathy is when you can feel what another person is feeling. Empathy is the foundation of a human-centered design process; by deeply understanding people we are better able to design for them.
To empathize, we:
Immerse: Experience what your user experiences
Observe: View users and their behavior in the context of their lives.
Engage: Interact with and interview users through both scheduled and short 'intercept' encounters.
Use THIS challenge if you were born before the year 1980:
Empathizing w/ Gen-Y |
Use THIS challenge if you were born between the years 1981-2000:
Empathizing w/ the Generations Before You |
IMAGINE...
First consider what your initial feelings towards these imaginary circumstances are; how do you feel about the millennials? What is the first thing that comes to mind? Your mind is likely to imagine the best or the worst depending on your previously held perceptions of the millennials. Going forward in your everyday life and interactions with the millennials consider...
"Ask: What, How and Why? What is the person you're observing doing in a particular situation? Note the obvious as well as the surprising. Just report the objective facts. How is he or she doing it? Does it require effort? Does he or she appear rushed? Pained? Happy? is the activity impacting the user in either positive or negative ways? Why is he or she doing what he or she is doing, in the way he or she is doing it? This step usually requires that you make informed guesses regarding motivation and emotions. This step will reveal assumptions that you should ask users about, and often uncovers unexpected realizations. " -The Institute of Design at Stanford |
IMAGINE...
First consider what your initial feelings towards these imaginary circumstances are; how do you feel about the millennials? What is the first thing that comes to mind? Your mind is likely to imagine the best or the worst depending on your previously held perceptions of the millennials. Going forward in your everyday life and interactions with the millennials consider...
"Ask: What, How and Why? What is the person you're observing doing in a particular situation? Note the obvious as well as the surprising. Just report the objective facts. How is he or she doing it? Does it require effort? Does he or she appear rushed? Pained? Happy? is the activity impacting the user in either positive or negative ways? Why is he or she doing what he or she is doing, in the way he or she is doing it? This step usually requires that you make informed guesses regarding motivation and emotions. This step will reveal assumptions that you should ask users about, and often uncovers unexpected realizations. " -The Institute of Design at Stanford |
The Institute of Design at Stanford (d.school) has many incredible resources for learning how to empathize with others. Here are three links with PDFs you can print and use for your own Empathy Challenges.
Interview for Empathy
Empathy Field Guide
Empathy Map How-To
Interview for Empathy
Empathy Field Guide
Empathy Map How-To
An insightful TED-Talk in which a Gen-X-er empathizes with Gen-Y-ers... *GASP!* (and it's funny and accurate too)...
Yet it seems that Hess thinks some of the millennials greatest assets are what many would consider GINORMOUS problems facing Gen-Y. What do you think?
Yet it seems that Hess thinks some of the millennials greatest assets are what many would consider GINORMOUS problems facing Gen-Y. What do you think?