Page 172 - The Design Thinking Playbook

EXPERT TIP

How can empathy be understood
as a design paradigm?

Many approaches have contributed to the development of empathic design or are based on similar
A good story or a story that is told perfectly always follows a typical thoughts.
narrative. In so doing, an arc of suspense is created, so listeners
remain attentive.
This arc of suspense is essential and is built up continuously from the Empathic
first moment—right up to the final punch line. Design
Universal
A good story that works usually includes five elements: Design
Mace Hybrid Models
1980 Inclusive Empathic Design Framework for Lewrick, Link
• an emotionally significant initial situation; Design Koskinen & Empathy in Design 2015
Kourpie & Visser
Design Coleman Battarbee
• a (likable) main character; for People 1991 2003 2009 Business Ecosystem
• conflicts and hindrances, which the main character must Dreyfuss Emotional Design-Driven Design
Design
1955 User-Centered Design for Innovation Lewrick, Link
overcome; Human Design Experience Norman Verganti 2017
2005
Factors Norman Fulton Suri 2009
• a recognizable development and change (“before and after” Morell 1988 2003 Prototyping Social
effect); and 1950 Transformation Interaction
Design for Design Design Kurvinen
• a climax, including the conclusion or the moral of the the real world for All The Design Council 2008
Papanek EIDD
story. 1971 1995 2004
Good stories induce emotions in the viewer and convey a message. To Empathic design is the development of products and services that are based on unspoken customer needs.
be able to tell a good story, we must know our target group quite well. New tools have been added over the last few years that allow companies to understand the mood of the
Again, it is of great importance to have built up empathy beforehand. customer, making it possible to experience a situation from the customer’s point of view. This experience
The topic of empathy has already been extensively described, so in frequently yields important product information, which cannot be tapped by means of normal market
this section we will put empathic design in the context of other design analyses and well-known empathy tools.
approaches. In many companies, such approaches have become an integral part of product development. The use of
so-called third-age suits is a good example.They allow designers and product managers to experience with
their own body the limited physical capabilities of seniors. There are also methods that require less tech-
nology and focus on specific senses. The goal of geriatric sensitivity training is to make certain physical
states palpable. Glasses that simulate the clouding of the cornea or age-related macular degeneration can
help users experience how these impairments affect everyday life. Alongside the glasses, there are gloves
that simulate limited sensitivity and headphones that replicate a hearing impairment. The experiences are
conducive for the development of products, services, and processes.

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