Empathise | Design Thinking - Class 6 PDF Download

Empathise is a mechanism to understand and share the feelings of your users to foster deep user understanding and be able to uncover the deep user insights and needs. 

Purpose

• to foster empathy and deep understanding of the users in terms of their life, needs, aspirations and challenges;
• appreciate others as human beings and understand and relate with their feelings;
• see their world through their eyes and make emotional connection;
• communicate understanding with others and share their world;
• be in the shoes of your users, experience same and gain fresh insights and uncover their needs; and
• Develop passion to act and help and inspire us to find new solutions.

Empathy is used to uncover the deep user insights and needs by gaining broader perspective of the citizens’ life.

Methods & Tools, Mindsets & Process

Mehtods & Tools

1. Field Observation
   Structured approach to observing people in their natural Environment to uncover user insights and fresh perspectives of people and their behaviours. 
2. Deep User Interview
   An art of conversation to elicit stories and uncover deep user insights and needs – both latent and unmet needs.
3. Needs Finding
   Human process of making sense & transforming your observations and deep user interviews into usable data cluster &meaningful insights to uncover the unmet needs of your users. 
4. Persona Development
   A process of humanising your target users, giving voice and character and making them real.

Field Observation

What is Field Observation?

It is a structured approach to observing people in their natural Environment rather than in a formalresearch setting. It is to uncover user insights and fresh perspectives of people and behaviour.

Methods to conduct observation:

When to use Field Observation?

Field observation is used to uncover User Insights and fresh perspectives of People and Behaviours.

How to conduct Field Observations?

Approach your onsite observation with an open mind and observations need to be made with all your senses which include both first sight – observing observable as reality, and second sight (observing the unobservable). When conducting observation, one needs to be:

• Attentive (in the presence)
• Curious (keep asking why?)
• Perceiving with all your senses
• Open-minded to learning

Use POEMS framework to structure and guide the observation as presented in the POEMS Framework Template (Annex) to record and capture what you have observed.
To make sense of the observation, we need to look beyond the obvious and explore WHY than just WHAT in terms of relationships, behavioral patterns, interactions, gaps, and mistake. Take photos to support and document your learning as follows in relation to POEMS framework.

Field Observation Preparation
Before embarking on your field observation, ensure the team has a well thought out plan as outlined below:

1. Who & Where to Observe? (Think about theprofile of your target group(s)
2. What are different roles of your team members? (Interviewer, Observer, Note Takers)
3. What to Observe and learn? (Think about the issues, concerns your target group may have)
4. Inventory check before setting off (Observation list, report, template, camera, pen etc.)

Deep User Interview

What is Deep User Interview?

Deep user interview is an art of conversation to elicit stories and to uncover deep users’ insights and needs – both latent and unmet needs through understanding of the users’;

• Behaviour & feelings,
• Goals,
• Motivations,
• Aspirations,
• Values,
• Beliefs,
• Pains and challenges.

When to use Deep User Interviews?

A Deep User Interview is conducted when we want to understand beliefs, values, challenges, concerns, frustrations, motivation & behaviours, and uncover user insights, latent needs, and the unmet needs of the users by listening to their stories and experiences. A proper conduct of deep user interview is also important for theme clustering, insight development, need findings, and persona development. Need findings and persona development depend on the quality of interviews that we conduct. 

How to conduct Deep User Interviews?

1. Pre-interview preparation
Being prepared with right questions and other interview tools and techniques are key to successful conduct of a deep user interview. Prepare your deep user interview by carrying out following activities:
(i) Prepare interview questions

• Be prepared with the rights questions to explore the deep user needs with use of both Type A – closed ended and Type B – open-ended probing questions.
• Use EMPATHY Map and/or JOURNEY Map to generate right questions as shown in Annex (Empathy Map & User Journey to Generate Interview Questions).
• Use of empathy map helped to generate questions related to think & feel, see, say & do, hear, pain and gain.

(a) Sample Empathy Map

(b) Sample Journey Map

(c) Combined Empathy & Journey Map to generate Interview Questions

(ii) Prepare interview questions

• Plan and schedule your interview on a mutually convenient date and time.
• Plan you interview for at least 90-120 minutes for each interview sessions. It takes time for the users to open up. 

Structure your interview to evolve overtime with the use Type A questions followed by Type B and concluding with Type A. 

(iii) Identify interview team and assign roles

• An interview team should have an interviewer and a note-taker/observer

(iv) Prepare your equipment check-list and relevant tools

• Simple interview tools such as photos and picture cards, words cards, journey map, and 5 Whys will help interviewee to open up.

(v) Conduct mock interview

• The objective is to familiarize team members with the interview process.
• Conducting deep user interview takes a lot of practice. 

2. During the Interview
Conducting a proper interview with the user is key to getting the rich and deep insights. User insights are sources to understanding the user unmet needs.

• Follow your interview structure – use of Type A and Type B questions - and make it a natural and a causal chat.
• To begin the interview, use Type A questions relating to the demographics and habits to build rapport and make interviewee comfortable.
• To explore, elicit stories and deeper response and gather information on personal motivation such as aspirations, inspirations, motivations and pain points use Type B questions.
• Use Type A questions to gather information related to the project statement. These questions were prepared to be asked towards the end of the interview to wrap up. During
• Avoid questions that lead to a dead end. Use interview tools and techniques to probe more and evoke stories and explore emotions.
• Be comfortable with silence and observe for non-verbal cues and emotions.
• Use User Interview Notes Template (refer annex) to record everything in verbatim. Do not interpret or analyse anything during the interview.
• Take photo references of the interview process, including activities like sketching, journey mapping, card sorting, etc.

There are five main activities of conducting Deep User Interview

1. Ask - asking right questions ( ask open-ended probing questions),
2. Listen – listen for deeper meaning, listening with purpose (empathic listening – listening with all senses – and wonder why that is important),
3. Observe – observing with all senses,
4. Sense – make inference to gain clarity, and
5. Record – record everything in verbatim. 

3. Post Interview

• Conduct post-interview debrief immediately after each interview sessions. Use Post Interview Discussion Template (annex) to summarize what you heard during the interview and develop a common understanding about the user interviewee.
• Conduct post-interview debriefs presentation to the team. Use post-interview De-brief Presentation Templates.

Needs Finding

What is Needs Finding?

Needs finding is a deep human process of making sense and transforming your observations and Deep user interviews into usable data cluster and meaningful insights to uncover the unmet needs of your users (citizens). When conducting needs finding you are looking for patterns and relationships in terms of SPICE and SAM (Think-Feel-Do) frameworks to uncover Insights, Aspirations, Motivations, Challenges, Pain Points, and Deep Needs.

When to use Needs Finding?

The needs finding process is used to convert observations and deep user interviews into usable data cluster from which meaningful insights and needs of the users are discovered. 

How to Find Needs

1. Have the interviewer read out the interview notes to the team as a “first person” while others capture key quotes, high and low points, and observations. The members must capture one data per post-it
2. Take turns to share what you have captured on your post-its and cluster common patterns and/or consistent issues emerging or compelling insights
3. Have a in-depth discussion for each cluster and examine to uncover deep USER INSIGHTS/NEEDS. This is a deeply human process that requires you to rely on your sensing and keep asking WHY until you uncover the real motivation.
4. Needs finding process is like a ‘Map Making’. You refine your ‘user-map’ as you dive deeper and gain better understanding of your USERS. Remember that there is no right Map and is not about finding the correct answer. It is about Mapping an emerging picture of your Users as the team collaborate, compare and gather diverse views to make sense of interview findings and clusters or themes. To uncover the deep user needs, you have to first uncover the USER INSIGHTS. 
   

Uncovering USER INSIGHTS
User insights are not user needs but it helps to explain it. Good user insights reveal a deep discovery about your user that can be acted upon to creating new ideas and solution. User insight finding takes times and some serious probing and trying to understand the real ‘why’ of the behavior. 

Five Principles of uncovering User Insights

1. User insight is a human truth A human truth that is moving and relatable. It connects to who we are as humans and why we feel what we feel.
2. User insight digs deeper than observation Help uncover the hidden motivation behind a behavior
3. User insight offers new, untapped understanding Offer undiscovered truths of the human complexion, something new, true and not obvious.
4. User insights shapes new perspectives and challenges old assumptions Shape your perspectives and challenge you to question assumptions.
5. User insight serves as a foundation to unlock creative thinking Give you the “aha” moment that inspire creative innovation.

How to uncover User Insights
(i) Look Everywhere; Recognize Relationship; Seek the Wisdom of “WHY?”

(ii) Tool to Uncover User Insights: SAM (Think – Feel – Do) framework

• Social Context: who they do the ‘action or activity’ with? What is their relationship, social interaction? Why they behave the way they do?
• Action (Bhaviour): What is the behavior? What actions or activities they are involved? Why?
• Motivation: what do they think? How do they feel? What are the reason(s) for actions and/or behaving that way? Belief? Values? Thinking? Aspirations? Emotions or Feelings?

(a) SAM Framework for Insight Mining/Need Finding

(b) Uncovering User INSIGHTS to User NEEDS (SAM Framework)

(iii) Uncovering User Insights to User Needs:

• Need is something that is missing. Need finding process is about looking through the situations or condition to find what is that ‘something’ missing for the target users. Need is a verb not a Noun. Needs are explicit or implicit (latent or unmet) needs. User Needs finding is a process or uncovering implicit, latent or unmet needs of the users. Latent or implicit needs are that the Users have but unaware or have not yet directly recognized, hence they are unable to clearly articulate. Latent needs are harder to find and defined butthey are important source of inspiration for innovation.
• Uncovering latent or unmet needs of the users require understanding the deep human needs and have to be drawn from the User Insights using S.A.M and SPICE Needs framework.

(iv) Understanding & Uncovering Deep User (Human) Needs: SPICE Needs Framework
Patterns, Relationships & Systems Ecology of Human Needs

SPICE Needs Framework

Sample Needs Statements

• I need to regain my lost time at waiting to spend them meaningfully.
• I need to overcome my selfdoubt so that I can excel in my studies.
• I want to be role model for my children and others.
• I need a sense of familiarity so as to explore the unfamiliar.
• People want to have that sense of belonging to a community to know that they belong.
• During weekend I want to recapture quality time with my loved ones.
• To be recognised for my efforts in the organisation.

Documenting User Insights and Needs

It is important to document deep User Insights and Needs. User needs statements to be framed as verb –i.e. activities or desires with which your user could use help, not nouns (solutions).

Examples of Needs Statement documentation

• INSIGHT #3: While students instructors relationships are positive, students want instructors to exhibit good discipline
• Narrative: Instructors prepare trainees to improve performance in its activities mainly on work attitudes in working on the workpiece in practice and skills through learning on the job-related behaviours, knowledge, and expertise of the participants. Standard time is a measure in the assesment and implementation of competency-based training, in accordance with the curriculum in the training program.
• Need: Students look up to instructors as role model.

Quote 1 :”There’s always instructors that are not available when students need to ask questions. Opportunity to ask questions about our tasks are always delayed and delayed further.”

Persona Development

What is Persona Development?

Persona development is a process of humanizing your target user, giving voice and character and making them real. Personas are fictional characters created to represent your group of target users who exhibit similar behaviors, patterns, motivations and goals. A well created persona provide realistic and detail descriptions, that include Behaviors, Patterns, Motivations, Goals, Skills, Attitude, Challenges, and environment with a few fictional personal details, including a name, to bring personas to life.

When to use Persona Development?

Persona development is to create user models – characters with a clearly defined purpose and characteristics – who will represent your target users throughout the design process from brainstorming for solution ideas to designing ideal user experience journey. Development of personas support storytelling, foster user understanding and evolve design. Personas tell stories and stories are part of every community. Stories help organize and convey information in a compelling manner and evoke emotions and responses.

How to Develop Persona?

User personas are distilled from your observations and deep user interviews. Personas are developed as follows:

1. Review all your clusters, user insights and user needs from across your user interviews.
2. Distill those information relating to behavior patterns, goals, motivations, challenges,pain points, needs etc. 
3. Add fictional personal details such as name to bring the persona life.
4. Add some narratives or story to reveal the persona’s lifestyle, activities, choices and social context. 

Persona Development Process

1. Review All Findings, Themes, Insights & Needs
2. Determine the Number of Personas to Create
3. Describe & Sketch out the Persona Details
4. Complete the refined Persona using the Template

Sample Rapid Persona development Canvas

This is used to complete step 3 of the persona development process (i.e.to describe and sketch out the Persona details).

Sample Persona
Sample Persona Presentation