ARTICLE SUMMARY: There is a lot involved in design thinking. The number one concern that is talked about is empathy.
Through empathy you connect with your target audience, you sense other people’s emotions and helps you to imagine what someone else might be thinking or feeling.
When it comes to empathy more often than not designers tend to think about everybody else but their teammates.
“What most UX designers get wrong about empathy” by Eric Chung talks about the benefits to designers when there is empathy for the team first. Some of the things designers and their teammates should consider are
- Being authentically curious
- Practice empathetic listening
- Be mindful of your attitude
One of the first lessons designers are taught is to learn about their users by observing, listening to and understanding their goals and frustrations.
In order to make that personal connection with your users you need to dig deep and understand what they are feeling, what are the problems they face in reality, you need to get to know your target audience. Shouldn’t it be the same with your design team?
Eric Chung concludes his article stating “that it’s important to have empathy with each other first, rather than our users, as it leads to better collaboration and understanding amongst team members.”
Let us know what you think in the comments.
