Day One: Empathize
What is the empathize mode?
According to the d.school bootcamp bootleg, empathy is the foundation of a human-centered design process. To empathize, you...
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For students to download
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Objectives
- Students will learn how to assume a beginner's mindset in order to put aside biases so that they can approach the design with fresh eyes and engage in empathy.
- Students will use deeper levels of observation by moving from concrete observations of particular situations to the more abstract emotions and motives that are at play in a situation.
- Students will practice interviewing protocol skills to maximize their time with their users and be able to gather data to help them develop a deep understanding of the individuals they are designing for.
- Students will create an empathy map to share their findings in the define stage the next day.
Materials
- Computer and video projector or large monitor.
- Rooms with whiteboards.
Ice Breaker / Building on Prior knowledge
What is empathy? As an ice-breaker and way to build on students' prior knowledge, have the students work in pairs and then share in their teams and later to the large group about their understanding and definition of empathy.
How to assume a beginner's mindset? According to the d.school bootcamp bootleg booklet, we all carry our experiences, understanding, and expertise with us. These aspects of ourselves are incredibly valuable assets to bring to the design challenge, but not at this stage.
- Ask students to pair and share how they define and view empathy. Prompt students to discuss in what situations empathy is important and necessary.
- Tell students that Empathy consists of two parts: 1)The intellectual identification with the feelings, thoughts, or attitudes of another and 2) The vicarious experiencing of those feelings, thoughts, or attitudes.
- Ask students to read Empathy Maps: A Complete Guide to Crawling Inside Your Customer’s Head in their teams and then report back to the large group about the meaning of empathy and how it differs from sympathy.
How to assume a beginner's mindset? According to the d.school bootcamp bootleg booklet, we all carry our experiences, understanding, and expertise with us. These aspects of ourselves are incredibly valuable assets to bring to the design challenge, but not at this stage.
- Tell students that at this stage, their assumptions may be misconceptions and stereotypes and can hinder them from real empathy. Therefore, it is important for them to assume a beginner's mindset in order to put aside these biases and approach the challenge with a fresh set of eyes.
- Project the following slide of strategies to assume a beginner's mindset and have students discuss implications in their teams. Ask students to share main points they discussed to the large group.
Lesson Plan
I- Preparing for fieldwork
- There are various techniques and strategies proposed in the d.school bootcamp bootleg booklet. Ask students to go over these strategies in their own teams and identify at least three strategies that they will use in order to build empathy, gain insight, and gather user feedback about a design for the study space. The strategies include:
*all teams will be required to present an empathy map in the Define stage |
II- Fieldwork
Helpful hardware & software: Make students aware of the various technologies that are available to capture, record, take notes, share, edit, collaborate, and organize their information.
Helpful hardware & software: Make students aware of the various technologies that are available to capture, record, take notes, share, edit, collaborate, and organize their information.
- Smart phones with voice recording, camera, and video apps
- Cameras
- Cloud storage: box, drop box, Google drive, padlet
- Video editing tools: imovie, for collaboration try: wevideo or Fly
- Infographics: 10 infographic builder tools
- Form Builders: Typeform, Google Forms, Wufoo
- Project management for listing, assigning, and tracking progress: Google drive, Trello
III- Deep dive
Creating a presentation: Each team will be responsible to create a presentation about their findings and insights that they have gathered from the fieldwork interviews and observations.
Creating an empathy map: Introduce concept of empathy map by sharing with students that good design is grounded in a deep understanding of the person for whom you are designing. An empathy map is one tool help you synthesize your observations and draw out unexpected insights.
Let students know that they will present their presentation and empathy map the following morning.
Creating a presentation: Each team will be responsible to create a presentation about their findings and insights that they have gathered from the fieldwork interviews and observations.
- Tell students that they can create presentations using any format they want. Formats could include but are not limited to role play, powerpoint, infographics, posters, video, multimedia, etc.
Creating an empathy map: Introduce concept of empathy map by sharing with students that good design is grounded in a deep understanding of the person for whom you are designing. An empathy map is one tool help you synthesize your observations and draw out unexpected insights.
- Explain that Dr. James Patell of Stanford d.school told CNN: One of the founding tenets of the d.school (the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford) is human-centered design. Rather than beginning with shiny new technology, we start by trying to establish deep, personal empathy with users to determine their needs and wants. We must fill in two blanks: Our users need a better way to ___ BECAUSE ___. The because portion is a big deal.
- Show the students that empathy maps vary in shapes and sizes, but there are basic elements common to each one: Four quadrants broken into “Thinking,” “Seeing,” “Doing,” and “Feeling” covered in sticky notes. Further explain that some versions have two additional boxes at the bottom of the quadrants: “Pains” and “Gains.” Point out that a drawing of a human head at the center of the empathy map reminds us we are talking about a real, live person.
- Ask students to unpack their interview findings into an empathy map for their presentation before the define stage. Steps to follow:
- download a large empathy map and post them on a wall.
- Populate the map by taking note of the following four traits of your user as you review your notes, audio, and video from your fieldwork.
- Say: What are some quotes defining words your user said?
- Do: What actions and behaviors did you notice?
- Think: What might your users be thinking? What does this tell you about his or her beliefs?
- Feel: What emotions might your subject be feeling?
Let students know that they will present their presentation and empathy map the following morning.
Sample Empathy Maps
Tools:
Hardware: iPad, Smart Phone, Digital cameras An iPad will be provided to each group. Students are encouraged to use their own device to take pictures.
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Resources| Examples for students