Empathy is the capacity to step into other people’s shoes, to understand their lives, and start to solve problems from their perspectives. Design is premised on empathy, on the idea that the people you’re designing for are your road map to innovative solutions. All you have to do is empathize, understand them, and bring them along with you in the design process. By putting ourselves in the shoes of the person we’re designing for, you can start to see the world and all the opportunities to improve it, through design. Immersing yourself in another world not only opens you up to new creative possibilities, but it allows you to leave behind preconceived ideas and outmoded ways of thinking. Truly empathizing with the people you are designing for, is the first step in the design process, helping to form your understanding of context. It is important when beginning the design process to form a true understanding of the context within which your design is situation. Working through the following elements will help you to form a full understanding of context:
Exploratory Thinking
It it is important to start your journey by trying to consider multiple points of view, different perspectives, possible objections or flaws with your initial concept.
Understand the Problem
What is the basic need? This is the essential problem, stated clearly and concisely. It is important at this stage to focus on the need that’s at the heart of the problem instead of jumping to a solution. Defining the scope is also important. Clearly, looking for lubricant for a new type of bristle is different from seeking a radically new way to brush your teeth!
Learn All Context
What are the circumstances or setting within which your design will be used? What problems are you attempting to solve with design of your product? Products, websites, tools etc., are not created in a vacuum they are in a world with cultural, political and economic context that often have impact on the design. Learn all context prior to proceeding.
Gather Inspiration
Ideas can come from anywhere. Sources of inspiration tended to be personal and subjective to the project, however, there are some tried and trusted source where if you're stuck, you can draw inspiration from:
Art is generally inspiring. It’s also a great way to study things like composition, colour and expression.
Nature is the foundation of everything.
Architecture is great way to see solutions to the problems of using space.
Fiction & non-fiction inspire in general and can teach you something new.
Daily Experiences Be observant, daily experiences can be a source of inspiration.
Shows & Movies inspire through storytelling and through amazing visuals.
Music is generally inspiring. It’s also a great way to study things like rhythm and flow to understand how space works.
Research what already exists
Research or scanning the market for what already exist is always a great place to start with any design project. It's possible somebody has already thought of your design. Can you identify any gaps out there that need to be filled? Why?
Now it's your turn!
You have just learned about the various techniques to understanding context, so let's try it out by considering your project.
First take a moment to compose your thoughts - write them down or draw them out.
Once you're ready, work on the following form to deepen your reflection.
Then share a short video and gain valuable feedback from the community.
IDEO LLC. (2012). Design Thinking for Educators (2 ed.). Retrieved from http://designthinkingforeducators.com Province of British Columbia. (2019). Applied Design, Skills, and Technologies K-9 – Curricular Competencies. Retrieved from https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/sites/curriculum.gov.bc.ca/files/curriculum/continuous-views/en_ADST_k-9_curricular_competencies.pdf