2. Preparing for Empathy

DT MethodsDT Stories
Written By John Kembel

Innovator Studio . DT Methods . 34 min Primer

Learn how to have design-thinking-style empathy conversations that lead to a deeper understanding of the experiences and needs of who you're designing for.

Story

This Primer includes a Social Impact Fin-Tech Startup story (from the Stanford d.school) to help illustrate the importance of empathy conversations during need-finding.

Activity

Conduct 2-3 empathy conversations with key stakeholders (45-60 min per conversation). Capture notes & quotes. And take a moment to reflect on 2-3 things that stood out to you from the conversation (surprising / unexpected, meaningful / resonant).

Resources

  • The DT Empathy Kit has key diagrams referenced in this primer as well as worksheets to help prepare for and conduct empathy conversations design-thinking-style.

  • The se worksheets are also embedded in the DT Dojo Design Project MURAL (template) with instructions.

John Kembel
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1. Orienting & Framing
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3. Distilling Needs & Insights