Lesson 3:
Empathy in Design
WATCH:
THE INVENTION DESIGN PROCESS
The first step of the Invention Design Process involves developing a sense of empathy towards the people you are designing for, to gain insights into what they need, what they want, how they behave feel and think, and why they demonstrate such behaviors, feelings and thoughts when interacting with products in a real-world setting.
EMPATHY vs UNDERSTANDING
To gain empathy towards people, we as design thinkers should observe them in their natural environment or engage with them in interviews. We should try to “step into their shoes” in order to gain a deeper understanding of their situation.
EMPATHETIC UNDERSTANDING
Consider the problems on the next slides and try to predict the invention that resulted from the inventor’s empathetic understanding.
PROBLEM:
The US Department of Transportation estimates that 94% of car crashes are due to human error.
SOLUTION:
A self-driving car
Also known as an autonomous vehicle, self-driving cars are capable of sensing the environment and moving safely with little or no human input.
Wired.com
PROBLEM:
2.5 million plastic bottles are thrown out in the US every hour; each one will not decompose on its own for almost 500 million years.
SOLUTION:
Bottle filling station
Creates an alternative to plastic water bottles and features a built-in water bottle counter to track the plastic saved.
PROBLEM:
In 1651, Johann Hausch of Germany had a friend who lost the use of the legs and was not able to be mobile.
SOLUTION:
Wheel Chair
The first self- propelled wheel chair moves by turning the hand cranks attached to the front wheel.
history.physio
PROBLEM:
On average, a sales clerk will make a mistake 1 in 300 times when entering the price of an item manually.
SOLUTION:
Barcode Reader
Optical scanners read printed barcodes, decode the data contained in the barcode, and send the data to a computer. This device significantly reduces the opportunity for entering an incorrect price.
PROBLEM:
Marion Donovan, and inventor and mother of 2, grew tired of cleaning bedding and clothing soiled by leaky diapers.
SOLUTION:
The Boater
Using a shower curtain from her bathroom, Donovan created the first waterproof diaper cover. “The Boater” also prevented chafing and diaper rash.
Dirtydiaperlaundry.com
Can you think of an invention where the inventor demonstrated empathy in his/her creation with the intention of solving a problem, but the solution had harmful side effects as well as being helpful?
GOOD DESIGN ENGINEERING REQUIRES EMPATHY
EMPATHY MAP
Using the Empathy Map, you will begin to explore the user’s external, observable world and internal mindset.
ASSIGNMENT
1. Respond to the following questions:
a. How can empathy help you solve problems?
b. Which of the stations was most impactful? Why?
EXTENSION:
Watch this Ted Talk for a deeper understanding of how empathy impacted the design of the Embrace incubator.
TED Archive, Embrace: Low-cost, life-saving incubators; Jane Chen, https://youtu.be/Fkb7PvgJTLs