Some web designers might see projects as a form of self-expression, another notch in a portfolio that reflects our personal philosophy and goals. However, this approach is wrong, as designers should understand that they not only have to display their creativity to the world but also solve a customer problem. Unfortunately, many designers often ignore this concept. However, if you want to be a better web designer, you have to meet the business goals of a client by applying empathetic design. Before we discuss about how to produce empathetic design, first you have to know the meaning of user research, since both of them are related closely.
What is User Research?
User research is used to collect information about a potential target audience. There is a lot of information that can be used, but the goal is the same, to collect and analyze information about real users. Then businessman can use this information as solutions that make the end product attractive and intuitive to the target user.
In order to create quality user research, you have to understand user needs, wants, and even psychological makeup. In fact, the information will help designers extrapolate the best colors, stylings, and interactions based on the emotions and experience of the target group.
Therefore, it is important to put empathy when designing websites, only by this can you understand what a user wants and needs from their experience.
Why is Empathetic Design so Difficult?
During project, designers and users have to work together, but in most cases, it happens that the teamwork damages user experience. Each party is so focused on getting their own opinion across; they don’t take time to absorb what the other person is saying. If this situation is so you, as a solution, you can design the most attractive and intuitive end-product in the world, but it won’t matter unless your target audience receives the intended experience.
That is why design takes practice and hard work, since you have to combat the bias and take the time to incorporate user research thoughtfully, but you will see that it’s well worth the effort.
How to Become a More Empathetic Designer?
As explained above, empathy is the ability to understand and connect with someone else’s emotions, goals, and motivations. It doesn’t mean that you have to feel what other people feel. In fact, it’s the process by which you apply user research to your own thinking and execution in your web design projects. The ultimate goal of these exercises should be to increase open-mindedness, reduce self-as-user bias, and collaborate. Dorothy Leonard and Jeffrey Rayport outline an “empathetic design process” that proceeds as follows:
- Step 1: Determine your target users, this means you have to know who must be observed and which behaviors we must observe to create a better product.
- Step 2: Collect user research which is often qualitative in nature and establish the actions, behaviors, methods, as well as approach the target population uses to identify and solve problems.
- Step 3: Analyze the data. Team members discuss what they learned from the user research and attempt to understand and identify with their target customer’s needs and wants.
- Step 4: Brainstorm solutions. Using the data, designers can create innovative solutions that address problems for the user.
- Step 5: Prototype. As the last step, you will put your solutions into implementations where you apply your empathetic design to the test.
If you’re struggling to apply empathetic design to your products, try the following simple suggestions:
- Listen Consciously
You can hear what your users say, but that doesn’t mean that you are listening to them. You may appear smiling and nodding to every words they said, however listening what the other person is saying is something that you must hone. This is because listening is the essential legwork to practicing empathy in everyday life.
- Get Rid of Distractions
It is easy to get distracted nowadays. Maybe, you find yourself understanding nothing to what they are saying, because you are busy surfing the web or checking your social media while talking with your users on the phone. If this thing always happens, you have to learn how to be fully present when collecting and analyzing user information. Staying focused will result in a better end product.
- Don’t Make Assumptions
Whether we realize it or not, we all make assumptions about many things. In product design, we might make assumptions about a user based on age or income level. However, your preconceived notions will take you away from a target user and will cloud your interpretation of data. Therefore, as a solution, you have to approach your user research with an open mind and leave your own ego out of it.
Hopefully, by following some simple tasks above, you can learn how to design for users by arousing your empathy towards them. This will surely make your design process better as well as your end product.