Designing with Empathy

Every decision we make affects the way real people experience our products. We’ve all heard the rallying cry for user-centered design, but even those of us who ascribe to that ideal often fall back on our own biases and instincts when it comes to making decisions about how people experience our content and our services. Sadly, this often means we make decisions we think will be good for our "users"—that anonymous, faceless crowd—rather than actually trying to understand the perspectives, surroundings, capabilities, and disadvantages of the actual people who we are here to serve.

Transcript

1. A COLLABORATION WITH Aaron Gustafson Designing with Empathy
2. Designing Empathy with Aaron Gustafson @AaronGustafson adaptivewebdesign.info
3. Photo Credit: Stuck in Customs
4. Designing Empathy with
5. Design ≠ Art _ Photo Credit: faith goble Image Credit: L.e.e
6. Art serves the Artist Photo Credit: Abby Lanes
7. I’ve been amazed at how often those outside the discipline of design assume that what designers do is decoration—likely because so much bad design simply is decoration. Good design isn’t. Good design is problem solving.” – Jeffrey Veen “
8. de·sign /dəˈzīn/ To devise for a specific function or end Classical: To indicate Medieval Latin: designare, to mark out
9. David Carson has been called “the most influential graphic designer of our times” Photo Credit: © Marc Eckardt for FontShop, Berlin.
12. It was Art
13. It was Ego
14. subjective, personal, and self-indulgent” Photo Credit: © Marc Eckardt for FontShop, Berlin. “
15. Your ego is a bad designer.” – Christopher Butler “
16. http://demo.northkingdom.com/ihuvudetpatoyota/index_en.html
17. http://demo.northkingdom.com/ihuvudetpatoyota/index_en.html
21. Just because you can doesn’t mean you should Photo Credit: harald walker
22. Design isn’t about showing off Photo Credit: Laurence & Annie
23. communicate not alienate Design to Photo Credit: altemark
24. Design = Creativity for Communication
25. Designing Empathy with
26. em·pa·thy /ˈem-pə-thē/ From the Greek empathia meaning “state of emotion”
27. em·pa·thy /ˈem-pə-thē/ The action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another … without having the feelings, thoughts, and experience fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner
28. Meet Charlie
29. and Jack
31. Photo Credit: [phil h] Empathy requires us to observe
32. Photo Credit: [phil h] Empathy requires us to ask questions
33. Empathy requires us to listen Photo Credit: [phil h]
34. Empathy requires us to use our intuition Photo Credit: [phil h]
35. Empathy requires us to be patient Photo Credit: [phil h]
36. Perspective is everything Photo Credit: ZeroOne
37. Empathy is about showing solidarity with others who have a one and only life on this planet.” – Jeremy Rifkin “
38. Solidarity requires communication Photo Credit: LeonArts.at
39. Tribes Religious Groups Nation States Global Community
40. Photo Credit: United Nations Development Programme Global response within 3 hours
41. em·pa·thy /ˈem-pə-thē/ The action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another … without having the feelings, thoughts, and experience fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner
42. em·pa·thy /ˈem-pə-thē/ The action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another … without having the feelings, thoughts, and experience fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner Also: the capacity for this
43. John Rawls 1921-2002
44. Selfishness is a survival instinct Photo Credit: Malingering
45. Photo Credit: Stuck in Customs We are able to empathize by seeing ourselves in others.
47. In UX, we use personas to help us empathize Personas foster empathy Credit: Kevin O’Connor
48. They also frequently devolve into another name for “the user” Photo Credit: Tinker*Tailor loves Lalka
49. Personas need to be real. They need to be human. Photo Credit: code poet
50. User Scenarios = situational empathy Photo Credit: Sergiu Bacioiu
51. User scenarios = situational empathy Kitty: Sergiu Bacioiu; Fire: Mr. Theklan User Scenarios = situational empathy
52. a Design is problem solving Photo Credit: Unhindered by Talent
53. F R O N T A L L O B E P A R I E T A L L O B E T E M P O R A L L O B E OCCIPITAL LOBE CENTRAL F. OCCIPITAL F. SYLVIAN F. EXOOCCIPITAL FF.
54. F R O N T A L L O B E P A R I E T A L L O B E T E M P O R A L L O B E OCCIPITAL LOBE CENTRAL F. OCCIPITAL F. SYLVIAN F. EXOOCCIPITAL FF.
55. F R O N T A L L O B E P A R I E T A L L O B E T E M P O R A L L O B E OCCIPITAL LOBE CENTRAL F. OCCIPITAL F. SYLVIAN F. EXOOCCIPITAL FF.
56. Call out the relevant facts: Bob is a mechanic He is left- handed He wants to look up parts info (and possibly order a replacement part) while under a car Photo Credit: Neil. Moralee
57. We only need enough detail to be able to put ourselves in his shoes. Who cares about his macchiato addiction? Photo Credit: Frisno
58. We want info on his •goals, •needs, •circumstances, •outside influences, •distractions, and •limitations. Photo Credit: Neil. Moralee
59. User scenarios help us empathize in a productive way Photo Credit: Chris Garrison
60. Photo Credit: Horia Varlan
61. Set a performance budget Photo Credit: Gunnar Ries
62. Photo Credit: schoschie Author appropriate content
63. Photo Credit: lastquest Consider physical limitations
64. Photo Credit: CaptPiper Facilitate satisfaction
65. Photo Credit: andrechinn Don’t create unnecessary barriers
66. Credit: XKCD Don’t force your agenda on your customers
67. Support common assistive technology Credit: windsordi
68. Help users learn to accomplish complex tasks and reward them for doing so. Credit: pasukaru76
69. Progressive Reduction http://layervault.tumblr.com/post/42361566927/progressive-reduction
70. Progressive Reduction http://layervault.tumblr.com/post/42361566927/progressive-reduction
71. Progressive Reduction http://layervault.tumblr.com/post/42361566927/progressive-reduction
72. What is hateful to you, do not to your fellow man. That is the entire law; all the rest is commentary. –Judaism Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. –Christianity No one of you is a believer until he desires for his brother that which he desires for himself. –Islam The Golden Rule Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find harmful. –Buddhism
74. [Progressive enhancement] keeps the design open to the possibilities of sexiness in opportune contexts, rather than starting with the ‘whole’ experience that must be compromised.” – Ben Hoh “
75. Egalitarianism Equality of opportunity, not equality of outcome
76. Designing Empathy with
77. Thanks! Thanks! L@aarongustafson
78. Designing with Empathy by Aaron Gustafson @AaronGustafson Further reading: http://is.gd/readlist_empathy Slides available at http://slideshare.net/AaronGustafson This presentation is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 except where otherwise noted flickr Photo Credits http://www.flickr.com/photos/aarongustafson/galleries/72157633153882514/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/aarongustafson/galleries/72157633161513316/