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5 min. read
Empathising is condescending
In D-school, you're taught to 'empathise with your target user'. In fact, empathising is often presented as the quintessential first step of every design process. We do not necessarily disagree with the merits behind that, but we do feel that the word 'empathising' is a bit condescending, and, frankly, just not right
Empathising. To us it sounds like a one-way street in which the designer steps off his high horse, to open up to some poor wandering soul. Allowing all of his frustrations and pains to land in fertile ground, where they can grow into this perfect solution that makes the world a better place.
And yet, it appears that some of these poor souls don't like to be 'empathised' with. Some of them, stare at you baffled, when you talk about their 'journey'. Some of them can barely hide their laughter when you reach for your post-its to plot their emotion map.
So what's that all about?
Keep it real
We feel it's much better to 'connect' and forget about this 'empathising'. Empathising requires only something from you - the awesome empathetic designer, while a connection goes both ways: it requires something from you, and from the other.
We once did a project in which we needed dock workers to accept a digital solution that they did not really want in the first place. Needless to say, we were approached with caution when we landed on the docks, in hipster outfits, all ready to empathise.
Looking back on the process, it was only after Quinten did some serious ass-kicking on the foossball table (apparently a token of true skill in hard hat culture), that things started to take a turn for the better.
But, seriously, forging genuine connections is not a trick in the big designer's book of tricks. It's something that develops through true common grounds and real engagement. It's about being human, really.
We feel the ability of a designer to find common grounds and connect easily, will determine his or her ability to truly connect.
So what happened to the hard hats? They got their app and are still happy as a clam with it! Not only because it works like a charm, but also because they liked and trusted the guys that made it for them.
