Question

Explain research tools for the empathise phase of design thinking.

Hint:

Effective user research builds empathy and informs human-centered design solutions.

Answer 1

The empathise phase of design thinking focuses on understanding the users’ needs, experiences, and emotions. To achieve this, various research tools are used, such as:

Interviews: One-on-one or group conversations to gather detailed insights into user behaviors, motivations, and pain points by asking open-ended questions.
Observations: Watching users in their natural environment to see how they interact with products or systems, which helps uncover unspoken needs.
Surveys and Questionnaires: Structured tools to collect quantitative and qualitative data from a larger user group.
Shadowing: Following users through their daily activities to gain a deeper understanding of their challenges and routines.
Personas: Creating fictional characters based on research data to represent typical users and their goals.

These tools help designers gain empathy, avoid assumptions, and develop solutions that truly address user problems.