Empathy

HCD meaning

In HCD, researchers and designers cooperate with or learn from potential users of the products or services they are developing. The goal is to develop products or services that match users’ practices, needs, and preferences

HCD vs UCD

HCD focuses on people, whereas user-centered design has a narrower focus on people's roles as users and can be dehumanizing

HCD Process

Empathise, Understand, Design & Build, Assess, Evolve.

• Isn’t linear

• Is repetitive

• Can be seen as a cycle or double diamond

HCD aims

• Create products/systems/services that meet people's needs.

• Understand how humans perform tasks and act to achieve goals.

• Understand how humans process information (transmission, perception, storage, understanding).

• Perform analytic and empirical use evaluations.

Three 'waves' of Human-Computer Interaction:

1. 1970s: Rigid rules for Human-Machine Interaction (engineering and ergonomics)

2. 1980s and 90s: Groupware (how groups work with software)

3. 2000s and later: Beyond work and software (technology at home, smartphones)

User-Centred Design (UCD) (80s/90s)

• Included workers in the design process

• Focusing on productivity and efficiency in the workplace

Perspectives on "User"

• Micro

• Meso

• Macro

Micro

• Cognitive

• Usability

• Human factors

Meso

• Socio-emotional

• Coordination

• User experience

Macro

• Political

• Collective engagement

Importance of Understanding (Empathy Map)

HCD emphasizes understanding what people

• think

• say

• do

• feel

Why was HCD created?

• Lack of understanding people's needs is a key factor in innovation failure

• User involvement has positive effects on system success and user satisfaction

Empathy in HCD meaning

Designers attempt to get closer to the lives and experiences of users to increase the likelihood that the design meets their needs

Empathy vs. Sympathy

• Empathy is a way of "knowing" and understanding the other person

• Sympathy is a way of "relating" and feeling for the other person

• In empathy, you feel as if you are the other

• In sympathy, you feel like you are the other.

Four Qualities of Empathy

• Perspective-taking

• Avoiding judgement

• Recognising emotions

• Communicating emotions

Empathy in design

• Involves stepping into the shoes of the people being designed for

  Designers act as interpreters of user experiences

Empathy framework (4 phases)

• Discovery

• Immersion

• Connection

• Detachment

Discovery

Approaching the user, raising curiosity and willingness to explore.

Immersion

Wandering around in the user's world (qualitative research data), taking the user's point of reference, absorbing without judging

Connection

Recalling own memories and experiences to reflect and create understanding, emotional resonance, understanding feelings and meanings (affective and cognitive components)

Detachment

Stepping back into the role of designer with increased understanding, making sense of the user's world, deploying insights for ideation.

Importance of Designer’s Willingness

The designer's personal connection, emotional state, and commitment influence the level of empathy achieved

Empathic Tecniques

• Research: Direct contact with users (observation, generative sessions).

• Communication: Using raw data (photos, quotes) and storytelling (personas, scenarios, storyboards, role-playing) to convey user experiences.

• Ideation: Simulating user conditions (role-playing, experience prototyping, bodystorming).

Usability

The effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction with which specified users achieve specified goals in particular environments. Considers context, user, and task

Key aspects of Usability

• Effectiveness (successful task completion)

• Efficiency (task completion without retrace)

• Satisfaction (liking the product for the task).

User experience

• The capacity of an (interactive) product to please senses (beautiful to look at, pleasant to hear, smell, or touch)

• Subjective experience ranging from feelings to values, memorable situations, and personal significance

Use optimisation

• It does not necessarily make interaction more satisfactory

• A rewarding experience may help overcome usability issues.