Empathy is More Than a Character Trait: A Vital Tool for Designers
What is Empathy?
Most people think that empathy is just a regular personality trait. It can be, but it also can mean so much more to designers. Regardless of your profession, having empathy is important in our day-to-day lives.
According to Master’s in Communication, 98% of people have the ability to empathize with others. However, it is not everyone’s top priority. Empathy is “the ability to understand things from another person's perspective. It's the ability to share someone else's feelings and emotions and understand why they're having those feelings” (“Empathy: What it is, why it matters, and how you can improve”).
Why is Empathy Important?
People are social by nature, we often engage with others, participate in activities, and form lifelong relationships. To do so, we need empathy. People are also unique, no one has the same exact experiences, which is why empathy is the closest ability we have to share our lives with others.
What are the Different Types of Empathy?
It is unexpected to think that there could be more than one type of empathy. However, each form brings its own meaning making empathy as a whole a vital characteristic. According to Master’s in Communication, there are three types: cognitive, emotional/affective, and compassionate/empathic concern.
Cognitive Empathy
Cognitive empathy is the ability to comprehend what someone might be going through and understand what they could be thinking.
Emotional/Affective Empathy
Emotional or affective empathy is the ability to be a part of someone’s emotions. For instance, a friend could be upset which makes you sad as well because you care for them.
Compassionate Empathy/Empathic Concern
Compassionate empathy is the ability to take emotions and turn them into actions. It is more than understanding someone’s experiences but encourages them to step up and actively do something for that person.
What Type of Empathy is Most Important to a Designer?
No one is more important than the other, all three play a role in making a designer effective in understanding their user. However, compassionate empathy is what makes designers cross the line from empathic people to innovative thinkers.
How Does Empathy Relate to Design?
Without compassionate empathy, no one would do anything for others when they need support. Similarly, designers wouldn’t create products when users need them. The designer’s action is creating something for their users by understanding how the user thinks, feels, and experiences life (“Empathize”).
That is why “empathize” is the first step in the design thinking process. This is where the designer researches to gain a better insight into the lives of their users, their motivations, and their goals. Thus, leading them to define the problem at hand and improve it (“Empathize”).
Designers use several tactics to ensure they have all the necessary information to create their products. For example, empathy maps and user personas are utilized to gain perspective on your users. However, I focus more on empathy maps because they involve real people.
To learn more about user personas, check out: User Personas: What are They, Why Are They Important, and How Does Psychology Play a Role?
According to UXPin, empathy maps always contain thoughts, feelings, and actions separated into quadrants. They usually include goals and problems as well. They are a much broader and quicker tool to develop what a user is going through.
How Can You Have More Empathy?
The takeaway is that empathy is a valuable skill to have and should be used to the best of your ability. It is possible to learn how to increase your level of empathy at any age. According to Master’s in Communication, there are a couple of ways to foster empathy.
Read Literary Fiction
There have been numerous studies proving that reading fiction can improve one’s empathy. It allows your mind to access the fictitious world, thus relating to others with different experiences.
Listen
Listening is important because we can truly understand what someone is saying and therefore seem caring and sensitive.
Understand People with Differing Opinions and Beliefs
It is important to consider other points of view to provide support for someone. Valuing other people’s differences and trying to comprehend them helps further develop compassionate empathy.
Now, go try these exercises and be more empathic in the world!