Design Thinking/Empathy Mapping

Participants learn to map the needs of their clients or target groups by dialoguing with them, and to use the results of this activity in their work.

One empathy map/interviewed participant is created
Participants will learn and understand the use of empathy mapping, and design thinking.

• understanding the context and the specific skills of the participants
• identifying an initial question to be used for the interviews relevant for their activities/interest
• be patient and ready to listening to the issues of the participants, and flexible enough to find solutions

Participants can also conduct empathy mapping in a real-world context by interviewing their clients, visitors to their exhibitions, etc. This activity can be integrated as a blended part of the training, which the participants can perform after the workshop. They can refer to the results during an additional online or offline meeting. The empathy mapping session can also be conducted online. In this case, the interviews are prepared and recorded in breakout rooms. The resulting empathy maps can be uploaded to a shared platform, such as MIRO.

• • Step 1: Introduction to Design Thinking and Empathy Mapping 
    Give a brief presentation on empathy mapping using the provided PowerPoint presentation. Explain the main activities, methodological and ethical details of empathy mapping, and show the main steps to be followed during the session, including the primary questions to be asked during the interviews. Initiate a discussion with the participants about the method and distribute handouts, including empathy maps, blank papers, and consent forms.

• • Step 2: Empathy Interviews 
    Participants work in groups of 3-4 and create the interviews. Each participant is interviewed by the others in the group: one person asks the questions, and the rest take notes.

• • Step 3: Filling the Empathy Maps 
    One empathy map is filled for each interview by the interviewers. Based on their notes, they will write in the map the main observations, feelings, thoughts and concrete actions of the intreviewee with regard to the initial question. The participants can also use visual elements such as drawings instead of textual ones.

• • Step 4: Presentation and Discussion 
    Each group presents their empathy maps and how they understood the use of this method. Initiate a closing discussion about the use of empathy mapping and design thinking in the overall process of creation.

• https://webdesign.tutsplus.com/articles/techniques-of-empathy-interviews-in-design-thinking–cms-31219
• https://medium.com/@StaceyDyer/design-thinking-what-is-an-empathy-interview-25f71bd496d7