Empathy as the Foundation of Human-Centred Design

What this note covers

1. What Empathy Means in Design Practice
2. Empathy-Building Methods: Observation and Shadowing
3. Empathy-Building Methods: Interviews and Contextual Inquiry
4. Personas: Synthesising User Research into Design Targets
5. Empathy Maps and Journey Maps: Visualising Inner and Outer Experience
6. From Empathy to Design Brief: Writing Criteria Grounded in Human Need
7. Critical Reflection: Limits of Empathy and Ethical Responsibilities

7 sections · 14 key terms & formulas · 6 common mistakes