How to improve your empathy to be a better UX practitioner

Empathy - it's what people need to build long-lasting relationships. It’s what UX Designers need to create human-centred design. It’s therefore the skill to create long-lasting relationships with users through design. There are things all of us can do to develop empathy. I’ll go through four of them here...

1. Learn to be a good listener
2. Learn about the backgrounds of others
3. Help people
4. Practice empathy in UX

1. Learn to be a good listener

We have an impulse to respond immediately to what someone has said. This comes from our need to be heard. Instead, take a deep breath and step into the mindset of “an observer”. Put the other person first.

It’s important for UX Designers to understand that when we stop trying to steer conversation, we shift to observation, and create an atmosphere for meaningful conversation. Ultimately, we want to understand users when conducting user surveys, not push our own opinions.

2. Learn about the backgrounds of other people

Cultural background is a moderator of empathy. Empathy means understanding another person by entering their world, putting yourself in someone else’s shoes.

By keeping an open mind and being willing to adapt communication style, you will deepen your ability to understand people.

3. Help people

Empathy isn’t just about understanding another person. It’s also about the action of helping them. The act of helping a person, builds powerful bridges between people. It breaks down barriers.

The act of helping someone enables a deeper understanding of them. You step into the shoes of the other person while helping them and share their needs.

4. Practice empathy in UX

• Use empathy maps to distill your knowledge of the users into one place.
• A visualisation of user needs into a chart is a clear reference point throughout your design process.
• In user interviews, use open ended questions. For example ask “What makes you happy?” rather than “Are you happy?”
• Within your target group, recruit users from a variety of backgrounds and demographics.

Conclusion

In conclusion, empathy helps not only improve our work as UX professionals but also our relationships with people.