How to develop creativity using empathy map
Inspiration / / December 26, 2019
Vetas versatile
The founder of the creative incubator Creative Happens. It teaches creativity HSE, keeps a blog "101 creative development method" and Telegram-channel "Creativity 101."
Why Empathy need a creative person?
I already wrote about the basic creative development tool - Association. Today, talk about no less important instrument - the map of empathy. It is widely used in geymshtorminge and design thinking and helps to develop great products through empathy.
I believe that empathy is needed creative person. This is a great version of the tool "point of view". The ability to switch between different points of view and to find creative answers to the questions - a skill of a creative person. It is no longer enough simply to give a discount or a competition, but it still works. Brilliant products and services are now being created with an attempt to understand.
What is empathy, and empathy card?
Empathy - Empathy is the current emotional state of another person without losing the sense of external origin of this experience.
Dave Gray, founder and creator of XPLANE geymshtorminga (methodology of designing game brainstorming to solve problems), has created empathy card many years ago as part of the toolkit human-oriented design.
Today empathy card as a separate tool is included in the curriculum Stanford School of DesignAnd in the Harvard Business Review in 2013 published an article by David Kelley, founder of IDEO, in which empathy card named one of the three main tools for the development of creativity.
Dave Gray is constantly updating the template for mapping, its latest version you see below. pattern translation in 2017 made the company "System Approach".
Mapping of empathy, you can get a deeper understanding of the inner world and emotional state of others. Typically, the card is used to create new products and services, improve the use of available expertise, business processes, working environment. But it can be easily adapted for other tasks.
How to fill it?
There are step by step instructions:
1. Take a large sheet of paper and stickers. Draw a template.
2. Identify and write down on a sticker target, Affix a sticker on the top of the pattern in the middle.
3. Record on stickers ideas whom will describe the map of empathy. One thought or idea on one sticker. 1 stick in the sector.
4. Record on the stickers that you want to these people We did. Stick in the sector 2.
5. Move clockwise and record on the stickers on the queue:
- he sees, Stick in the sector 3;
- that says, Stick to the sector 4;
- what is he doing, Stick in the sector 5;
- that hears, Stick in the sector 6.
6. Take a look at a big head:
- write on stickers, which they pain, Stick in your head to the left;
- write on stickers, which they gains, Stick in your head to the right;
- that they More important in your head, write on stickers and stick in the head at the bottom.
What to look for when filling out the card?
- Ideal to collect user information in social networks, forums and communities, to see the publication in the media. That is, to examine all available sources, where other users share their opinions and experiences to solve problems.
- If possible, it is possible to conduct online surveys and interviews with users of the target groups.
- You can fill out the card without the collection of information, presenting itself the target user group. Good for a quick start. Even at this level of work with the card, you get a lot of ideas.
- When the card is ready, it can be used to develop the first version of the product or script to solve the problem.
- The card should be available to all participants, which included the development of, and the information should be updated over time.
Why do I need it?
Filling out the card, you create a visual image of the ideas and be able to see your product (service process) through the eyes of the consumer, and then see if you can use this product to solve his problem.
The card can be for improving an existing product or service, or to search for product ideas.
How else can use the map of empathy?
Card can be adapted for virtually any task where there are people who need to understand:
- analysis of the target audience of the site (the analyst);
- development of advertising strategy (digital and product marketing);
- refinement of existing products (product marketing);
- conduct interview (HR);
- the alignment of the interactions between people in collectives (HR);
- of detailed characteristics of the characters (storytelling, writing);
- exploring new areas and items (education);
- justification of design solutions (design);
- Development of sales scripts (sale);
- scripts development communications (call centers);
- training of staff working with clients (training).
I do not quite understand. Can you show how to make a map of empathy?
You will need 15 minutes to answer 23 questions.
Drew a map of empathy for a simplified scenario: on an A4 sheet, without stickers. It would be enough to fill all sectors with a pen or pencil.
1. Write what like to do most is that most strongly motivated. In this direction, we try to think well.
2. Take this task: launching a blog on the topic, which was designated in the preceding paragraph.
3. Define a target for the study of empathy card - "Create a masthead blog on selected topics. " Write it in the template on top of the center. If there was another goal, write it.
4. The map will be completed without collecting information about the audience, based on personal experience.
5. Write sectors answers to the questions:
Who:
- who are the people we want to understand;
- they are in a situation;
- what is their role in this situation.
Must do:
- what they need to do differently;
- what they want done;
- what decisions they need to take;
- How do I know that they got it.
see:
- what they see in the market;
- what they see in their immediate environment;
- that people say and do, they see;
- they watch and read.
They say:
- what they said when I heard them;
- they can say.
make:
- what they do today;
- I saw how they were doing;
- what they can do.
hear:
- what they hear from others;
- they hear from friends;
- they hear from colleagues;
- what rumors they transmit.
Think and feel:
- what are their fears, anxieties and frustrations;
- what their desires, needs, hopes and dreams;
- What other thoughts and feelings can influence their behavior.
Done. Rest 5-7 minutes and then take a look at the map and write down all the ideas that will bring you closer to your goal.
Are there any resources that will help me?
Yes. You can download PDF with the pattern of empathy card in English.
Still there are two useful service to create online templates:
- RealtimeBoard;
- Mural.