Abstract
With rapid changes to inclusivity, accessibility, technology and the global economy, there is a need to appreciate and understand the way in which real people actually engage and interact with products, systems and services. Designers need to go beyond the merely functional. To do this they need to develop deeper understanding of users, which goes beyond mere categorization of user types and characteristics. They need to have the ability and confidence to try new ways of finding information and gaining ‘authentic experiences.’ Empathy has been recognized as a key skill by practicing designers. This paper introduces empathy, shows why it is important, and provides evidence for a greater need of empathy during design and research activities. The paper is built around two case studies from our work on design for older user, which illustrate the need for more empathy in codesign activities and insights students gather using experience prototypes.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Zwillinger, B.: The Number One Quality to Have as a Human Factors Engineer (2017). http://blog.cambridgeconsultants.com/medical-technology/the-number-one-quality-to-have-as-a-human-factors-engineer/
Kolko, J.: Well Designed: How to Use Empathy to Create Products People Love. Harvard Business Review Press, Boston (2014)
Algra, H.R., Johnston, C.R.: Encouraging empathy in engineering design. In: Proceedings of CEEA 15, Paper 169, McMaster University, 31 May – 3 June (2015)
McDonagh D.: Empathic Research Approaches to Support the Designer: A Supra-Qualitative Research for Designing Model. Design Issues (2006)
Carkhof, R.: Helping and Human Relationships. Holt Rinehart and Winston, New York (1969)
Moody, L., Mackie, E., Davies, S.: Building empathy with the user. In: Karwowski, W., Soares, M., Stanton, N.A. (eds.) Human Factors and Ergonomics in Consumer Product Design. CRC Press (2011)
United Nations: World Population Ageing. Report by the Dept. of Economic and Social Affairs of the UN Secretariat (2015)
Leonard, D.A., Raport, J.: Spark Innovation Through Empathic Design. Harv. Bus. Rev. 75(6), 102–113 (1997)
McDonagh, D.: How products satisfy needs beyond the functional: empathy supporting consumer-product relationships: In Sparke, P., Fisher, F. (eds.) Routledge Companion to Design Studies, pp. 282–290. Ablington (2016)
Kyungo, K., Chodzko-Zajko, W., Schwingel, A., McDonagh, D.: Understanding older individuals’ emotional responses to new technology associated with healthy lifestyle choice. J. Phys. Ed. Sport 14(2), 138–147 (2014)
Postma, C.E., Zwartkruis-Pelgrim, E., Daemen, E., Du, J.: Challenges of doing empathic design: experiences from industry. Int. J. Design 6(1), 59–70 (2012)
McDonagh-Philp, D., Denton, H.: Using focus groups to support the designer in the evaluation of existing products: a case study. Des. J. 2(2), 20–31 (1999)
WHO: Brasilia Declaration on Ageing, WHO (1996)
Mattelmäki, T., Battarbee, K.: Empathy probes. In: Binder, T., Gregory, J., Wagner, I. (eds.) Proceedings of the Participatory Design Conference, CPSR, Palo Alto CA, pp. 266–271 (2002)
Fulton Suri J.: Empathic design: informed and inspired by other people’s experience. In: Koskinen, I., Battarbee, K., Mattelmäki, T. (eds.) Empathic Design, User Experience in Product Design. IT Press, Helsinki, pp. 51–57 (2003)
Koskinen, I., Battarbee, K., Mattelmäki, T.: Empathic Design, User Experience in Product Design. IT Press, Helsinki (2003)
Koskinen, I., Battarbee, K.: Introduction to user experience and empathic design. In: Koskinen, I., Battarbee, K., Mattelmäki, T. (eds.) Empathic Design, User Experience in Product Design, pp. 37–50. IT Press, Helsinki (2003)
Battarbee, K., Fulton Suri, J., Howard, S.G.: Empathy on the edge. http://5a5f89b8e10a225a44ac-ccbed124c38c4f7a3066210c073e7d55.r9.cf1.rackcdn.com/files/pdfs/news/Empathy_on_the_Edge.pdf
Equality Act (Commencement No. 1) Order 2010 (SI 2010/1736), UK (2010)
Batterbee K.: Co-experience: understanding user experience in social interaction. Doctoral dissertation. Series ILMARI A51, University of Art and Design Helsinki (2004)
Design Week: Furniture retailers fail to deliver on design quality. https://www.designweek.co.uk/issues/12-december-2002/furniture-retailers-fail-to-deliver-on-design-quality/
Woodcock, A., Ward, G., Osmond, J., Unwin, G., Ray, S., Fielden, S.: Uptake of assistive technology by YOPS. In: Proceedings Ergonomics Society Conference (2013)
Osmond, J., Woodcock, A.: The quality of the UK public transport journey experience for disabled travellers. TRANSED, 28–31 July, Lisbon, Portugal (2015)
Scott, W., Woodcock, A., McDonagh, D.: An investigation of the methods used by designers to engage with users that have specific, critical, additional needs (SCAN). Int. J. Des. Manage. Prof. Pract. 8(3–4), 1–13 (2015)
Scott, D.W., Durling, D., Woodcock, A., McDonagh, D.: Understanding the needs of users with disabilities when working with designers. In: Conference on Design4Health, 13–16 July, Sheffield Hallam University (2015)
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) (1990)
Lindsay, C.: Involving people as Co-creators, the new everyday: views on ambient intelligence. Rotterdam, The Netherlands, pp. 38–41 (2003)
Osmond, J., Mackie, E.: Designing for the ‘Other’. DRS 2012. Bangkok, 1–4 July (2011)
Woodcock, A., Scrivener, S.A.R.: Breakdown analysis. In: McCabe, P.T. (ed.) Contemporary Ergonomics, pp. 258–263 (2003)
Winograd, T., Flores, F.: Understanding Computers and Cognition: A New Foundation. Ablex. Norwood, New York (1987)
Scrivener, S.A.R., Urquijo, S.P., Palmen, H.K.: The use of breakdown analysis in synchronous CSCW system design. In: Thomas, P. (ed.) CSCW Requirements and Evaluation. Springer, London (1996)
Woodcock, A., Scrivener, S.A.R.: Multimedia network applications in the fashion industry. In: Jerrard, B., Newport, R., Trueman, M. (eds.) Managing New Product Innovation. Taylor and Francis, London (1999)
Puphaiboon, K., Woodcock, A., Scrivener, S.: Design method for developing mathematical diagrams. In: Bust, P.D., McCabe, P.T. (eds.) Contemporary Ergonomics. Taylor & Francis (2005)
Shackel, B.: Usability-context, framework, definition, design and evaluation. In: Shackel, B., Richardson, S. (eds.) Human Factors for Informatics Usability. CUP, UK (1991)
And, Kooprie M., Visser, F.S.: A framework for empathy in sesign: stepping into and out of the user’s life. J. Eng. Des. 20(5), 437–448 (2009)
Schön, D.A.: Educating the Reflective Practitioner: Toward a new Design for Teaching and Learning in the Professions Jossey-Bass. San Francisco, CA, USA (1987)
Woodcock, A., McDonagh, D., Kaur, K., Ouillon, S., Nanby, P.C.: Empowering seniors to discuss transport provision in health services. In: ENOLL Conference, Montreal, pp. 22–37 (2016)
Acknowledgments
Supported by the Frank Jackson Foundation, UK grant making Trust which supports education for the disadvantaged and world class research in institutions of higher learning.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2018 Springer International Publishing AG
About this paper
Cite this paper
Woodcock, A., McDonagh, D., Osmond, J., Scott, W. (2018). Empathy, Design and Human Factors. In: Ahram, T., Falcão, C. (eds) Advances in Usability and User Experience. AHFE 2017. Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, vol 607. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-60492-3_54
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-60492-3_54
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-60491-6
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-60492-3
eBook Packages: EngineeringEngineering (R0)