By Michael Krigsman
What is the role of empathy?
You have to care about what the customer feels.
But, in the world of pure software engineers, empathy isn’t part of the goal. The goal is to execute on durable code, test it with code. Code that won’t fall down, like a bridge maker, like a person who designed a bridge wants to make sure that, number one, it doesn’t fall down. But while doing that, they need to think about the person that’s going to cross the bridge.
Designers in Silicon Valley have been bringing in the viewpoint, which is obvious to everyone except the people making the bridge, which we have to ask, “How does a person crossing the bridge feel?”
Empathy. So, empathy is what designers bring to the table all the time. They ask, “How does that make you feel and how can I make you feel better? How do I improve the experience?”
So, successful design combines empathy with creating a meaningful experience that’s appropriate for the context?
