Desired Goal:

Consider the problem from a user’s unique point of view and build empathy with the lived experience of individual users

The Tool's Purpose:

  • Build a solid understanding of user needs, emotions, motivations, and unique takes.
  • Unmask insights, frustrations and motives that would have remained hidden without investigation
  • Discover in the context of usage which experience flows the user prefers and what they are thinking.
  • Validate information learned and deeper additional insights.
  • Establish a basis for discussion with your team and stakeholders.
  • Highlight that the interview is about uncovering user motives.

Process Tips:

  • Listen closely and use open questions (ex: W+H questions) if the motives are not clear.
  • Avoid questions that can be answered with yes/no or a single word.
  • Ask additional questions that are not directly associated with the problem, or introduce statements that might confuse the interviewee at first but help to consider the problem from different points of view.
  • Pay attention to user gestures and body language, note and clarify if these signals are contradictory to the answer.
Stop Guessing, Get Personal, and Get the Truth Straight from the source

Overview:

The Interview for Empathy is a qualitative research method utilized in design thinking to deeply understand users by exploring their needs, emotions, motivations, and behaviors from their own perspectives. This approach emphasizes building genuine empathy with users by allowing them to share their personal stories and experiences without the interviewer imposing preconceived notions or solutions. By conducting in-depth, open-ended interviews, design teams can uncover hidden insights and unarticulated needs that might not emerge through more superficial research methods. The process involves creating a comfortable environment for the interviewee, using open-ended questions to encourage detailed responses, and carefully observing both verbal and non-verbal cues. The insights gained from empathy interviews inform the problem definition and ideation phases, ensuring that the resulting solutions are truly user-centered and address real-world challenges effectively.

Benefits:

  • Deep User Understanding: Provides a comprehensive view of the user’s experiences, emotions, and motivations, fostering a strong empathetic connection.
  • Uncover Hidden Needs: Reveals latent or unspoken needs that users themselves may not be fully aware of, enabling the discovery of innovative opportunities.
  • Enhanced Problem Definition: Ensures that the problems being addressed are accurately defined based on real user insights, increasing the relevance and effectiveness of solutions.
  • User-Centric Solutions: Guides the design process to focus on solutions that are closely aligned with the actual needs and desires of the users.
  • Builds Trust and Rapport: Establishes a positive relationship between the user and the design team, encouraging open and honest communication.
  • Rich Qualitative Data: Generates detailed and nuanced information that quantitative methods may overlook, enriching the design thinking process.
  • Validates Assumptions: Helps in verifying or challenging existing assumptions about users and their needs, leading to more accurate and effective design decisions.

Use Case Example:

  • Scenario: A mobile app development company is creating a new fitness tracking app aimed at helping users achieve their health goals more effectively.

    Application:

    1. Objective: Before designing the app, the team wants to understand the daily routines, motivations, and challenges of potential users to ensure the app addresses their real needs.
    2. Conducting Empathy Interviews:
      • Preparation: The team develops an interview guide focusing on topics such as users’ fitness habits, motivations for staying active, challenges they face, and their experiences with existing fitness apps.
      • Setting: Interviews are conducted in environments where participants feel comfortable, such as their homes or favorite workout spots, to encourage openness and honesty.
      • Execution: During the interviews, facilitators ask open-ended questions like:
        • “Can you describe your typical workout routine?”
        • “What motivates you to stay active?”
        • “What challenges do you face when trying to reach your fitness goals?”
        • “How do you currently track your fitness progress, and what do you like or dislike about those methods?”
      • Listening and Observation: The interviewers listen actively, noting both verbal responses and non-verbal cues such as gestures or facial expressions that indicate deeper emotions or frustrations.
    1. Gathering Insights:
      • Hidden Needs: Through conversations, the team discovers that many users feel overwhelmed by the abundance of fitness apps and struggle to find one that provides personalized guidance without being intrusive.
      • Motivations: Participants express a strong desire for community support and accountability to stay motivated.
      • Challenges: Users highlight difficulties in integrating fitness tracking with their daily schedules and a lack of seamless data synchronization between devices.
    1. Informing Design:
      • Problem Definition: The team refines the problem statement to focus on creating a personalized fitness tracking experience that integrates smoothly into users’ lives and fosters a supportive community.
      • Ideation: Based on the insights, the team brainstorms features such as customizable workout plans, social sharing options, and smart notifications that adapt to users’ schedules.
    1. Outcome:
      • User-Centric Features: The empathy interviews lead to the development of key app features like personalized workout recommendations based on user preferences and schedules, community challenges to encourage social engagement, and seamless integration with various fitness devices.
      • Enhanced User Experience: Understanding users’ frustrations with existing apps allows the team to design a more intuitive and user-friendly interface, increasing the likelihood of sustained app usage.
      • Market Differentiation: By addressing the specific needs uncovered through empathy interviews, the app stands out in a crowded market, attracting a dedicated user base and fostering positive word-of-mouth referrals.

Outcome: By utilizing the Interview for Empathy framework, the mobile app development company gains a profound understanding of their target users’ lives, motivations, and challenges. This deep empathy ensures that the fitness tracking app is tailored to meet real user needs, resulting in a product that is both highly relevant and valued by its intended audience. The insights gathered not only inform feature development but also enhance the overall user experience, contributing to the app’s success in the competitive fitness market.